Barry John

A FTER the demands of the Lions tour, Warren Gatland and Rob Howley could be forgiven for welcoming a return to the day job with Wales.

Gatland, especially, has made no secret of how mentally tough he found the expedition to New Zealand, though the drawn series was more than almost everybody expected.

And yet there is little respite to be had this autumn given the fixtures that Wales have. It’s going to be relentless.

Apart from the big southern hemisphere three there is Georgia, who Wales play in their second match, and nobody should underestimate the questions they are going to ask of Wales.

They are big and physical outfit who seem to be improving year on year and they have players who are experienced from performing in the French Top 14 every week.

Now that Wales are playing them in the opening game of the 2019 World Cup in Japan, Georgia may well see extra motivation in coming to Cardiff on top of wanting to prove that they should be invited into an enlarged Six Nations.

But for all the challenges of the opposition this autumn, let’s not forget the quality of player at Gatland’s disposal.

I’m thinking of men like Alun Wyn Jones, Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar, Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, Ken Owens...I could go on.

They are all successful Lions players and that gives me optimism that Wales can stand up to whatever comes at them in the next few weeks, even the threat posed by the world champions New Zealand.

This is not a time when Wales can simply say they don’t have the personnel. They do, even with a couple of big-name injury absentees like Sam Warburton and George North. That’s why they should be an extremely tough proposition for any team.

My lingering concern is over Wales’ ability to break down the top sides. Are Wales creative enough, can they ask enough questions in attack? I am not convinced.

Defensively I think they are well organised and I also believe we have a pack of forwards who can compete with the best. But we have to see something different when we have the ball, some inspiration.

Much will depend on the spark and sniping runs that Rhys Webb makes around the fringes, but much will also depend on the Welsh midfield.

Given that he was the stand-out performer for the Lions, Jonathan Davies is now one of the first names on Gatland’s team sheet and must bring his influence to bear.

Who should partner him at insidecentre? That’s provoking a lot of debate right now, but I have to say I would still go with Scott Williams.

He wasn’t selected in the original squad and was only called up when Tyler Morgan hurt his ankle, but I don’t think Williams should be there just to hold the tackle bags.

He is a player who has the skill and the vision Wales need. He can create and score tries. He is a class act and I believe class is permananent, Williams can quickly cast his indifferent regional form to one side if Gatland keeps faith with him.

The coach appears to be mulling over Owen Williams, Rhys Patchell and Owen Watkin as the alternatives to Williams at 12 with the view that a greater footballing influence is required there instead of the direct physical approach Jamie Roberts used to offer.

But while people are pointing to the success the Lions had with picking Jonny Sexton and Owen Farrell as a 10-12 combination, let’s not forget that those two are world class performers.

Talking about a change in playing style is one thing, but you must have the players who can execute it under pressure on the big stages. Whether Wales have those players, we’re about to discover.

Just as intriguing is who plays at full-back between Liam Williams and Leigh Halfpenny.

Liam, like Rhys Priestland at Bath, has become an even better player since moving to the Aviva Premiership, in his case with Saracens. Owen Williams is another one.

Those two are probably the proof of the benefits Wales can get from the improvement that is possible when players are competing in an intense league like that week in, week out.

While the WRU has hardened its stance on players with less than 60caps playing outside of our boundaries, it’s worth remembering that there is an undoubted plus factor.

As for Leigh, he appears to be back to his normal self and happy at the Scarlets, but I do not think he will ever be the strike-runner that Liam is.

I thought Liam was superb on the Lions tour, as he was in New Zealand a year earlier.

So who should wear the No15 jersey? Well, I would give it to Halfpenny, but I would have the two of them swapping the wing and full-back roles as and when during the course of a game.