THE ONE AND ONLY KING
WALES produced another fantastic performance against South Africa to extend their unbeaten record to nine. The achievement of winning all four fixtures in an autumn campaign for the first time in history cannot be overemphasised.
It was a phenomenal effort when you consider how hard the Springboks came back from being 14-0 behind to look as if they would overhaul Warren Gatland’s team.
South Africa’s scrum, driving line-out and attacking play was giving them traction, but the fact Wales were able to weather that second-half storm says a lot about so many players.
It was a big match for Gareth Anscombe at outside-half, Liam Williams at full-back and one or two others.
Anscombe failed in the basics early on in the game by missing touch with kicks, but I felt that was because he was being over-ambitious in pursuit of distance.
When he gets back on the training ground with Wales the coaches will advise him to settle down and tell him his priority during the early exchanges is to play the percentage game, provide stability and put the pack on the front foot.
I still like the way he probes and takes play into danger areas. He made Williams’ try and was an important figure in the creation of prop Tomas Francis’ score.
When he went off, Dan Biggar came on and put in a masterclass, exactly what was needed with the Springboks on the up and looking dangerous.
The situation was made for Dan because Wales were defending a lead, not looking for tries, and he could close the game down with his tactical kicking.
There wasn’t any signs of nerves from him when he kicked those two penalties that made the game safe and took the sting out of the South Africans.
It’s a good position for Gatland to be in to have different types of No.10s to call in.
Not only has Anscombe put his hand up to start against France in the Six Nations, but Williams’ display will have made Leigh Halfpenny worry about the No.15 jersey for Friday night fever in Paris.
Other than a fluffed kick, Liam was the complete package and the man for the big occasion, as he showed while Gatland’s Lions’ full-back in New Zealand last year.
He is exciting, he looks for the gap, was on the end of a lovely move for a try and is wonderful under the high ball.
He should, as far as I am concerned, now be first-choice at full-back.
I was saddened to see Ellis Jenkins’ absolutely outstanding display end on a stretcher with what appears to be a serious injury to his right knee.
He fits all the requirements of a backrow forward. He’s quick to the breakdown and tackles, but the biggest thing for me is his intelligence and reading of play.
He is a thinking player – he’s not crash-bang, although he can do that when it needs it.
The way in which Jenkins broke through and waited for Francis showed the class you’d normally expect to see from a top-quality centre.
Ellis didn’t get over-excited or break out in white-line fever, he just drew the final defender in text-book fashion and let the ball do the work with a simple tryscoring pass.
He worked in tandem with Justin Tipuric, who was again amazing and particularly in the final quarter.
Tipuric has to be among the top three players to excel for Wales during this memorable autumn campaign.
Skipper Alun Wyn Jones has to be a serious contender to be among the finest players to have put on the red shirt.
He is an outstanding leader and the standard he sets every game is incredible as he commands respect from fellow players.
Alun Wyn goes about his business without any fuss and just gets the job done, ticking all the right boxes.
Wales are in great shape going into World Cup year, having beaten South Africa and Australia, and I get the feeling events are swinging towards the northern hemisphere nations.
But first Wales have the Six Nations to deal with – those matches against Ireland and England in Cardiff are going to be something special.