Combined XV time – who gets nod from our team?

THE recent suggestion from a Cardiff Blues director that Wales can sustain only two regions will have sent a tremor throughout professional rugby this side of the Severn Bridge.

Martyn Ryan made his claim largely on the basis of economics and, while some did support his comments, many were concerned at the prospect of losing entities they have bought into over the past 14 years.

This weekend arch-rivals the Scarlets and Ospreys clash in a crunch Guinness Pro12 finale, with the winners likely to avoid Leinster in the playoff semi-finals. So there is plenty at stake, not just traditional bragging rights.

But out of interest on the back of Ryan’s comments, what would a joint Ospreys/Scarlets side look like were every one of their players available for selection? Rugby writers Mark Orders and Rob Lloyd, who cover the two teams every week, got together to pick their Loughor Bridge Fantasy XV ahead of tomorrow’s big derby in Llanelli.

: How difficult is this — picking a combined Ospreys/Scarlets XV? Imagine choosing one from the two regions in years gone by. Phil Bennett, John Bevan or Dai Richards at fly-half in the 1970s, for instance? Imagine having to sort that one out? Rob Lloyd: Benny would have got my vote.

: Thinking about it, Benny would have got my nod as well but the other two were superb players. Anyway, let’s journey back to 2017... Orders: My full-back for this team would be Dan Evans, who has been as consistent as any No. 15 in the Pro12 this season. Lloyd: I wouldn’t disagree. Johnny McNicholl started shakily for the Scarlets but what I will say is that he has started to show glimpses of real quality. You can see there’s a fine player there. Orders: I’m guessing you’ll want Liam Williams on one wing? Lloyd: He’d have to be there. He is a British and Irish Lion and he has found his mojo in the past few weeks. When he’s firing on full cylinders he’s a heck of a player. Orders: Let’s give a nod, though, to Jeff Hassler and Hanno Dirksen, who would run through brick walls if they were told there was a try line on the other side. Lloyd: Steff Evans or Keelan Giles? I’m inclined towards picking Steff. He’s just got better and better with every game this season. Orders: Maybe he’s a bit further down the line. Giles’ try-scoring has been prodigious this season but it is still only his first campaign and he is probably still filling out physically. If we were having this conversation a year on, I think we’d take more time to reach a conclusion. Lloyd: Centre is a difficult area to sort out. Jonathan Davies should figure at 13. He wasn’t at his best earlier in the campaign, but is another Scarlet who has got his act together. Orders: The same can be said of Kieron Fonotia, but Davies shades it for me as well. However, inside centre is a nightmare! Lloyd: Deciding between Scott Williams and Hadleigh Parkes? Orders: Er, what about Ashley Beck? Lloyd: A tough call, indeed. The Scarlets picked Parkes next to Jon Davies for the game in Connacht last weekend. That says a lot about how highly he’s rated. Orders: For me, there is no more creative centre in Welsh rugby than Beck. The way he set up that try for Tom Habberfield against Ulster last week was something few other Welsh midfield players could have done.

: I just think if you were picking a Wales side tomorrow then Scott would be the No. 12. Orders: There again, the Wales selectors are not picking this team. Let’s keep them well away! With Williams, everyone knows what a good player he is, but when he replaced Jamie Roberts in the Wales set-up earlier this term the idea was that he would plug the creative void, but there weren’t many pyrotechnics from the Wales backs, were there? That said, there are questions over whether Beck can train flat out. I’m not going to throw my toys out of the pram over Williams getting the nod. He’s a good player. Lloyd: The half-backs pick themselves, don’t you think? Orders: My thinking is if we had conducted this exercise in January, then Sam Davies would have pushed Dan Biggar for the No. 10 shirt. I thought he was the best No. 10 in the Pro12 bar none up to that point. But he didn’t play much during the Six Nations and had a difficult game behind a beaten pack on Judgement Day against Cardiff Blues. Lloyd: Biggar galvanises a side. Orders: No. 9 shouldn’t take much time to sort out? Lloyd: No, Rhys Webb is the main man. Jonathan Evans has come through impressively at the Scarlets, while Gareth Davies is capable of making spectacular breaks. If he could improve his game control he’d been some player. Loose-head prop Orders: Nicky Smith remains a top prospect and Paul James can still do a fine job, but from where I’ve been sitting, Rob Evans has had a really strong season. Lloyd: He’s been one of the Scarlets’ best players since coming back from injury. His tackling, offloading and scrummaging have been excellent.

FULL-BACK WINGS CENTRES FLY-HALF SCRUM-HALF HOOKER

Orders: Ken Owens has to be the call. Scott Baldwin is capable of lifting his game, while Sam Parry has also been really good, but the Cannonball man had a top Six Nations and is in the Lions squad. Lloyd: Ryan Elias is worth mentioning in dispatches. He’s a big prospect.

TIGHT-HEAD PROP

Orders: My choice would be Dmitri Arhip. At his best he comes up with eye-opening performances. Doublefigure carrying and tackling counts are the norm for him. And he has improved as a scrummager. Samson Lee is solid and may yet kick on with his game, but that injury he had a couple of years ago was a bad one. Lloyd: It was, and Arhip fit and firing does give the Ospreys another dimension.

LOCKS

Orders: Alun Wyn Jones has to be at number five. No arguments there? Lloyd: No arguments.