Why picking Seb at No.8 might just be an inspired call by Wales

WARREN Gatland has pulled a rabbit out of the hat by picking Seb Davies at No.8 for Wales’ clash with Georgia at the Principality Stadium.

But it’s not a surprise because the Wales coach has got form, plenty of it, for picking players out of position.

The names Jamie Roberts, George North, James Hook, Sam Warburton, Dan Lydiate, Taulupe Faletau, Andy Powell, Ross Moriarty, Aaron Shingler, Josh Turnbull, Paul James and Rhodri Jones spring to mind.

Roberts was a full-back during his formative years and started his Test career on the wing before wearing No.15 in the opening Test in South Africa nine years ago.

But Gatland decided to pick him in what was then out of position at inside-centre for the second Test and the rest is history, so to speak, following the departure of a certain Gavin Henson from the international area.

And, love or loathe him, Roberts has done a sterling job for Wales over the years as a midfield battering ram, amassing 93 caps.

North started at centre against Australia – Wales lost a thriller 33-28 – three years ago while Lydiate, Faletau, Warburton, Powell Shingler and Turnbull have all played away from their normal positions in the back-row.

Paul James has performed emergency duty at tight-head prop while Wales spent years unsuccessfully attempting to convert Jones to No.3.

But, when it comes to establishing themselves as regulars out of position under Gatland, only Roberts, Warburton and Moriarty have managed it.

Can Davies be a fourth hit? Will it be a master-stroke by Gatland with Wales in desperate need of more strength at No.8 as Faletau’s deputy Ross Moriarty is suffering from worrying back problems and James King and Dan Baker are yet to establish themselves at Test level?

Well, in my opinion, there’s a real chance it could come off because Davies is a natural athlete who started his rugby life as a centre at Pentyrch RFC.

Where the 21-year-old has impressed since breaking through with Wales against Tonga last June is the way he rampages around the field for Cardiff Blues.

Davies, 6ft 6in and 18st 3lb, is an explosive athlete with plen- ty of speed off the mark, has a decent pair of hands, having previously played in midfield and is an accomplished receiver at lineouts.

In short, he seems to have all the tools required to be a success, with Gatland saying he had appeared in the back-row when he was younger, but it’s at the scrum where he and Wales could come under most pressure.

The front five has to hold up against Georgia’s heavyweight pack because, if Wales are shunted backwards at a rate of knots, it will become doubly difficult for Davies at the base of the scrum to protect returning scrum-half Rhys Webb.

Having watched videos of the power Georgia are capable of exerting in the shoving contest, the match could be a real test not only of the mettle of Davies, but the entire Welsh pack.

However, handing the No.8 jersey to Davies is, in my opinion, a risk worth taking and may turn out, in the long-term, to have been an inspired move by Gatland in the wake of last weekend’s 29-21 defeat to Australia.