SO, WHO WILL TAKE SAM’S NO.7 SHIRT?
DESCRIBED as one of the best British and Irish Lions captains of all time by none other than Sir Ian McGeechan, Sam Warburton heads into retirement leaving some big boots to fill.
Much has been written about Wales’ rich seam of back-row resources, particularly at openside flanker, but as the dust settles on Warburton’s shock announcement, attention now turns to who will replace him.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland is fortunate to have an enviable list of challengers for the No. 7 jersey, highlighted by the performances of James Davies and Ellis Jenkins in the Americas this summer.
But the fact that Warburton has more recently been playing at six - he played there for the entire 2017 Six Nations and for the Lions in New Zealand – adds to Gatland’s conundrum as he ponders the pool of back-rowers he will be taking to next year’s World Cup in Japan.
ROB LLOYD sets out his batting order for the seven jersey...
1. JUSTIN TIPURIC
For so long in the shadow of Warburton at international level, Tipuric will be the favourite for the No.7 jersey heading into World Cup year.
In past seasons, it would have been an obvious succession plan, but the Osprey will be well aware of the contenders who are now snapping at his heels.
After touring with the Lions last summer, Tipuric was rested for the summer Tests in the Americas, an indication that the flanker’s all-court game is very much in Gatland’s planning for Japan. The question is where?
For the 2017 Six Nations, Wales fielded Tipuric at seven and Warburton at six, while the Osprey’s last two appearances came at blindside flanker against Italy and France.
It will be intriguing to see if Gatland continues with that experiment, but with 57 Wales caps and two Lions tours under his belt, Tipuric has to be the number one contender for the seven shirt.
2. JAMES DAVIES
Twelve months ago, with Warburton and Tipuric on Lions duty, Davies wasn’t considered good enough to be part of what was in essence a development tour to take on Tonga and Samoa.
However, his patience and outstanding form at regional level has been rewarded with a long-awaited international call.
One of the most consistent performers in the Guinness PRO14 over the last three or four years, the Scarlet gives you gun-dog instincts over the ball, as well as sevens skills out wide and he displayed that against Argentina in the summer, winning successive man-of-the-match awards in the wins over the Pumas.
There is very little to choose between him and Ellis Jenkins.
3. ELLIS JENKINS
The fact that Davies started in both matches against Argentina – Jenkins played six in the final Test in Santa Fe – just edges the Scarlet up the batting order.
Jenkins, though, is a serious contender for the No.7 jersey.
A former Wales Under-20s skipper, he is highly thought of by the Welsh management having been named cocaptain for the June tour.
He missed the early months of last season because of a serious hamstring injury, but was hugely impressive in the Cardiff Blues’ second-half resurgence that saw them lift the European Challenge Cup in Bilbao.
Like Davies, Jenkins is a turnover machine who can also do a job at number six.
4. JOSH NAVIDI
Through no fault of his own, Wales’ player of the year finds himself with ground to make up.
Navidi enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2017-18, silencing the doubters who questioned whether he had the physical presence for the international arena.
Proved against the southern hemisphere big guns last autumn that he can carry with venom, while his defensive workrate has never been questioned.
Like Jenkins, also offers versatility across the back row.
Is currently recovering from the shoulder injury picked up in the Challenge Cup final in Bilbao that forced him to miss Wales’ summer tour, but is expected to return to action in the early weeks of the Guinness PRO14 campaign.
5. OLLIE GRIFFITHS
The former Wales Under-20s skipper endured a hugely frustrating 2017-18 campaign.
In a European match against Russian side Enisei-STM in Moscow, he was the victim of a cheap shot that broke his jaw, then needed surgery on an ankle injury that saw him miss a further two months of the season.
Griffiths enjoyed a brief taste of international rugby against Tonga in Auckland last year, but you sense he will need injuries to those in front of him to get his chance this term.
A dynamic carrier and strong in the contact area, he has drawn comparisons with Warburton during his rise through the ranks.
And the fact he is plying his trade in Wales, probably nudges him ahead of Thomas Young in Gatland’s thinking.
6. THOMAS YOUNG
The Wasps back-rower has become a forgotten man with Wales over the last 12 months.
A nominee for the European player of the year in 2016-17, he won his first Wales caps against Tonga and Samoa on the southern hemisphere tour that followed.
However, playing across the Severn is having an impact, and not a positive one, on his international career.
He isn’t captured by the WRU’s new senior player selection policy, but not being available for every week of training means Gatland and his coaching team have turned to players at the regions and Young wasn’t picked in either last season’s autumn or Six Nations squads.
Speak to regular observers of the Premiership and they will tell you Young will be far closer to a Test call if he was English.
7. SAM CROSS
A sevens specialist who played for Team GB at the Rio Olympics, Cross had played just one game of professional 15-a-side rugby before his shock Wales call-up last autumn.
He came off the bench against Australia, then started against Georgia in a match that saw a makeshift Wales side struggle against the physicality of the East Europeans.
Cross went missing in action at the Ospreys for a few months, but did catch the eye in the final weeks of the campaign, suggesting that he is a quick learner. Shouldn’t be ruled out.