Two out of two... but what have we learned about Wales in autumn?
WE’RE halfway through the autumn so it seems the perfect time to assess what we’ve learned so far about Wales that we perhaps didn’t know before.
With two wins from two, including a first win over Australia in a decade, it’s a pretty nice position to be working from with our findings...
WALES CAN CLOSE OUT CLOSE GAMES
Let’s start with a big one.
After 13 defeats in a row to Australia, Wales finally got the monkey off their backs in a tight and tense 9-6 victory.
So many of those defeats came late on, with the Wallabies finishing the stronger. Not this time though.
In a game of fine margins, Wales closed out a tense encounter with possibly the strongest bench of Warren Gatland’s time in Wales helping them get over the line.
Gatland himself even admitted to feeling a bit of deja vu in the closing moments with Australia pushing for a winning score. Most fans likely did as well.
Wales have won other games at the death before, but, after so many late heartbreaks to the Wallabies, this felt like the acid test to show this side can close matches out.
They passed.
THE BACK-THREE SELECTION ISN’T AS NAILED-ON AS FIRST THOUGHT
Before the autumn, you’d have found few people disagreeing with you if you said the selection of Leigh Halfpenny, George North and Liam Williams was nailed on as Wales’ starting back-three.
In particular, it felt as though Williams had to start after a scintillating start to the season with Saracens. For some, he was the first name on Gatland’s teamsheet.
Having missed the autumn opener against Scotland alongside fellow English-based wing Josh Adams, the smart money would have been on Williams coming in to face the Wallabies. Instead, Adams was given the nod.
And the Worcester Warriors flyer made the most of his chance, with Gatland claiming he should have been man of the match.
You’d still back Williams to regain his starting spot, but the strongest back-three Wales can field isn’t as obvious as first thought.
GARETH ANSCOMBE IS THE REAL DEAL AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
It wasn’t so much that there were doubts about Anscombe’s ability to play at Test level, especially from those who watch him regularly at Cardiff Arms Park every week.
It was more that, heading into this autumn campaign, the Cardiff Blues playmaker hadn’t really had a chance to show what he could do at this level.
His only other starts at fly-half prior to this autumn were against Japan, Italy and South Africa – all in scratch sides that didn’t exactly flow.
While the matches against Scotland and Australia were hardly flowing encounters either, the intensity they were played at was certainly Tier One Test level, and Anscombe came through them with some credit in the bank.
We didn’t necessarily get to see the running threat and attacking prowess that would fill a highlights reel from the 27-year-old, but his performances were filled with enough subtle touches to prove he has what it takes to play Test rugby – not forgetting his early try-saving tackle on Samu Kerevi.
ROB EVANS ISN’T A CONCRETE LOOSEHEAD STARTER
Since seeing off Gethin Jenkins, Evans has been the sole holder of the loosehead jersey. However, coming into the autumn on the back of an injury, Evans wasn’t picked to start against Scotland.
In his place, Nicky Smith was handed a place in the front-row and he has really impressed.
So much so, he kept Evans from returning against Australia a week later, keeping the No.1 jersey for the Wallabies clash.
Whether it was helping Justin Tipuric with the workload at the breakdown or his work at the scrum, Smith has ensured that there is some healthy competition for Evans in the coming 10 months ahead of the World Cup.
DAN LYDIATE HAS A FUTURE AT TEST LEVEL
Many people thought that Lydiate’s international career was effectively over after a number of back-row talents emerged just as the chop-tackling blindside was hit by a string of injuries.
Some felt that the game had moved away from the physical tackling on the gainline that Lydiate had done so effectively at his peak during 2011 and 2012.
But the criticism always levelled against him was that his game was too one-dimensional, that was only one string to his bow.
There were probably more than a few eyebrows raised when he was first named in the squad and then picked to start against Scotland. There weren’t afterwards.
He made 23 tackles in defence and seven carries for 14 metres going forward. But numbers rarely tell the full story.
Statistics should be used much like a drunk uses a lampost; for support, not illumination.
And the actions of Lydiate far outweigh whatever numbers he finished up with on the stat sheet – driving the Scots back on the gainline and constantly securing quick ball with his carrying and fast presentation.
You’d be a fool to write his Test career off again.
THE SCRUM-HALF QUESTION STILL ISN’T FULLY SOLVED
Ever since Rhys Webb became ineli-
gible to play for Wales, the scrumhalf mantle has fallen to Gareth Davies.
The Scarlets scrum-half has largely made the jersey his own in the absence of much competition at first, but that appears to be changing - with Tomos Williams and Aled Davies now pushing for a place.
Aled Davies was entrusted with starting against South Africa and Argentina in the past, while Tomos Williams has shown he has an international future with two impressive cameos this autumn.
Wales legend Barry John is certainly an admirer, suggesting Gatland has found the new Mike Phillips.
Add in the fact that Davies hasn’t exactly set the world alight so far, with his box-kicking and sniping a little off this autumn.
It all means that the scrum-half jersey is still up for grabs ahead of the World Cup next year.