Scots missed... but how might Wales line up when rugby’s back in business?
IN these uncertain times, with rugby and sport generally pretty much in hibernation because of the Covid-19 emergency, it’s hard to look much beyond next week let alone seven months ahead.
But all will hope the nasty little bug will be seen off in the coming months.
If it is, and the Six Nations is able to resume, then the next challenge will be to find suitable dates for the four postponed matches.
October 31 has been mooted as a potential option for the three roundfive matches, namely France v Ireland, Italy v England, and Wales v Scotland. A weekend also would have to be found for the Ireland v Italy match that was also called off.
The problem is that October isn’t an international-window month, meaning clubs would not have to release players.
Could special dispensation be arranged given that the matches are Six Nations fixtures? We do not know, with all of us operating in uncharted waters.
But the way things stand, neither Wales nor Scotland would be able to choose their England-based players.
What team would Wayne Pivac be able to field, then?
Here’s our best guess...
15. Liam Williams
IT’S set to be a straight choice between Williams and Leigh Halfpenny for the No. 15 shirt. If the 2020-21 season starts on time,
Williams will have had opportunities to move back up the gears and the assumption is he’ll be back to his exceptional best. It’s very much a flick-of-a-coin call, mind, with Halfpenny having beaten off threats to his position before.
14. George North
LET’S assume the big man makes his determined and gutsy performance against England at Twickenham his default setting. If that happens, the No. 14 jersey will surely stay with him.
13. Jonathan Davies
BACK in November, there was a suggestion Wales’ number one centre would be sidelined for six months after knee surgery. Predicting how long it will take for any injury to clear up isn’t a precise science, but the hope will be that master midfield organiser is playing again by the autumn.
12. Nick Tompkins
LET’S take a punt and say Tompkins will have hooked up to a Welsh region by the time the new season starts, with Cardiff Blues said to be the favourites . If he has and he’s available for any Wales game in October, the likelihood is he will switch to inside centre, where he has played with impressive effect for Saracens. If such a move doesn’t happen, it will be Hadleigh Parkes wearing the shirt – or Owen Watkin, depending on whether Wayne Pivac is in live-for-today mode or looking to tomorrow.
11. Josh Adams
HE makes try-scoring look easy and, within three months, he’ll be recovered from the ankle injury he picked up in this Six Nations. He starts.
10. Gareth Anscombe
DAN Biggar has had a strong Six Nations, so if he’s available Wayne Pivac will have a difficult call. But, as things stand, the Northamptonbased player would be beyond Pivac’s reach for October.
Jarrod Evans and Sam Davies are in the mix, but if Gareth Anscombe is fit and ready after his long-haul recovery from knee surgery, with his leadership and self-belief, he’d likely be first in line.
9. Rhys Webb
HE’LL be frustrated after working his way back to the front of the queue with a strong performance off the bench against England. But the man has unshakeable confidence and that counts for a lot at any level of sport. It’s for others to catch up with him now.
1. Wyn Jones
NOT too much to see here. Jones was picked to face Scotland for last Saturday and, assuming his form holds up, the squat, hard-working Scarlet would be fancied to get the nod again.
2. Ken Owens
HE’LL blow out 34 candles on his birthday cake come January and there are some who’ve already questioned how much time he has left at Test level. But change for the sake of change is a course past Wales coaches have pursued with sometimes disastrous results. Before saying goodbye to Owens – and everybody has a sell-by date – Pivac will know another No. 2 needs to prove himself better. That hasn’t happened yet, not by a long chalk.
3. Dillon Lewis
TOMAS Francis and WillGriff John are likely to be off limits to Wales in October as they play for English clubs. Samson Lee seems to have vanished from the international radar, with injuries not helping, so it could be another chance for Lewis to wear the jersey.
4. Cory Hill
LIKE Rhys Webb, the Dragon will be frustrated after working his way back to prominence only to see his scheduled return to the starting line-up take a direct hit. Like Webb, he’s a character who’ll want to keep his foot pressed to the metal, though.
Jake Ball should be available but Hill is tireless on the pitch and the previous Wales regime enjoyed his