Injuries in back row, but Wales selection still looks intriguing
WAYNE Pivac has named a 38-man squad for a programme that will see his players take on New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, the cream of the Rugby Championship, plus the dangermen of Fiji.
We look at the headline calls in the squad he has picked...
Young giant gets the call
Exeter Chiefs team boss Rob Baxter recently joked about Christ Tshiunza: “He’s Welsh qualified and played for their U20s...maybe in five years he’ll be England qualified, but don’t tell him I said that, it’ll upset him!’
Anyway, the giant 19-year-old Exeter Chiefs’ lock or blindside flanker is set to be off limits to England for good, with Pivac having named him in his squad for Wales’ autumn Tests.
Tshiunza makes it into Wales’ senior plans after just 61 minutes of senior rugby
He has appeared just four times off the bench for Exeter but the 6ft 6in, 17st 7lb Wales U20s forward is regarded as a player of immense potential, able to carry strongly and defend resolutely. His versatility is a further plus.
A pre-emptive Welsh strike? However it’s viewed, it’s a move that could serve Wales well for years.
Experienced 10s
With England-based Dan Biggar and Callum Sheedy ruled out of Wales’ out-of-window Test with New Zealand on October 30, Rhys Patchell sidelined and Jarrod Evans also incapacitated in recent weeks, the challenge for Pivac was to find two No.10s who could feature in the squad to face the All Blacks.
So in come Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Priestland.
There have been doubts about whether Anscombe would be ready after he spent more than two years on the sidelines with a knee injury, but three starts for the Ospreys this season have been enough to convince Pivac it was safe to propel the 30-year-old back into the set-up.
He is set to win his first cap since the fateful World Cup warm-up game against England in August 2011, when he mangled his right knee while attempting a sidestep.
Evidently, experience counts for Pivac as he has also welcomed back 34-year-old Priestland, who hasn’t played Test rugby since winning his 50th cap in the game against New Zealand in 2017.
Johnny’s back
Rewind to the start of the year and Sam Warburton was tipping Johnny Williams to be a Test starter for the Lions.
Injuries torpedoed the centre’s hopes, with Williams suffering a head knock against Ireland in the Six Nations and then damaging a shoulder playing for the Scarlets against Sale Sharks in the Heineken Champions Cup in April.
However, Pivac rates him highly, comparing him last year with Hadleigh Parkes while suggesting the then Wales new boy had “a little bit more X-factor”.
He returns to the squad after barely an hour’s rugby this season, with the 6ft 3in, 16st 7lb player coming on as a replacement against Munster for the unfortunate Scott Williams, who sustained an eye injury.
Strong in defence and potent in attack, Wales are hoping for big things from Johnny Williams in the seasons ahead. He has enough potential to deliver
Young, Jenkins and Basham in back-row mix
There’s been good news for Pivac with the decision of Thomas Young to return home to Wales next season.
Even better news is that the openside is available to Wales for three of their four autumn Tests, with special dispensation having been granted by the powers-thatbe for the 29-year-old to be exempted from the provisions of the 60-cap rule given that he will be coming back to Welsh rugby. P
It’s a significant plus for the coach, who has had to contend with a glut of ill tidings on the injury front in recent weeks. Young has been consistently excellent for Wasps as an arch pilferer of turnovers who is dynamic around the field.
The question over Jenkins has been whether he’s ready to resume his Test career after the horror injury he sustained playing for Wales against South Africa in 2018. Medical staff evidently think he is, so he comes back into contention as well.
Both he and Young are players who are far more than turnover specialists. They also carry ball and are hard-working defenders.
Much the same can be said of Taine Basham, whose extraordinary display for the Dragons against Connacht last weekend must be viewed as an early candidate for individual performance of the season.
McNicholl back in frame
The full-back picture had seen Leigh Halfpenny removed by long-term injury amid uncertainty over Liam Williams for the New Zealand game after appendix surgery.
Hallam Amos and Jonah Holmes were tipped for squad spots.
So was Johnny McNicholl. Amos and Holmes have been left out while McNicholl is included.
Joy for one, not so much happiness for the other two.
Pivac and Stephen Jones will hope this is the campaign when McNicholl’s international career finally ignites. At 31, he isn’t young.
But this is his chance to shine and Pivac will want him to take it.