Dragons’ quest already in tatters

Injuries and loss of form will end Wales’ Cup dreams, writes Lungani Zama

IF THE World Cup had been held in January, in the heart of the European season, Wales would have fancied themselves to go far deeper into the tournament.

Then, they had just toppled the Springboks, and were playing with the stirring gusto of their 1970s heyday. There was an air of optimism around them; the Dragons were fearless, fired up and full of that unmistakable, Welsh unpredictability. Eight months on, and things have taken an unkind turn. The form is gone, the flair replaced by an inclination to keep things tighter. With that, many of the Welsh danger men have lost their element of surprise.

The 11th hour loss of Leigh Halfpenny will not be easily dealt with. Not only was he their points machine, but he was sure under the ball at the back, and his incisive running sparked many a counter.

They have a week to regroup, a week in which Warren Gatland will have to welcome back a couple of players he had just told were surplus to requirements. Mike Phillips, for one, is an individual who could still prove pivotal but he is a mood player. When he is on, he is as probing as Joost van der Westhuizen in his prime, but when is not feeling it, he can be prone to mind farts. How his re-introduction to the squad is handled will be telling, because Wales only have 11 days before their opener. Their fortunes at this tournament are traditionally defined by how well they start.

In 2011, inspired by the bullocking Jamie Roberts and the dead-eye antics of Halfpenny, they stretched the Boks very hard, before fading away. In 2015, their summit meetings against England and Australia, both at Twickenham, will decide their fate. England may come too soon for a side that has to make some massive changes, but their final Group A fixture against the Wallabies is already shaping up to be the eliminator.

Gatland, unlike so many coaches at this World Cup, has put his neck out and made some huge calls in his squad. Some have already been revised due to injury, but he and his side will live or die by his forthright approach.

On paper, the Dragons look lightweight in a scrap top-heavy with muscle. They may provide a headache for England and Australia, but they look like a side that peaked a year ahead of schedule. They will be proud, passionate and purposeful but, ultimately, will fall a Halfpenny short.

STRENGTHS

As co-hosts, the Welsh will enjoy phenomenal support from the stands, with two of their group games at their Cardiff fortress.

Gatland’s men have considerable power in their backline, with stern ball carriers such as Roberts and George North set to rattle any defence. The Welsh loose trio is also a strength, and skipper Sam Warburton will be instrumental in leading the charge. Being regarded as outsiders in the socalled ‘group of death’, alongside England, Australia and Fiji, will also play into their hands, as it relieves some of the pressure going into their biggest fixtures.

Wales are also one of the few nations that don’t fear going to Twickenham to play England.

WEAKNESSES It cannot be overstated just how big a loss Halfpenny is so close to the start of the tournament. The immediate reaction, which stated that the country was in a state of mourning, speaks of just how critical the meteoric fullback was to the cause. There has also been a fair amount of discontent from Wales’ former players, at odds with some of the selection decisions made by Gatland, as well as his decision to risk a star like Halfpenny so close to the tournament proper. This division has eaten away at what is traditionally Wales’ greatest asset; their passion for the dragon. Gatland, after a series of high-profile cullings, is a man under pressure, too, and how he handles that strain will transfer to his team.

FIXTURES

SEPTEMBER

20 v Uruguay, Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, 3.30pm 26 v England, Twickenham, London, 9pm

OCTOBER

1 v Fiji, Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, 5.45pm 10 v Australia, Twickenham, London, 5.45pm

SQUAD

Head Coach: Warren Gatland Forwards: Tomas Francis, Paul James, Aaron Jarvis, Gethin Jenkins, Samson Lee, Scott Baldwin, Ken Owens, Jake Ball, Luke Charteris, Dominic Day, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Toby Faletau, James King, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton (capt).

Backs: Gareth Davies, Lloyd Williams, Mike Phillips, Dan Biggar, Matthew Morgan, Rhys Priestland, Cory Allen, Jamie Roberts, Scott Williams, Hallam Amos, Alex Cuthbert, George North, Eli Walker, Liam Williams