Tyler ready to stir up passion
TOUGH EXAM FOR MORGAN
TYLER MORGAN carries a giant spoon wherever he goes – and was studying for his GCSEs when Wales last reached the semi-finals in 2011.
Yet Warren Gatland had no hesitation yesterday in pinning the nation’s World Cup hopes on the 20-year-old centre.
As the youngest member of the squad, tradition dictates Morgan keeps a 2ft-long wooden love spoon with him at all times.
But as he is the only outsidecentre still standing, he has been told he can put it down for 80 minutes tomorrow when Wales face South Africa for a place in the last four.
“Four years ago I was watching the semi-final at home on TV with my dad,” Morgan said. “I was 15, going on 16, doing GCSEs.
“If someone told me then I’d be playing in the next World Cup I’d have said they were nuts. I was playing schoolboy rugby – my teacher told me I was at quite a high level, but I didn’t really believe him.”
He met George North a few months later but still could not imagine that within three years he would be lining up alongside the Lions wing in a quarter-final of the World Cup. “I was 16, we’d just won a Welsh Schools Cup final and George was shaking some of the boys’ hands,” he said. “Now I’m playing with him, it’s pretty unreal.”
A month ago he was not in World Cup plans, then injury ended Cory Allen’s tournament and Scott Williams’.
“Picking Tyler wasn’t a tough decision,” Gatland said. “He only wasn’t in contention last week as he had a tight hamstring.”
Gatland warned the Springboks that Wales have tricks up their sleeve. They may need them, though Sam Warburton believes they will reach the semi-finals where, four years ago, his red card cost them dear.
“I’m always the optimist,” said the Spurs fan. “If it’s Tottenham against Man Utd I always think we’ll win.”
For the record, Spurs have played United 36 times this century – and won three times.
G Anscombe, A Cuthbert, T Morgan, J Roberts, G North, D Biggar, G Davies, G Jenkins, S Baldwin, S Lee, L Charters, AW Jones, D Lydiate, T Faletau, S Warburton (capt).
K Owens, P James, T Francis, B Davies, J Tipuric, L Williams, R Priestland, J Hook.