Gatland could be spoilt for choice after Wales’ summer success
WALES boss Warren Gatland is suddenly spoilt for choice as he eyes autumn games against Scotland, Australia, Tonga and South Africa in Cardiff.
It is at that point, when the Lions return to the fold, that we will get a clearer idea of Gatland’s planning and intentions for the World Cup.
Do the stars rested from the summer tour automatically walk straight back into the starting XV? Or have some of the younger players who proved so impressive in the June wins over Argentina and South Africa already done enough to keep hold of the shirt?
Gatland is facing a dilemma – not so much who he picks, but who he leaves out?
Our rugby writers try to delve through the various selection issues to pick their own first-choice Wales XV for the autumn.
ANDY HOWELL - I’d leave out Halfpenny, North and Warburton Hallam Amos; Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams; Rhys Patchell, Tomos Williams; Rob Evans, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis; Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones; Ross Moriarty, Taulupe Faletau, Ellis Jenkins.
THERE are big-name omissions in my line-up, notably Leigh Halfpenny, George North and Sam Warburton, but if Wales are to do anything at the World Cup they have to continuing evolving their style.
Great goalkicker and defender though he is, Halfpenny doesn’t do enough for me from 15. You have got to have a creative full-back in the modern-day game who can run from deep and link the play.
Amos has a more-rounded game than Halfpenny, did really well in Argentina and deserves an extended run in the team to establish himself as the World Cup full-back.
I like Adams on the wing, he’s a really good player, does lots of work and clearly relishes the physical challenge. No North? I just feel he’s defensively suspect and hasn’t shone consistently for Wales for some time.
I’m omitting Warburton because we need to see him play before we can say he definitely comes straight back in. A year is a fair time out in rugby and he may not be as effective as he was.
In any case, Ellis Jenkins is the upand-coming seven. A natural leader, a winner and he can do almost anything on the pitch. Faletau, of course, has to play, and the team needs Ross Moriarty’s grunt on the blindside.
Youngsters Dillon Lewis and Tomos Williams displayed more than enough promise to also be given an extended run. Gatland needs to make the bold calls, in my eyes, and stick with youth. Will he? That’s the big question.
SIMON THOMAS - Jenkins just gets the nod over Tipuric Liam Williams; Josh Adams, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, George North; Rhys Patchell, Tomos Williams; Rob Evans. Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis; Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones; Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau, Ellis Jenkins.
THE back three and the back row are the most competitive areas, so they are the toughest decisions to make.
We saw on the summer tour the benefit of having a pacy, strike running threat at full-back with Hallam Amos crossing for two tries. So if Liam Williams is fully over the abdominal issue which hampered him last season, I would like to see him given a fresh opportunity at 15, with Josh Adams just edging ahead of Steff Evans as the predator wide man.
Then in the back row, well where do you start? What would England give for just one of our opensides? And how do we choose between them?
Well, with Aaron Shingler sidelined until Christmas by knee surgery, I would employ Sam Warburton on the blindside provided the two-times Lions captain can hit the ground running following his season’s sabbatical.
Then, it’s the maturity and all-round game of Ellis Jenkins that just gets him the nod over Justin Tipuric, James Davies and Josh Navidi at No 7, although any of them would do a fine job.
Half-back is another area where it’s a close call, but I would like to see Tomos Williams given the chance to show he can be the World Cup scrumhalf, while Rhys Patchell deserves to retain the No.10 jersey after his tour exploits.
The same goes for Dillon Lewis, who was one of the real plusses of the summer and offers more in a footballing sense than his tight-head rivals.
And it would be a welcome back for Lions stars Taulupe Faletau, Jonathan Davies, Alun Wyn Jones and Ken Owens, along with Williams and Warburton.
MARK ORDERS - Biggar must come back in at 10 Leigh Halfpenny; Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, George North; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Rob Evans, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones; Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric.
DESPITE what happened on the summer tour, my preferred Wales team is built around the old guard – featuring 10 British and Irish Lions. It is loaded with experience and quality and players who know what’s needed in Test rugby.
A particularly tight call was at No. 10. Indeed, maybe if Rhys Patchell starts the season well with the Scarlets he will be Warren Gatland’s first choice for the autumn. For sure, he is putting more pressure on Dan Biggar than the Northampton-bound man has been under for a while.
But if you wanted someone to play a game for your career at fly-half tomorrow which Welsh No. 10 would you choose? For me, it would be Biggar, a player whose aerial skills, will to win, calmness under pressure, accurate kicking game and galvanising spirit count for a lot.
It is still a flick-of-a-coin call because Patchell has shown he can ignite a backline and he is so familiar with the Scarlets in Wales’ backline. But, at this point, Biggar just shades it.
The back row is another dilemma. Ross Moriarty had an immense recent
tour and so did Ellis Jenkins and James Davies, proving themselves head and shoulders above anyone they encountered.
But New Zealanders were impressed with Justin Tipuric on the Lions tour of 2017 and that is the toughest environment of the lot. Not for nothing has it been said the Osprey would be there or thereabouts for a place in the All Blacks side.
Warburton has excelled at blindside before and his ability over the ball just swings him the vote over Moriarty.
Rhys Webb would be the pick at No.9 if available, but he isn’t and so Gareth Davies is in. Liam Williams is another who has shone against New Zealand, always an indication of quality, while Tomas Francis is narrowly preferred to Samson Lee.
ROB LLOYD - Davies has the seven jersey, let the rest scrap it out to take it off him Liam Williams; Josh Adams, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, George North; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Rob Evans, Ken Owens, Dillon Lewis; Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones; Ross Moriarty, Taulupe Faletau, James Davies.
TO make it clear, if Wales were playing a World Cup final tomorrow, this wouldn’t be my selection.
But just like he did this summer, Warren Gatland needs to use the four autumn Tests as an opportunity to experiment and run the rule over so-called fringe squad players.
That is why I would like to see the likes of Josh Adams, Dillon Lewis, James Davies and Ellis Jenkins given more time in the spotlight.
The short turnarounds during the World Cup mean Gatland won’t be able to keep turning out his firstchoice XV and the June games against Argentina, in particular, showed he has enviable depth.
There is no harm, either, in giving the seasoned campaigners a bit of an early-season jolt. Surely, it can only benefit Wales to have the likes of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, Leigh Halfpenny and Dan Biggar fighting hard to win back their jersey.
The wins this summer were highly commendable and impressive, but, put into perspective, the Springboks were understrength, while the Pumas were horribly out of sorts.
Gatland needs to see whether the same players can cut it in more esteemed company.
The big debate will again be over the No.10 jersey. Wales have had a fluidity about them with Rhys Patchell at the helm; he has nudged ahead of Gareth Anscombe in my eyes, while Biggar may need a bit of time to settle at Northampton.
As for the hugely-competitive openside berth; James Davies has the jersey, let the rest scrap it out to take it off him.