We have spoken about the World Cup... but we are not taking autumn campaign lightly
WALES SQUAD
WARREN Gatland named his first squad of the season, when he picked 37 players for next month’s Principality Stadium Tests with Scotland, Australia, Tonga and South Africa.
ANDY HOWELL was on hand to hear what he had to say about the big issues coming out of his selection...
What’s the situation regarding Rhys Patchell after he suffered another concussion? Gatland:
We are concerned about him. I need to reiterate and point out that player welfare is the most important thing for us.
Rhys is going to come in with us and we’ve even had the discussion we might not even play him in this campaign.
We’ll look after him, and he can train. I haven’t had this discussion with the Scarlets or their medical team, but having spoken to Prav Mathema (Wales medical manager) my view would be that if he did get another knock in the next game or in the next four to six weeks, then he probably needs to do what George North did and take the rest of the season off to get himself right.
We’ll assess where he is. When you get a few knocks it’s about confidence and if Rhys is brutally honest with himself, in his first game back against Connacht they were pretty direct against him.
He wasn’t keen on making too many tackles or taking the ball to the line, which are his strengths.
His next performances were better, but the most important thing for players these days is their welfare and we will not be taking any risks with Rhys or pushing him to get out on the field unless he’s 100 per cent comfortable and confident, and we can see that confidence in his game.
If he needs to train for three or four weeks, then we will do that as we see him playing a big part in the next 12 months.
Wales squad for Tests against Scotland, Australia, Tonga and South Africa next month. Backs:
A Davies (Ospreys), G Davies (Scarlets), T Williams (Cardiff Blues), G Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), D Biggar (Northampton), R Patchell (Scarlets), J Davies (Scarlets), T Morgan (Dragons), H Parkes (Scarlets), O Watkin (Ospreys), J Adams (Worcester), S Evans (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Scarlets), J Holmes (Leicester), L Morgan (Ospreys), G North (Ospreys), L Williams (Saracens).
Will any players not in the squad be called in to train with Wales? Gatland:
Jarrod Evans isn’t in the squad, but we are having a look at him. He is very close and is going to come in and do some training with us, perhaps as cover for Rhys.
How do you see the battle to be Wales outside-half and playmaker?
Gatland:
Jarrod had a good campaign last season. He’s still not in the squad and there’s real competition with the two local boys, Gareth Anscombe and Rhys.
There’s a little bit of pressure on Dan Biggar as well, coming back in. We kind of feel like we have got the ability with our 10s to play a number of ways from an attacking point of view.
We know Gareth can also cover full-back and is a threat – he did well there at the weekend – and you have got the strength of Dan with his experience, his defensive qualities, his brilliance in the air and his kicking game.
It’s great for us to have the competition which has developed in certain positions and the fight players are going to have, with
R Evans (Scarlets), W Jones (Scarlets), N Smith (Ospreys), E Dee (Dragons), R Elias (Scarlets), K Owens (Scarlets), L Brown (Dragons), T Francis (Exeter), S Lee (Scarlets), D Lewis (Cardiff Blues), J Ball (Scarlets), A Beard (Ospreys), B Davies (Ospreys), C Hill (Dragons), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), E Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), D Lydiate (Ospreys), R Moriarty (Dragons), J Tipuric (Ospreys), A Wainwright (Dragons).
Forwards:
hopefully everyone improving and getting the best out of each other.
Would winger Owen Lane have made it had he not been injured playing for Cardiff Blues in Lyon last Sunday?
Gatland:
It’s fair to say the eight players on the injured list we put out would have selected if fit. We didn’t discuss him, but he was on that list.
What attributes do you see in Ospreys’ wing find Luke Morgan? Gatland:
We have had players come out of the sevens. He has probably been the best sevens player on that circuit for Wales.
He’s experienced and has scored lots of tries. He’s quick and has done really well for the Ospreys so he gets a chance. I think the sevens programme does equip guys defensively for the 15s game.
Given that we have had injuries in the back three with our top players over the years it’s important we get strength in depth.
Could any of the players on the injured list be added to the squad during the autumn series? Gatland:
We are monitoring those players. We may call them in if they get fit and depending how the squad is going.
Seb Davies is potentially not too far away but is going to need a game.
Part of the process over the next few months is looking at combinations and what the World Cup squad is going to be like.
Are we going to take five or six props, is there a prop out there can cover both sides of the scrum, as we did in 2015?
Is there a forward who can cover us in the second and back-row? Is it a Seb Davies, an Aaron Shingler, a Josh Turnbull or a Cory Hill? Gatland:
Those are the sorts of questions we are discussing as a coaching group and hopefully trying to come up with the right solutions.
Why did you leave out flankers Ollie Griffiths and Thomas Young? Gatland:
It’s hard. Look, we are blessed at the moment with quality sevens.
Because Taulupe Faletau and Aaron Shingler are injured it’s trying to look at the balance of the loose-forward trio, the competing on the ball, the physicality, it’s the ball-carrying, the line-out options as well. We were looking particularly at the six and eight positions.
Ollie has had a great season and Thomas, in Wasps’ defeat against Leinster, was one of the guys who tried really hard and was competing in that game. Both were discussed, but it’s one of those positions where we have got great depth with Justin Tipuric and Ellis Jenkins, who was outstanding on the summer tour, James Davies and Josh Navidi.
What does Ollie need to do? Gatland:
Keep on doing what he is doing, keep playing well and competing on the ball, and getting the Dragons winning more.
That makes a difference and, if you look at the squad we have selected, we have picked a tighthead prop, a hooker, a second-row and two back-rows already from the Dragons.
If you pick the Dragons back-row you say, ‘Hang on, you have got a lot of representation in the national squad and you have got to start performing’.
Sometimes it’s as plain as that, it’s not about you as an individual but about you collectively as a team getting performance and results.
There’s no doubt about him being a quality athlete. I was impressed with him against the Blues. He competed well on the ball with a number of turnovers and he carried well.
But we have the luxury of having some real depth and competition in that position, and, unfortunately, you have got to leave a couple of quality players out.
Does that message apply to other players?
Gatland:
Even the older ones like Jamie Roberts and Luke Charteris and others who are injured, is even though you’ve missed out this campaign, it doesn’t mean your World Cup bids are over.
Just keep working and hopefully you’ll get an opportunity. And that might not be until a World Cup squad or extended squad is picked.
We saw in 2011 and 2015 the number of players who came in with us in that two-month period and developed and became number ones in their positions.
It’s just about keeping working hard and doing what you’re doing.
Last season you rotated the team a lot. Will it be a similar approach