CONCERN AS PROUD RUN
Quite why the Dragons’ Rhodri Williams never gets a look-in is one that might defeat Miss Marple. He’s quick, has a nice pass, is bright and has the best kicking game of any No. 9 in Welsh rugby. At 26, he’s the right age to mount a challenge for the 2023 World Cup, too.
Still, there must be something he’s not doing right.
It’s just hard to see what that is.
THE scrums were not a disaster area against France, notwithstanding that Wales coughed up a key penalty just five metres out near the end. Wayne Pivac complained that the French replacement Demba Bamba drove across instead of straight and Wales’s coach looked spot-on in his assessment.
But France are not a great scrummaging side. England destroyed them in that area, and England are next up for Wales.
Rob Evans won a couple of penalties after coming on as a replacement on Saturday, but he was on the pitch when Bamba arrowed his way across the Welsh scrum. Could anyone have stopped Bamba when he went on his journey?
The referee, perhaps. But that’s another story.
Wyn Jones works hard around the field and packs a presence at the breakdown, where Wales are short of turnover specialists with Josh Navidi off limits. Warren Gatland saw Jones as his most technically proficient scrummager but Wales are struggling to convince everyone of their setpiece proficiency right now.
Jonathan Humphreys will know which of Jones or Evans is the better scrummager, while Saracens are said to have a lot of time for the all-round promise of Rhys Carre.
It’s a call at loose-head that Wales’s forwards coach needs to get right.
On the tight-head side, Wales are missing their scrummaging anchor in Tomas Francis.
Dillon Lewis has improved his setpiece work and grafts hard in the loose, but Wales still have scope to get better on their tight-head flank.
The probability is they will stick with Lewis for London, with Leon Brown coming on in the final quarter. Around the field the Dragon is a handful, but, again, he has no proven track record as a Test scrummager. In fact, it’s only this term that he’s started to silence his doubters at regional level.
Sale’s WillGriff John is another option, but it seems Wales feel he’s short of something required for this level right at the moment.
Until Francis returns, then, it will just have to be a case of hoping the youngsters at No. 3 can hold out.
That’s hardly ideal. But it’s where Wales are at right now.
There are tribespeople in remote corners of the Amazon jungle who might have heard in the past week or two that North’s been under a dot of pressure for his place. How would he respond? Well, he won the first restart, chased hard and put in a tackle, looking up for it. But that was that, with the big man having to leave the field on 10 minutes after taking a blow to the head area.
Saw his flavour-of-the-month status take a hit in Dublin after one shaky display. Welcome to Welsh rugby, mate. Tompkins began well here, making ground with ball in hand. Also, wrapped himself around Vakatawa like lagging at one point. But he threw out the pass that Ntamatck snaffled for a try. It was glass-half-full overall, though.
Nothing too fancy from Parkes, but plenty of hard yakka with ball in hand, striving for extra ground on the gain-line. Lumped the ball out on the full at one point, with poor execution. Looked to atone with a strong carry in final minutes, but it wasn’t really his day.
Fought a running battle with Teddy Thomas throughout the opening half, with the pair exchanging words as they fought for the upper hand.
A game without a try for Adams is a game wasted, but he couldn’t conjure one here. Left the pitch after picking up an ankle injury.
The French chose to drag him into the war of words beforehand by questioning whether he should have been picked after his latest head knock. Biggar did his talking on the pitch with some outstanding aerial work and a few nice kicks over the top. He carried well and showed his all-round game by holding up Gregory Alldritt. A try crowned a fine all-round effort.
Back in the saddle and up against the man touted as the best No. 9 in the world right now. Davies made a couple of questionable decisions, one when France were down to 14 men. The scrum-half debate in Wales isn’t completely settled.
In the eye of the pre-match scrummaging storm with his
Halfpenny, North, Tompkins, Parkes, Adams, Biggar, Davies; Wyn Jones, Owens, Lewis, Ball, AW Jones (captain), Moriarty, Tipuric, Faletau. REPS: Elias, Rob Evans, Brown, Rowlands, Wainwright, Williams, Jarrod Evans, McNicholl
FRANCE: Bouthier, Thomas, Vakatawa, Vincent, Fickou, Ntamack, Dupont; Baille, Marchand, Haouas, Le Roux, Willemse, Cros, Ollivon (captain), Alldritt
REPS: Chat, Gros, Bamba, Taofifenua, Cretin, Serin, Jalibert, Ramos
REFEREE:
Matthew Carley (England)