Wales braced for double blow as centres could head for Japan
WAYNE Pivac is braced for a double blow after reports centre duo Hadleigh Parkes and Owen Williams are each set to call time on their Wales careers.
The two men, who were part of Pivac’s Six Nations squad, are said to have rejected offers in regional rugby and are poised to head out to Japan instead in big money moves.
It means they will each be ineligible for Wales selection, as Parkes and Williams fall well short of the 60-cap mark needed under WRU rules for exiles to be chosen for their country,
That, in turn, will leave Pivac short of options in what has become a problem area for Wales.
It is unclear exactly when Wales will play next, whether on the summer tour to New Zealand or the rearranged Six Nations fixture with Scotland in October.
Either way, if the reports prove to be correct Parkes and Williams will need to be written out of the equation.
According to the Daily Mail, 32-year-old Parkes is ready to reject a new one-year deal with the Scarlets and join Japanese League leaders Panasonic Wild Knights.
He was linked at the weekend with ambitious Kobe Steel, who are also chasing the league title, but the Mail claim Parkes has chosen to team up with Wallaby great David Pocock and New Zealand lock veteran Sam Whitelock with the Ota-based Wild Knights.
His current Scarlets deal runs out at the end of the season, Parkes among the players who have agreed to a 25 per cent wage cut for the next three months amid the coronavirus crisis.
Parkes was chosen for Wales by Warren Gatland on residency grounds after he had spent three years with the Scarlets, being rushed straight into the international set-up.
The hasty selection of someone who had previously played Super Rugby in his New Zealand homeland raised eyebrows for some, but Parkes has been a regular since scoring two tries on a man-of-the-match Wales debut against South Africa in 2017.
Parkes was part of the Grand Slam side last year and helped Wales reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, but if the reports are correct he seems to have already played his last Test for his adopted country. With 23 caps to his name, Parkes falls well short of the 60-appearances mark required for exiled players.
The Mail report Parkes wants the better security that is on offer in the cash-laden Japanese League once rugby eventually resumes.
Gloucester star Williams could be the natural stand-in for Parkes in the Wales 12 jersey, but he too is reportedly Japan bound.
The 28-year-old has only five caps to his name and has seen his Test career hampered by injury problems just when it appeared ready to ignite.
Williams was wanted by the Ospreys and Dragons, each region keen to bring the former Scarlet back home to Wales, but it is said they have been unable to compete with the money on offer in Japan.
Williams is a class act, adept at flyhalf or centre, and his footballing skills could have played a key part in Pivac’s plans to evolve Wales into a more adventurous team.
However, his imminent departure would also rule him out of the equation and leave Pivac short of options in the centre.
Wales newcomer Nick Tompkins and Jonathan Davies, when fit, are the likely first-choice pairing, with Ospreys’ star Owen Watkin the next in line. But if Parkes and Williams do head to the Far East, Pivac will need to seek cover elsewhere.
It will also be a huge blow to WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips, who has been fighting hard to bring in a system that ensures the best players are based in Wales and available for selection.
WAYNE Pivac has probably had better Thursday mornings, what with waking up to the suggestion that two Wales centres might be decamping to Japan in the not-too-distant future.
According to reports, Hadleigh Parkes and Owen Williams could be departing for Top League rugby.
That would put them both out of reach of Pivac under the rule that stops exiled players from playing for Wales unless they have 60 or more caps.
Undoubtedly, it would be a blow if the story unfolds as reported.
At 32, Parkes is no youngster, but he’s figured in 29 of Wales’ last 33 Tests and played a key role in anchoring their midfield. He’ll not be easy to replace.
Wales will have the likes of Jonathan Davies, Nick Tompkins and Owen Watkin on hand, and they may consider converting Owen Lane to centre at some point, so the situation isn’t desperate, but the coaches will still be looking to add to their midfield options.
MARK ORDERS takes a look at some of the uncapped talent who could interest Pivac in the coming seasons…
BEN THOMAS
HERE’S a likely lad.
Less than a year ago, he won the best newcomer award in the Principality Premiership, displaying versatility and rare footballing gifts. He’s a smooth runner who can also play at fly-half and full-back and he has a quality kicking game.
He’s the son of former British boxing champion Pat Thomas, a man who mixed in good company in the ring, once going the distance with the outstanding Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham.
Ben has the potential to mix with the best in rugby circles.
Is the Cardiff Blue ready to step onto the big stage yet?
A mere 14 appearances for Cardiff Blues would suggest that patience needs to be the watchword.
But Thomas junior has talent, and lots of it.
Let’s be bold and predict that at some point he’s going to come through.
STEFF HUGHES
HE’S a bit older than a lot of the others here, but he’s had a fine season for the Scarlets, stepping up and showing leadership when they needed it when their international players were off limits.
Earlier this year, Brad Mooar, who will be part of the All Blacks coaching team in the summer, expressed the view that Hughes could step up for
Wales, saying of the 26-year-old: “He’s doing everything right and is an outstanding man – son-in-law material, really – and I haven’t seen a fault in him.
“He’s been a man of steel for us and just gets so much right and accurate in his game, which is no surprise, as he does a hell of a lot of work.
“He’s a great guy who’s just taken his opportunities, a very proud Scarlets clubman who wears his heart on his sleeve and thrives on wearing the jersey.”
The ability to point the way has long been part of Hughes’ make-up, with the west Walian a former head boy at Ysgol y Strade. He also led Wales U20s at the Junior World Cup and is a regular in the broadcasting studios, appearing comfortable and articulate on camera. Military sorts might call him officer class.
There had been calls for him to be included in Wales’ squad for the recent Six Nations. It didn’t happen, but he offers variety in the Scarlets midfield with his clever kicking game, creating opportunities for the likes of Johnny McNicholl and Steff Evans.
It wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see him attract Pivac’s attention at some point.
KIERAN WILLIAMS
THE interruption to the rugby season came at a bad time for Williams, who had just started to remind the world what he could do.
The Ospreys’ pocket rocket has a low centre of gravity that makes him difficult to stop and he is able to generate power through his compact frame.
He achieves turnovers and is also a fearless defender. Indeed, when he came up against Racing 92 midfield pair Virimi Vakatawa and Henri Chavancy in Paris in December, he didn’t miss a tackle.
His lack of rugby because of injuries over the past couple of years means there’s scope to develop his composure, but Williams has a lot of potential. Anyone likened to a young Scott Gibbs, as he has been, must be worth keeping tabs on.
TIAAN THOMAS-WHEELER
HE’S also from the Ospreys and he also showed up well in the away European game against Racing 92, Vakatawa, Chavancy and all.
Thomas-Wheeler has had to grow up quickly playing at regional level this term.
Injuries have meant he’s been thrust onto the front line when in an ideal world he would have been introduced more gradually. But at 6ft 2in and 15st 6lb, he’s a physical specimen and he seems to have appetite for defence.
His former backs coach at the Ospreys, Gruff Rees, now in charge of Cardiff Blues’ academy, once said of TTW: “He is a fine young player with a lot going for him.
“It is early days and he has a lot of work to do, but he reminds me a bit of Ashley Beck with the way he carries himself and he is nice passer of a ball who can make a break.
“He has the potential to be an elite player.”
ANEURIN OWEN
AT 19, he’s still a relative babe in arms, but when he’s on the field he’s a general.
He has a touch of class and calmness about him and the happy knack of making good decisions.
Owen is also a playmaker who can unlock defences with moments of skill.
The Dragons are bringing him on at the right pace, not expecting too much too soon, and this season has been about developing him physically.
The usual caveats are, of course, called for: many a teenager has shown potential, only to fail to kick on in senior rugby, blah, blah, blah.
But if this lad doesn’t make it something will have gone seriously wrong.
It’s too soon for him to interest Wayne Pivac right now.
But Owen’s time will come.
HARRI MILLARD
HE’S a former Wales U20s player who is quick and capable of causing problems for opposition midfields. His first priority, like a number of players on this list, will be to secure a regular starting spot at his region.
With Cardiff Blues boasting quality and depth in the centre, that won’t be an easy ask. But if he is given a run of games for his region, there are some who feel he could make people sit up and take notice.
OSIAN KNOTT
HERE’S a bit of a long shot, moving forward.
He’s untried at senior level with the Scarlets, but those in the know out west reckon he has something about him. At 6ft 2in and 16st 2lb, he’s a big unit who makes his tackles.
This season, he has added more to his game in attack and contributed a brace of tries for Wales U20s against Ireland in February.
A knee injury has taken him out of
the picture for the time being, but he has the raw materials and, with experience under his belt, could eventually emerge.
WILLIS HALAHOLO
OF all the players on this list, perhaps Halaholo is the one who can expect a call soonest. Indeed, he was named in Wales’ squad to face the Barbarians last November, only for a knee injury to knock him out for the rest of the season.
He’s mature and, well, ready for Test rugby, in contrast to many of the others.
If the 29-year-old can recapture form on his return, he could be rapidly in the mix under Pivac, for he is a game-breaker who can trouble even an alert defence.
Yes, his tackling could improve. But his attacking gifts are on another level.