Memo to Warren: Let Scarlets lead way
IN February 2008 I was part of a Wales side which went to Twickenham and beat England in the opening game of that year’s Six Nations. The match – Warren Gatland’s first as head coach – was notable for the fact our team contained 13 Ospreys in the starting XV. In terms of the make-up of the side, I can see history repeating itself when Wales host Scotland at Principality Stadium on Saturday.
The only difference this time is that it will be Scarlets players not Ospreys dominating selection.
I think it’s the logical way for Warren to go for this game. I’m still remaining positive, but Wales’ injury curse has been nothing short of brutal in the run-up to this Six Nations campaign.
To have seven British & Irish Lions out of action would rip the heart from any team, let alone a side like Wales who don’t have the sort of strength in depth England and France can boast.
We’d already lost Sam Warburton, Dan Lydiate, Taulupe Faletau and Jonathan Davies for Scotland, but to see Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar and Liam Williams all join the injury list this week is just heartbreaking. It’s a massive, massive blow and I’m sure fans across the country will be disappointed. It means we’ll go into the Six Nations as huge underdogs, but that’s not all bad.
The thing with losing both Rhys and Dan is that they’ve been first choice in two key positions for a long time now. A rugby team is controlled by your scrum-half and fly-half.
Their role is to boss everyone else around the pitch, make the right decisions, control the game, and ensure it’s played in the right areas of the field.
Both Rhys and Dan are world-class players and they’ll be a huge loss. You can bet your bottom dollar though that Warren won’t be dwelling on their absence and that’s the right attitude to have.
Modern-day rugby is a brutal game and while Wales don’t have the resources of other nations, we’re not exactly at our bare bones.
At nine we’re so lucky to have an option like Gareth Davies. I’m certain he will start against Scotland because he’s been at the top of his game with the Scarlets. He’s an absolute live-wire in that position and, like Rhys, he’s very, very good at running try-scoring support lines.
That’s a huge positive for me because to win games these days, you can’t just rely on kicks at goal and Gareth is having the season of his life at the moment. You only have to see his name on the list for the European Player of the Year award to see that.
While Gareth is the natural man to come in at nine, with Aled Davies on the bench, things are more complicated in the crucial No.10 jersey. Dan is pretty irreplaceable there and it’s hugely unfortunate, too, that Rhys Priestland is out injured. This would have been his time to shine.
All that said, I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy and it’s not all doom and gloom. So, who would I pick at flyhalf ? It’s certainly a tough one and Warren faces a big headache here. It’s no exaggeration to say the call on who he selects is likely to go a long way to deciding how successful Wales are in the next month or so. We all know by now that Owen Williams, Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell are the options to consider in that position. All three have their merits and are playing well.
Owen impressed me in the autumn playing at centre and while Anscombe has been going well for Cardiff Blues, if you forced my hand I’d plump for Patchell.
Why? Well, let me take you back to that England game in 2008. When we
“I believe there could be as many as ten men from Llanelli in the Wales side this weekend”
travelled to HQ that day, we were under a new head coach but Warren’s decision to pick so many Ospreys players meant there was familiarity there. We were clear in what we wanted to do and went out and did it.
The result? A famous 26-19 victory which remains up there with my most enjoyable wins in a Welsh shirt. I sense a lot of similarities between that game and Wales at the moment.
When you lose the spine of your team as Wales have, you don’t want to mess around with too many new combinations in key positions and that’s why I’d go for Patchell at flyhalf, certainly against Scotland. He’s in superb form and is familiar playing with Gareth too. I know Rhys has been at full-back for the Scarlets recently, but I still think 10 is his best position. That Scarlets partnership at nine and 10 is a big thing for me and I believe there could be as many as ten men from Llanelli in the Wales side this weekend. We all know how well the Scarlets are going right now and I can see no reason why that form can’t be transferred into the Wales jersey.
I’m not sure I’m in a position to tell Warren how to coach, but with limited time and new players to bed into key positions, I believe continuity is key.
That’s why I’d pick Gareth and Rhys at half-back with Scott Williams in the centre. Then it’s either Owen or Hadleigh Parkes in the crucial 12 jersey for me. In the pack, I’m sure the Scarlets will have the entire front row in Rob Evans, Ken Owens and Samson Lee, while Aaron Shingler is nailed on for a spot in the back row. Picking so many Scarlets players may end up proving controversial and I’m sure it will lead to some banter inside the Welsh camp.
In 2008 the Ospreys boys were the target for jokes saying we’d been chatting up the management in order to get picked! We had the last laugh though because we won away against England and went on to win the Grand Slam. That kind of justified Warren’s selection!
So that’s my message to Wales this week. Let’s go Scarlet in terms of our selection, be brave and play some free-flowing rugby and see what happens!
One other thing before I finish. Rhys Webb’s knee injury means he will miss the Six Nations and he may well have played his last game for Wales. I find that so sad.
We all know Rhys is moving to Toulon for next season and won’t be eligible to play for Wales due to the implementation of the new 60-cap rule. For him to have his international career cut short by injury is unfortunate and if it is the end for Rhys, I’d like to pay special tribute to him.
Not only is Rhys a good friend, but he’s a top-class scrum-half who will be a big loss to Warren. I’m hoping somehow he might get to feature at the highest level again because he’s too good to play only club rugby. Here’s to you, Rhys. Congratulations on your Welsh career and wishing you a speedy recovery from your latest setback.