>> Priestland Wales recall is blocked by the WRU
WALES have been blocked by their own Union from picking Rhys Priestland for the second time within 12 months.
The Bath fly-half has been declared out of bounds for the Six Nations just as he was during last year’s tournament. The double veto leaves his international future in danger of being ambushed in the cross-fire of domestic politics.
The Rugby Paper can reveal that head coach Wayne Pivac has now made two attempts to bring Priestland back into the fold only to be foiled by split-decisions. On each occasion he has been refused by the WRU’s Professional Game Board, a joint body made up of the Union hierarchy and the chairmen of the four Welsh regional teams.
Priestland, holder of the English Premiership’s Golden Boot award, has been ineligible for Wales since leaving Scarlets for Bath. The transfer made him a victim of the WRU rule disqualifying any Welsh player employed elsewhere from selection unless he has a minimum of 60 caps.
Rhys Webb fell into the same trap, forsaking the last World Cup for the pot of gold which took him from Ospreys to Toulon. Yet he was cleared to play for Wales last season by the same PGB.
Webb, below, had resigned for Ospreys with effect from the start of the following season but Toulon’s refusal to cancel his registration left him in no man’s land. He wound up on loan to Bath but the PGB still approved his selection for the start of last year’s Six Nations despite the fact he was still a Toulon player.
Pivac first asked for a ruling on Priestland before the Ireland match in Dublin when his top three fly-halves – Gareth Anscombe, Dan Biggar, Rhys Patchell – were all injured. Despite two of the four regions voting in favour on the basis that such a concession was ‘in the national interest’, it failed to win sufficient support.
The head coach made his latest attempt amid speculation of Cardiff Blues signing Priestland with effect from next season.
“There was a strong body of opinion led by the Blues that Priestland’s intended move back to Wales should make him available for international selection right away,’’ a source told The Rugby Paper. “Instead they ended up on the wrong side of a split-decision.
“There is a duty to act in the national interest and do what’s best for Wales. The cap rule can be waived in exceptional circumstances. Were they acting in the best interests of Welsh rugby? Some would think not.’’ Ironically, had the Blues succeeded, the Test reinstatement of their future fly-half would probably have been at the expense of their current one, Jarrod Evans. Any omission of the best Welsh-based No.10 would have provoked a furore.
Evans, last seen on Wales duty as a late substitute for injured wing Josh Adams against France almost a year ago, found himself superseded by Bristol’s Callum Sheedy during the Autumn Nations Cup campaign.
Meanwhile Priestland must feel a touch bemused as to where he does, or does not stand vis-à-vis international selection. First capped almost ten years ago, he last appeared for Wales in November 2017 and last started a Six Nations match seven years ago, against England at Twickenham.
The PGB would argue the 60-cap rule has been effective. Tomas Francis’ impending move from Exeter to Ospreys follows the cross-border moves of other Welsh Anglos, notably Ross Moriarty, Johnny Williams, Jonah Holmes and Nick Tompkins.