Pivac feels the need for speed in his 9-10 combo
IF WALES have a half-back pairing that is firing, a feeling of optimism among Welsh supporters is never far behind. It is a feelgood factor which was embedded in the Welsh psyche by the 9-10 partnerships the peerless Gareth Edwards enjoyed with Barry John and Phil Bennett in the Welsh glory days from the late 1960s to the late 1970s.
It is why the search for inspirational scrum-halves and fly-halves is always at the top of the selection agenda for a Wales coach, and Wayne Pivac is no different to his predecessors.
For Pivac, who announced a 36-man Wales squad this week, finding the right 9-10 combination is even more pressing, because the Kiwi will want to ditch the unwanted baggage of a torrid first year in charge. There were no hymns and arias being sung after a fifth-place finish in the 2020 Six Nations and a mediocre Autumn Nations Cup, in which Wales were beaten at home by England (24-13) and trounced by Ireland in Dublin (32-9).
Pivac’s options at flyhalf for Wales’ revengemission 2021 Six Nations opener against Ireland in Cardiff, have been reduced by injuries to Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell, but the trio he named – Dan Biggar, Calum Sheedy, and Jarrod Evans – means he still has plenty of talent to hand.
None of them are from the same fly-half mould. Biggar brings experience, never-say-die qualities, and an accomplished kicking game, Bristol’s Sheedy has an all-court sharpness about him, while Cardiff ’s Evans has a deceptiveness and guile which cuts open defences.
Biggar’s inspirational credentials in the Welsh jersey are well established, whereas the Northampton fly-half ’s rivals are international novices. However, Sheedy’s ability to run a game by picking the right options at the right time has helped Bristol to the top of the Premiership, and his defensive tenacity is another big plus.
Evans brings a
mercurial element which led his Cardiff and Wales teammate, wing Josh Adams to say recently: “I don’t think there’s anybody better attacking the line that I’ve ever played with”. The acid test for Evans ahead of the Ireland match will be whether Pivac is confident that he has developed a kicking game to compare with that of Biggar, or Sheedy.
At scrum-half Pivac has put down a marker by placing a premium on speed – and in the process, reinstating Cardiff‘s Tomos Williams, who has returned from injury, at the expense of Rhys Webb (Ospreys).
Williams is included alongside the two Scarlets 9s, Gareth Davies and Kieran Hardy, with Pivac explaining that he had dropped 2017 Lions scrumhalf Webb for faster players.
Pivac said that while Webb, 32, is not out of contention, he has improvements to make, including passing accuracy and speed around the pitch. “We questioned his pace at the top end of the game – the other three all bring electric pace.”
Pivac’s direction of travel is a fast game, and he wants a Welsh 9-10 combination that can make it happen.