Expect a major changing of the Welsh guard once World Cup draws to a close
THE conclusion of the World Cup is the time when many players over the age of 30 naturally bring their international careers to an end.
In the case of Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric, they have decided to call time on their Test days four months before rugby’s global showpiece event kicks off in France this autumn.
Given Warren Gatland has inherited an ageing squad from Wayne Pivac, it is fair to say the World Cup will likely be the end of the road for many others in the red of Wales.
We run the rule over what is likely to happen with a number of veterans after the World Cup.
Leigh Halfpenny
The man from Gorseinon may not be the flashiest of full-backs but he is one of the most technically proficient players Wales have produced. However, at 34 it is no great revelation to suggest this will be his last World Cup.
While most back-three players rely heavily on pace, Halfpenny has prolonged his career due to his positional play, defensive prowess and prolific goal-kicking.
It is his kicking which may earn him a contract after the World Cup after he was released by the Scarlets last month. But any new employer outside of Wales would likely want him available throughout the whole season.
Given his age and injury record, Wales are likely to want to go in a fresh direction come next year’s Six Nations.
■ Verdict: There is a strong probability this World Cup will be the final time we see the former Cardiff, Toulon and Scarlets star representing Wales.
Ken Owens
The Scarlets hooker has been totemic in the red of Wales for more than a decade, and deserves the plaudits which come his way.
Owens remains a vital part of Gatland’s World Cup plans, especially given his set-piece prowess and the fact he captained his country during the Six Nations.
He remains in contract with the Scarlets next season but given Owens is 36, Gatland could well move on anyway after the World Cup, opting to put belief in young Dewi Lake as his first choice.
Owens came close to retiring last year after struggling to recover from a back injury which kept him on the sidelines for 11 months before making a comeback.
■ Verdict: Given the tremendous service he has given to his country and the way he has put his body on the line week in, week out, it would be a shock if he didn’t call it a day after the World Cup.
Dan Biggar
The experienced fly-half is the heartbeat of this Wales team, and it would come as no surprise if Gatland named him as captain for the World Cup.
There were rumours he would follow his former Ospreys team-mates Jones and Tipuric into retirement before the tournament, but Biggar has denied those.
At 33 Biggar is at the tail-end of his career, but he still has plenty to offer and could prove invaluable to someone like Sam Costelow in a mentoring role after the World Cup.
But the 107-times capped Wales star may feel he has achieved all he possibly can in a Wales shirt and want to concentrate solely on playing for Toulon, who will obviously want to maximise his availability.
■ Verdict: Wales need to blood the next cab off the rank in next year’s Six Nations but would likely prefer Biggar stay around for a year or two. It could depend on where Toulon stand.
Taulupe Faletau
The Cardiff star is like a fine wine, with his class not waning with age.
Faletau would still make the top three No. 8s in the world game on most lists, and an injury to the former Dragons and Bath man prior to the World Cup would be catastrophic to Wales’s hopes of success in France.
He may be 32, but that isn’t too old for a No. 8 with many playing Test rugby in their mid and even late 30s.
All Blacks legend Kieran Read retired at 35, while South Africa’s first-choice No. 8 Duane Vermeulen is still a world-class player at 36. So if they can do it, why can’t Faletau?
Also, there aren’t any obvious candidates in Wales to replace him with Morgan Morris and potentially Carwyn Tuipulotu next in line to Faletau’s throne.
■ Verdict: It would come as a shock if Faletau called it a day. Expect to see him make a big push to even play in the 2027 World Cup.
Dan Lydiate
It’s amazing how the 35-year-old is still playing at the top level given the brutal punishment his body has taken over the years.
Lydiate, who has recently left the Ospreys to rejoin the Dragons, is relentless in terms of his work rate and physicality.
Given the way he has played the game over the years it doesn’t look as if he has any regard for his own body, such is his commitment to the cause.
The farmer from Mid Wales has been named in Gatland’s extended World Cup training squad, and given recent retirements he is a serious contender to make the final cut.
But the World Cup will almost certainly be his last hurrah in the red of Wales.
■ Verdict: It’s highly likely he will call it a day at Test level at the conclusion of the World Cup.
Gareth Anscombe
Despite being in his 30s, Anscombe is another player who should still have plenty to offer for at least a couple of seasons after the tournament.
The 32-year-old recently left the Ospreys with his next destination unknown, although he has been linked with clubs in France and Japan.
Anscombe went through an injury nightmare after rupturing his ACL against England in a pre-World Cup warm-up Test in 2019 which left him on the sidelines for the best part of two years.
The fact the Professional Rugby Board have brought the controversial 60-cap law down to 25 means the 39-times capped fly-half would stay eligible for Wales should he opt to sign for a club outside of the country. ■ Verdict: Much will depend on where he signs his next contract, and whether he feels his body can take the punishment of Test rugby after numerous injuries.
Rhys Webb
He may be 34, but Webb is still Wales’s best scrum-half and will have a big role to play in the upcoming World Cup. But once the tournament has ended, Gatland may look to go in a more youthful direction.
Webb won’t be playing for the Ospreys next season, and it is understood he has many suitors in France, England, Japan, America and even Super Rugby, so he isn’t short of offers.
■ Verdict: Webb is unlikely to officially retire from the red jersey, but the chances are his focus will be on his club career and experiencing new cultures outside Wales.