Jonathan Davies’s return to fitness boosts Wales’ World Cup hopes
Wales had Prince Charles in at training on Wednesday. He is in Tokyo for the enthronement of Prince Naruhito,
but stopped off at the Prince Chichibu rugby stadium to have a chat and present Owen Lane with his cap.
According to Ken Owens, Charles did not have any particular advice to give the team before the World Cup semi-final but did offer one priceless observation on the Springboks. “He just said ‘they’re bloody big buggers, aren’t they?” Owens said “and left it at that.” Charles was wearing a lapel pin from Llandovery RFC, too. He is the patron there and, if he makes contributions like that, must be a good one too.
“There were a few extra security people there,” Hadleigh Parkes said. “You could tell his people had been there before and had scouted the place out.” Parkes did not say whether they had spotted any photographers with long lenses peering out of the nearby windows. But then unlike England,
Wales are not as worried about anybody else going snooping. Like their kicking coach, Neil Jenkins, said: “There are a lot of buildings around if people want to watch us train, I am not overly concerned.”
There was not a lot to be gained from it anyway, Jenkins added, not for a game like this one. “There is enough analysis that goes on, so you pretty much know what’s coming. There might be one of two trick plays up their sleeves, or one or two slightly different things come Sunday, but mostly it’s pretty simple: you know what’s coming but can you stop it? And that will be the case for us and South Africa on Sunday.”
There is one little snippet of information the Springboks and everyone else would like to know and that is whether Jonathan Davies will be fit to start at centre. He pulled out of the quarter-final against France at the last minute because of a knee injury. “It was a tough decision for him to make last week,” said Parkes, who plays with Davies at the Scarlets. “You want to get out there and play, so you say you’re OK, but for him to be able to turn around and say ‘no, I’m not actually’ was pretty big of him, he was putting the team first.”
Davies is not back in full training but Jenkins is confident he will be soon. “He seems OK. He is getting back to it, so I would like to think he is going to be fit for Sunday,” Jenkins said. “He is a key player for us, someone we need fit, realistically. Owen Watkin did exceptionally well against France, and is a talented player but the more numbers we have, the better. We need all hands on deck to get through this match. Owen stepped up but Jon is a world-class player and you need your world-class players fit and available for selection.”
Whether he is wholly fit or not Davies may play anyway: “These games don’t come around very often,” Jenkins said. “I think sometimes, even if your leg is hanging off, you need to strap it yourself to get yourself right.”
Parkes has playing through a few injuries himself. He broke a bone in his hand against Georgia and damaged his shoulder against Uruguay, which is why he had a mischievous twinkle in his eye when said he is feeling “99% fit”. Just like Jenkins said, there is no way Parkes is missing this. “It’s not very often you get to play in the semi-final of a World Cup.”
But he wants Davies right there with him. “He’s very important both for Wales. He’s a good leader within the side, in attack he’s got a good voice, a hell of a fendoff, and he’s a left-foot kicking option. But defence is what he’s renowned for, reading plays and he’s made a lot of crucial tackles.
“Owen Watkin stepped up really well, he is a young boy and has a big future but Foxy has been around a bit longer and I know him a little bit better because I’ve played with him at club level and here at Wales.”
Parkes tried to say the right thing, “whoever plays 13 will do a superb job” but the truth is all Wales wants Davies back in that midfield. They’re going to need him to deal with those South Africa backs.
“They’ve some hugely talented players especially in that backline,” Jenkins said. “Both wingers are exceptional, Willie Le Roux has been around the block, we know how talented he is, both centres are very tough, very direct and then you’ve got Handre Pollard and Faf de Klerk who are both exceptional players. And that is before you get to their pack.”
And everyone knows what to expect from them. Even Prince Charles.