Blood & Mud

Does Warren Gatland hate North Wales?

There has been much furore in Wales this week at the selection of Osprey Paul James at tight-head, with even the man himself admitting he hasn't played there much (and by that he means two starts in four years) but that "he has the support of the lads", whatever difference that makes.

Gatland has made the point that the selection was necessary as there were zero tight-head options available with Adam Jones being knacked and they would prefer to keep Gethin Jenkins in his favoured loosie role.  However, if the square-headed Kiwi had botherd to look north a bit and then across to the right a bit, then he would have found a bloke who is a specialist tight head playing regularly for his club; Eifion Roberts of Sale.

Roberts is from what you could call SuperWales, the rural heartlands of North Wales where English is often the second language to large numbers of inhabitants.  This is part of the Scarlets' development area, however it is Sale that appears to do most of the recruitment up there and could this situation be creating a inherent contradiction that is working to Eifion's disadvantage? That is, Gatland's open bias towards Wales-based players means that anyone based outside the principality is at a disadvantage, but if Sale is the most realistic avenue to professional rugby for those in North Wales, where does this leave someone like Roberts?

Leaving aside these larger issues for a minute, I feel that with the injuries in the front row Eifion Roberts is being criminally overlooked.  He is the archetypal tight-head, with the added dimension of being 21 stone, has played most games for his club this year even scoring the odd try, and I cannot see why someone like Paul James, a loose-head, is a better option. 

I hope the difference of opinion between myself and Gatland based solely on on-field issues, as Roberts cannot do anything about where he was born.

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Comments

Does Warren Gatland hate North Wales?

There has been much furore in Wales this week at the selection of Osprey Paul James at tight-head, with even the man himself admitting he hasn't played there much (and by that he means two starts in four years) but that "he has the support of the lads", whatever difference that makes.

Gatland has made the point that the selection was necessary as there were zero tight-head options available with Adam Jones being knacked and they would prefer to keep Gethin Jenkins in his favoured loosie role.  However, if the square-headed Kiwi had botherd to look north a bit and then across to the right a bit, then he would have found a bloke who is a specialist tight head playing regularly for his club; Eifion Roberts of Sale.

Roberts is from what you could call SuperWales, the rural heartlands of North Wales where English is often the second language to large numbers of inhabitants.  This is part of the Scarlets' development area, however it is Sale that appears to do most of the recruitment up there and could this situation be creating a inherent contradiction that is working to Eifion's disadvantage? That is, Gatland's open bias towards Wales-based players means that anyone based outside the principality is at a disadvantage, but if Sale is the most realistic avenue to professional rugby for those in North Wales, where does this leave someone like Roberts?

Leaving aside these larger issues for a minute, I feel that with the injuries in the front row Eifion Roberts is being criminally overlooked.  He is the archetypal tight-head, with the added dimension of being 21 stone, has played most games for his club this year even scoring the odd try, and I cannot see why someone like Paul James, a loose-head, is a better option. 

I hope the difference of opinion between myself and Gatland based solely on on-field issues, as Roberts cannot do anything about where he was born.