Blood & Mud

RBS 6 Nations Preview: Wales

What a difference twelve months makes.  The Autumn Internationals of 2010 and the 2011 Six Nations were leading many to wonder what had gone wrong with Wales and also to quietly raise questions about Warren Gatland’s leadership.  Then two things happened; Sam Warburton was given his head at openside and Rhys Priestland was slotted in at 10.  The rest, as they say, is World Cup apple cart upsetting history, and the team in red now find themselves in the strange position of everyone expecting them to tonk everyone in Europe. 

It was never going to be that simple, and the perennial pre-tournament Wales Injury Issues™ have rendered this even more unlikely.  Wales have so far lost or very much look like losing – deep breath -  Gethin Jenkins, Priestland, the quietly impressive Dan Lydiate (insert obligatory reference to Richard Hill), The Lock Formerly Known as Luke Charteris, Alun-Wyn Jones, and Jamie Roberts.  Add this to the loss of a certain little left winger to retirement and it adds up to not so much a void in personnel as a black hole.

Priestland in particular is a huge loss, mainly as Jamie Roberts is a player transformed when the little Scarlet plays inside him.  Stephen Jones, for all his experience, looks a tad lost these days.

Given that half the first team could well be missing for some or all of the tournament, the good domestic form of Ireland’s players, and France no longer being managed by an extra from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, this could be a severe test of Wales’s resurgence.  One which I think they will fall short in, I’m afraid.

Prediction: 3rd

Best Named Player: Justin Tipuric – sounds like one of those hedge fund managers that get wheeled out on the news to justify why they keep driving up the cost of food and fuel.

We All Want A Look At:  Whoever plays in the 11 shirt.  Alex Cuthbert is rumoured to be getting the nod,  creating a wing pairing with George North who are both of Gog descent and have a combined height of 27 feet 7 inches.  Oh, and Gavin Henson, who is lurking in the background like a curiously orange spectre.

Squad

Forwards - C Mitchell (Exeter Chiefs), Adam Jones (Ospreys), R Bevington (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), P James (Ospreys), R Gill (Saracens), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), M Rees (Scarlets), H Bennett (Ospreys), K Owens (Scarlets), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), I Evans (Ospreys), L Reed (Scarlets), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Powell (Sale Sharks).

Backs - M Phillips (Bayonne), L Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Webb (Ospreys), R Priestland (Scarlets), J Hook (Perpignan), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), J Davies (Scarlets), S Williams (Scarlets), G Henson (Cardiff Blues), A Beck (Ospreys), G North (Scarlets), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), H Robinson (Cardiff Blues), L Williams (Scarlets), L Byrne (Clermont Auvergne).

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Comments

RBS 6 Nations Preview: Wales

What a difference twelve months makes.  The Autumn Internationals of 2010 and the 2011 Six Nations were leading many to wonder what had gone wrong with Wales and also to quietly raise questions about Warren Gatland’s leadership.  Then two things happened; Sam Warburton was given his head at openside and Rhys Priestland was slotted in at 10.  The rest, as they say, is World Cup apple cart upsetting history, and the team in red now find themselves in the strange position of everyone expecting them to tonk everyone in Europe. 

It was never going to be that simple, and the perennial pre-tournament Wales Injury Issues™ have rendered this even more unlikely.  Wales have so far lost or very much look like losing – deep breath -  Gethin Jenkins, Priestland, the quietly impressive Dan Lydiate (insert obligatory reference to Richard Hill), The Lock Formerly Known as Luke Charteris, Alun-Wyn Jones, and Jamie Roberts.  Add this to the loss of a certain little left winger to retirement and it adds up to not so much a void in personnel as a black hole.