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[2020 Six Nations] Wales Squad

I agree the Williams over Davies is due to Centre cover, still not been that impressed with Holmes doesn't really stand out over people that he's been selected in front of. Nicky Smith is quite unlucky, being part of the dumpster fire that is Ospreys at the moment would have hindered him.
Yeah I haven't been overly impressed by him either, not that he's been bad but as I don't watch much Premiership I haven't seen enough of him to make a judgement really. I think that if Amos had of been fit, Holmes wouldn't have made the squad.
 
Wonder if we'll see the following backline at any stage this 6 nations?

10 Jarrod Evans
11 Josh Adams
12 Owen Williams
13 Owen Lane
14 LRZ
15 Liam Williams

Not saying this is our best backline available, but it's potentially one of the more exciting for a while.
 
I don't think we will see Lane at 13 for a while, not till he at least gets some time there for the blues.
 
Tompkins hasnt been selected as our only fit legitimate 13 to not play. He will play the entire tournament there. I really rate the guy and he is young enough to make a play as a long term successor in that position and can take some of the pressure off JD2.
 
Aye, probably right. Lane to 13 should be tried by the Blues though. Guy's got almost the perfect physical atributes for the position + we've got a pile of electric wingers available (as do the Blues).

I rate Tompkins as well, so expext to see him starting v Italy and we'll take it from there.

WillGruff is another I'm hoping to see start that game. Could be a massive player for us if his scrummaging stands up to international level. Lewis and Brown are still work in progress at the set piece. Francis has improved massively in the last 4 years, but he's merely more than adequate really. His main positive is that he doesn't often go backwards in the scrum. More is required from your props in the modern game.
 
Yeah from what I've read (reading between the lines) Tomkins is going to be given a lot of game time this 6N. It sounds like Pivac RATES the boy and has done for the last five years. Having said all that though, why the Blues haven't even tried Lane at 13 yet is beyond me. 13 is such a pivotal position these days that if they leave it too late he may well struggle to eventually adapt (a la George North). I'm also interested to see more of Adams at 13 (just minutes here and there though) I love the guys attitude and think he'd go great in attack, would be worried about his defence though.
 
Yeah from what I've read (reading between the lines) Tomkins is going to be given a lot of game time this 6N. It sounds like Pivac RATES the boy and has done for the last five years. Having said all that though, why the Blues haven't even tried Lane at 13 yet is beyond me. 13 is such a pivotal position these days that if they leave it too late he may well struggle to eventually adapt (a la George North). I'm also interested to see more of Adams at 13 (just minutes here and there though) I love the guys attitude and think he'd go great in attack, would be worried about his defence though.

Mulverhil was asked about this before and his words were 'Ray Le Lo is one of our best players so why would I? Plus I have Willis, Millard and Smith.'

Now Thomas has emerged to fill the gap at 12 with Willis injury Blues still have 4 genuinely decent centers with Ray being the most complete.

Amos is now injured but Summerhill is back so his squad place really is as a winger atm and possibly will be for the next 2/3 years. He seems to be at the wrong region for a run at 13 if that makes sense?

Id like to see him go to 13 but I do also really rate Summerhill but at the same time I think Millard, Smith and Thomas are all potential internationals. Blues are spoilt for choice.
 
Mulverhil was asked about this before and his words were 'Ray Le Lo is one of our best players so why would I? Plus I have Willis, Millard and Smith.'

Now Thomas has emerged to fill the gap at 12 with Willis injury Blues still have 4 genuinely decent centers with Ray being the most complete.

Amos is now injured but Summerhill is back so his squad place really is as a winger atm and possibly will be for the next 2/3 years. He seems to be at the wrong region for a run at 13 if that makes sense?

Id like to see him go to 13 but I do also really rate Summerhill but at the same time I think Millard, Smith and Thomas are all potential internationals. Blues are spoilt for choice.
I agree about Thomas, I think he's going to eventually get some caps... particularly with Pivac in charge (he seems to be a player Pivac would like). I like Summerhill too, seems a real talent and more of an out and out 'winger' than Lane. I suppose the whole Lane at 13 thing just particularly irks me due to the fact that Wales seem to have a load of good options at wing/back 3 right now but the cupboards are particularly scarce at 13... yet here we have a young guy with all the attributes (as well as having played a lot of junior rugby at 13) but all he gets is games on the wing.
 
I see what you mean but again its the club vs country row so can see why he is still a 14.
 
Is scrum half now our strongest position? The depth we have there is growing all the time, with the potential huge. Off the top of my head:

Tomos Williams - I seriously rate this lad. By the next WC imo he'll potentially be viewed as the best in the world.

Gareth Davies - probably the most explosive scrum half out there. Try scorer extrodonare and great in defense as well. Kobus Reinach (who's underused by SA imo) is probably his only equal ball in hand.

Rhys Webb - the returning no.1. Another try scoring machine. 5m out, the guys lethal.

Kieron Hardy - getting better all the time. Another who can't stop scoring. He could be the next cab off the rank.

Rhodri Williams - great little general who could offer something a little different to the 4 x-factor players above. He's none too shabby ball in hand himself, but is possibly a little more rounded with a better kicking and marshalling game.

Aled Davies - could find himself way down the pecking order after featuring heavily under Gats. Another who offers more of a kicking/marshalling game. Playing at the struggling Ospreys is doing him no favours, but the competiton also offer more imo.

Lloyd Williams - not a bad 7th choice option! Experienced and solid with a good all court game.

Tavis Knoyle - has had to contend with plenty of injury issues over recent years, but he's a handy player when fit. A physical Mike Phillips esqe player, with a good boot. Feels like a long time ago when he was playing for Wales and looking the part though.

There's also a few youngsters who are being talked up, but they need opportunities at regional level first.

So that's 8 international quality options imo. Not bad at all!
 
Is scrum half now our strongest position? The depth we have there is growing all the time, with the potential huge. Off the top of my head:

Tomos Williams - I seriously rate this lad. By the next WC imo he'll potentially be viewed as the best in the world.

Gareth Davies - probably the most explosive scrum half out there. Try scorer extrodonare and great in defense as well. Kobus Reinach (who's underused by SA imo) is probably his only equal ball in hand.

Rhys Webb - the returning no.1. Another try scoring machine. 5m out, the guys lethal.

Kieron Hardy - getting better all the time. Another who can't stop scoring. He could be the next cab off the rank.

Rhodri Williams - great little general who could offer something a little different to the 4 x-factor players above. He's none too shabby ball in hand himself, but is possibly a little more rounded with a better kicking and marshalling game.

Aled Davies - could find himself way down the pecking order after featuring heavily under Gats. Another who offers more of a kicking/marshalling game. Playing at the struggling Ospreys is doing him no favours, but the competiton also offer more imo.

Lloyd Williams - not a bad 7th choice option! Experienced and solid with a good all court game.

Tavis Knoyle - has had to contend with plenty of injury issues over recent years, but he's a handy player when fit. A physical Mike Phillips esqe player, with a good boot. Feels like a long time ago when he was playing for Wales and looking the part though.

There's also a few youngsters who are being talked up, but they need opportunities at regional level first.

So that's 8 international quality options imo. Not bad at all!

Possibly, but what about the backrow?
 
There's a few injuries there at present with James Davies, Ellis Jenkins and the perma-injured Ollie Griffiths all out. I know there's still a lot of depth there with a few excellent players in the English Prem (Young, Sam Lewis, Dan Thomas) struggling to get noticed, but I'm wondering if scrum half has overtaken it this season?
 
Scrum half does have a crazy amount talent right now... there's that young kid at the Ospreys too (think he's like 19). I'm feeling for Rhodri Williams right now (& Sam Davies). I honestly don't know what more the two of them could've done... still, it's great for the Dragons during the international period.

I actually think we're strong everywhere bar centre though... until fairly recently I was really concerned about our tight 5 but i think we have a surprising amount of talent and depth there too now.
 
I was a bit worried about the front row but the likes of Lewis and Dee have really stepped up, as well as some of the older players like Wyn Jones. 2nd row is the worry for me, no one has come in and really grabbed that shirt, Beard looks ok but seems to lack that dynamism that modern locks need to have. Seb Davies seems to have the correct skill set but I'm not sure whether management think he's a bit on the small side for a test 2nd row.
 
I still have hopes that Seb will fulfil his potential. He's still young and has a great skill-set, as well as being very athletic. It's more about getting his head right I think. Will be very interesting seeing how Pivac and Humphreys mould him as they're both very good coaches of forwards.
 
Yeah, Humph could make a real difference here. Really rate the guy. He assembled and moulded that uber Ospreys pack, developing two of the best locks of the professional era in AWJ and Ianto, not to mention Adam Jones, Hibbard, etc. in the front row. Ospreys have been on a continuous slide ever since he left.
 
Yeah, Humph could make a real difference here. Really rate the guy. He assembled and moulded that uber Ospreys pack, developing two of the best locks of the professional era in AWJ and Ianto, not to mention Adam Jones, Hibbard, etc. in the front row. Ospreys have been on a continuous slide ever since he left.
He's done some stellar stuff since too... his appointment does instil me with some faith that Pivac has really studied the form while up north and is very well-versed.
 
Yeah, Humph could make a real difference here. Really rate the guy. He assembled and moulded that uber Ospreys pack, developing two of the best locks of the professional era in AWJ and Ianto, not to mention Adam Jones, Hibbard, etc. in the front row. Ospreys have been on a continuous slide ever since he left.

Well even then, they couldn't get close to winning the Heineken Cup...
 
Well even then, they couldn't get close to winning the Heineken Cup...

Aye, their attack was always frustrating to watch, even when it was full of quality like Phillips, Hook, Henson, Bowe, Shane and Byrne. Tactically they were always a little off.
 

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