Wales Final 31

[valley commando]

Why does Wales not have a 2015 WC thread?

Anyway, 31-man squad announced:

Props: Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Paul James (Ospreys), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Samson Lee (Scarlets).
Hookers: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets).
Locks: Jake Ball (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Racing 92), Dominic Day (Bath), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys).
Back-rows: Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt).
Scrum-halves: Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues).
Fly-halves: Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Matthew Morgan (Bristol), Rhys Priestland (Bath).
Centres: Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins), Scott Williams (Scarlets).
Wings: Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints).
Full-backs: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon), Liam Williams (Scarlets).

Good selections in general, but don't like the squad balance. Too many locks, King is never going to be used, and Wales are making a fairly big risk in not having three hookers at least. Would have sacrificed Day or King for Dacey/Hibbard. What happens now if a hooker gets injured just before the game? Would also probably have preferred another centre.[

4 names I didn't want to see Priestland, Cuthbert, Day and Allen.
I would have replaced them with Dacey, Walker, Morgan and Moriarty.

 

[Irish boy]

Matthew Morgan I'm not sure about that

 

[goodNumber10]

Nothing to see

 

[g6mcg]

Good selections in general, but don't like the squad balance. Too many locks, King is never going to be used, and Wales are making a fairly big risk in not having three hookers at least. Would have sacrificed Day or King for Dacey/Hibbard. What happens now if a hooker gets injured just before the game? Would also probably have preferred another centre.

Given Australia have also gone for two hookers, do you think they've both decided they'd be allowed to only name one in match day squad if one is injured the day before? I think one of the Australian props has been training to cover hooker though.

Obviously is a risk anyway as if Owens gets a knock that rules him out of one game he'd have to be replaced permanently, but they must have reason to believe it won't screw them over too much. Just seems a ridiculous and unnecessary risk to me.

 

[Jaguares]

Given Australia have also gone for two hookers, do you think they've both decided they'd be allowed to only name one in match day squad if one is injured the day before? I think one of the Australian props has been training to cover hooker though.

Yes, Mario Ledesma is training to Sio as the 3rd hooker

 

[j'nuh]

Where have the Welsh gone? It's even more deserted than the Scottish thread on here.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Still drunk after the Ireland game

 

[ncurd]

Obviously is a risk anyway as if Owens gets a knock that rules him out of one game he'd have to be replaced permanently, but they must have reason to believe it won't screw them over too much. Just seems a ridiculous and unnecessary risk to me.

With the impact of schedule it makes even less sense both Hookers are going to have to recover almost fully by the time the Fiji comes in just 5 days....I'd want most positions covered in-case of injury that you know you'll need subs for.

However as this is Gatland I will laugh quite a bit if it does happen.

 

[AzaMatt]

Where have the Welsh gone? It's even more deserted than the Scottish thread on here.

we're still here, just lurking in the distance ^_^

not suprised with most of the team, heres my two cents worth!

Matthew Morgan at fly half - was always going to be selected as long as Anscombe is injured (gutted about this as anscombe looked a decent prospect), theres nobody else in the remaining squad that could cover 10 and i dont think gatland would call hook back. Its a shame owen williams (tigers) wasnt called in to train with the squad. Morgans big chance to shine but i imagine he wont be selected at 10 apart from maybe the uruguay game or as a super sub. more likely to get game time at full back as a replacement. I think he will get a rare start this weekend but it will be interesting where he plays. Fly half, full back or possibly on the wing?

Hookers? - seems that most teams are going with 2 hookers which seems bizzare, im willing to bet we'll lose a lock and his place will be taken by another hooker just in case, as we have way to many locks at the moment.

Cory Allen and the centres - gutted that Tyler morgan has an injury i think he would have been great as part of the main team in place of jon davies. Allen is a decent player but nowhere near the standard of roberts (understandable) or Scott williams. i think we'll see north switch to centre for a couple of games too as this has been mentioned by gatland a few times. makes sense as we have Amos/williams/cuthbert and possibly Matthew Morgan who could cover wing in place of him

The wings - As noted above we have a number of people who could switch to the wing, and we even saw scott williams do a great job there against italy in the six nations, so he could cover there as well. id love to see matthew morgan unleashed on the wing at some point, even if we just try it out for the italy game.

The rest of the team was pretty much expected. No worries there, big battle going on for the 7 shirt at the moment though!

 

[g6mcg]

Re: Hookers (a potentially great email thread)

Steve James reporting in Torygrath that Gatland's intention was to take three hookers, but AWJ injury led him to take Day over Dacey.

Suspect AzaMatt is right about losing a lock during the tournament!

 

[AzaMatt]

Re: Hookers (a potentially great email thread)

Steve James reporting in Torygrath that Gatland's intention was to take three hookers, but AWJ injury led him to take Day over Dacey.

Suspect AzaMatt is right about losing a lock during the tournament!

he can take all the extra locks he wants if it means AWJ will be fit for the england game. need the big man, never has a bad game