Wales Six Nations squad 2023

[Tooting Carmen]

Team to face England:

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny, Josh Adams, Mason Grady, Joe Hawkins, Louis Rees-Zammit, Owen Williams, Tomos Williams, Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens (capt), Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Christ Tshiunza, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Bradley Roberts, Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis, Dafydd Jenkins, Tommy Reffell, Kieran Hardy, Dan Biggar, Nick Tompkins.

 

[BenniMarco]

Excited to see how we do at 10 12 13

Think he's assessed how bad our bench performance was against Scotland as the bench is completely different and adds much more impact than last time.

Who goes to wing if one of any of our wingers gets injured?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Who goes to wing if one of any of our wingers gets injured?

Grady, I imagine.

Has started there a few times for Wales U20s. If not him then probably Bigs to 15 and Williams to wing.

 

[BenniMarco]

Grady, I imagine.

Has started there a few times for Wales U20s. If not him then probably Bigs to 15 and Williams to wing.

Must be that then, don't know much about Grady.

Halfpenny at full back so can't see him going to wing haha

 

[AWJ5GOAT]

Interesting selection! Owen Williams!! 'Bout time

 

[Welsh Exile]

Yeah Grady will go out to the wing. He's got winger pace for sure, not 100% whether he has international winger pace but he can cover there if we need to shift things around due to injury.

He's the pick I'm most pleased with but more I'm disappointed about. Beard yet again, Francis again. No Brown or Rhys Davies in the 23 and while I'm pleased Biggar isn't starting I'd rather have a look at Patchell at 10

Halfpenny at 15 is very meh. Love the giy but we shouldn't be relying on him. He'll probably pull out mod the captains run tomorrow anyway if recent history is anything to go by. Would've preferred to play LRZ at 15 and persevered with Dyer on the wing.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Where does Welsh rugby go from here?

Warren Gatland's Wales are staring down the barrel of a first Six Nations whitewash since 2003.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Reiser99]

Comment I found interesting was again highlighting that there are lots of older experienced players and lots of younger new players, but no middle men. Yes that's partly down to Pivac, but also have to think that Gatland has to take some blame too.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

And this one. Although I am sure most Welsh fans know this already.

Wales in crisis: regions the bane of a rugby nation facing the abyss | Michael Aylwin

How can Ireland be thriving on broadly the same levels of union income and exactly the same number of professional teams?

www.theguardian.com

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Long-term deal in 'matter of days' says Walker

A formal deal to secure the long-term future of professional rugby in Wales will be signed in a "matter of days", says acting WRU chief executive Nigel Walker.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[AlRums]

Twelve Welsh players earning up to £250,000 told they can now only get £30,000

The 12 players met with bosses at their club last week, with some told they didn't even want to insult them with an offer

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[Reiser99]

I guess this is the best thread for Welsh Funding issues.

Cardiff fly-half Evans to quit Welsh rugby

Wales outside-half Jarrod Evans is to leave Cardiff at the end of the season, while centre Willis Halaholo and prop Dmitri Arhip are also expected to move this summer.

www.bbc.com

At the moment Cardiff won't have a fly half next year. We knew it was bad, starting to show just how bad.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Injured Cuthbert out of Six Nations games

Wing Alex Cuthbert has been ruled of Wales' final two Six Nations games with a foot injury.

www.bbc.co.uk

Good news for Wales.

 

[Welsh Exile]

We've always had a problem with depth but I keep reading there's no young talent coming through in Wales. I would love to see a pack of

Carre, Lake, Brown, Jenkins, Tshiunza, Morgan, Reffell, Wainwright

That is a really young pack with a lot of potential for growth. Throw in Grady, Hawkins and LRZ in the backs and that's some more seriously talented young players. Clearly this WC is ****** but I think there's reasons to be positive for 2027

* cracks open second bottle of vodka*

 

[AlRums]

The year that Wales won another Grand Slam, an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman shuffled off this mortal coil.

As they chatted at the Pearly Gates, the trio realized they were lifelong rugby fans with something else in common.

St Peter beckoned them into heaven, but they had one condition.

"We're only coming in if we can avoid the Welsh for a hundred years," said the Englishman.

"Make that two hundred," said the Irishman. "They might have shut up about their win by then."

"Make it three hundred to be safe," said the Scotsman.

St Peter agreed to their wishes.

The three men spent a wonderful ten years drinking beer and meeting beautiful women.

But one day when they were walking across the clouds to the celestial pub, they saw a glowing field of the greenest grass.

A tall handsome man was taking place kicks. Every ball sailed between the posts.

He had long flowing locks, gleaming white boots, and wore a Welsh rugby jersey.

The trio turned and marched furiously up to St Peter.

"It's only been ten years and we found a Welshman. What happened to your promise?"

St Peter smiled benignly.

"No need to fret, lads. That's God. He just likes to pretend to be Welsh!

 

[Jakedood]

We've always had a problem with depth but I keep reading there's no young talent coming through in Wales. I would love to see a pack of

Carre, Lake, Brown, Jenkins, Tshiunza, Morgan, Reffell, Wainwright

That is a really young pack with a lot of potential for growth. Throw in Grady, Hawkins and LRZ in the backs and that's some more seriously talented young players. Clearly this WC is ****** but I think there's reasons to be positive for 2027

* cracks open second bottle of vodka*

I actually quite like Gareth Thomas as well I have to say! I think he's been superb off the bench, really active in defense and disrupting rucks
Grady definitely has some development defensively, the OC channel has been attacked too easily, maybe even end up in the back 3 at some point, but Hawkins for my money has been exceptional as well

 

[AlRums]

Gatland says Wales will surprise at World Cup - BBC Sport

Wales head coach Warren Gatland believes his side will surprise teams at the World Cup in France later this year.

www.bbc.com