Rather than sit through every minute of the run of Test defeats that Wales have endured under Warren Gatland, a supporter could have used the time to run a marathon (very quickly), read 20 chapters of War and Peace (again, without hanging about), watched half-a-dozen episodes of Only Murders In The Building and still found spare minutes to drive from Llanelli to Llangollen.
Admittedly, a tiring schedule.
There again, it hasn’t been much fun watching Wales as they have stumbled through nine losses over the past 11 months.
Gatland did the rounds at the United Rugby Championship games last weekend, but the Welsh regions couldn’t deliver a win, with all four coming unstuck. The Dragons performed arguably as well as anyone in narrowly falling to the Sharks, while the Scarlets were edged out by Connacht, Cardiff came unstuck amid a mass of missed tackles against Glasgow Warriors and in Cork the Ospreys barely fired a shot against Munster, a suspect scrum shy of Gareth Thomas and Tom Botha ensuring a difficult night was written into the script pretty much before the first whistle.
That said, the Wales head coach’s time wasn’t completely wasted.
Presumably, he would have had someone to record the Gallagher Premiership clash between Sale Sharks and Gloucester, allowing him to enjoy the latest impressive show from Tomos Williams since his summer move from Cardiff.
“A TIKI TAKA TRY FROM GLOUCESTER’S SCRUM HALF”
Another outstanding try by Tomos Williams!#GallagherPrem | #SALvGLO pic.twitter.com/oiWu6oSgWC
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 4, 2024
What is there to say? Trying to catch smoke with a butterfly net would be only a shade more challenging than shackling Williams right now. On the evidence of his first three displays for Gloucester, the Wales scrum-half could prove one of English rugby’s signings of the year.
For those of a certain vintage, his performance against the Sharks might have brought back memories of Rob Howley in his game-breaking pomp, what with the improbable tries, the ability to operate quickly in thought and deed and the urgency in just about everything he did. There was also leadership from a player handed the armband barely five minutes after arriving at his new club, with regular skipper Lewis Ludlow off limits.
If Williams hasn’t always appeared the most comfortable media interviewee – in his early days as a Test player one or two of his notebook-wielding inquisitors sometimes found it a struggle to elicit much more from him than name, rank and serial number – on the pitch against Bristol Bears in round two of the Premiership he looked to be communicating his messages with both passion and fluency. Indeed, some might have said he seemed positively officer class given the way he dealt with the referee.
Barely a couple of months shy of his 30th birthday, Williams increasingly looks the player his admirers have long seen him as, one who can impact games with immense authority and moments of devastating skill.
Certainly, the likelihood is Lions coach Andy Farrell would have pencilled him in as an early contender for a place in his squad for the tour of Australia next summer. Of course, the Welshman needs to hold his form, but barely a couple of months shy of his 30th birthday, he increasingly looks the player his admirers have long seen him as, one who can impact games with immense authority and moments of devastating skill.
Good news for Gatland, then, ahead of the Kiwi’s squad announcement for the autumn Tests, while alongside Williams, Gareth Anscombe is settling nicely at Kingsholm and Max Llewellyn has been earning positive reviews, albeit as a wing instead of in his usual position in midfield. Wales’ head coach also witnessed a fine performance from young lock Freddie Thomas in Gloucester’s win over Bristol.
The upbeat tidings haven’t just been confined to Kingsholm for Gatland, with Rhys Carre showing up strongly for Saracens in their defeat of Exeter Chiefs. Just before half-time, you almost felt sorry for the Devonians’ fly-half Will Haydon-Wood as he faced up to the 6ft 3in, 20st 7lb Welshman powering towards him like a vexed buffalo. But here’s the thing: Carre didn’t seek contact as he pounded forward, with the prop instead drawing his man before sending out a pass so sweet it might have been coated in honey. A switch inside later, and Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke was crossing for a try.
The ex-Cardiff player also delivered at the set-piece, with the Devon Live website accurately saying of Chiefs loosehead Marcus Street in their player ratings: “The tighthead prop was given a rough ride in the scrum by Rhys Carre.”
Nicky Smith is another who has been adding to reputation, with the ex-Osprey going about his business for Leicester Tigers with both power and purpose.
Of course, Gatland will still want to see more from a player who was released from a Wales training squad last year after failing to meet performance targets – one who is, lest we forget, still ineligible, given he is five caps short of the magic 25 cap ruling – but Saracens tend not to hand starting jerseys around without serious thought. At the very least, it might not be the worst idea for the Wales coaches to consider Carre for a squad place should the goalposts move, with the prospect of the big man coming on for the final 20 minutes of matches one that might not please all of Wales’ opponents.
Still in England, and still focusing on loosehead props, Nicky Smith is another who has been adding to reputation, with the ex-Osprey going about his business for Leicester Tigers with both power and purpose. There are no doubt some who’d disagree, but if Wales were to look closely at Smith, Carre and Gareth Thomas as their looseheads for the autumn, they might just be close to where they need to be in the No. 1 position.
But the call is with the selectors. That, as the line goes, is why they are paid the big bucks.
It’s BONUS time at the StoneX 🏟️#GallagherPrem | #SARvEXE pic.twitter.com/uCYsmULr9l
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 6, 2024
Generally, Gatland, will be looking for Test-match animals to show themselves, players who, to borrow a quote from Johnny Sexton, you’d “want in there when the going gets tough”.
Cut to the wind and rain of Virgin Media Park on Saturday evening, where the Ospreys were confronted by a Munster side smarting from a loss to Zebre the previous weekend. Few in the visiting team emerged with their reputations enhanced, but maybe we can exempt Jac Morgan from criticism, with the flanker making 20 tackles and achieving 15 metres with his carrying. Here was a player who didn’t wilt in the face of adversity. Instead, Morgan rolled up his sleeves and set about the task of knocking back red-shirted ball-carriers. Yet again, it was impressive stuff from the 24-year-old. Without him, the Ospreys’ plight would have been a whole lot worse in Ireland’s southernmost county.
Dewi Lake and James Ratti also fronted up, while off the bench there were punchy cameos from Harri Deaves and Keiran Williams. But as a team the Ospreys lost the physical battle.
Just maybe, Gatland would have had his interest piqued by events at Rodney Parade, where the Dragons were unfortunate to lose to the Sharks.
Taine Basham produced the performance of the weekend from home-based players. Making his first appearance of the season, the multi-skilled backrower was at it from minute one.
One home player who did his cause no harm was Shane Lewis-Hughes, with the summer recruit from Cardiff up for the challenge and then a bit more. Who knows? Perhaps there was a ‘don’t take a backward step’ memo doing the rounds in Newport last week. Lewis-Hughes certainly played as if he’d received one. His appetite for battle would surely not have gone unnoticed by the Welsh selectors.
He proved a nice foil on the night for Taine Basham, who produced the performance of the weekend from home-based players. Making his first appearance of the season, the multi-skilled backrower was at it from minute one. When they finished counting, there were 20 carries for 58 metres from the 17-cap player, three passes and 16 tackles without a single miss. Oh, and the official stats showed Basham beat 10 defenders. In some games, three or four players don’t do as much as the Dragons No. 7 did last weekend. Call that a ‘don’t forget me’ message to Gatland from a player who missed out on Wales’ summer tour.
Others to show up well in the early weeks of the campaign include Leon Brown and Brodie Coghlan and Cardiff’s Ben Thomas, albeit playing at inside centre rather than at fly-half where Wales used him in the summer. Mason Grady, too, has had his moments in attack. Over at the Scarlets, Josh Macleod led from the front against Connacht, while Macs Page is an upwardly mobile youngster.
A discursive word on Justin Tipuric. He missed the Ospreys’ game in Munster, but on the evidence of the first two rounds of URC games, there has been no diminution of his powers, with his show against the Stormers in Bridgend on a different level. Never mind the tireless work in defence and the keen intelligence in all areas, one 50-22 from the man with the blue hat was on its own worth the price of a ticket on the night. What did the marketing people at Levi Strauss once say about quality never going out of style? Tipuric continues to prove the essential truth of that statement. Might he come into contention for a third Lions tour? It’s unlikely given his age, of course it is, but it won’t hurt to leave the notion out there.
Back in June, Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney declared the governing body “understanding of the progress that’s being made” when asked about Wales and Gatland as he tries to turn around the national team’s fortunes.
He is out of reach to Gatland, of course, having retired as a Wales player last year, and we await news on whether Taulupe Faletau will be available for the autumn.
But others within the Wales coach’s orbit are putting their hands up.
Will Gatland try to breathe fresh life into his squad? Or will it largely be more of the same?
Back in June, Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney declared the governing body “understanding of the progress that’s being made” when asked about Wales and Gatland as he tries to turn around the national team’s fortunes.
Even so, an important Test season beckons for the head coach.
He will be desperate to start seeing clear signs of an upturn.
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