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'Clueless': Pivac's Wales squad slammed over omission of URC's turnover machine
Wayne Pivac named his 33-man squad for Wales’ upcoming tour of South Africa which has not gone down well with Welsh fans on Twitter.
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The contentious decision was the exclusion of 23-year-old Jac Morgan who has been one of the standout No 7s in the United Rugby Championship. The Kiwi head coach selected Taine Basham, Josh Navidi, and the uncapped Tommy Reffell as his options at openside flankers and excluded the Ospreys’ openside.
However, it was Pivac’s explanation for the omission that has drawn the ire of Welsh fans as he suggested Morgan needed to bulk up and work on his ‘physicality over the ball’ despite being one of the leaders at winning turnovers in the URC.
“I had a good chat to Jac around what we want him to do in the off-season and that’s a big work-on in terms of what he can do in the strength and conditioning area,” Pivac said of the decision.
“The game’s a really physical game. Where we’re going, South Africa, there are a lot of very big men. We’ve asked him to improve, if he can, in that area of physicality when he’s over the ball, being even stronger than he is.
“He’ll go away and work hard at his game, I know that. He’s a young guy and he’s desperate to get back into the side. It’s all ahead of him.”
Jac Morgan current stats in the URC
186 tackles (2nd)
94% tackle completion
22 turn overs (1st)But yeah, needs to get bigger and stronger.
— Jon Ingarfield (@JonIngarfield) May 18, 2022
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Many fans believed Leicester Tigers openside Tommy Reffell was deserving of his call-up, and so made comparisons between Jac Morgan and Taine Basham who are of a similar size.
Josh Gardner highlighted that Morgan has the most turnovers in the URC while Basham ranks 46th in the competition.
Pivac was labelled a ‘charlatan’ by another Welsh fan who suggested the coach might be in his last season as the national head coach.
For me, the most notable omissions from the Wales squad for the tour of South Africa would be:
Morgan Morris, Seb Davies, Jac Morgan, Ryan Conbeer, Jonathan Davies, Callum Sheedy, Bradley Roberts, Owen Lane. Anyone else spring to mind?— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) May 18, 2022
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An…interesting Wales squad to tour South Africa. Good to see Tommy Reffell called up. Been tearing it up at Leicester but it’s hard on Jac Morgan given how great he’s been for the Ospreys. Tough call that one. Surprising to see 34-year-old Dan Lydiate in the squad though.
— Jamie Phillips (@JNPhillips4) May 18, 2022
Pivac tells Jac Morgan (5'11/102kg/most turnovers in the URC this season) that he's too small and not good enough over the ball to play openside in SA, but continues to pick Taine Basham (6'0/95kg/joint 46th in turnovers in the URC) without hesitation.
— Josh Gardner (@joshgardner) May 18, 2022
I think Pivac has broken Twitter and the nation by not picking Jac Morgan 🤦🏼♂️
— Aled James (@Aled_James9) May 18, 2022
Never been a fan of coaches calling out players’ perceived weakness in public. It betrays coaches’ weakness – the inability to take responsibility for their own shortcomings. Jac Morgan is a tremendous player and deserves better. Pivac is a charlatan in the last chance saloon https://t.co/oOk7NKj79a
— Dan 🏴🇪🇺🚴♂️ (@eggynewydd) May 18, 2022
Top Welsh tackler and won more turnovers than anyone else, but must get stronger in that area? And regularly plays against SA teams in the URC, is he taking the piss? Jac Morgan has been outstanding this season! Form 7 in Wales! Pivac is absolutely clueless! https://t.co/vIn9ILmcmN
— Llion Rhys (@LlionRhys2) May 18, 2022
The harshest reaction came from journalist Siân Lloyd who said the squad shows ‘zero ambition’, was ‘clueless’ and asked ‘does Pivac actually understand rugby?’
Does #Pivac actually understand rugby? This squad shows zero ambition & no forward planning. Clueless. As for his #JacMorgan comments, just bollocks, as the stats show. Are @WelshRugbyUnion really going to let him take us into @rugbyworldcup I could do a better job myself!
— Siân Lloyd (@SianWeather) May 18, 2022
In terms of Wayne Pivac's comments about Jac Morgan needing to improve his physicality over the ball, it is worth noting that the Ospreys flanker is top of the turnover chart in the @URCOfficial with 22 of them.
— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) May 18, 2022
Welsh rugby writer Owain Jones highlighted the history of Wales in South Africa which has not been great, and suggested that expectations are now so low that the side might just surprise some people.
Wales have played the Boks on ten occasions out South Africa. They've lost all ten. Points for the Boks 415. Points for Wales 156.
Predicting a tough Wales tour is not exactly revelatory.
Heaven knows, Wales might actually surprise some people.
— Owain Jones (@OwainJTJones) May 18, 2022
Expect this side to give the Boks a whupping at Loftus Versfeld.🧐
Liam Williams, Josh Adams, George North, Nick Tompkins, Louis Rees-Zammit, Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams; Taulupe Faletau, Josh Navidi, Dan Lydiate, AWJ, Adam Beard, Tomas Francis, Dewi Lake, Rhys Carre
Don't @ me
— Owain Jones (@OwainJTJones) May 18, 2022
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments