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'Huge talent' - What impressed Davies most about Wales debutant Rogers

By PA
Jonathan Davies /PA

Wales captain Jonathan Davies has described international newcomer Tom Rogers as “a huge talent” ahead of his Test debut on Saturday.

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And Davies has highlighted Rogers’ work with two of Welsh rugby’s most decorated players – Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams – at the Scarlets as a pivotal part of his development.

The 22-year-old Scarlets wing is joined by uncapped Dragons lock Ben Carter in Wales’ starting line-up against Canada, while three potential debutants feature among the replacements in prop Gareth Thomas, back-row forward Taine Basham and centre Ben Thomas.

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“He is a huge talent,” Davies said.

“One of the things I have been impressed with is it’s his first year in senior rugby, and he has been in and around Leigh and Liam at the club and just picking their brains.

“You have seen his game grow, and his work ethic has been great.

“He gets it. He gets what is needed of him to be at the highest level, and he has got two great mentors in Leigh and Liam, and he has taken advantage of that. That’s what you need to do, really.”

Three former Wales internationals – Kingsley Jones, Rob Howley and Byron Hayward – head up Canada’s coaching staff for what is Wales’ first game since being crowned Guinness Six Nations champions in March.

Wales have 10 players away in South Africa on the British and Irish Lions’ tour, but they can continue expanding their resources against Canada, then two Principality Stadium appointments with Argentina.

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Davies added: “It is an opportunity for these young guys.

“They have played well for their regions and now it is an opportunity to showcase why they have been selected and why they are good enough to play Test rugby.

“With players away on the Lions tour, it creates opportunity and it makes boys step up as well and get responsibility and an understanding of what is needed of them moving forward in their careers.

“One thing over the years we probably haven’t had is the strength in depth, and with these opportunities now it is creating competition, which then drives standards in training, creates stronger teams and better standards, which is what’s going to bring on Welsh rugby.”

Wales will be watched by a first home crowd – 8,200 – since February last year when they host the Canadians.

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And Wales head coach Wayne Pivac said: “I think 820 would have been good! It’s just nice to have fans back.

“I was lucky enough to go to Bristol against Gloucester (in May) and they had 3,500 at Ashton Gate, and it sounded like 35,000 because they were passionate fans who have been starved of rugby.

“We are looking forward to it, and I know a lot of the families and fans are looking forward to coming along.

“We really love these campaigns. We are looking at 18 players (newcomers) coming through in about 18 months, and it is serving a purpose for further down the track.

“Three wins would be fantastic, but if we develop more players that can play Test match rugby and build our depth, that would be great because you saw at the last World Cup that you do get injuries.

“We need to make sure we are as close to five deep as we can be in each position and we are building towards that.”

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Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

36 Go to comments
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