Wales could be about to abandon 60-cap rule - reports
Wales boss Wayne Pivac could be forced to abandon the union’s 60-cap selection rules due to the ongoing injury crisis at flyhalf – The Rugby Paper report.
Dan Biggar, Rhys Patchell, Gareth Anscombe and Owen Williams are all currently sans action with various injuries, leaving the Welsh flyhalf larder extremely bare.
The only fit 10 currently in the squad is Cardiff Blues playmaker Jarrod Evans. Evans (23) currently has just five caps to his name.
Under the Senior Player Selection Policy (SPSP) Wayne Pivac can only select Wales squad players exclusively from the pool of home talent available – with an exception made for any player who has been capped 60-times or more.
Continue reading below…
WATCH: Wales head coach Wayne Pivac and captain Alun Wyn Jones press conference following their defeat to Ireland in the Six Nations at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
In 2017 as the new 60-cap clause came in, the former ‘Wildcard’ system was removed in its entirety, meaning no player with fewer caps will be selected for Wales if they ply their trade outside of the country.
The only exception to the Senior Player Selection Policy (SPSP) is uncapped players. Call ups for uncapped players currently contracted outside of Wales are allowed, provided said players return to Wales at the expiration of the contract in place at the point of call up.
The @johnbarc86 Column:
"As a player and someone who knows Finn, I take issue with the people labelling him selfish."https://t.co/8HVHinXzt2
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 16, 2020
However, as The Rugby Paper report, Pivac may have to bust the system to select Bath flyhalf Rhys Priestland.
Capped 50 times by Wales, Priestland joined Bath ahead of the 2015/16 season from Scarlets, turning his back on the opportunity to play in the red jersey. Out of favour, Priestland bet on a lucrative contract with Bath over his chances of being called back into Gatland’s setup.
With Biggar is currently recovering from his most recent concussion and Evans still very inexperienced, the under-pressure new Welsh boss Pivac may feel he has no choice but to bring Priestland in. Biggar suffered head injuries in successive World Cup games against Australia and Fiji in Japan last autumn but recovered to play in the quarter-final victory over France.
Ben Earl may already have his new club sorted. https://t.co/Yvjpf2X3EQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 16, 2020
“Dan is alright, he’s just doing the normal return to play protocols,” said Wales assistant coach Neil Jenkins said last week. “That takes a bit of time but he is pretty good and is recovering pretty well, so hopefully he will be OK for next week.”
“The World Cup was a concern in terms of the heavy ones that he had, but I don’t think Saturday was as bad as those. But (an HIA) is still something that you’ve got to do and the right decision was made.
“He is a tough old player, as you could see on Saturday because trying to get him off was an issue. But hopefully he will do everything he needs to do and will be back ready for France.”
Wales will have to sweat on Biggar’s fitness for a few days more, but they may have to break their own rules, temporarily at least.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments