Mike Forshaw: 'When staff are having a cup of tea, there’ll be a chat'
Wales defensive coach Mike Forshaw insists no decisions have yet been made regarding World Cup selection and the opportunity remains for younger players to force their way into the reckoning.
With a little under six weeks until Wales’ opening World Cup fixture against Fiji on September 10, Wales will host England in Cardiff next weekend in the first of three pre-World Cup warm-up fixtures, with a trip to Twickenham the following weekend before they face South Africa in Cardiff.
A 48-strong squad has been training in Turkey this week and Forshaw said there were no preconceptions over who might make Warren Gatland’s final 33.
“Selection is always ongoing,” Forshaw said. “When staff are having a cup of tea, there’ll be a chat, ‘He’s looking different, he’s looking really good’. I think when we get to the South Africa week we’ll have to really start thinking about the final 33.
“That will probably be decided around that weekend. In my thoughts, that’s how it will be. ‘Gats’ might say something different but at the moment everybody is in with a chance. That’s the great thing about this squad.
“There could be a lightning bolt from some of these players in these warm-up games where you think ‘Woah, now he’s really in contention’. That’s the exciting thing about picking squads.”
Before Turkey, Wales had a two-week trip to Switzerland as part of their preparations and Forshaw said the longer build-up before the World Cup was helping Wales build stronger bonds as they look to put a poor Six Nations campaign – in which their only win was over Italy – behind them.
“I always thought the Six Nations was going to be a little bit tough. There was going to have to be little pain along the way, but we’ve come into a camp where it’s more Team Wales,” Forshaw said.
“We’ve got these guys together for quite a while and in my eyes it’s like training a club team.
“We’ve got a club team for the next few months and there’s more work we can do with them, combinations to work on and me getting my message across defensively and having more time to practice that.”
Second row Ben Carter said the looming selection cuts in the squad were creating a healthy competition in the squad at this stage in preparations.
“The training is probably the hardest I’ve ever experienced,” the 22-year-old Dragons player said. “I’m loving it, it’s a real test.
“Everybody wants to be in that team so it creates quite a lot of competition within the squad, driving each other to be better and it’s a good place to be.
“It’s going to be tough to get into that final squad. We’re all working really hard hoping that we can go.”
Wales will face Fiji in Bordeaux in their opening pool match before facing Portugal, Australia and Georgia.
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
5 Go to comments