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North at centre and the other question marks over Wales' final Autumn Nation Cup game
Wales complete their Autumn Nations Cup schedule when they tackle Italy in Llanelli on Saturday. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points heading into the game.
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Wales need a professional Italian job
It has been a difficult autumn campaign for Wales, with a solitary win collected from five starts heading into Saturday’s clash at Parc y Scarlets. Wales will end the year as they started it by hosting Italy, and anything close to resembling a 42-0 drubbing Wayne Pivac’s team handed out in February would at least provide an upbeat finale. Wales showed signs of improvement against England last weekend, yet their attacking game has not ignited, scoring just six tries in five games. They are red-hot favourites to claim a 15th successive win against the Azzurri, and an adventurous approach should see them achieve it in style.
George North – a centre of attention
Wales wing North will make a 98th appearance for his country this weekend, but only the sixth time as a starting centre. Despite his vast experience and renowned try-scoring ability, North has yet to start an Autumn Nations Cup game, featuring off the bench against Ireland and not being involved at all when Wales tackled Georgia and England. He has unquestionably lost ground on fellow wings Josh Adams and Louis Rees-Zammit, and he now gains an opportunity in midfield alongside impressive newcomer Johnny Williams. A big performance is required.
The Six Nations looms large
Wales have lost seven of their nine Tests this year, but they will have little time to reflect on those performances, given that a 2021 Guinness Six Nations opener against Ireland is just 65 days away. Despite recent results, Pivac can be encouraged by the emergence of several new faces – the likes of Rees-Zammit, Williams, fly-half Callum Sheedy and Cardiff Blues flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes and James Botham – while he will hope to have current absentees like Ken Owens, Ross Moriarty and Josh Navidi back in the selection mix. It is far from gloom and doom, but Wales need to hit the ground running and make an immediate Six Nations statement when Ireland come calling.
Callum Sheedy looks the real deal
He might only be three games into a Test career that began just three weeks ago, but Bristol fly-half Sheedy performs like a seasoned veteran on and off the pitch. After guiding his club to the Gallagher Premiership play-offs and a European Challenge Cup final triumph last season, Sheedy has carried that form into the international arena and appears a long-term Wales successor to 31-year-old Dan Biggar. Confident and accomplished on the pitch, affable and engaging off it, there is nothing not to like about him.
Italy’s Welsh connection
Wales-born Stephen Varney will make his first Test start on Saturday – for Italy. The 19-year-old Gloucester scrum-half was raised in Pembrokeshire, while his father Adrian enjoyed an impressive club rugby career as a flanker with Neath and Aberavon. Varney, whose middle name is Lorenzo, has strong Italian connections, though. His great-grandfather served in the Italian army and was a prisoner of war at a camp in west Wales, and Varney’s maternal grandparents are also from Italy. He was once a member of the Scarlets academy, but now returns to Llanelli in a blue shirt, rather than red.
Comments on RugbyPass
wel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
4 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
4 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
4 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
238 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments