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Wales fans warming to an alternative to putting North at No13
The crisis that Wales looked to be in a couple of weeks ago with their outside centres may have averted ahead of their Guinness Six Nations opener on Saturday at home to Wales.
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While Jonathan Davies and Willis Halaholo are still set to miss the entire tournament, Wayne Pivac’s problems have eased with the call-up of Saracens’ Nick Tompkins and Owen Watkin returning to full training.
This was a major concern a couple of weeks ago with Cardiff Blues’ Josh Adams and the Ospreys’ George North both chosen to start at outside centre for their clubs, allowing Pivac to assess his options (the Adams experiment was called off at the last minute).
While those pressures may not still be as apparent, there are still some reports that North will start at outside centre at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
This has not been too popular, as much of the Welsh public feel the 27-year-old is solely a winger. He has been trialled in a No13 shirt before, but it was not wholly successful in what is possibly the hardest position on the field to defend.
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The team captains were out in force at the Guinness 2020 Six Nations launch
It certainly was a very real prospect that he would have to move position for the Six Nations, but Tompkins has now emerged as a far more popular option to get the nod when Pivac reveals his XV on Thursday.
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The 24-year-old is a natural centre, albeit more accustomed to inside centre, and has been in great form over the past 18 months for Saracens.
Suspect defence is putting it mildly. Saw Pivac interview a few weeks ago, he spoke very highly of Tomkins they’ll he’ll have a big future with wales
— Stuart Owens (@Stewie_Pies) January 29, 2020
Absolutely, I don’t think he has been at the top of his game for a while now, so playing in a new position doesn’t make any sense to me
— Sean (@Seanponty) January 29, 2020
I can’t help thinking that other sides’ attack coaches would love us to play him at outside centre.
— Tim Williams (@TimAlunWilliams) January 29, 2020
100% agree. Start Tompkins.
He’s been on fire for Saracens and if you don’t give him a shout in this game when do you start him?
— Owain Glynd?r (@IgtIan) January 29, 2020
Of course, a match against Italy at home is the perfect game to trial North again at outside centre, but it is also the right game to give a different player their debut.
With a trip to Ireland the following week, Pivac will want to know who his best option is and Tompkins seems to be the fans’ pick.
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Call me crazy but I agree that picking the best Welsh outside centre available is a good idea.
— Rhod Vaughan (@rhodders9) January 29, 2020
Due to the wealth of options on the wing, moving North infield is a good way to keep him on the pitch as he is probably behind Adams and Johnny McNicholl in the coach’s estimation.
But the truth is, many people do not think that he should be shoehorned into the team for the sake of it when the Saracens centre seems to be a better option.
Personally think playing North at centre will be ridiculous when you have Tompkins & Williams in the squad who are experienced centres
— Sean (@Seanponty) January 28, 2020
Surely it’s obvious that the transition between 12 and 13 is easier than wing to Centre, regardless of how many times Tompkins has played 13 this season. Tompkins has to be the pick. Could argue North shouldn’t be in starting XV on current form.
— Njmr (@nickrumbold1) January 29, 2020
It must be remembered that this is Pivac’s first Test in charge of Wales, so he will still be finding out which players he prefers. But at this moment in time, North is better staying on the wing.
WATCH: The Rugby Pod sets the scene ahead of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations and reflects on yet more Saracens fallout
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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
1 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 Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments