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Wales' 'robust discussions about a result that nobody is proud of'

By PA
(Photo by Bob Bradford - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Wayne Pivac accepts that he has a job where everybody is watching your every move as he looks for his Wales players to bounce back from a demoralising home defeat against Italy. The Wales head coach’s next assignment could hardly be tougher – a three-Test series away from home against world champions South Africa in July.

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Pivac has named a 33-man squad for the tour, including uncapped Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell and Cardiff number eight James Ratti, with the Springboks looming barely three months after Wales’ Six Nations campaign ended in disarray. Italy’s 22-21 victory – their first in Cardiff – saw Wales fall from Six Nations champions last year to a fifth-place finish.

“We have had some robust discussions as a coaching group,” Pivac said. “We let the dust settle a bit because emotions were running pretty high right throughout the country and rightly so because that is a result that nobody is proud of.

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“The big thing is we had those robust discussions, we will learn as much as we can from the experience, and hopefully it makes us a better side moving forward. Certainly, that is the attitude we are taking. What we want to do is turn that frustration, that emotion if you like, into the hard work that is required going to a place like South Africa.”

Asked if the criticism post-Italy personally hurt him, Pivac added: “No, personal criticism doesn’t hurt because it is a job you know where everybody is watching your every move. When you take these positions on you know there is a responsibility that goes with it. 

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“Certainly, a loss to Italy was something that wasn’t in my thought process, to be honest, without sounding arrogant. I believed we were good enough, we had done enough work, and we could have won that game several times over. The fact is we didn’t, so you take what comes with that, and a lot of it is justified.”

Bridgend-born Reffell, a former Wales U20s captain, has been rewarded for a succession of outstanding displays during Tigers’ Gallagher Premiership title push this term. Elsewhere, Ospreys back George North is recalled 14 months after his last Test match appearance because of a serious knee injury, with 150-times-capped lock Alun Wyn Jones also chosen.

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However, experienced Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies, Bristol fly-half Callum Sheedy, Cardiff lock Seb Davies and Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan miss out and despite the presence of Jones, who was Wales’ 2019 World Cup skipper and led them to the Six Nations title last year, fly-half Dan Biggar remains as skipper.

Biggar took over leadership duties for this season’s Six Nations while Jones continued his recovery from a long-term shoulder problem. The 36-year-old lock returned to Wales action against Italy in March, but he has only played four games since undergoing two operations to rectify an injury he suffered seven months ago.

On Jones, Pivac said: “He hasn’t had a lot of rugby. We had a good conversation about the topic. Al is a leader by the way he trains and performs on the park. He has done this for many, many years, and we don’t expect that to change. In terms of Dan, we thought he did a good job. Together, those guys have played many, many Test matches.”

Biggar will lead a squad shorn of several injured players, with that list of absentees including Leigh Halfpenny, Johnny McNicholl, Ross Moriarty, Justin Tipuric and Aaron Wainwright. Scarlets fly-half Rhys Patchell and Ospreys flanker Dan Lydiate are among those recalled, but Davies’ omission – he was 2017 British and Irish Lions player of the series in New Zealand – is a major surprise.

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“We had a chat around him [Davies] having a big off-season now with next season being a huge one for everybody, obviously,” Pivac added. “We know pretty much everything we need to know about Jonathan. It’s a case of him getting himself ready to go for a big start to next season to push for the autumn and beyond.”

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Trevor 36 minutes ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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