Warren Gatland sends message for Wales players ahead of weekend clash
Wales head coach Warren Gatland believes that players can put down a Six Nations selection marker in Saturday’s clash against the Barbarians.
Gatland fields 12 of Wales’ Rugby World Cup squad among his starting XV at the Principality Stadium.
But he is also minus all players based outside Wales, with a star-studded list headed by the likes of Louis Rees-Zammit, Nick Tompkins and Will Rowlands.
The non-cap game is a tribute to ex-Wales forwards Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric, who retired from Test rugby earlier this year and will line up in Barbarians colours.
And full-back Leigh Halfpenny will join them, making a final Wales appearance after he recently announced his decision to step away from the international game.
The fixture’s scheduling, though, has been criticised, especially as the Welsh regions – Ospreys, Scarlets, Cardiff and Dragons – have United Rugby Championship matches this weekend.
Scarlets host Cardiff barely an hour after the Wales game finishes and, while Gatland named only a 23-man squad to help with regional player availability, all four sides have been weakened.
It is Wales’ final game before a Six Nations opener against Scotland on February 3 and there will be a new look to elements of Gatland’s group for the tournament.
Dan Biggar called time on his Test career after the World Cup, with fellow backs Liam Williams and Gareth Anscombe set for playing stints in Japan during the first half of next year.
Tom Rogers, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Harri O’Connor and Taine Plumtree will be among those looking to make an impression on Saturday, and Gatland said: “There is an an opportunity without players outside of Wales for people to put down a marker in terms of being involved in the Six Nations.
“I had a chat with the players about that earlier in the week and said they want to be in a situation where it is harder to play your way into this team, but it is easy to play your way out.
“I have demonstrated in the past that I have been pretty loyal to players who have gone out, put that jersey on and performed well.
“And for those players who do that it is a good opportunity to be selected for the Six Nations.
“We have kind of drawn a line under the World Cup now and we are talking about this next cycle and how we manage that – this group of players coming through.
“We haven’t got a number of players available to us, but there is a good chance for these young Welsh players that are here to go out there and see if they can give a performance.”
Jones, meanwhile, will captain the Barbarians, who are coached by Eddie Jones and Scott Robertson, with Tipuric packing down alongside back-row colleagues Michael Hooper and Rob Valetini.
Nine of the starting line-up played in the World Cup, including Valetini, Fiji wing Selestino Ravutaumada, Argentina fly-half Nicolas Sanchez and Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou.
But it will be a special day for Jones, Tipuric and Halfpenny – they have 352 caps between them – which is not lost on Wales captain Jac Morgan.
“Their professionalism and the standards they set as players, it is pretty inspirational for the young boys coming through and what we look to be like,” Morgan said.
“Even towards the end of their careers, they are probably among the last people out on the training field still trying to get better and improve.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Interesting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“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 comments