Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Welsh pride: 'Something no-one else on the planet has ever done'

By PA
(Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

Wales boss Wayne Pivac says there has never been any doubt in his mind that Alun Wyn Jones’ stellar career could incorporate next year’s World Cup. Jones will win his 150th Wales cap – an ongoing world record – against Guinness Six Nations opponents Italy on Saturday after being named in the starting line-up.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 36-year-old has not played since suffering a shoulder injury during Wales’ Autumn Nations series opener against New Zealand in late October. Jones had two operations – and most medical forecasts were that he would miss the entire Six Nations – but he is back ahead of schedule, as he was for the British and Irish Lions against South Africa last summer following shoulder trouble, and partners Adam Beard in the second row.

Fly-half Dan Biggar, who took him over as skipper from Jones for the Six Nations, retains that role and will become the seventh Welshman to win 100 caps for his country after Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones, George North, Martyn Williams and Gareth Thomas.

Video Spacer

Mike Philips | Le French Rugby Podcast | Episode 20

Former Racing, Bayonne, Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum half Mike Phillips joins us to look ahead to France’s trip to Cardiff. He gives us his view on Antoine Dupont, tells us about the Shaun Edwards effect and looks back on his time in the Top 14. We hear about the ups and downs in Bayonne, how Dan Carter helped him meet his wife and about his social media interaction with a French TV presenter. Plus, we get our predictions in for Round 4 and we pick our MEATER Moment Of The Week…
Use the code FRENCHPOD10 at checkout for 10% off any full price item at Meater.com

Video Spacer

Mike Philips | Le French Rugby Podcast | Episode 20

Former Racing, Bayonne, Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum half Mike Phillips joins us to look ahead to France’s trip to Cardiff. He gives us his view on Antoine Dupont, tells us about the Shaun Edwards effect and looks back on his time in the Top 14. We hear about the ups and downs in Bayonne, how Dan Carter helped him meet his wife and about his social media interaction with a French TV presenter. Plus, we get our predictions in for Round 4 and we pick our MEATER Moment Of The Week…
Use the code FRENCHPOD10 at checkout for 10% off any full price item at Meater.com

Asked about Jones’ prospects of going to his fifth World Cup in 18 months’ time, Pivac said: “I hope so because we have contracted him that far. There was never any question in my mind that he would unless there was injury. He clearly has to maintain form and be selectable.

“Certainly, he and I have the understanding that is his target, that is what he is going towards and we have certainly discussed that. He has been with us a few weeks and we’ve monitored him. He has trained very well, ticked all the boxes. To be playing 150 Test matches for your country, something no-one else on the planet has ever done, just shows he is a special person.”

Related

Pivac paid tribute to Biggar, who has excelled for Wales during the Six Nations and relished the captaincy role. “He is a champion, isn’t he?” Pivac added. “Dan is somebody that demands high-quality training from himself and his teammates. He leads by example and is everything you want in a leader and a good number ten in terms of managing and running the game. To play 100 games shows resilience and I’m really pleased that he gets to do it in front of a home crowd.”

Biggar captains a team showing seven changes following the 13-9 defeat against title and Grand Slam-chasing France last Friday. Jones apart, other players called up are full-back Johnny McNicholl, wing Louis Rees-Zammit, centre Uilisi Halaholo, scrum-half Gareth Davies, hooker Dewi Lake and prop Dillon Lewis. Players dropping out include Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Ryan Elias and Will Rowlands.

ADVERTISEMENT

A bonus-point victory for Wales over the Azzurri in Cardiff could see them claim a third-place finish, depending on how England and Scotland fare in their final games. Wales won 42-0 when Italy last visited the Welsh capital and their opponents have lost 36 successive Six Nations Tests since toppling Scotland at Murrayfield in February 2015.

Pivac said: “We would love to (finish third). It would be a great way to finish. We have got to get a job done on Saturday and then we will sit and wait and see how the other results go. Mathematically there is an opportunity to do that and we will certainly be trying to do our bit by getting the win at home.

“We want to attack. We want to create scoring opportunities, which we did against France four or five times, which we have been through in the review process. We weren’t clinical enough. We want to continue that theme of creating chances, but we want to make sure we make good decisions and finish teams off when we get into that position.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING RFU statement: TMO reaction to alleged foul play against Owen Farrell RFU statement: TMO reaction to alleged foul play against Owen Farrell
Search