Team news for Wales

[Oakboy]

Umaga in but no Simmonds or Smith for FH training experience. That should encourage them.

Indeed ...

At least Umaga is playing well. What I want to know is how Maunder’s 1 anonymous hour of rugby this calendar year can possibly be better than Robson’s current form. I know the 3rd 9 is more or less of an irrelevance, but it’s very poor from a man-management POV.

Agreed. The incentive is just not there for some players, no matter what sort of form they display. I wonder if any of Jones's assistant coaches get any say in selection decisions. Some omissions can surely not have been unanimous should their opinion be considered.

[Oakboy]

Good squad but Scrum Half is still an issue. Is Jack Willis just not being picked or is he injured?

Willis is fit as far as I know. I rate him as our best flanker.

[Mikey Brown]

Good squad but Scrum Half is still an issue. Is Jack Willis just not being picked or is he injured?

Willis is fit as far as I know. I rate him as our best flanker.

But are you willing to play him at 9 like Freddo clearly is?

Might be good to actually see him at international level first, either way.

EJ is weird about his "apprentices". I sort of get it, he has 2 players competing for a shirt and a youngster there to get a taste of the top level environment. But it's hard to believe Umaga makes the bench on merit if Ford/Farrell go down injured this week.

[Scrumhead]

Do Wales even have a fit fly half they can pick? Biggar is looking unlikely, Anscombe and (Owen) Williams are injured and Priestland went off injured and would need special dispensation to be picked anyway because of the minimum caps rule.

Could be an out of the blue call for Sheedy or and undeserved recall for Davies.

[Freddo]

Good squad but Scrum Half is still an issue. Is Jack Willis just not being picked or is he injured?

Willis is fit as far as I know. I rate him as our best flanker.

But are you willing to play him at 9 like Freddo clearly is?

Might be good to actually see him at international level first, either way.

EJ is weird about his "apprentices". I sort of get it, he has 2 players competing for a shirt and a youngster there to get a taste of the top level environment. But it's hard to believe Umaga makes the bench on merit if Ford/Farrell go down injured this week.

Ben Curry would be my choice

Jones is weird about his back row as well. Loads of player turnover in this area since he has been in charge.

[Scrumhead]

Do Wales even have a fit fly half they can pick? Biggar is looking unlikely, Anscombe and (Owen) Williams are injured and Priestland went off injured and would need special dispensation to be picked anyway because of the minimum caps rule.

Could be an out of the blue call for Sheedy or and undeserved recall for Davies.

Actually I forgot Jarrod Evans

[Stom]

Umaga in but no Simmonds or Smith for FH training experience. That should encourage them.

Smith has been in training squads. It's more about showing young players the level they should aspire to. Then they go back to their clubs and work on what they've learnt. No point in having 2 of them in the squad.

Smith will get international experience soon enough, as will one of the others. There's no need to rush. It's not like SH...

[Banquo]

Umaga in but no Simmonds or Smith for FH training experience. That should encourage them.

what the hell would you do with 5 fly halves? Its a camp for an international, not a day school.

Mind, we do have 5 locks

[Banquo]

Good squad but Scrum Half is still an issue. Is Jack Willis just not being picked or is he injured?

who would you drop?

I'd like Willis in, in theory, in practice there are some very good players already in the squad, who he will have to fight past.

[Banquo]

Do Wales even have a fit fly half they can pick? Biggar is looking unlikely, Anscombe and (Owen) Williams are injured and Priestland went off injured and would need special dispensation to be picked anyway because of the minimum caps rule.

Could be an out of the blue call for Sheedy or and undeserved recall for Davies.

I rate Evans.

[Digby]

Do Wales even have a fit fly half they can pick? Biggar is looking unlikely, Anscombe and (Owen) Williams are injured and Priestland went off injured and would need special dispensation to be picked anyway because of the minimum caps rule.

Could be an out of the blue call for Sheedy or and undeserved recall for Davies.

I rate Evans.

Who is he? Sam Davies os the only other 10 I know (a shame Sam hasn't pushed on more)

[Banquo]

Do Wales even have a fit fly half they can pick? Biggar is looking unlikely, Anscombe and (Owen) Williams are injured and Priestland went off injured and would need special dispensation to be picked anyway because of the minimum caps rule.

Could be an out of the blue call for Sheedy or and undeserved recall for Davies.

I rate Evans.

Who is he? Sam Davies os the only other 10 I know (a shame Sam hasn't pushed on more)

The one who has come on for Biggar in every game this 6N

[Digby]

I rate Evans.

Who is he? Sam Davies os the only other 10 I know (a shame Sam hasn't pushed on more)

The one who has come on for Biggar in every game this 6N

I did watch the games against Ireland and France (I'll confess now to not having watched the Italy game), from which I have garnered not even the slightest impression of him. I'm split on Wales this 6N, their attack system I rather like and it's verging on joyful Vs the last decade, but their tight five is wobbly and their decision makers at 9, 10 and 12 haven't impressed with their skills

[Peej]

I think its shame Earl has been released, though Ludlam retained

[Banquo]

Who is he? Sam Davies os the only other 10 I know (a shame Sam hasn't pushed on more)

The one who has come on for Biggar in every game this 6N

I did watch the games against Ireland and France (I'll confess now to not having watched the Italy game), from which I have garnered not even the slightest impression of him. I'm split on Wales this 6N, their attack system I rather like and it's verging on joyful Vs the last decade, but their tight five is wobbly and their decision makers at 9, 10 and 12 haven't impressed with their skills

Strange, I thought he brought a distinct impetus to their attacking ball in hand, much as Biggar has improved.

[Digby]

The one who has come on for Biggar in every game this 6N

I did watch the games against Ireland and France (I'll confess now to not having watched the Italy game), from which I have garnered not even the slightest impression of him. I'm split on Wales this 6N, their attack system I rather like and it's verging on joyful Vs the last decade, but their tight five is wobbly and their decision makers at 9, 10 and 12 haven't impressed with their skills

Strange, I thought he brought a distinct impetus to their attacking ball in hand, much as Biggar has improved.

It's quite possible I was not watching closely enough, and indeed I wouldn't know what I was watching anyway

[p/d]

I think its shame Earl has been released, though Ludlam retained

I thought he had been 'welcomed' back.

[Timbo]

I think its shame Earl has been released, though Ludlam retained

Ben Earl is in the squad.

Interesting looking at the ‘not available’ list; B Vunipola, Nowell, Moon, Mitchell*, Hill, Dingwall, Cokanasiga.

Maybe suggests that this squad of 34 plus those 7 make up the EPS?

[Banquo]

I think its shame Earl has been released, though Ludlam retained

Ben Earl is in the squad.

Interesting looking at the ‘not available’ list; B Vunipola, Nowell, Moon, Mitchell*, Hill, Dingwall, Cokanasiga.

Maybe suggests that this squad of 34 plus those 7 make up the EPS?

yes, I noticed that, esp Dingwall's mention.

[Freddo]

Good squad but Scrum Half is still an issue. Is Jack Willis just not being picked or is he injured?

who would you drop?

I'd like Willis in, in theory, in practice there are some very good players already in the squad, who he will have to fight past.

Drop a lock. I like Ludlam but I heard his form hasn't been great since the World Cup. Has Earl been better than Willis?

Ted Hill would be there if he wasn't injured so that's a good thing.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Good squad but Scrum Half is still an issue. Is Jack Willis just not being picked or is he injured?

who would you drop?

I'd like Willis in, in theory, in practice there are some very good players already in the squad, who he will have to fight past.

Drop a lock. I like Ludlam but I heard his form hasn't been great since the World Cup. Has Earl been better than Willis?

Ted Hill would be there if he wasn't injured so that's a good thing.

They’ve both been top notch so far this season. It’s a nice problem to have.

[Banquo]

Good squad but Scrum Half is still an issue. Is Jack Willis just not being picked or is he injured?

who would you drop?

I'd like Willis in, in theory, in practice there are some very good players already in the squad, who he will have to fight past.

Drop a lock. I like Ludlam but I heard his form hasn't been great since the World Cup. Has Earl been better than Willis?

Ted Hill would be there if he wasn't injured so that's a good thing.

Fair point on the lock . Willis is excellent, to be clear, but there is plenty of excellence around. I'd pick him tho.

[Oakboy]

From today's DT:


"The carousel that is Eddie Jones’ scrum-half policy continued to turn on Monday as Exeter Chiefs’ Jack Maunder was included in a 34-man training squad for England’s Six Nations match against Wales on Saturday.

Jones prefers to include just two scrum-halves in training squads, arguing the presence of a third No 9 reduces the available training minutes available to his frontline players. It is typical of Jones’ current policy that he made an exception for Maunder, who was an unused replacement in Exeter’s 34-30 defeat to Harlequins, rather than Wasps’ Dan Robson, who delivered a sensational individual performance in his side’s 36-26 victory against London Irish.

Divining the logic behind Jones’ selections, particularly at scrum-half, has long been a fool’s errand. Ben Youngs has long been his first choice, even at times when his club form for Leicester has fallen off the face of a cliff and affected his international performances. For three years, Danny Care was his deputy until he unceremoniously fell from grace after a match against Japan, paving the way for the unlikely figure of Willi Heinz to assume the second-choice slot. Veteran Richard Wigglesworth also featured in six Tests in 2018.

Yet opportunities for other scrum-halves to press their case have been as fleeting as a solar eclipse. Robson and Saracens’ Ben Spencer have been granted 54 minutes of Test rugby between them. You sense they could pull up whole forests full of redwoods without Jones’ deigning to increase that total. Yet Jones cannot postpone his scrum-half succession plan indefinitely. At the 2023 World Cup, Youngs will be 34 and Heinz 36. Their heads will be old and wise, but how much gas will there be in the tank? Jones recently discussed his hunt for his next No 9.

“Every time I am not with England I am out watching club games trying to find the next guy,” Jones said. “We are always looking for great core skills and then for the player to have a little bit of X-factor and they can do something others can't do. That's what distinguishes a good club player to a Test player – then they need the desire to always be better and that is not always the case.”

[twitchy]

Mako out. Biggar fit for the welsh.

[Digby]

Bigger possibly available, fit might be stretching it