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Assistant coach Gareth Williams to leave Wales for Scarlets
By Steffan Thomas
Wales assistant coach Gareth Williams is set to leave Wayne Pivac’s backroom team to become the Scarlets’ new defence guru.
Williams has been Wales’ contact area coaching specialist for the past year but looks likely to jump ship just over a year out from the Rugby World Cup in France. He has previously been Wales under 20s head coach, while Williams has also been in charge of Wales Sevens.
And the 43-year-old is close to leaving the national set-up to become Dwayne Peel’s assistant at the Scarlets subject to final approval from Wales boss Pivac. Peel will be hoping Williams can help shore up the Scarlets’ defence after the west Walians finished in 10th spot in the United Rugby Championship table, missing out on a place in next seasons Heineken Champions Cup.
The Scarlets are one of the most potent attacking sides in the URC, scoring 65 tries, but they also conceded 73 tries, and a total of 534 points. Current defence coach, Hugh Hogan, will leave the Scarlets at the end of the season, and the Llanelli based club are close to appointing Williams. The hope is if Williams can tighten up their defence, they will become URC play-off contenders due to the amount of tries they score.
Should the deal get rubberstamped Williams will join Peel, forwards coach Ben Franks, and scrum coach Emyr Phillips as part of a revamped back-room team in Llanelli. The Scarlets may also be on the lookout for another addition to their coaching team with Dai Flanagan expected to join the Dragons to work underneath Dean Ryan, while head analyst Joe Lewis has re-joined the England set-up.
It is unclear whether Pivac will look to replace Williams in the Wales set-up given Gethin Jenkins’ speciality as a defence and contact area coach.
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Latest Comments
My ‘fantasy’ team V Ireland,
Including options from ABXV if needed, as V Mun better V Ireland better prep than England.
The most important aspect V Ireland is AB need ALL their loosies AND 'loosie capable locks' on ALL match [except IF(?) any tiring ie the aging & slowing eg Cane]. As follows,
{starting} bench (3rd choice)
1 {De Groot} / Tu’ungafasi (Williams)
2 { anyone that can throw!! }/ Aumua (Brodie McAlister)
Ryan! coach lineouts & Aumua to throw!
3 {Lomax}/ Tosi (Newell )
Tosi immense strength V England
4,5 Locks { P.Tuipulotu, S.Barrett }, Vaa’i, Darry
( Isaia Walker-Leawere)
Vaa’i off V Eng. Assumed due to leg injury(?)
6,7,8 Loose forwards { Sititi, A.Savea, Cane } Vaa’i, S.Barrettm, P.Tuipulotu back up (Devan Flanders, Du'Plessis Kirifi )
9 {Roigard } Ratima ( TJ )
10 {D.McK} Perofeta ( Plummer)
12 {J.Barrett } ALB ( Q.Tupaea )
13 {Proctor} Ioane ( AJ Lam )
Ioane (off V England ) but Irish experience (NO not Sexton!)
14 { Tele’a} Reece (bkup W.Jordan )
11 {C.Clarke} Narawa (K.Naholo)
15 {W.Jordan} Love (Stevenson)
Go to commentsI guess the other option would be to start ALB, he's looked good in the 12 so far when he starts and sets up those outside him. But that would mean putting the vice captain on the bench, which is unlikely. Another option would be to drop Reiko to the bench and play Proctor, though he's gone home so that's not going to happen either.
Both of those players just offer more of the soft distribution skills good centres learn from playing their careers there. Unfortunately that's what's lacking with the current combo.
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