'It's the price you put on the jersey I guess' - Pivac on Gareth Anscombe's WRU wage battle

Incoming Wales boss Wayne Pivac has said he wants to rekindle his old working relationship with disgruntled Grand Slam star Gareth Anscombe. 

The out-half, whose accuracy off the tee was vital in sealing last month’s Six Nations title triumph, hasn’t been shy about voicing his displeasure about the new wage system introduced in Wales by the WRU. 

That structure limits him to an annual offer that has a £350,000 ceiling, not a sufficient enough remuneration when some big-spending Premiership clubs are allegedly willing to stump up £500,000 to get the Cardiff playmaker to come to England and give up his Test career with Wales.  

“It’s something Gareth and his agent are talking about. It’s only something the individual can answer (about staying in Wales to remain available for Test selection), it’s the price you put on the jersey I guess,” said Pivac to walesonline.com about a situation where a club transfer to England this summer would rule Anscombe out of World Cup selection as he doesn’t have the 60 caps necessary for exiles players to be picked.

“From my point of view, I have coached Gareth before (with Auckland) and he is an excellent player. We have seen that in recent times," continued Pivac, the Scarlets coach who will succeed Warren Gatland as Wales boss after the finals in Japan. 

“I would like to see him remain. I have had a working relationship with Gareth in the past. Hopefully the decision he makes is that he remains in Wales and we have his services going forward.”

In the wake of clinching the Grand Slam with a special performance in the win over Ireland, Anscombe has been critical of the new wage structure being implemented by the WRU which states that only players chosen for the Lions can earn more than £350,000.

Pivac, though, isn’t a critic of the remuneration system. “Most of the players in Wales fit into those player bandings quite nicely,” he said. 

“We are not hearing too many disgruntled players. With any new system coming in there is going to be some abnormality and those are the ones we need to work through.”