Wales' biggest problem position isn't tighthead warns legend
While a lot has been made of a sudden injury crisis at tighthead, Welsh legend Jonathan Davies believes it isn't Wales' biggest issue going forward.
This weekend Wales have been forced to call up veteran Llyod Fairbrother from the Dragons, as Tomas Francis, Henry Thomas and Dillon Lewis - all of whom play outside of Wales - are unavailable. Leon Brown and Keiron Assiratti are also out injured.
However, it's not the front row where Davies believes the real issue is.
Davies believes flyhalf - and to a lesser extent fullback - are where Wales need an answer and fast. With Dan Biggar retiring and Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell heading overseas, depth at standoff in particular looks very slim.
"There's been no one else coming through," wrote Davies in his Wales online column. "There's been no B matches or representative matches to develop them. At fly-half, you've had Dan and Gareth, with Rhys also in the picture as well. The cupboard has been bare beyond that for some time.
"We are heading into the unknown a bit here with the 10s and 15s. I was speaking to Dai Young the other day about resources. If you can't afford marquee players, the only way is to develop them. The money then has to be put into proper coaching, mentoring and the player pipeline so they can achieve their best.
"It's going to be very difficult. Of course, it's difficult for the Union because what comes first - the chicken or the egg? You need the national team to create money for the rest of the game in Wales, but you need the rest of the game in Wales to develop those players for Wales. But development has to be high on the agenda."
Davies has backed Sam Costelow as the only viable long-term option in the position.
"We should have noticed that a long, long time ago. You're just looking at it, wondering where it's going to come from. It looks like, now, Sam Costelow will be the long-term fly-half for Wales.
"For Sam, the advice I'd give him, having been in that position myself, is you've got to communicate in that role. Regardless of who the captain is, the fly-half is the leader."
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> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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