There are a few positions on the Wales rugby team where Warren Gatland can feel thousands of people vying for the shirt.

Flanker open one. Wayne Pivac has presented the number 7 shirt to eight different players during his 34-game reign: Justin Tipuric, James Davies, James Botham, Thane Basham, Thomas Young, Jack Morgan, Josh Navid and Tommy Reffel, for those who spend Christmas together. Tests, but there are still more quality players in that position, to the point that any open side that doesn’t produce 8/10 every week might soon forget about playing for Wales.

This depth is not obvious in all directions. Of course, this is not the case.

There is still debate in some positions as to whether Wales has the correct pieces in the mosaic, which includes the centre.

In an ideal world, Wales would have the Gavin Hanson of the 2020s, a player gifted with superb passing skills, innate rugby intelligence, solid defending and the ability to kick the ball further than some people go on holiday, plus of being capable of short kicks. for defense Unfortunately, these people are not common.

Of course, hard straight runners can still do a more than adequate job.

But teams with 12 talented players who can make the right decisions and execute multiple plays have an advantage over those without that personality. Having a second winger on the wing is an advantage as it brings additional creativity and takes the pressure off the midfield. And it’s never a bad thing to have extra skills.

Last year Mark Ring told WalesOnline: “A lot has changed in rugby. But this is a group of demons who claim that everything is different. Skills are still important.”

So who will fit into Wales’ inner center under Gatland in 2023 remains a moot point.

Nick Tompkins is as hardworking as it gets and a proven Premier League player for Gallagher. He became a Wayne Pivac favourite, starting all three of the summer tests in South Africa and the autumn matches against New Zealand and Argentina before being dropped for the match against Georgia, before returning to Saracens for Australia as was outside the official test window.

However, Gatland may have other thoughts about Pivak.

Owen Watkin is reliable and solid on defense, Jonny Williams runs hard and breaks the winning line, Willis Halaholo can beat opponents with firm footing and has a good game of country, Jonathan Davies is a proven old favorite of Gatland for a long time. and young Joe Hawkins showed tremendous maturity against Australia (read more about Hawkins here).

All good players, but are there any standout candidates among them? Is there anyone who can now say their name is on the shirt for the opening game of the 2023 Six Nations against Ireland on February 4th?

“I still think 12 can be drawn,” said former Wales centre-back Tom Shanklin. “There are several options.

“I think Joe Hawkins did really well against Australia in the autumn and looked comfortable in his first game for Wales; That’s probably the best compliment I can give. You can’t say it was his first cap and some of the touches he made were very good. It is form 12 that we must consider.

“We need someone who can create at 12 and not just be a straight runner.

“Jonny Williams could be back in shape soon, Nick Tompkins we don’t see him very often while he plays in England although he plays for a great team at Saracens.

“A lot will depend on what Gatland want to do and how they want to play. No one is approaching me en masse.

“If we want to play a little wider, we have to play with the ball. If we want to play a little more direct maybe we can get Jonny Williams to push you and maybe Nick Tompkins.

“Scott Williams is still the best 12 for me. I’ve been saying this for the past few years, but you can’t stay in shape for long.

“Wales are probably looking to the future now. It may depend on these upcoming games, the Six Nations and whether we get a chance to see Owen Williams at age 12. I sincerely do not know [who will play there]🇧🇷

One more place in the midfield looks set, with George North holding onto the shirt for the last seven Tests and enjoying an excellent autumn run with particularly strong performances against Argentina and Australia.

“George would be 13 years old,” Shanklin said. “His development over the autumn was clearly visible. We know he’s good offensively, but the hardest part to learn is the defensive end, and he excelled at that: he knew how to read plays, he knew when to attack and when to stay away.

“I want to see him play for the Ospreys as a 13 every week, which was lacking early in the season. But he will be 13″.

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Gatland will have whoever they want in mind. Max Llewelyn is out of the direct midfield equation through injury, but he and Cardiff teammate Mason Grady will likely take the next step at some point when the 6-foot-5 Grady 5 and 17th-ranked are endowed with speed on the wing. as he demonstrated against Newcastle last season’s weekends

Now, however, the coach’s task is to find his number 12. The participants must form a thin line in the reception hall.

  • Tom Shanklin is part of the Viaplay team that brings fans to every BKT United Rugby Championship match throughout the season. You can join Shanklin, Shane Williams, Ross Harris and Rhys Up William in the Welsh derby on December 26, when the Dragons take on Cardiff (2.15pm start), followed by Ospreys v Scarlets (5.15pm). , plus two Welsh derbies. They are programmed. visit www.viaplay.com for more info. Viaplay is available on Sky, Virgin TV, Amazon Prime and online via the Viaplay app.

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