Warren Gatland watched two potential Six Nations players face off at Swansea.com Stadium on Sunday afternoon and there was a clear winner as he considered who to call up to his Six Nations squad.
Gatland has a lot to think about in the back row, with Taulupe Faletau currently out with a broken arm, Christ Tshiunza with a broken leg and Thane Plumtree sidelined for months with a shoulder injury.
It means players like Morgan Morris and Carwyn Tuipulotu, who are on Gatland’s radar, have a real chance of being in contention for Sunday’s West Wales derby.
Morris scored and the Ospreys cruised to a 31-9 victory, but what was the personal battle like and who should be considered favorites ahead of team selection?
Front leader
Manager Toby Booth handed the captaincy to Morris following Justin Tipuric’s thumb injury and he delivered when needed.
The Ospreys’ number 8 converted from close range in characteristic fashion during the second half after a long period of pressure, and was instrumental in everything the Ospreys did, making the most clearances (15) alongside the Ospreys’ captain. Ospreys, Wales, Jack Morgan and also kicking a goal. 10 tackles.
Morris covered 46 meters with one carry, putting him fifth behind Scarlets full-back Jonny McNicholl and Ospreys trio Morgan, Keiran Williams and Max Nagy, while beating five defenders in the process.
Tuipulotu finished second in the tackles chart with 18, but conceded one in 65 minutes on the pitch. It seemed the Scarlets man had worked hard for very little reward and the Ospreys pack was absolutely dominant at times.
However, Tuipulotu will regret some fundamental mistakes that did not help his selection hopes. During the match he lost three defeats and scored a penalty.
dear mistake
When Scarlets took the lead thanks to an Ioan Lloyd penalty, Tuipulotu denied the restart.
It was a pivotal moment as the Ospreys won a scrum penalty and then kicked the corner to set up a powerful attack, from which they scored the first try through center Williams.
Unlike Morris, he was clean and tidy, collecting resets with precision and making strong drives in an influential display.
(Image: Huw Evans Image Agency)
A clear winner
In the pair’s battle at Swansea, Morris clearly had the better day, helped by the huge lead the Ospreys sometimes enjoyed.
Morris was overlooked by Gatland in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup in the summer, despite his consistently good performances at regional level. He has been the Ospreys Player of the Year for the past three seasons.
Tuipulotu was replaced by Sione Kalamafoni, who moved to France at the end of last season and has the physical qualities that Gatland likes. He has performed well this season after being given additional responsibilities, but this is not his day. One match won’t make or break his international future, but costly mistakes could help Gatland conclude he’s not ready to step up yet.
As for Morris, he makes it very difficult for Gatland to ignore him in the Six Nations. Although, of course, we’ve talked about this before.
Ospreys manager Booth confirmed that there was no post-match contact or feedback from Gatland in relation to the player or the region, and it has always been speculated that Gatland’s reticence could be due to Morris’s relatively small stature compared to some of the beasts from behind. the international stage the arena stage. The 25-year-old stands 5ft 7in and weighs just over 18ft.
Booth, however, says he has improved the physical aspect of his game, adding: “He is a very strong, powerful boy who has been our group-voted player of the year for the last three years, so he has great recognition. “. for us.
“He has Jack Morgan moments. We hope you can move on. The problems for him have been physical, but he is in great shape, getting more reps and more visibility on the other side. ball [defence].
“If you are going to be an international player, you have to be good at two of the three things: attack, defense and set pieces. “He’s not cut out to be a great striker, so offense and defense are for him.”
Former Wales international Tom Shanklin has backed Morris to eventually make the breakthrough, telling Viaplay: “He could be a bit like Josh Navidi – coming into international rugby a little later but still playing an important role.” .
Asked if Wales had been in contact, Booth confirmed: “No. We didn’t have that dialogue. We remember that there was a football World Cup. I’m sure those conversations will happen, but we haven’t heard back yet. “
Source: Wales Online
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
