By Dylan James
A few weeks ago, it seemed pretty clear that either Gareth Davies or Tomos Williams would be sporting the 9 jersey come February 1st.
However, this was before the Welsh Rugby Union announced Rhys Webb would be returning to Wales.
The 31-year old is set to return to former club Ospreys come the summer, which means he is now eligible for international selection, having previously been short of the 60 cap marker and plying his trade outside of Wales at Toulon.
Wayne Pivac now faces a difficult decision on who to pick as starting 9 with the Six Nations around the corner.
Tomos Williams has been in fine form for Wales and the Cardiff Blues, and is definitely a strong contender at scrum-half. Williams grabbed 2 tries in the Rugby World Cup against Uruguay and Georgia, coming from the bench on both occasions. With just 16 caps under his belt, he’s shown Welsh fans his potential, which only complicates matters further for Pivac.
Webb is not due to return to South Wales until the summer, but despite this, the WRU have cleared the air on his eligibility, revealing he will be qualified for selection.
In comparison to Williams, Webb is far more experienced, with 31 Welsh caps to his name and a Lions tour on his resumé, so on paper it seems Webb would be the ideal choice ahead of the Cardiff Blues 9.
On the other hand, it is never that easy. Gareth Davies has cemented himself as one of the core players in the Welsh international set-up. The 29-year old has a wealth of experience, sporting 51 caps over Webb’s 31. Davies has secured 70 points for Wales since his debut and has been a regular for the Scarlets, having enjoyed recent success, securing the 2017 Pro12 championship. With Davies being such a consistent servant for Welsh rugby in recent years, some fans believe it is only fair for the Scarlet to keep his role and for Tomos Williams to succeed him.
However, 3 men in competition for one shirt is clearly not enough. Aled Davies and Rhodri Williams will no doubt be chomping at the bit for that scrum-half call. Rhodri Williams has been impressing for the Dragons, especially over the Christmas period, with a notable performance over the Scarlets. Ospreys’ Aled Davies has secured 20 international caps, so is definitely not out of the running.
The race to the 9 jersey won’t only depend on statistics, but domestic performance. Pivac will be keeping a close eye on the quintet over the next couple of weeks and will have a tough decision to make. Each man will be desperate to show what they can do, so this will surely add some healthy competition and quality to this highly sought-after number 9 position.
The Wales 2020 Guinness Six Nations squad announcement is tomorrow, January 15th.
Image credit: PA Images
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