Wales v Italy – What should Wales’ back line look like?

By James Dodd

It’s that time of the year again, the Guinness Six Nations is almost here. With Wayne Pivac set to take charge of his first test match against Italy, Tee & Eggs takes a look at the potential options in the back line and who we believe should start against the Italians.

Back three 

With Pivac having so many options in this area, it makes it very difficult to decide who should be at full back and on the wing. However, with the news that Liam Williams will miss the match against the Azzurri and likely to return against Ireland in round 2, the door has been opened for Leigh Halfpenny. He has been going well for the Scarlets recently, and is certainly a much more confident player with ball in hand than he has been over the last few years. We don’t even need to go into detail about his defence and kicking, do we?

In terms of who gets the nod on the wing, it will be down to if Pivac wants to play the tried and tested, or give a debut to a certain 19 year old. Josh Adams has been on fire for Wales and the Cardiff Blues, scoring five tries in six appearances. You can say the same for fellow Cardiff player Owen Lane, but due to a hamstring injury, he has been released from the squad. However, the Gloucester sensation Louis Rees-Zammit will be on everyone’s minds come the day of the team announcement. His unbelievable pace and ability to finish will certainly trouble the away side. The only question would be his defensive capabilities. Will they be exposed on the international stage?

There is also the option of Johnny McNicholl and George North in the starting xv, which is why this is set to be one of the hardest decisions.

Our pick – 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Josh Adams, 11 Louis Rees-Zammit

Jonathan Davies and Willis Halaholo missing the entire championship due to a knee injury , and Owen Watkin missing the start for the same reason has really opened the door for the centre partnership. You would expect the powerful and direct runner Hadleigh Parkes to start at 12, but who should join him at 13?

Centres

The two main options Pivac will have is uncapped Nick Tompkins and British and Irish Lion George North. North has played 13 in the past for Wales and currently has that role in Swansea. He will offer a strong carry to the Italian defensive line, as well as helping the Welsh midfield in defence. With that being said, Tompkins will offer more flair for the Welsh back line, something that could likely be better against a side like Italy, but maybe not against the likes of Ireland and England.

Our pick – 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 13 George North

Half backs

The scrum half position is probably one of the biggest debates in Wales at the moment, with Rhys Webb returning to the Welsh squad since the autumn of 2017. There are reports that the 33 capped player could leave his club Toulon with immediate effect, meaning he will not be attached to a club side for the campaign. The likelihood of this having any impact on him on the field will be small. However, with Gareth Davies being Wales’ starting nine consistently over the last 18 months, you would feel the Scarlet deserves to be on the pitch from the 1st minute on the 1st February. Then of course there is Tomos Williams, who has had a year to remember for the Cardiff Blues and Wales. However, two starts in his last nine matches for Wales (not including the Barbarians fixture), is a statistic he will like to change come the end of March.

The famous 10 jersey is one that this year will have one man dominant – that man being Dan Biggar – especially after serious injuries to Rhys Patchell and Gareth Anscombe, The Northampton player had 87% goal kicking accuracy and 86% tackling success rate for Wales in 2019. He slotted a last minute penalty for Northampton away against Benetton last November and looks so calm in everything he does. His attack is still questionable at times, but he is finding ways to be like no other 10. Unless an unfortunate injury comes into play, Jarrod Evans and Owen Williams will be competing for the spot on the bench.

Our picks – 9 Gareth Davies, 10 Dan Biggar

(Image credits: Ben Evans/Huw Evans Agency)

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