By Dylan James

Jonah Holmes was a name on many lips when the Wales 2020 Six Nations squad was announced last Wednesday.

Holmes has been the subject of an abundance of discussion on social media, especially after five uncapped players were named in the 38-man squad. Despite popular belief Holmes has been capped three times by Wales but has failed to make a name for himself in recent years.

Plying his trade in England, the Stockport-born man has yet to sign a new deal with Leicester so therefore qualifies to play for Wales.

Leicester fans have been quick to display their discontent in losing him for a portion of the domestic season, whilst also wishing him well in his international exploits.

Oh noooo 😢 missing him aswell but well deserved he’s amazing and rightly should be included , but injure him again and the welsh team will have me to deal with 😂

— Suzanne Jayne (@deacon_suzanne) January 15, 2020

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However, it hasn’t been all positive appraisal for the speedster.

Welsh-based rugby fans have been quick to shoot down the claims of his class, making their thoughts known on Twitter.

I’ve yet to see anything from Holmes to suggest he’s in the same league as our other back 3 options. Seems to be a bit of the “he plays in England so he must be good” about it.

— Martin Jenkins (@MartinJenkins33) January 15, 2020

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Since signing for the Tigers in 2017, Holmes has notched up 120 points, scoring 24 tries.  In contrast, George North has scored 12 tries in the same time frame, for Northampton Saints and the Ospreys respectively.

It is evident the 27 year old has the talent to thrive, perhaps even challenge the likes of North and Johnny McNicholl to that starting wing position, but will have to first be given the opportunity, which some fans believe will not be the case at all.

He’s so far away from the 23 in that squad they’d have been better off going for a young centre to get experience in camp.

— Cardiff Rugby Life (@CardiffRugbyWeb) January 15, 2020

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The discontent is understandable, with Wales’ centre crisis looming over the head of head of Wayne Pivac in recent weeks, you would have thought that the new coach would have opted for a little more depth in the midfield area, rather than enhancing the back line. However, only time will tell whether the right decision has been made.

In under two weeks the 2020 Guinness Six Nations gets underway, with Wales defending their title and players like Jonah Holmes among others looking to prove the doubters wrong.

IMAGE CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

By Dylan James

AT 11am this morning, Wales head coach Wayne Pivac announced his squad for the upcoming 2020 Guinness Six Nations.

The former Scarlets coach will be making his debut appearance in the prestigious tournament, having only been at the helm once so far for Wales, coming up against the Barbarians back in November.

Here it is, your 2020 Wales Six Nations Squad.

GLOUCESTER’S LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT

Despite being uncapped, this may not come as a surprise to many, as the 18 year-old winger has been in fine form in the Gallagher Premiership. Zammit has scored seven tries for Gloucester since the beginning of last year, so Pivac will be delighted to have the youngster at his disposal. Zammit only adds to the strong attacking force for the defending champions.

SARACENS’ NICK TOMPKINS

With the ever-reliable Jonathan Davies being sidelined with a knee injury sustained during the World Cup, the most popular question in recent weeks has been; who willl fill the void? Josh Adams has been the talk of the town, with guesses pointing towards a midfield partnership of Adams and Hadleigh Parkes. Like Zammit, Tompkins is uncapped and looking to make an impact, and has been doing so domestically with the Saracens. Tompkins featured in England’s u20 World Championship winning team, but has made the switch across the Severn, and has qualified due to a Welsh grandmother. The 24 year-old grabbed 15 tries and 18 assists in 2019, so he will no doubt by chomping at the bit for a place in the starting 15.

WILLGRIF JOHN, JOHNNY MCNICHOLL, WILL ROWLANDS

There are three more uncapped players included in the squad. Sale Sharks and former Cardiff Blues prop WillGriff John is included. Johnny McNicholl gets his call up after impressing for the Scarlets and in his debut for Wales against the Barbarians. Lock Will Rowlands of the Wasps, who stands at 6 foot 8 inches, also gets the call.

RHYS WEBB

Rhys Webb gets the call ahead of Ospreys’ Aled Davies and in-form Rhodri Williams of the Dragons. However, a soon as it was announced Webb would be returning to the Ospreys, it seemed almost certain that Webb would be included in the Wales squad, having been capped 31 times previously. The topic of debate over the next few weeks will no doubt be who Pivac will choose at scrum-half come February 1st against Italy, only time will tell, and all eyes will be on the starting nine.

Image credit: PA Images

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 1^st.

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

By James Dodd

It was Wayne Pivac’s first time in charge of Wales, and Warren Gatland’s last time in charge of a side in the northern hemisphere after 12 years. With Wales women already having played the Barbarians beforehand and Nigel Owens refereeing the one off clash, it was set to be an entertaining 80 minutes for the Cardiff spectators. Here I look at the key events of the fixture and what it tells Pivac looking ahead to the 2020 Six Nations.

Jinking Jarrod

He struggled hugely in Wales’ world cup warm-up game against Ireland where he made his first start at 10. However, with fellow Cardiff Blues player Tomos Williams at scrum-half, Evans seemed to play with less pressure and more freedom. There is no doubt a match against the Barbarians will be less tense than a match that decides whether you get on a plane to play on the biggest stage, but there was clear excitement and enthusiasm in his play. He made a nice break to set up Josh Adam’s for his first try, as well as constantly taking the ball to the line and looking dangerous to the Baa-Baas defence. With Rhys Patchell and Gareth Anscombe both likely to miss the Six Nations that starts in February, Evans should be licking his lips knowing he’s set to be second choice behind Dan Biggar.

McNicholl Marvels On Debut

There is no doubt in the upcoming years, Johnny McNicholl will play a part in Welsh rugby. Having already worked with McNicholl with the Scarlets – which sure both Kiwi’s help them to Pro12 glory – Pivac will know him much more than other players. As a result, it was important for the former Crusaders man to get his debut at the Principality Stadium. He finished a pretty simple try at the end of the first half and looked good in open play. He will definitely be on Pivac’s mind in the build up to the squad announcement in January, especially if he has some solid performances over the festive period.

Great Gatland Bows Out

After three Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-finals and two British and Irish Lions tours, Gatland will return back to New Zealand to coach the Waikato Chiefs. It was a nice occasion and send off for the New Zealander, which saw several loud cheers when he was shown on the big screen.

Having “Gatland’s Gate” unveiled was the icing on the cake for someone who should be considered a Welsh rugby legend.