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Wales face a tough start to the Six Nations
Mason Grady starts on the wing in our team(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
Wales are being written off by all and sundry ahead of their Six Nations opener against England at the Allianz Stadium.
Steve Tandy’s side are favourites to pick up a third successive Wooden Spoon but the Wales head coach will be confident of avoiding that fate. But he could not have chosen a tougher start to the championship than an away meeting with the side who put the All Blacks to the sword in the autumn.
Tandy will name his squad next week, and this is the matchday 23 I think he should pick to take on England.
15. Louis Rees-Zammit
Wales got exposed badly in the air throughout the autumn and with the outlawing of escort runners this is an area they have to fix ahead of the Six Nations. Rees-Zammit isn’t Liam Williams or Leigh Halfpenny in the air but he gets a pass mark in this area.
The 24-year-old has been wearing the number 15 shirt for Bristol Bears, with the club’s director of rugby Pat Lam insisting it is his best position.
Rees-Zammit should get more touches from full-back and considering he is Wales’ most potent attacking weapon this can only be a good thing.
14. Tom Rogers
The 27-year-old has been one of Wales’ better players throughout a wretched 18 months.
Rogers’ point of difference is his aerial ability and George Ford will look to test Wales in the air from the get go at the Allianz Stadium.
The man from the Gwendraeth Valley has been playing in a struggling Scarlets side which means it has been difficult to shine.
But he is a decent broken field runner and Rogers showed what he is capable of with ball in hand by becoming the first Wales player to ever score a hat-trick of tries against the All Blacks last November.
13. Eddie James
The 23-year-old is still raw and lacking in experience when it comes to Test match rugby but he does have a very high ceiling.
James’ has been one of the only Scarlets players who has risen above mediocrity in recent months. The Carmarthen man has the size and physicality to make a dent at Test level.
James was compared to world class Springboks centre André Esterhuizen by the Scarlets’ South African forwards coach Albert van den Berg.
But if he is ever to reach that level he needs to consistently dominate the collisions and consistently get Wales onto the back foot. This could be his time to shine in the absence of the injured Max Llewellyn.
12. Joe Hawkins
The 23-year-old has been playing at outside-half over the past few weeks but inside centre is his best position.
Hawkins gave a decent account of himself against the All Blacks and his familiarity with James just about gets him the nod in my team over Ben Thomas or Owen Watkin.
The Scarlets playmaker has a physical edge about him with ball in hand, while he has a good kicking and distribution game.
But he will need to stand up defensively because he missed too many tackles in the autumn.
11. Mason Grady
If Wales are to become a force again they need big athletes, both in the pack and behind the scrum.
Genetically Grady is very gifted with his pace, power and explosiveness potentially a massive asset for Wales in the years ahead.
It is true that Grady has areas of his game that are in need of tidying up, while England will test both his aerial skills and defence from the start.
But if Matt Sherratt can devise a way to get Grady into the game then the Cardiff man could be a huge weapon for Wales with ball in hand.
10. Dan Edwards
The Ospreys playmaker is now Wales’ first choice number 10 but with that comes huge pressure and expectation.
Luckily for Wales, Edwards is an extremely confident player who takes everything in his stride. His game management is very good while he is also a triple threat player with a strong kicking game.
What is good about the 22-year-old is his problem solving on the pitch. When things go wrong he has the rugby intelligence and the confidence to fix them on the field.
9. Tomos Williams
The Gloucester playmaker is the first name on this team sheet.
Williams is a class above every other Welsh scrum-half and has the attacking prowess to cause damage to the opposition.
The 31-year-old is an experienced player and if Wales are to fire any shots against England they will need him at his best.
8. Aaron Wainwright
With Taulupe Faletau set to miss the start of the Six Nations through injury, Wainwright is a nailed on starter for the opener against England.
Wainwright has been playing well for the Dragons of late and Wales will need the 28-year-old to get over the gainline and make those post-contact metres that were lacking during the autumn.
The Dragons backrower has a nice mixture of athleticism and physicality. He will be a key player for Wales throughout the Six Nations.
7. Tommy Reffell
The 26-year-old was a shock omission from Tandy’s autumn squad but that is a decision Tandy must reverse and he should start against England.
Reffell is well-acquainted with the England backrow and more than holds his own against these players on a weekly basis in the Gallagher Prem.
Following Jac Morgan’s injury, Wales were exposed at the breakdown in the autumn and considering this is an area Reffell excels in it would be foolish not to bring him back into the squad.
Reffell was outstanding for Leicester Tigers, who thrashed Bayonne in the Champions Cup on Saturday, and will need to carry that form into the Six Nations.
6. Ross Moriarty
This is a call which will divide readers.
There are those who believe Wales should move on from the likes of Moriarty and Jake Ball but this writer is of the opinion he still has much to offer.
Wales have lacked physicality of late and Moriarty is a player who can win collisions and can also get under the skin of the opposition.
The Ospreys backrower is not as athletic as other options and the pace of the game will be a challenge but he can still mix it physically at Test level.
5. Jake Ball
Wales need to add some grunt, experience and downright nastiness to their front five ahead of travelling up the M4 to face England.
Ball is 34 now but remains in good physical shape and has played well in a struggling Scarlets side. He does not make many post contact metres but he does make the hard yards which soften up defences.
Similar to Moriarty the pace of the game will be a challenge but Ball could add an edge to this Wales pack.
4. Dafydd Jenkins
The Exeter Chiefs second-row has been in outstanding form in the Gallagher Prem.
Jenkins arguably played his best game for Wales in the defeat to New Zealand in November and he will need to replicate that performance at the Allianz Stadium.
The 23-year-old is a natural leader and is a bloke who never takes a backwards step and can also get under the opposition’s skin.
If Wales had more players like Jenkins they’d be in a better place.
3. Keiron Assiratti
The Cardiff prop had a decent autumn and deserves to hold onto the number three shirt for the start of the Six Nations.
Assiratti scrummaged well against both Argentina and New Zealand before the entire pack suffered a hiding against the Springboks.
He will have his hands full against the likes of Ellis Genge but Assiratti is currently Wales’ best scrummaging tighthead.
2. Dewi Lake (captain)
The 26-year-old is odds on favourite to captain Wales in the absence of Jac Morgan.
Lake is a powerful carrier and is one of Wales’ only front five forwards who can dominate the collisions at Test level.
The Ospreys hooker is a player who regularly makes a dent in defences but the lineout will have to be far better against England than it was at times during the autumn.
1. Nicky Smith
The Leicester Tigers loosehead is one of the most destructive scrummagers in the Gallagher Prem.
Smith isn’t the biggest prop in the world but is an outstanding technical scrummager and he will undoubtedly target the England scrum.
The 31-year-old also brings a high work rate around the park.
Replacements
16. Ryan Elias
The 31-year-old has come in for fierce criticism for his throwing in over the years but Elias has been playing very well in a struggling Scarlets side.
If Wales are to compete with England they need players who can get over the gainline and hold their own at the contact area.
Elias is a big man who carries hard and can dominate collisions.
He is a far better player than he is given credit for.
17. Rhys Carré
The 27-year-old will alternate with Nicky Smith throughout the championship. While Smith is by far the superior scrummager, Carré’s point of difference is his carrying game.
His fitness frustrated Warren Gatland but Carré is a player who can run straight into a brick wall yet still go forward.
He could be effective as an impact player.
18. Archie Griffin
Likewise, the 24-year-old is better suited as an impact player from the bench.
Assiratti is the better scrummager but Griffin brings huge energy around the park both in defence, his carrying game and his effectiveness at the breakdown.
Griffin could have a say on the game during the final quarter.
19. Adam Beard
The Montpellier lock is one of Wales’ most experienced players and is exactly the type of physical profile needed to take on England.
He is likely to start but I have decided to use him as an impact player later on in the game to ensure the level of physicality is maintained throughout the Test match.
Beard is also an outstanding lineout forward but his partnership with Dafydd Jenkins arguably lacked some dynamism in the autumn.
20. Alex Mann
The Cardiff backrower was one of Wales’ better players in the autumn. Mann is arguably the form backrower in Wales and is an all-court player.
He may not be the biggest but he is technically excellent and his ability to cover the all three back row positions is a big boost.
21. Kane James
Wales need to do everything possible to persuade the England U20s backrower to throw his lot in with the land of his birth.
The 20-year-old has made a big impression with Exeter Chiefs over the past month making a significant impact off the bench.
James is an extremely dynamic and explosive carrier who could be very effective as an impact player against England. I have gone with a six-two split on the bench as a response to England’s size and physicality.
22. Che Hope
I have rolled the dice here.
The experience of Kieran Hardy would be the safest option but Hope has been outstanding for the Dragons in recent weeks and has so much x-factor.
Hope is a very potent running threat who can rip opposition defences to shreds, while the fundamental areas of his game also appear to be strong.
This would be a huge ask for the 22-year-old but his attacking game is a big point of difference.
23. Ben Thomas
The six-two split on the bench is a risk and it is a huge gamble not to have proper back-three cover but Thomas can play full-back in an emergency.
He didn’t have the best autumn campaign but has been outstanding for Cardiff in recent weeks, picking up the player of the match award in the victory over Racing 92 last weekend.
He is a talented footballer and the fact he is so versatile makes Thomas an attractive option on the bench.
