Wales front row injuries = crisis or blessing in disguise?

The bad news is Rhordi Jones and Craig Mitchell will miss rugby action for lengthy periods due to sustaining injuries. Rhod is out for 12 weeks and requires a shoulder op. It's never good news to see any player injured but it does open the door for other guys. The Wales management should fight tooth n nail to get Gethin Jenkins and Paul James available for selection during the autumn after this but please, please no Scott Andrews or Ryan Bevington. On top of that we could see another Scarlet emerge in tighthead Samson Lee. Premature I know but if he continues to play in the Pro12 it is likely Gatland will blood another youngster. Agree? This also gives the promising Rob Evans a chance to play for the Scarlets.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19630417

Good luck on the injuries! I hope Wales have the strongest side possible available for the AIs so they are not devalued by injuries.

Could be a blessing in disguise I think Morgannwg. Wales have undoubtedly got a great starting front row, but the youngsters could get some extrememly valuable experience during this time. What don't you like about Bevington?

Jenkins and James wil (at worse) only miss one of the AI games as three of them fall within the IRB window.

However its replacements for them we need to find rather than constantly using them.

I imagine Gill will be used again which is a good thing as he has impressed me when seen him play.

Mitchell has never really filled me with confidence and as already been stated no Scott Andrews please.

Whats happened to Lewis Roberts, is he still injured, back at Sale isn't he?

Yeah the WRU won't have to fight at all to get James, Jenkins and any of the other players - they'll be available for all the games except the Oz game (I believe).

Gill and James would be my choice or Gill and Mitchell.

Is Rhodri really out for 12 weeks? I didn't realise he was having surgery, that really is terrible for Scarlets - where did you hear this?

Mitchell is out with a torn bicep - could be 6-8 weeks

I guess he's not playing then - it'll def be Adam and Geth for most of the games

bluestonevedder wrote:Could be a blessing in disguise I think Morgannwg. Wales have undoubtedly got a great starting front row, but the youngsters could get some extrememly valuable experience during this time. What don't you like about Bevington?

Bevington was average at best the end of last season and so far this season. His scrummaging hasn't been good either. I think he was capped for the sake of it, along with Rhodri (although he is a better player).

bedfordwelsh wrote:Jenkins and James wil (at worse) only miss one of the AI games as three of them fall within the IRB window.

However its replacements for them we need to find rather than constantly using them.

I imagine Gill will be used again which is a good thing as he has impressed me when seen him play.

Mitchell has never really filled me with confidence and as already been stated no Scott Andrews please.

Whats happened to Lewis Roberts, is he still injured, back at Sale isn't he?

Ah I see. We could still do with all our best and strongest players available for Aus though. I forgot about Gill, he is a good player. I don't like P James at TH, our scrum struggles. Mitchell was our only other TH as Lewis-Roberts is also a LH I believe. And yes he is back at Sale.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:

Gill and James would be my choice or Gill and Mitchell.

Is Rhodri really out for 12 weeks? I didn't realise he was having surgery, that really is terrible for Scarlets - where did you hear this?

As I've stated we are lacking cover. I don't like converted looseheads. Gambling with Samson Lee is the type of thing Gats would do, but that all depends if he gets another 3-4 games at least!

Yes Rhodri is out. It is in the url in the post.

Sorry I meant Gill LH and Mitchell TH, - but now I know Mitchell is out then I think James going to TH (I know he ain't as good as at LH) but the only other choices is Eifion (same problem plus Gats doesn't seem to like him), or the unproven and young Rees or Lee - and Lee has only played 1 game in the most technical position on the pitch.

I think he'll go with James as he has WC and bags of 6Ns experience as well as having played Aus before.

Rhodri and Mitchell are 2 of the guys who need int game time though, Jenkins, James and Jones will be there but not for much longer.

I like Gill, but there is little else around...

Hopefully Jones will get and stay fit. The question is, who will play LHP against OZ, we also need 2 front row replacements on the bench.

THP - Aaron Jarvis, Joe Rees, Samson Lee???
LHP - ??? Bevington, Hobbs(if fit)???

Whilst James can do a job I would rather us try to develop a genuine T/H replacement for Jones.

606,

When you say two front row on the bench do you mean two actual props? Is the 22 man squad being used for the AIs?

There's not much depth playing in Wales behind Adam Jones is there? It really worries me that they'll continue trying to convert Rhodri into a TH, when he really should be concentrating on being the best LH he can, especially as the project could go the same way as the other attempts to convert LH's to international tight heads - ie you're left with a player whose ok on both sides of the scrum, but not really reliable at international level.

Priest,

I dont think there is anyone really but there never will be anyone unless we start to develop them.

Where is Lewis Roberts these days, is he back at Sale and is he still injured?

Yup back at Sale as far as I know, he'd be a good option for the 1st 3 games.

I still think it's worth persisting with Bevington, or at the very least having Gats give him so training targets to hit at the Ospreys to improve him, he's only young after all.

I hadn't considered Jarvis. He's started the season as poorly as Bevington. It seems our chances of winning are hinging on the one player being fit and available again.

Yeah from a Wales POV it's a real shame that the Ospreys have started so poorly, but at the same time Jarvis, Rees and Lee have got hardly any experience and are a huge risk throwing them in against Oz, while Andrews has been very poor in a Wales shirt. (we're really missing the Scarlets stalwarts Rhys and Iestyn Thomas! - and who would have said that).

On the other side of the scrum it's just as bad (in Wales), behind Jenks we have Bevington and not much else I can think of!

I hope I’m wrong when I say this but having a shoulder op at 20 is possibly the worst news Rhodri Jones could have had. He’s only young and he is already under the knife. I hope that this doesn’t turn out to be a persistent problem. I agree that he should only be used at loose head. It’s the difference between writing left handed and right handed.

It’s still a bit too early for Samson, although if he did play he'd give his all. Have the Blues not been converting Scott Andrews in to a hooker? Our options really are limited at 3 :/

Yup it's worrying for Rhodri, same thing happened to North as well, though North had shoulder reconstruction surgery at 19!

I think Rhodri could develop into a really good LH if left alone to concentrate on the position.

Actually we could always play Duncan Jones if needed - true he hasn't started the season well, but he did pretty well in the Baa Baas game against Wales last season wasn't it?

Priest,

I am not overly worried about L/H as we have Jenkins, James and Gill and whilst they all play outside Wales then club committments won't get in the way for any of the 6Nations and only 1 of the AI games.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Priest,

I am not overly worried about L/H as we have Jenkins, James and Gill and whilst they all play outside Wales then club committments won't get in the way for any of the 6Nations and only 1 of the AI games.

I was thinking more of the Oz game as for the rest of the AI's we'll have Jenkins and Jones to play and in the 6Ns we'll have Rhodri Jones back to compete with Gill, James, and Bevington at LH (behind Jenkins) and James, Mitchell & Efion Roberts behind Adam Jones at TH.

Ah my mistake, well maybe the WRU could do a deal with one of their respectice clubs (they did few years back) or as said it will at least give us the chance to give Bevington another chance.

Bevington Hibbard Jones front row maybe?

I think I'd prefer Owens in as Hooker - but yes that could work, wouldn't be ideal but Bevington is only going to improve with exposure/experience.

otherwise as you say they could try doing a deal - the problem is I doubt the PRL would allow just one of their clubs to do a deal, they'd say that the WRU should do a deal with the PRL for any English based Welsh player. That leaves Jenkins, and Toulon seem to be playing hard ball with anyone who wants their players, even the Lions, and have stated already that they won't release Jenks - which is a shame, as I think some of te English clubs would allow their player to leave for a one off.

Reason I went for Hibbard over Owens or Rees is that it would be an Ospreys front row and with a likely 2nd row pairing of AWJ and Evans it might well just help Bevington more.

A winless front 5 playing for Wales doesn't fill me with confidence. They are usually a different animal under Gatland though.

I think it's more the fact that they all comfortable playing together - as you can't put the losses down to just the front 5 and AWJ and Ryan Jones (another possibility) have been playing well - and A Jones and Ianto you know what you'll get.

Whatever happens then I guess A Jones AWJ and Evans will be involved in some way shape or form so 3 out of the 5 will be involved

Has Sampson Lee had any first team experience this season for the Scarlets?

He playd against connacht and will prob play more in the rabo what with rhodri being injurd and manu mayb covering lh

Very much so a crisis

Craig Mitchell has extended his contract with Exe Very happy about that,he's coming on leaps and bounds when he's not crocked

Good signing you've made ASBO. I wish a Welsh team had nabbed him instead.

BigTrevsMac he's been on the bench all season so far, but started the one game against Connacht. He is also on the bench for the weekends game against the Ospreys. It looks as if he has a very promising future.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Craig Mitchell has extended his contract with Exe Very happy about that,he's coming on leaps and bounds when he's not crocked

What length contract has he signed? As a Welsh team may be in a position to nab him once his contract comes up for renewal again.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:I think it's more the fact that they all comfortable playing together - as you can't put the losses down to just the front 5 and AWJ and Ryan Jones (another possibility) have been playing well - and A Jones and Ianto you know what you'll get.

You have watched these games right. The scrum has been at the heart of the losses. It has been dreadful. They certainly haven't looked very comfortable to me. In my experience being battered in the crum is not a comfortable experience.

I didn't say the scrum looked comfortable at the minute - I said that players who've played together for between 4 and 7 seasons will be very comfortable playing together - as opposed to players who only play together twice a season, or maybe never.

OK so lets say we go with Owens and Jones at 2 an 3 who will play L/Head