If you were Wales coach...

If you were Wales coach and had to pick a 30 man squad for the six nations, who would you pick? Let's just throw some names about. Personal preferences welcome. Assume Charteris and Alun Wyn Jones is injured and the exiles are ok to go.

Here's mine

Props: Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Rhys Thomas, Paul James

Hookers: Matthew Rees, Ken Owens, Huw Bennett

Second Row: Ian Evans, Bradley Davies, Loud Reed

Back Row: Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, Dan Lydiate, Aaron Shingler, Toby Faletau, Ryan Jones

Scrum Halves: Mike Phillips, Rhys Webb, Gareth Davies

Fly Halfs: Rhys Priestland, Dan Biggar, Steffan Jones

Centres: Jamie Roberts, Ashley Beck, Jonathan Davies, Gavin Henson

Wingers and Full Backs: George North, Alex Cuthbert, Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny

Id have a jones in instead of reed and prob l williams instead of davies as hes had more game time and bcoz of that looks more promising. But thats a decent team uve selectd. Hope turnbull comes back soon

Regarding your team i see no mention of Lee Byrne..Personaly i would rather have Lee Byrne in the squad than Gavin Henson.

Stephen Jones might be getting on a bit(age wise)but would have him, over Biggar any day.

Not realy a Wales supporter but i personaly thought that Huw Bennett was the best Hooker for Wales dispite his age and line out throwing. But having said that i think it would be better for Wales if he stepped down from international rugby.

I am not too sure about Mike Phillips to be honest. maybe Wales would benefit from him stepping down from the 6ns and concentrate on playing his rugby in france.

I'd have Richard Hibbard instead of either Ken Owens or Huw Bennett.

Second row is a big problem for us i wouldn't be suprised if Ian Gough or Deiniol Jones were included. Although i'd like to see Adam Jones from the Dragons who's been playing well and is a lineout caller, which without Alun Wyn and Charteris were lacking.

I know its a bit premature but id like Ben Morgan to be involved, if he cant be then Rob McCusker instead of Aaron Shingler.

I can see that you want form to be rewarded for scrum half and Gareth Davies has been playing well but Lloyd Williams just has that touch of class that Davies is missing.

Gats would never pick 3 fly half specialists and neither would any other coach. I'd have Lee Byrne instead of Steffan Jones (not quite ready yet). And Tovey or Hook (depending on release) instead of Biggar who has been crap.

I don't know what size squad Gats will pick this year he always changes. I've been singing Beck's praises for the past few years and i think he'd benefit greatly from being involved. And I'd add Scott Williams to the squad who has been playing quite well for the Scarlets.

But apart from those changes, that would be my squad

Steffan Jones has proved of late he's not ready and is behind Tovey still for us Dragons I would also take A Jones from the Dragons.

Like the look of Shingler but would cap Morgan to sooner rather than later, Rhys Thomas is playing well this season but still struggles at scrum time.

I first saw Aaron Shingler play as a lock for the Scarlets, is he a generic back row player who can play lock or 6? I would take him as 2nd row cover.

There's some awful choices here to be fair. Shingler isnt big enough for 2nd row. Tipuric just isn't big enough for international rugby.

Props: Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Craig Mitchell, Rhys Gill

Hookers: Matthew Rees, Richard Hibbard, Lloyds Burns

2nd row: Bradley Davies, Lou Reed, Ian Evans.

Back row: Sam Warburton, Dan Lydiate, Ben Morgan, Toby Faletau, Ryan Jones.

Scrum half: Lloyds williams, Mike Phillips, Rhys Webb.

Outside half: Rhys Priestland, Stephen Jones, Jason Tovey

Centre: Jamie Roberts, Jonothan Davies, Scott Williams, Ashley Beck

Wing: George North, Alex Cuthbert, Aled Brew

Full back: Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams.

If Ian Evans is injured, would probably go for Adam Jones of the Dragons. RJ can cover 2nd row, but not very well in my opinion. And also in my honest opinion is a starter at 6 for Wales. Need to blood an outside half and Biggar is crap so have gone for Tovey. Paul James looks knackered and although he was brilliant before and during the world cup I think Rhys Gill has been better this season. Mitchell is the only decent tighthead close to home.

morganwg,

I would be tempted to name R Jones as 2nd row and bring in another out n out 7 into back row.

There was this debate during WC about why he only took 1 specialist 7.

15 Leigh Halfpenny (Blues) / Gavin Henson (Blues)
14 George North (Scarlets) / Liam Williams (Scarlets)
13 Jamie Robinson (Blues) / Jonathan Davies (Scarlets)
12 Scott Williams (Scarlets) / Andrew Bishop (Ospreys)
11 Alex Cuthbert (Blues) / Aled Brew (Dragons)
10 Rhys Priestland (Scarlets) / Jason Tovey (Dragons)
9 Rhys Webb (Ospreys) / Lloyd Williams (Blues)
8 Ben Morgan (Scarlets) / Ryan Jones (Ospreys)
7 Sam Warburton (Blues) / Justin Tipuric (Ospreys)
6 Toby Faletau (Dragons) / Dan Lydiate (Dragons)
5 Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys) / Luke Charteris (Dragons)
4 Ian Evans (Ospreys) / Bradley Davies (Blues)
3 Adam Jones (Ospreys) / Rhys Thomas (Scarlets)
2 Matthew Rees (Scarlets) / Huw Bennett (Ospreys)
1 Duncan Jones (Ospreys) / Gethin Jenkins (Blues)

how the hell can people not choose lydiate at 6 is unbelievable- he is the most underrated player in wales if not the uk, the amount of work he does is amazing. saying that you can tell he is a good 6 as people underrate him as they dont see alot of the work he does

welshy824 wrote:how the hell can people not choose lydiate at 6 is unbelievable- he is the most underrated player in wales if not the uk, the amount of work he does is amazing. saying that you can tell he is a good 6 as people underrate him as they dont see alot of the work he does

I love comments like this. The most underrated player can't be the most underrated as people are saying he's underrated and therefore he's rated. If you can't see the work he's doing then it must be underrated (and therefore rated). Or something

Having said all that, Lydiate is a top player!

FAB1954 - No Williams in your centres, yet you pick Henson who's played 1 game at full back for Cardiff, and by all reports seemed to be playing a different game from everyone else?

Props - G Jenkins, P James, A Jones, R Thomas (reserves R Jones and C Mitchell)
Hookers - M Rees, H Bennett K Owens (reserve L Burns)
Locks - B Davies, A Wyn-Jones, L Charteris (reserves L Reed and I Evans)
Backrow - D Lydiate, R McCusker, S Warburton, A Shingler, B Morgan, T Faletau (reserves J Tipuric and J Turnbull)

Scrum Halves - M Phillips, R Webb, L Phillips (reserve T Knoyle/G Davies not sure)
Fly Halves - S Jones, R Priestland, D Biggar (reserve J Tovey)
Centres - J Roberts, J Davies, D Hewitt, A Hughes (reserve S Williams)
Wide Backs - G North, L Halfpenny, L Williams, Cuthbert (reserve A Brew)

yes ok safe as looking back at it i could have worded it better.
what i mean is a good 6 doesnt get noticed that much during a match as they are doing the dirty work on the floor and all the ugly stuff, meanwhile the 7 who is doing the grafting and gets noticed for it, therefore people rate the 7 highly but tend to forget without alot of the work the 6 is doing, the 7 wouldnt have the chance to steal the ball etc

therefore meaning because lydiate doesnt get noticed that much during a match, people think he should be replaced whereas he is not being noticed as he is doing the unseen donkey work. if you get what i mean

welshy, hah I was only having a laugh mate!

The whole underrated thing is a weird one, like with Richard Hill getting hundreds of votes for 'most underrated player ever'. If everyone thinks that then he's pretty highly rated isn't he!?

You make fair points about 6s and 7s. Anyway, I think Christmas has got to me and I'm more confused than usual

welshy,

I tend just to ignore or snigger now when people don't pick Danny boy.

They advocate moving our current best No8 out of position to replace our best No6 mind boggles sometimes.

Props: Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Rhys Thomas, Paul James

Hookers: Matthew Rees, Ken Owens, Huw Bennett

Second Row: Ian Evans, Bradley Davies, Lou Reed (Adam Jones or Ian Gough)

Back Row: Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, Dan Lydiate, Aaron Shingler? (McCusker or Turnbull if fit) Toby Faletau, Ryan Jones

Scrum Halves: Mike Phillips, Rhys Webb, Gareth Davies

Fly Halfs: Rhys Priestland, Dan Biggar, Stephen Jones

Centres: Jamie Roberts, Ashley Beck, Jonathan Davies, Adam Hughes

Wingers and Full Backs: George North, Aled Brew, Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny[b]