Gats asks for Webb for RWC

First topic message reminder :

Is this the opening shot in a long campaign? Should we get behind him? . In the hole history of shooting one self in the foot is this the most idiotically bollixed ever. There’s nobody to hold the WRU to account if they just say nah! He’s in.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

The Oracle wrote:

TJ wrote:Every country that has tried the "internationals must play at home" has either had to make exemptions so huge ns to make it nonsense of given up on the policy ( Bar England?)

Its a stupid idea, stifles young talent coming thru in the clubs and in the long run costs competitiveness in clubs and country

Luckily for Wales this policy isn’t ‘internationals must play at home’. In fact, it probably gives the Wales coach more access to players than the old 3 or 4 player wildcard system. It’s only 1 current player currently caught up in this. There’s a number of players who are not based in Wales who can still play for Wales going forward (Faletau, Roberts, Priestland, Charteris, Francis, etc).

Not current players caught up in it, only one former player

Current, as in he would probably be picked in the squad if it wasn’t for the law. Current as in he’s still playing. Former player would be someone like Gareth Edwards.

Oracke I should’ve put the on the end of that last post lol

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Oracke I should’ve put the  on the end of that last post lol

Oh right! Thought your were being serious!

To be honest I do feel sorry for him. Careers are short, and money needs to be earned. When your the first choice in your nation, and a Lion, it’s inderstandable that you’ll be offeeed huge wages outside of Wales. It’s alsi fair to hope that rules will be bent to keep you able to play.

Just unfortunate that at the same time lines need to be drawn in the sand and without someone being made an example of nobody knows if the rules will be able to be bent or not. He is unfortunately a casualty of the union needing to stamp their foot down hard from the off, in order to discourage anyone else going.

Sorry to go over this again SS, but i personally don’t think the rules would be bent if Webb is selected. In fact I think the opposite and I think they’re bending their own rules by not allowing him to be selected. Regardless if he was in a cooling off period or not, he signed before the new laws were announced. That, for me, means he should be fine as the WRU stated categorically that anyone already in a contract but under 60 caps would be exempt from the rules until their contract expires. They expected Webb to break a contact to do a u-turn, which is unfair. Just because people like Priestland signed their contacts longer ago they are fine but Webb is not? Bonkers!

Out of interest how many players based outside of Wales (with under the cap limit) do you think we will see playing for Wales this season?

Sanjay, and Francis and that’s it I reckon. The back three of Sanjay, Halfpenny and North looks nailed on, with Amos, Steph, Lane and Giles (due to return soon), I doubt that Adams will get called up. In the centre we have Parkes, Foxy, Scott, Watkin looking likely to be the key men, so Owen Williams will struggle to get a look in. The fly half slot is competitive with Biggar, Patch, Anscombe, Sam Davies and Jarrod Evans, so no need for Priest.

Yeah, in terms of the whole squad for the AIs and 6N I would think maybe Adams personally. Think he’s more prolific than Giles and has better recent form obviously because of Giles’ injury. Francis and Sanjay definitely (forgot all about Sanjay being ‘abroad’). Possibly Owen Williams as part of the training squad as he covers centre and 10. I guess it depends on injuries too. We’ll have a few on the injury list by the AIs/6N. In truth there’s not many of the first choice players outside Wales now. And even with Webb (who as you can tell I rate highly), we’re not really losing much quality in Davies. In fact, I used to prefer Davies to Webb before Webb’s resurgence a few years back. Really rate Davies very highly too and always happy to see him get a Wales start. So really first choice players outside Wales are just Faletau, Sanjay and Webb, with Webb the only unavailable one?

The injury list is when things get interesting, hopeful this season he will turn to who is available within the regions as there have been a few who have put their hands up and seem to be grafting hard.

I don’t particularly rate him, but I guess you could argue Jason Harris has more of a claim to a squad based on this season than Amos, Steph, Giles or Adams. After all he’s been finishing for fun at the blues.

What’s hilarious is that you can have a Kiwi like Parkes playing for Wales whereas a Welshman like Webb can’t. I suspect their motives playing in their countries of choice, Wales, France, are the same. Wake up and smell the natural justice, Wales

Dontheman2 wrote:What’s hilarious is that you can have a Kiwi like Parkes playing for  Wales whereas a Welshman like Webb can’t. I suspect their motives playing in their countries of choice,  Wales, France, are the same. Wake up and smell the natural justice, Wales

Nationality isn't decided by where your mother was when her waters broke.

Nationality also isn't a single issue.

Hence your post is pretty disgusting.

Strong words mate. You want to make yourself a little clearer? I like Parkes but let’s face it he’s a gun for hire. As far as I know has no claim to Welsh nationality apart from qualifying under the residency rules which is fair enough. I think I was trying some Welsh irony. The fact is the WRU are being flexible with their own rules over Webb. He was already committed to Toulon before the the rule changed so should not have been excluded.

Dontheman2 wrote:Strong words mate. You want to make yourself a little clearer? I like Parkes but let’s face it he’s a gun for hire. As far as I know has no claim to Welsh nationality apart from qualifying under the residency rules which is fair enough. I think I was trying some Welsh irony. The fact is the WRU are being flexible with their own rules over Webb. He was already committed to Toulon before the  the rule changed so should not have been excluded.

I agree over Webb, but Parkes is happily Welsh.

https://twitter.com/WelshRugbyUnion/status/937346214726701056

I love the header/title photo on the WRU Twitter page in that link. Gareth Edwards looking like a shaven Father Christmas!