Lewis makes changes to Wales Under 18

Posted on Mar 26, 2013

Wales Under 18 head coach Allan Lewis has made seven changes and a further two positional alterations to his side to play Portugal in the elite division of the FIRA-AER Under 18 tournament in France on Tuesday (26 March)

Half backs Tom Williams and Dan Jones, centre Garyn Smith, loose head prop Keagan Bale, hooker Ryan Elias, lock Gareth Allen and openside flanker Matthew Marley all come into the starting line-up while captain Dafydd Howells moves from wing to full back and Dillon Lewis switches from loose head to tight head prop for the match near Grenoble. The Welsh youngsters lost to Scotland on Friday, but are determined to bounce back with an impressive performance tomorrow.

Lewis said, “We always said every player would have a chance to start at least one game, or have a decent amount of game time, it’s a case of rotating the squad and giving everyone an opportunity. We have looked at the footage of the Scotland game and have tried to highlight weaknesses in attack, while Shaun Edwards has had more of a chance to work on our defence ahead of tomorrow’s game, which has been a positive experience for the boys.

“We were bitterly disappointed to lose on Friday especially after being 14 points ahead early in the second half. But we have a chance to put things right tomorrow and if we win we will play the winners of Georgia v Italy. Training has been going well and the players are gaining a lot from the experience of being together as a squad for an intense period.”

Wales U18 (v Portugal): Dafydd Howells (capt, Ospreys); Josh Adams (Scarlets), Garyn Smith (Blues), Tyler Morgan (Dragons), Rhys Williams (Exiles); Daniel Jones (Scarlets), Tom Williams (Blues); Keagan Bale (Dragons), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Dillon Lewis (Blues), Gareth Allen (Dragons), Rory Thornton (Ospreys), Tom Phillips (Scarlets), Matthew Marley (Blues), Jonathon Fox (Ospreys)

Replacements: Robert Lewis (Blues), Torin Myhill (Scarlets), Alex Jeffries (Dragons), Adam Williams (Ospreys), Michael Snook (Blues), Oliver Griffiths (Dragons), Daniel Brooks (Ospreys), Luke Price (Ospreys), Joe Thomas (Ospreys), Ben Calder (Exiles), James Whittingham (Blues)

Wales Sevens not resting on laurels

Posted on Mar 25, 2013

A ‘buoyant’ Wales Sevens side landed in Tokyo this morning braced for a tough draw in round seven of the HSBC Sevens World Series, the Tokyo Sevens at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Ground.

Paul John’s men put up a heroic performance in the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens in the weekend, losing a nail-biting final against defending champions Fiji in front of a packed Hong Kong Stadium.

It was the first time Wales had ever reached a Cup final in the IRB Sevens series. Leading 19-0 at halftime, Wales were just 10 minutes away from glory but super-sub Osea Kolinisau entered the fray and scored a second half hat-trick to deny Wales glory.

“It was an amazing atmosphere as there was a lot of Welsh support there,” said Wales Sevens head coach Paul John. “I’m really proud of the effort the boys put in.

“The boys played some cracking rugby and entered the competition with a great attitude. They really accounted themselves well throughout the tournament. To go 19-0 up against a very good Fiji side in the first half of the final was an exceptional effort. Unfortunately we couldn’t get our hands on the ball in the second half and Fiji came away with the title.

“There is no time rest on our laurels though as we’ve got Kenya, USA and Scotland this week in the Japan Sevens. Some might say it is an easy group but as last weekend proved, there are no longer any easy groups on the circuit.

“We’re carrying a few bumps and bruises but just have to re-charge our batteries and maintain the momentum into this weekend.

“Kenya will be looking for revenge after we beat them in Hong Kong in the semi-finals and are looking for a top three finish while USA and Scotland will be desperate to get away from the bottom of the series standings as they won’t want to be relegated.”

Wales’ haul of 19 points for reaching the final has seen them jump to sixth place in the overall standings with 63 points with New Zealand leading the way with 113 with three rounds to play.

GRAND SLAMMERS TARGET JUDGEMENT DAY SUCCESS

Posted on Mar 25, 2013

When Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies and veteran Dragons lock Rob Sidoli clash at the Millennium Stadium next Saturday they will complete a circle of success which has brought FOUR Six Nations Championship titles to Wales in the last nine years.

The pair, who are set to feature in opposition in the opening match of the inaugural Rabo Direct Pro12 double-header at the Millennium Stadium, are at different stages of their rugby careers, but are inextricably linked by a unique piece of silverware.

The first title of the new Millennium, in 2005, saw then Blues second row Sidoli play every minute of the campaign which brought the international holy grail of a Grand Slam to Wales for the first time in 27 years.

Three Slams later, the latter of which gave Davies his first Six Nations winners medal in 2012, and the Scarlets centre is an integral part of the squad which, last weekend, ensured Wales retained their European title in back to back seasons for the first time in 34 yrs.

If it all started with Sidoli and company eight seasons ago, the class of 2013 have more than taken on the mantle and arguably eclipsed the much heralded achievements of Wales’ sides of the 70s.

But both players remain hungry for even more silverware and they agree that success at international level only enhances their Regional ambitions.

Davies is set to make his 100th appearance for the Scarlets at the home of Welsh international rugby this weekend and feels he has unfinished business with the side he supported as a child.

“I’ve grown up supporting the Scarlets and the players there are the ones you train with week in week out, so to get a taste of success with them would be particularly sweet,” said the 36-times capped Whitland product.

“I’ve spoken to the Ospreys players when we’ve been in camp with Wales, they’ve won this league more times than anyone and they say that winning silverware with your Region is pretty special.

“Success with the Scarlets is definitely something that is important for me, we have a great squad and winning with Wales just makes you all the more determined to reproduce that with your Region.

“We are all determined to put that right with a good run at the business end of the season to get us into the those play-offs and that means putting a performance together against the Dragons on Saturday.

“It will be strange to come back to the Millennium Stadium so soon after the incredible highs of winning the Championship here, but this is a special place.

“The atmosphere is always amazing and if the fans are anything like they were for the England game we should all be in for a real treat.”

Sidoli has himself made 96 appearances for the Dragons, he played 42-times for Wales and, after the career highlight in 05 which a 17-year-old Davies watched from the Millennium Stadium stands, last featured at international level in the 62-5 loss to England at Twickenham in 2007.

At 33 he has the edge in experience on the 26-year-old Davies, he knows all about how success at international level can inspire a region and he is looking forward to taking to the Millennium Stadium pitch again for the double-header this weekend.

“The Millennium Stadium is a special place for both the players and the fans and it’s a great concept to have these two derby matches here on the same day, the atmosphere will be amazing,” said Sidoli.

“We’ve seen how well this Welsh side has done and enjoyed watching them.  It lifts everyone mentally to see Wales do well and the players who have returned to train with the Region have really boosted us and I think we have a role to play in energising them as well.

“It can be draining to achieve success like they have done, certainly in 2005 it was the first time anyone had experienced that kind of success for a long time so we were on the ceiling for a good while afterwards.

“This squad has managed to sustain their success now so the next step is to reflect that in the regional game.

“This will be a big weekend for all four sides, just as we have been a bit of a thorn in the side for the Ospreys in recent times the Scarlets have probably been that for us.

“We know we can be a dangerous side but we have been inconsistent.  The challenge for us is to be consistently dangerous and put some performances together to be proud of during the season run in.

“The Millennium Stadium is a great stage to play on and it should inspire some great rugby this weekend, with us all hopefully picking up where the national team has left off.”

Sevens heartbreak for Wales

Posted on Mar 25, 2013

A second half hat-trick by unstoppable super-sub Osea Kolinisau denied Wales a famous victory as Fiji came back from a 19-0 halftime deficit to successfully defend their Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens crown.

In an emotionally charged Hong Kong Stadium, the Welsh squad played in honour of their team mate Ifan Evans whose career has been dramatically cut short with a serious neck injury. Paul John’s men marched to the final with a rousing 28-14 win over Canada in the quarter-final before brushing aside Kenya 19-0 in the semi-final.

In an outstanding final, Wales took the game to the South Sea Islanders from the outset where Cardiff Blues centre Cory Allen proved the chief tormentor with two first half tries where he used his speed, guile, bulk and trickery to perfection. Ystrad Rhondda wing Alex Webber scored in the corner and with Rhys Jones adding two conversions, Wales were in control at the break.

But the introduction of Kolinisau turned the match on its head. His speed and inventiveness turned the course of the game with two quick-fire tries. He added a third late on to seal a comeback that had looked highly unlikely after a first half in which Wales had made all the running and Fiji a raft of unforced errors.

Wales’ ability to reach the final is being seen as evidence of the importance of the abbreviated game in the WRU’s elite player pathway structure. WRU Head of Rugby, Joe Lydon, congratulated the team on their supreme effort and praised them for showcasing the Welsh international sevens game at its best.

‘’I must congratulate all the coaching staff and the players for a series of excellent performances at one of the most high profile competitions in the world sevens game,” he said. “The series of victories they achieved displays the value of the sevens game within our performance structures and shows how potential Welsh senior international players are nurtured and improved by taking part at this level.

“They refine valuable rugby skills and also experience playing the game in front of huge crowds with all the added atmosphere and tension that provides. The number of sevens players who have gone on to represent Wales at senior level is a credit to our structure and the level of coaching skill the players experience.

“In the RBS 6 Nations Championship decider at the Millennium Stadium we all saw Justin Tipuric display skills which would have been a credit to any centre and I am certain that as a back row forward he learnt much of that within his Wales sevens background.

“Now we have youngsters such as Cory Allen benefitting from the experience and it all bodes well for Welsh rugby in the future.I’m  delighted with the performances I have seen being delivered in Hong Kong and the overall standard of play has been excellent. To reach the final and perform so well was an outstanding achievement the whole country can be proud of.”

McBryde Looking Forward to Summer Tour

Posted on Mar 21, 2013

Fresh from witnessing Wales retain the RBS 6 Nations title, forwards coach Robin McBryde believes the success will breed new confidence in his side.

Wales lifted the RBS 6 Nations trophy for the fourth time in nine years on Saturday as they beat England 30-3 in a thrilling encounter at the Millennium Stadium. The victory meant Wales retained the title, winning it in back-to-back years, for the first time since 1979.

As he did back in 2009, McBryde will step up to lead Wales on their summer tour later this year and he will be in the stands at the Millennium Stadium on March 30 to run the rule over contenders for tour places as the Judgement Day encounters pit all four Welsh regions against each other. He believes the squad that heads to Japan will be brimming with confidence.

“The squad we take to Japan will head over there full of confidence and belief,” he said. “Players who played in the Championship will have the belief behind them but also players who maybe didn’t feature will be boosted as success breeds success. It was a very accomplished performance on Saturday.

“We spoke during the week that it was just another test match that we had to go out and win and that’s exactly what we did. We didn’t focus on the points difference or the advantage they went into the match with, we were focused on the 80 minutes in front of us.

“The side went out and started well, controlled the early exchanges and took us into the break with a small cushion. In the second half we stepped it up and showed the sort of performance we all knew we were capable of and it was a fantastic way to win the Championship.

“In was a huge day. The city and the stadium were packed and the crowd were at their best and it was great to put that sort of performance together to reward them. It was a very physical and I thought our defence and physically was fantastic. We were always on the front foot and the pack did really well at set piece and around the park and really gave us a really good platform.

“The squad worked extremely hard to retain the title. After the disappointment of the Ireland game to put themselves back in contention and to then go out and win the Championship was impressive and they deserved that reward.”

Wales head to Osaka and Tokyo on their two-test tour of Japan this summer and McBryde will announce his squad following the British and Irish Lions squad selection later this spring. The former Wales hooker is looking to blend experience and youth in his squad and believes it will be a valuable trip for less experienced Test players.

“For North America in 2009 we took a good mix of experience and youth and I’m sure that will be the case again this summer,” he added. “It’s a good chance to reward players with more international game time and give players the opportunity to play at this level.

“Back in ’09 we took boys like Sam Warburton, Jonathan Davies, Dan Biggar and Craig Mitchell with us and look at where they are now. It’s great to see how far they have come and what they have achieved since that tour.

“The Lions will obviously impact on selection but it will be taking experience out to Japan with us. We will also be looking to reward players who have performed for their regions week in and week out and who put their hand up towards the end of the season.

“There are some big games coming up and some very big head-to-heads on Judgement Day and it’s a chance for players to show us what they can do and to fight for their chance to play for Wales this summer.”