Team for Italy

[Graigwen]

WALES TEAM TO PLAY ITALY (Saturday February 1 KO14.15 BBC & S4C)

15. Leigh Halfpenny (85 Caps)
14. Johnny McNicholl (*Uncapped)
13. George North (91 Caps)
12. Hadleigh Parkes (25 Caps)
11. Josh Adams (21 Caps)
10. Dan Biggar (79 Caps)
9. Tomos Williams (16 Caps)
1. Wyn Jones (22 Caps)
2. Ken Owens (73 Caps)
3. Dillon Lewis (22 Caps)
4. Jake Ball (42 Caps)
5. Alun Wyn Jones (C) (134 Caps)
6. Aaron Wainwright (18 Caps)
7. Justin Tipuric (72 Caps)
8. Taulupe Faletau (72 Caps)

Replacements:
16. Ryan Elias (9 Caps)
17. Rob Evans (36 Caps)
18. Leon Brown (6 Caps)
19. Cory Hill (24 Caps)
20. Ross Moriarty (41 Caps)
21. Rhys Webb (31 Caps)
22. Jarrod Evans (3 Caps)
23. Nick Tompkins (*Uncapped)​

[Graigwen]

Well, not exactly as the Fail nor I expected.

It seemed a good chance to give Leon Brown more exposure but at least he is on the bench.

The North at centre experiment gets an outing in not the most difficult game, hopefully.

I am surprised Rhys Webb even makes the bench.

Not a sign of Rees-Zammit, I would have thrown him in the deep end.

I think we have got to the stage now that even unexpected selections are not really contentious.

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[Numbers]

It's pretty much the same 23 I went for with some changes to starters other than Moriarty instead of Navidi and Ryan Elias for Elliott Dee, I'm looking forward to seeing how Johnny McNicholl gets on, he is quality and hopefully we'll see Tompkins at some point.

[normanski]

Good blend of experience and hopes in the side.

I wonder if young Zammit is still carrying the knock on his ankle. His day will come.

Still not convinced by playing North in the centre but perhaps Pivac and Wellies have seen something which shows promise while JD2 is out.

[Graigwen]

Navidi is out for at least the first half of the 6N with a hamstring injury.

Dee also has some slight injury so was not in the running for the Italy game.

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[Graigwen]

Still not convinced by playing North in the centre but perhaps Pivac and Wellies have seen something which shows promise while JD2 is out.

I think it is worth a further go, obviously this is a better game as we are at home to the 6N weakest side. It might come off, or it might not.

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[Numbers]

Navidi out for the majority of the tournament unfortunately.

[normanski]

Still not convinced by playing North in the centre but perhaps Pivac and Wellies have seen something which shows promise while JD2 is out.

I think it is worth a further go, obviously this is a better game as we are at home to the 6N weakest side. It might come off, or it might not.

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It’s a gamble but with Tompkins on the bench there is at least cover. Just hope George keeps his head away from hard ground and knees.

[Sandydragon]

So the rumour mill concerning North at centre was right. I hope it works but I fear that we will badly miss JD2 or even an experienced centre in that position against quality opposition.

Otherwise no huge shocks. The back row is the biggest call but with so many good options someone was always going to miss out. Real shame about Navidi.

The big test will be how they perform as a unit and for that we will just have to wait and see. For once I’d live to see Wales come out of the blocks firing in all cylinder and get some points on the board. We did it in the REC for two games, I hope we don’t regress into that style of a half asleep first half followed by significant improvement after the half time bollocking.

Also glad to see Tompkins on the bench. Get him on at some point and get him capped so we have definite centre cover and we can see how he gets on. Shame not to see LRZ in the squad. For all the furore, maybe not quite ready yet given other options or perhaps not entirely fit?

[Graigwen]

Also glad to see Tompkins on the bench. Get him on at some point and get him capped so we have definite centre cover and we can see how he gets on.

I have just realiused that if Tompkins was born at Sidcup he was probably born in the Queen Mary's maternity unit - where my kids were born.

I remain to be convinced of his quality as an International player, I hope my doubts are ill founded.

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[normanski]

Also glad to see Tompkins on the bench. Get him on at some point and get him capped so we have definite centre cover and we can see how he gets on.

I have just realiused that if Tompkins was born at Sidcup he was probably born in the Queen Mary's maternity unit - where my kids were born.

I remain to be convinced of his quality as an International player, I hope my doubts are ill founded.

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There seems to be a mixed bag of opinions on him by fans on the Grauniad board. We just have to hope he can step up to a new level and dazzle us all.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Fairly happy with that.

Not convinced about North at centre, but this is the match to try it on.
Hope and expect Tompkins will be given a decent chance to show what he can do.
Also glad Webb will get a chance to show where he is in the new pecking order.

And ... hopefully Faletau is up to speed, he'll be a welcome sight if he is!

[Graigwen]

Fairly happy with that.


And ... hopefully Faletau is up to speed, he'll be a welcome sight if he is!

We have missed Faletau greatly. I have always thought his main contribution is tidying up our bad ball at the back of the scrum. Moriarty is a good player but it is painful to watch him trying dainty footwork and then mucking up decisions about when to pick the ball up,


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[bruce]

If all fit and firing, it's a tasty back row.

[Graigwen]

I hope our wingers have been practising catching wild passes slung out by George when he breaks through and finds the Italian full back in his way.

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[Sandydragon]

I hope our wingers have been practising catching wild passes slung out by George when he breaks through and finds the Italian full back in his way.

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JD2 isn't exactly noted for his superb range of passing, but I feel that might be a bit painful.

I really hope the experiment works as I have felt for sometime that we haven't got the most out of North. Part of that is the fault of the game plan, but bringing him closer to the action is fine in theory. In practice it might have a few squeaky bum moments.

On the bright side, Halfpenny will doubtlessly be covering!

[Numbers]

I hope our wingers have been practising catching wild passes slung out by George when he breaks through and finds the Italian full back in his way.

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Norths distribution is good so not sure what your point is there.

[Sourdust]

Fairly happy with that.

Not convinced about North at centre, but this is the match to try it on.

I don't think anyone's convinced yet, but as you say, at home against Italy is the time to try it and with the cupboard so bare at centre it's hardly a massive gamble. The issues will come later. If North is moved or dropped from 13 after one bad game, the whole thing will have been a waste of time; there's no point trying this unless we're prepared to give it time to work. But if it does go badly tomorrow, then the temptation to abandon the experiment before Dublin may be too great.

Pivac is clearly of the mind that North is a player you have to find a place for. On recent form I'm not sure I agree, but I do understand it. Dropping Adams is unthinkable, and if McNicol doesn't merit a start against Italy then why have him in the squad? So it's 13 or the bench for George. I'd have been tempted to the latter and risk Tompkins from the off, but that's a coin-toss of a call really.

[Sandydragon]

On the bright side, expectations are so low for us this year. Most pundits don’t expect us to finish above fourth.

Nothing like running under the radar.

[Graigwen]

I hope our wingers have been practising catching wild passes slung out by George when he breaks through and finds the Italian full back in his way.

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Norths distribution is good so not sure what your point is there.

His short range distribution is great (remembering that try he set up direct from a line out against Ireland a few years ago). It is 15m to 20m passes that might prove exciting.

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[Son of Mathonwy]

On the bright side, expectations are so low for us this year. Most pundits don’t expect us to finish above fourth.

Nothing like running under the radar.

We finished fourth in the world cup, so obviously the same will happen in the 6N.

[Graigwen]

We seem to have made a good start, by not having the traditional match day morning injury.

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[Sandydragon]

Not a bad start. A few sloppy passes but plenty of intent and we look like we can score a few tries.

McNicoll
Hopefully just a blood injury.

[Sandydragon]

Tidy chip chase there. Not sure the Italian prop needed to trip Halfpenny it was unlikely he was going to score from there.

9-0 a good start.

[Sandydragon]

Lovely try. Very nice pass from the new kid Tompkins.