HP

[UKHamlet]

Does anyone have news of his progress?

He was injured in September and it's supposed to be six to eight months, so it could be as late as May before he's back in training.

[Handyosprey]

I had heard he was struggling with his rehab and things aren't going as well as hoped.

But rumours is just that.

[Handyosprey]

Just read on Twitter he is due back on march 12.

[UKHamlet]

Just read on Twitter he is due back on march 12.

Yey, my birthday and the day we play the Saes. Horse-pish-us.

[normanski]

Just read on Twitter he is due back on march 12.

Well that gives him three months to get ready for the All Blacks tour.

[Spiffy]

Great little player, but Wales are doing well in his absence. Biggar is just as good a goal kicker and Liam Williams is a very good FB who might even bring just a bit more edge to attack. That said, a fit HP has to start for Wales, whether FB or wing. Cuthbert/James/Amos could be the ones to lose out. I regard HP as an outstanding performer whose natural abilities have been detuned over the years by having to play Gatball. At his best he'd still walk on to a Lion's XV.

[Len]

Great little player, but Wales are doing well in his absence. Biggar is just as good a goal kicker and Liam Williams is a very good FB who might even bring just a bit more edge to attack. That said, a fit HP has to start for Wales, whether FB or wing. Cuthbert/James/Amos could be the ones to lose out. I regard HP as an outstanding performer whose natural abilities have been detuned over the years by having to play Gatball. At his best he'd still walk on to a Lion's XV.

HP has superior range to Biggar and is probably a bit more accurate too IMO. His real talent is his positioning for me. He so rarely makes a mistake defensively. On attack hes fairly good but hes no Folau. Hopefully hes fit for the NZ tour

[normanski]

Great little player, but Wales are doing well in his absence. Biggar is just as good a goal kicker and Liam Williams is a very good FB who might even bring just a bit more edge to attack. That said, a fit HP has to start for Wales, whether FB or wing. Cuthbert/James/Amos could be the ones to lose out. I regard HP as an outstanding performer whose natural abilities have been detuned over the years by having to play Gatball. At his best he'd still walk on to a Lion's XV.

HP has superior range to Biggar and is probably a bit more accurate too IMO. His real talent is his positioning for me. He so rarely makes a mistake defensively. On attack hes fairly good but hes no Folau. Hopefully hes fit for the NZ tour

His all round natural abilities would make him one of the first names on the team sheet. I hope he hasn't lost his edge through injury.

[Son of Mathonwy]

He's a great player, very reliable, but his main contribution to Wales has been his goal-kicking accuracy. This allowed us to win some ugly games which we wouldn't have otherwise done, and really made a difference. But since Biggar has developed a similar accuracy, HP is no longer essential.

Under Gatland, 1/2p's attacking skills have either atrophied or been banned altogether, so we can't see what once made him an excellent winger. In fact his size becomes more of a liability (eg he's merely average in the air, although he is very good for his height) - his tackling is good but not destructive.

For me, I'd choose a fully fit Liam Williams over 1/2p - we just get so much more in attack (even if the defensive positioning isn't so good).

But, having said all this I hope he's back soon - it will be good to have him back in the team (presumably at Cuthbert's expense).

[Bob]

The attack patterns of halfpenny with Wales don't suit him

I saw him do some magic stuff for Cardiff and he wasn't the place kicker then SNK was ffs

[oldbackrow]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35899769
Will be good to see him back playing. Do you all think Gatland will use him as a winger to get the best out of him?

[cadofyddol]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35899769
Will be good to see him back playing. Do you all think Gatland will use him as a winger to get the best out of him?

Probably not. Seeing as Gatland is so stubborn.
I think the sum of Liam Williams at FB and Halfpenny on the wing is greater than the sum of Halfpenny at FB and Liam Williams on the wing.

However an in form Cuthbert would probably see Liam Williams moving to the bench.

[Sandydragon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35899769
Will be good to see him back playing. Do you all think Gatland will use him as a winger to get the best out of him?

Probably not. Seeing as Gatland is so stubborn.
I think the sum of Liam Williams at FB and Halfpenny on the wing is greater than the sum of Halfpenny at FB and Liam Williams on the wing.

However an in form Cuthbert would probably see Liam Williams moving to the bench.

An uninjured Cuthbert could see Liam to the bench. It would b great to sell HP back soon, particularly with Liam out injured again (rushed back too soon or just unlucky?).

I'd personally move HP to the wing, it gives us the long rang kicking option back and means that if Biggar is replaced, we still have a very reliable goal kicker. I'd prefer an out and out winger, but there aren't many available and in form so a back 3 of north, Liam and HP would be a preference, assuming Liam is fit again for the next set of games.

[Son of Mathonwy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35899769
Will be good to see him back playing. Do you all think Gatland will use him as a winger to get the best out of him?

Probably not. Seeing as Gatland is so stubborn.
I think the sum of Liam Williams at FB and Halfpenny on the wing is greater than the sum of Halfpenny at FB and Liam Williams on the wing.

However an in form Cuthbert would probably see Liam Williams moving to the bench.

An uninjured Cuthbert could see Liam to the bench. It would b great to sell HP back soon, particularly with Liam out injured again (rushed back too soon or just unlucky?).

I'd personally move HP to the wing, it gives us the long rang kicking option back and means that if Biggar is replaced, we still have a very reliable goal kicker. I'd prefer an out and out winger, but there aren't many available and in form so a back 3 of north, Liam and HP would be a preference, assuming Liam is fit again for the next set of games.

Cuthbert hasn't been in the form to keep Liam out for years now (which is not to say that Gatland won't do it, of course ). I'd prefer HP on the wing too, but it isn't going to happen. In Gatland's mind HP has 15 tattooed on his back.

[Billyfish]

He's one of the world's best full backs. I doubt he makes the list of world's great wingers.

[cadofyddol]

He's one of the world's best full backs. I doubt he makes the list of world's great wingers.

He doesn't make the list of world's great wingers because he doesn't play there anymore. If he did who's to say he wouldn't be up there?

[Son of Mathonwy]

He's one of the world's best full backs. I doubt he makes the list of world's great wingers.

Take away his near-faultless long range kicking (which he can do from any position) and he's not one of the best full backs. His positioning is excellent and he makes few mistakes, but as a full back he's relatively ineffective in attack* and he's not remarkable under high ball*. He's not played as an international winger for years so he's unlikely to make any lists of great wingers. IMO If you take away his goal-kicking, he was a better winger for Wales than he is as a full back. As a non-kicking Welsh full back, I think both Lee Byrne and Liam Williams were/are better (albeit not by much).



* For an international full back.

[UKHamlet]

If HP is fit, he plays and he takes the 15 shirt. Anything else is nonsense. Saying he is average anything is nonsense too. He's as good, or nearly as good as Liam in the air, everything else he does better, including attack, where he rarely turns over ball, doesn't run aimlessly up dead ends and provides power and pace that Williams can only dream of.

[UKHamlet]

As for Biggar being in the same league as a kicker. That's fantasy talk. Biggar has improved as a 40-45 metre kicker, with the occasional 50 metre pot straight in front of the goals. HP can bang them over from 50-60 metres all afternoon.

[Len]

HP is one of the world premier fullbacks. Hes about as complete as it possible to get, although I still think his counter attacking isn't as great as the other top class fullbacks.

Cuthbert is a wasted shirt IMO. Hes shot. I'd have HP fullback with North and Williams on the wings. Cuthbert would be dropped and North needs to work on his defense as he gets sucked in and doesn't mark his man.

[cashead]

Sauce or computers?

[Lord Llandaff]

As for Biggar being in the same league as a kicker. That's fantasy talk. Biggar has improved as a 40-45 metre kicker, with the occasional 50 metre pot straight in front of the goals. HP can bang them over from 50-60 metres all afternoon.

All that said however... In the 2011 RWC HP missed a 50 yarder that would have put us in the Final. In last year's RWC Biggar had a virtually identical kick at Twickenham to win the game v England and nailed it.

[UKHamlet]

As for Biggar being in the same league as a kicker. That's fantasy talk. Biggar has improved as a 40-45 metre kicker, with the occasional 50 metre pot straight in front of the goals. HP can bang them over from 50-60 metres all afternoon.

All that said however... In the 2011 RWC HP missed a 50 yarder that would have put us in the Final. In last year's RWC Biggar had a virtually identical kick at Twickenham to win the game v England and nailed it.

This is true. Imagine your life depended on a kick at goal from near the half way line, wide out near the touchline on the left of the pitch. You can pick between Biggar and Halfpenny to take the kick. Who do you choose?

[oldbackrow]

This is true. Imagine your life depended on a kick at goal from near the half way line, wide out near the touchline on the left of the pitch. You can pick between Biggar and Halfpenny to take the kick. Who do you choose?

Wilkinson or Paul Thorburn! HP (Yes I know where the door is and it won't hit my behind as I leave)

[UKHamlet]

This is true. Imagine your life depended on a kick at goal from near the half way line, wide out near the touchline on the left of the pitch. You can pick between Biggar and Halfpenny to take the kick. Who do you choose?

Wilkinson or Paul Thorburn! HP (Yes I know where the door is and it won't hit my behind as I leave)

Wilkinson was a machine, but never had the range HP has. I might have chosen Henson in his pomp, but he'd have been pissed. Thorburn has been dining on that one kick for decades.