Wales EPS

Looking at another thread on the English EPS, Wales need to have something similar. Bigger emphasis should be placed in the league on developing younger players with some seasoned pros. It is taking place already but I would like to see more of them. Especially with Wales U20 doing well.

I would say Wales could have an Elite 22.

The elite players should be restricted to playing around half the league games and be able to play heieneken cup matches.

Players Playing outside of Wales would be exempt from this.

My Welsh EPS would consist of:

Props: Gethin Jenkins (Outside), Adam Jones, Paul James (Outside), Rhodri Jones
Hookers: Huw Bennett (Outside), Ken Owens, Matthew Rees

Second Row: Ian Evans, Alyn wyn jones, Bradley Davies, Charteris (Outside)
Back Row: Ryan Jones, Sam Warburton, Justin Tupuric, Toby Faletau, Dan Lydiate

Scrum Half: Lloyd Williams, Mike Phillips (Outside), Rhys Webb
10: Rhys Priestland, James Hook (Outside)
Centres: Jamie Roberts, JD, Scott Williams & Ashley Beck
Wings: George North, Alex Cuthbert
Full back; Leigh Halfpenny

Outside: Denotes players playing outside of Wales. The rest would make the Elite 22.

This would give these players ample amounts of rest and ensure they were close to 100% for Wales games. It has been a tough year and NZ use the same type of thing for there elite players I believe.

Players I would like to see more of for their regions this year:

Dan Baker (Ospreys), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Kirby Myhill (Scarlets), Tom Habberfield (Ospreys), Luke Hamilton (Blues?), Ellis Jenkins (Wales U20?), Ross Jones (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets?) and Mathew Morgan (Ospreys) to name a few.

Please feel free to add if you think ive missed anyone outstanding?

Permin,

Not a bad concept IMO but I would increase the number to about say 28 to allow for the likes of another natural T/Head (Mitchell maybe), and also allow competition at 10 and XV with the likes of Shinglar, Biggar, Tovey and Byrne coming into the equation.


I also think Bennets time as gone now so I would replace him a young up and coming hooker maybe.

I'd say that most of the Welsh ints in the current squad don't play half of a regions games a season. But do play most HEC matches (not all as they're usually knackered/injured from the AI's/6N's .

I think the regions (or at least most) already do a good job of blooding youngsters - they have to to cover for the absence of their best players to international training camps.

As such Myhill gets a decent gametime for the Scarlets (particularly as he's 4th choice), Hamilton, R Jones, Walker, Dixon and Morgan are all getting/starting to get lots of exposure and gametime.
Also from previous years U20s teams, R Jones, L Williams, Jon Evans, Robling, D Ford, G Davies, R Williams & Warren all get gametime for the Scarlets and I'm sure the other regions could say the same.
It's probably too soon to expect young props like Evans, WillGrif John and Lee to play lots of games in the Rabo while still developing (though I do expect them to have gradually more exposure).

The other thing you've got to be careful with is that 1. if the star players appear even less for their regions, it could hit attendances even more. 2. The Welsh squad had plenty of rest (bar the Ospreys) before the 1st Oz test and looked very undercooked. 3. Many Welsh ints (JD2, North) are appearing more for Wales than for their region already.

I also think that to further reduce Wales ints gametime for the regions the WRU would need to fund them 100%

Well if you want the regions to completley fail then you can go ahead with this, because this ain't gonna help their cause at all.