Wales Summer Tour 2013 (Japan)

First topic message reminder :

Who would you pick for Wales Summer Tour 2013? Here's my team:

1) Ryan Bevington (Ospreys)
2) Richard Hibbard ( Ospreys)
3) Samson Lee ( Scarlets)
4) Bradley Davies (Blues)
5) Lloyd Peers ( Ospreys)
6) Josh Turnbull ( Scarlets)
7) Josh Navidi ( Blues)
8) Gareth Delve ( Melbourne) ( Capt)
9) Gareth Davies (Scarlets)
10) Dan Biggar (Ospreys)
11) Eli Waker ( Ospreys)
12) Ashley Beck (Ospreys)
13) Scott Williams ( Scarlets)
14) Tom Prydie (Dragons)
15) Liam Williams (Scarlets)

16) Craig Mitchell ( Exeter Chiefs)
17) Emyr Phillips ( Scarlets)
18) Jake Ball ( Scarlets)
19) Jon Evans ( Dragons)
20) Steve Shingler ( London Irish)
21) Rhys Patchell ( Blues)

Other players I'd like to see go on tour would be Adam Hughes ( Dragons) Hanno Dirksen (Ospreys) (will he be qualified by then?) Lewis Evans (Dragons) Richard Kelly (Scarlets)

Players not Considered

The rest of the current Welsh squad who possibly (slim I know on current form) might make the lions tour.

Injured

Rhys Priestland ( Scarlets)
Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys)
Ian Evans ( Ospreys)

Preist, to be fair Rhodri is nowhere near Aled Davies at the moment in the Scarlets pecking order (rightly or wrongly), and Aled is another young up and coming star.

Yeah I'm excited by our SH options and I expect Aled and Rhodri to be much better and very good pro players by this time next year, or maybe the end of next season.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:I think the point is how can a national coach seriously assess a player whos never played proper pro rugby?

If the other players are keeping them out of match day squads are they likely to be that m,uch better?

If the nationals coaches want to spend time with them and assess their attitude etc is that not what age group and A rugby is for (yeah Ok Wales dont have an A side)? Not that the senior coaching staff will have a chance to assess these kids anyway since theyll be off with the Lions.

+1

Id add that it seems crazy that prydie got thrown into the int team against the best teams in the world ahead of all other players and then was only deemed good enough for semi pro but now hes getting rave reviews at pro level hes not being calld up to int level

Smirnoffpriest wrote:Id add that it seems crazy that prydie got thrown into the int team against the best teams in the world ahead of all other players and then was only deemed good enough for semi pro but now hes getting rave reviews at pro level hes not being calld up to int level

I think Prydie was a publicity stunt Gats style. As I remember we were looking pretty urine poor at the time, and the public/press were not best pleased. Then Gats pulled that out the bag and the press changed from the stories slating the performances to running stories on this new wonder kid. A bit like when Warren Fury was included in the squad from nowhere.

I do feel sorry for Prydie though, and Dan Evans, because they are really playing some good rugby at the moment, but are just not getting the same rave reviews as others who are at more favourable regions.

Yeah I know what you mean - I get the feeling that Gats has done the same this time by not including Shaun Edwards in his coaching team (and for the same reason he may include Wilkinson in the squad).

As you say Prydie and Evans are doing very well and their names should definately be getting bandied around for the national team (the press are very harsh/neglegient of the Dragons).

But my point was that in any sensible world Prydie should have been called up to the training squad (or just had a good talk/advice with Gats/Edwards) when he was 17 and allowed to develop, then break into a regional side and then only now he's playing as one of the best back 3 players in Wales, called up to the Wales side. Instead we've done it backwards and IMO put Prydie and Phillips back a season or two development wise.

Yeah it definately bit Kris Phillips in the rump. He was called up to the Welsh squad, not selected because of family berievement and then the following week Aled Brew (not part of the welsh squad) shamed him big time in the LV Cup. It must certainly have knocked the lads confidence, on minute he was amongst the best four or five wingers in the country, and the next he was made to look like an amature by someone who was classed as not up to grade. It makes you wonder.

But on the other hand Chris Czekaj and James Hook had no region experience but were capped and shone. And the likes of Halfpenny, North, Cuthbert, Sc Williams and Co. had very little regional experience and look good too.

True true, but you have to think with players like North, Cuthbert ect they are still very young and was the risk of 'doing a Phillips' to then worth not waiting a few months (ie not playing in the AIs, waiting for 6Ns, or not playing in 6Ns, but playing in Summer tests or vice versa) to allow them to develop, get more experience and make it a lot more likely they'll take to international rugby well. (and toughen up their bodies so they don't ruin them like North and Roberts have...)