WRU... Bring back the A Side

With all the A sides playing, why or why, cant the WRU smell the roses and bring back the A side.

Be great to have a proper A tournament running alongside the First XV 6 Nations like the good old days...

Does it not boil down to Money?

Most probably... so how come Scotland can field an A side, and WRU Chef Exec, boasts on last week Scrum V special how WRU are turning a hefty profit, paying off debts quicker than necessary, yet a "leading" rugby nation cant put a A side up in a traditional tournament.

Yes, money plays a big part but I don't think it is the reason we don't field an A side.

I was thinking about making a thread in this yesterday.

I would love to see an A team again but can we really really afford t do at current

I mean the region are all still at logger heads which doesn't seem like it's going to be solved soon. Does our regions have enough depth to still compete in the Rabo if the elite players, A team players and wales U20's are away on welsh duties.

I think we could make a pretty good team out in the A team. It will cost the WRU a lot more money to keep the A team running which I doubt they will want to do as they are fixed n the national team and nothing else.

Maybe in a few years when the dust has settled (if the dust has settled) and the regions are in a more stable stance I would love to see an 8 team; it would be a great a part of development to see players like Morgan Allen, Rhodri Jones, Dan Evans, Sam Parry,Jake Baal, Lloyd Williams etc to get game time and show what they can do. It's just we don't need more things to worry about at the moment.

If Wales had an A team then who would play for the regions during the 6N? With first team, under 20 and 7s calls the regions are already struggling to field competitive teams in the LV, another 25 to 30 players would be the last straw.

If Wales wants an A team then why not enter one into the Churchill cup which is a close season competition?

No9 wrote:Most probably... so how come Scotland can field an A side

How many times have they won the 6N? I guess the issue about money is the dilution of that money rather than placing it where it might pay dividends - fully on one senior team. Can Welsh people say that concentration of funding hasn't worked out positively for them so far?

Why do we need an A side?

Wales scrap A side in 2002.

Wales go on to win 4 six nations in the next 11 years.

Wales know who their best XV is and that's why they've been consistent. England for example has too many fringe players and no cohesion, no idea who their best team is. Same with France.

Why not, if the regions do dig in v central contracting regional rugby will die a death pretty quick, the Welsh boys will be forced to go abroad so an A team might help.

gatlandgun wrote:Why do we need an A side?

Wales scrap A side in 2002.

Wales go on to win 4 six nations in the next 11 years.

Wales know who their best XV is and that's why they've been consistent. England for example has too many fringe players and no cohesion, no idea who their best team is. Same with France.

I do see where your coming from and under current circumstances there shouldn't;t be an A team. But when we are in a more stable situation it would be great to have an A team because it's great to develop players. The only factor of concern is the impact it would have on the regions unless an appropriate fixture can be arranged
It allows players on the fringes of the welsh team/match day 23 or players just coming up form the U20's and need game time to shine. Look at a team like this for example
1. Rhys Gill/Rob Evans
2. Kristian Dacey/Sam Parry
3. Rhodri Jones
4. Jake Ball
5. Andrew Coombs
6. Lewis Evans/ Josh Turnball
7. Ellis Jenkins/Josh Navidi
8. Morgan Allen/Dan Baker

9. Richie Rees
10. Rhys Patchell
11. Hallam Amos
12. Jack Dixon
13. Cory Allen/Owen Williams
14. Jordan Williams
15. Dan Evans/Lee Byrne

It would be great to give more of these players game time and descent competition to prove to Gatland and Co. But as I said it wouldn't be suitable right now.

There is no one to play against.

I think it's only England, Ireland and Scotland that still keep an a-side..!

Yayyyyyy somebody else shouting for the A Side, this was my particular bandwagon/soapbox for years and I still think we should have one.

I know it comes down to money but I would rather see us spend money on A Side than the 7s circuit and there is plenty of players out there to make a squad.

I know the Regions wouldn't be to keen as they would then be losing all their players and that is a huge stumbling block as a lot of the players who would fill the A Side are the ones likely to be playing in the LV games like this weekend.

I think its basically a choice as to whether you have a U20s (all gave U20s), 7s team or an A team for the celts. The Welsh use the 7s team to develop players, Ireland uses an A team. England has both the players & finances to run both - hardly suprising with their playing numbers.

Dont Scotland have a 7s team as well as an As team?

Golden wrote:Dont Scotland have a 7s team as well as an As team?

Yeah pretty sure they do and this is what I cant understand, as far as I know every other 6 Nations side (bar Wales) runs and A Side and all 6 Nations sides (bar Italy I think) run a 7s side as well.

So financially speaking surely if Scotland and Ireland can run both then we should be able to, it would I think also go some way to alleviating the Steve Shingler shambles of few seasons back.

The IRB, if they so wished could just mandate that anything below A side level doesn't count as players qualifying for one particular Country - A level and above only.

The WRU did say we were going to get some A games back but once again the lying bar stewards have fialed to deliver on that front.

No9 wrote:With all the A sides playing, why or why, cant the WRU smell the roses and bring back the A side.

Be great to have a proper A tournament running alongside the First XV 6 Nations like the good old days...

This would be great. Starts with a good old fashioned 4 Nations. Then hopefully France could bring back their A side and we go from there. I would think if played as a proper tournament rather than a few one-offs, it might make enough money and go some way towards being self funding. Properly marketed it could achieve a nice little standing of its own. Could possibly draw people who either cannot get 6 Nations tix or can't afford the tix. And would certainly help build depth in the Home Nations sides.

Jhamer25 wrote:....
1. Rhys Gill/Rob Evans
2. Kristian Dacey/Sam Parry
3. Rhodri Jones
4. Jake Ball
5. Andrew Coombs
6. Lewis Evans/ Josh Turnball
7. Ellis Jenkins/Josh Navidi
8. Morgan Allen/Dan Baker

9. Richie Rees
10. Rhys Patchell
11. Hallam Amos
12. Jack Dixon
13. Cory Allen/Owen Williams
14. Jordan Williams
15. Dan Evans/Lee Byrne

Going on the fact A Teams tend to not involve full squad members, I would say it would be something like (at the moment, given injuries and current squad call ups)

Props -: Gill, R Evans, Hobbs, Andrews, ???
Hookers -: Myhill, Baldwin
Locks -: Reed, D Day, Peers, Screech
Backrow -: L Evans (C), Turnbull, Navidi, S Lewis, I Jones, Allen
Scrum Half -: G Davies, Rees, Ll Williams
Fly Half -: Tovey, M Morgan, S Davies
Centre -: Maule, Leach, Isaacs, Warren
Wings -: Fenby, Prydie, K Phillips, H Robinson
Fullbacks -: D Evans, J Williams

But looking at that. I really think the regions would not be able to field a full 23 man squad for the Rabo games during the 6Ns.

As seagultaf has already said, if Wales had an A side, where would the extra twenty or so players come from ? We would have to start incorporating players from the Welsh prem, but then how would the clubs manage ? The regions already lose a raft of players to the Welsh squad, U20's and the sevens, there are simply not enough players, yet, to run an A side, perhaps when the standard of the Welsh prem picks up, then we could have one.

I'd be really keen to see a Welsh A side, ideally it would play in North Wales with the odd game in Parc y Scarlets. The big issue as players have pointed out is player numbers and availability. If the WRU said to the regions now "We're reintroducing the A team, we'll be taking an additional 15/20 players from you for the international window." You can well imagine what kind of answer they would get. If the LV cup is dropped then maybe it might work. Also, I think that the WRU likes having the ability to tie players to Wales from U-20 level.

Coleman, to be honest I would be happy to see the mickey mouse cup ditched, after all it is no longer a competition. Even the way teams progress etc is a real joke. Although I think you hit the nail on the head about tying up kids at U20s, it gives us a far larger pool of players who are stuck with us.

I think most of us would like to see it scrapped. Replaced by a genuine development cup with an age limit or a cap on players over a certain age is my preference. You can't blame the WRU for wanting to tie the younger players up. We need to safe guard all of the talent we can.

You could still have an A side and still use the U20's as the level for tying up players, you just have to nominate such as what you want, if Wales play England, Ireland or Scotland at U20 and then the welsh players do not play against anyone else then those players are not tied to Wales, the only way they can be tied to Wales is if they play against another country that recognises their U20's as being a CAP, so only when they play the likes of France and Italy can they be tied to Wales and vice versa.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:....
1. Rhys Gill/Rob Evans
2. Kristian Dacey/Sam Parry
3. Rhodri Jones
4. Jake Ball
5. Andrew Coombs
6. Lewis Evans/ Josh Turnball
7. Ellis Jenkins/Josh Navidi
8. Morgan Allen/Dan Baker

9. Richie Rees
10. Rhys Patchell
11. Hallam Amos
12. Jack Dixon
13. Cory Allen/Owen Williams
14. Jordan Williams
15. Dan Evans/Lee Byrne

Going on the fact A Teams tend to not involve full squad members,  I would say it would be something like (at the moment, given injuries and current squad call ups)

Props -: Gill, R Evans, Hobbs, Andrews, ???
Hookers -: Myhill, Baldwin
Locks -: Reed, D Day, Peers, Screech
Backrow -: L Evans (C), Turnbull, Navidi, S Lewis, I Jones, Allen
Scrum Half -: G Davies, Rees, Ll Williams
Fly Half -: Tovey, M Morgan, S Davies
Centre -: Maule, Leach, Isaacs, Warren
Wings -: Fenby, Prydie, K Phillips, H Robinson
Fullbacks -: D Evans, J Williams

But looking at that.  I really think the regions would not be able to field a full 23 man squad for the Rabo games during the 6Ns.

SS,

Thats a good list bit of experience in the and some youth you could also add maybe the odd lets say current players who are on the comeback trail after injury but like we have mentioned could the Regions then put out another 23 after that lot and the full squad members.

Bedford - yeah, if it were to be run this season, then Foxy/R Jones/WRUburton (unless he is deemed fit already) would come back into the A-Team for a run off the bench, to prove match fitness.

I think the regions could just about cope with the loss of their players, providing that they get all players not involved in the match day squads released to them, and I am saying that from a Scarlets point of view where there would be 19 missing to Wales/Wales-A, and more missing to U20s and sevens. But the truth is that would require too much co-operation between the regions and union, so sadly would be unlikely.

It all seems very costly for just three games once a year...!

Until the Regional sides increase the size of their squads, we don't have enough players to put out an A side.

We seem to be managing pretty well without an A side and Scotland are hardly flourishing with one!
Not a huge fan of 7's but players are emerging through this route.Not many tightheads flourish in 7's,mind!

in general all rugby nations have moved away from the A concept. I think it was a great idea when we all played club rugby but that really only properly exists in England and France.

France have dropped out of the A team concept too.

As have the SH pretty much.