Liam Williams has been one of the few Wales players who has lived up to his reputation this month but he is set to leave the Scarlets for Saracens in the summer and complicate his selection in the runup to the World Cup.
Williams is reported to have agreed a two-year deal with Saracens where, despite his preference for playing at full-back, he would be a ready-made replacement for the Toulon-bound Chris Ashton on the wing.
Wales have a policy of picking only three wildcard players, those who earn their livings outside the country having turned down the offer of a contract with one of the four Welsh regions. When it was introduced two seasons ago, it was not retrospective, so Leigh Halfpenny and Tomas Francis are not covered by it.
The number will rise to four next season which would not provide the Wales management with much of a dilemma, unless the full-back Halfpenny snubbed one or more of the regions by either signing a new contract with Toulon or joining another club in France or England.
The current wildcards are Taulupe Faletau, who is set to face South Africa on Saturday after making his comeback from a knee injury for Bath last week, Jamie Roberts, George North and Rhys Priestland. Priestland is out of the picture this season but the number Wales will be able to pick will drop to two in the 2018-19 campaign, potentially leaving some in danger of missing out on the World Cup in Japan.
“This is the first I have heard of it,” said the Wales skills coach, Neil Jenkins, when asked about Williams and Saracens. “We have always said we want to keep our best players in Wales and Liam is one of those. We would love to have Leigh back. If Leigh stays in France and Liam goes it does become an issue but it’s an opportunity for others. If it does happen we will make a decision then.”
Wales are on course for their most successful autumn international campaign since they started playing four Tests in the series. Victory over South Africa following the narrow wins over Argentina and Japan would equal the record set in 2002 when Romania, Canada and Fiji were the victims, but their coaching team have been criticised after mistake-riddled displays.
“The boys are human at the end of the day and they are going to make errors,” said Jenkins when asked whether players preferred to hide behind the coaches’ gameplan rather than assume responsibility on the field when the unexpected occurred. “I don’t think it is ever about the blame game.
“We are all in this together, coaches, players, and members of staff. As a player, you take responsibility yourself. During my playing career, if I made errors it would be my mistake and my problem; I wouldn’t blame a coach, that’s for sure. Sport is about how you respond and, while we got across the line against Japan and everyone has their view and opinion, rightly so, we have to get back on the horse and perform at our best against a tough opponent. We are all in it together.”
Wales have beaten South Africa only twice in 110 years but the Springboks are enduring a miserable 2016 and defeat at the Principality Stadium would break their record of seven losses in one year. he prop Gethin Jenkins is back in training after a shoulder injury but Faletau’s return will generate a long discussion about the back row with the No8, Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, Ross Moriarty and Dan Lydiate vying for the three places.
“South Africa play a certain brand of rugby, physical and intimidating, and I have no doubt they will come with that on Saturday and try to outmuscle us,” Jenkins said. “It will be route one and we have to be ready physically and mentally to impose our game on them.”
