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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Katie Sands

Wales fans select World Cup centres, who they want at No. 10 and predict how far Gatland's men will go

Wales rugby fans have named George North and Nick Tompkins as the centre partnership they wish to see at the World Cup, also predicting a quarter-final exit amid backing for Warren Gatland.

Gatland's men finished fifth in the Six Nations and recorded a sole win, over Italy in Rome, with the New Zealander opting to develop a number of youngsters like Rio Dyer, Joe Hawkins and Mason Grady in a bid to grow the depth in his squad as he prepares for a global showpiece with an ageing squad.

We asked you, the fans, to give us your verdict on a number of burning issues as we head towards World Cup warm-ups, and you responded in your thousands.

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Rating Wales' Six Nations showing as poor in our special Fans' Survey, the majority resoundingly backed Gatland as the right candidate to be leading Wales into World Cup battle but admitted the squad is a work in progress.

Veteran No. 8 Taulupe Faletau was named as Wales' best player of the tournament, followed by Rhys Webb and Justin Tipuric.

Young Dragons winger Rio Dyer was named as Wales' breakout player of the campaign, followed by Dafydd Jenkins and Joe Hawkins.

Looking ahead, more than half of the Wales fans surveyed predicted a quarter-final World Cup exit, with the next most common verdict being an exit at the group stages.

Ken Owens, who led Wales through the Six Nations campaign where strike action was a real possibility amid an impasse with Welsh rugby bosses over contracts, is backed to do so again, with Dan Biggar the next preferred option as captain.

At No. 10, the Toulon fly-half is the preferred starter, with Gareth Anscombe not too far off in the votes.

As for midfield, an area Gatland experimented with during the Six Nations, fans select George North and Nick Tompkins as the players they want to see in Wales' run-on side.

Wales' draw is fortunately a kind one, with Gatland's men locking horns with Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal in the group stages when the Rugby World Cup kicks off this autumn. Heavyweights New Zealand, South Africa (holders), France (hosts) and Ireland (world top-ranked side) are each in the other half of a lopsided draw, meaning two of them cannot progress beyond the quarter-finals.

Those surveyed back France to lift the trophy, while Wales fans just about back their side to beat England should they meet in the quarter-finals.

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