Warren Gatland has urged the Millennium Stadium crowd to get behind Rhys Priestland against Fiji on Saturday after the fly-half was booed by a section of fans when he came on as a replacement against Australia last weekend.
Priestland made an immediate impact for Wales in the 2011 World Cup but a series of injuries resulted in a drop in confidence which, Gatland revealed, was so low at one point after a barrage of criticism on social media that the 27-year old considered retiring.
“I have only just heard that Rhys was booed and I suppose it is part of sport today,” said Gatland. “Tottenham [Hotspur] got booed on Sunday, didn’t they? You feel for Rhys because he has been hammered on social media by certain sections and you hate to see that.
“Rhys is a confidence player, a young man who at one stage contemplated giving the game away because it was not worth taking that sort of personal criticism. I thought he did pretty well when he came on against Australia and I just hope he goes out on Saturday, plays well and sticks two fingers up to those who may have been booing him.
“That is something we do not need in the game. The beauty of sport is that we do not always agree but you like to see a bit of respect for people who are out there trying to do their best. He does not put that jersey on to go out there and fail.”
Priestland, who will win his 32nd cap, would probably have been picked even if Dan Biggar had not suffered a groin strain early in the second half against Australia. He will partner Mike Phillips but the Lion, who was also on the bench last weekend, starts only because Rhys Webb ricked his neck in training on Tuesday, a strong indication that one of the stalwarts of the Gatland era is no longer pre-eminent.
Gatland has made nine changes, one positional, from the side that narrowly lost to Australia. But while in past years he has used matches at the end of the year against non-tier one countries to gauge the strength of the squad, and too often found out that it was on the shallow side, he has this time mostly replaced experience with experience.
Two of the four tight-five changes, the prop Gethin Jenkins, who will captain the side with Sam Warburton rested, and the second-row Bradley Davies have more caps than the forwards they replace. Justin Tipuric, who comes into the back row, is one of eight Lions in the starting line-up.
“Even though there are a number of changes, there is a lot of experience and firepower in the team,” said Gatland. “We feel we are good enough to win and hopefully win well. We have come unstuck in the past when bringing in 10 or 11 players to gauge the depth of the squad because you cannot coach experience. Scott Baldwin [the hooker] said he had thought Ospreys’ European Champions Cup game against Northampton was quick but he found Saturday two levels above that. Players only get used to that through time in the middle.”
Wales beat Fiji 66-0 in the group stage of the 2011 World Cup but the year before that were held to a draw in Cardiff. The Fijians achieved one of their most notable victories when they beat Wales in the 2007 World Cup in Nantes to reach the knockout stage.
“That was a down point in my career,” said Jenkins, who will lead Wales for the fourth time. “Fiji like to play an expansive game and will look to take us on out wide but we have been focussing on ourselves. I was disappointed to be on the bench against Australia and a number of us have a big chance on Saturday.”
Gatland has chosen a back division that will be more than a match for Fiji physically. George North returns to the wing from the centre, Liam Williams replaces the concussed Leigh Halfpenny at full-back and the fit-again Scott Williams partners Jamie Roberts in the midfield.
The Lions centre Jonathan Davies was not considered because of a shoulder injury and is regarded as doubtful to face New Zealand on saturday week.
