News that Warren Gatland and the WRU are putting in place a system whereby home-based players are given the nod over those based elsewhere should be given something of a mixed reception.
In theory, it’s a nice idea. Keep everyone at home, control the regions, control the players, control their regimes, control the schedules. In reality it’s a bit different.
The biggest flaw is the fact the regions, despite their being only four of them, are filling too many key positions with overseas players. The English and French with 12 and 14 pro clubs each, can afford to have a decent amount of overseas players. The Welsh can’t. Which means that, as Mark Taylor told this website, Gatland has a relatively small pool of players to pick from.
The scrum-half position is a fine example. Admittedly, it’ll change a bit now that Dwayne Peel has decided to go to Sale – although he’s handily omitted from the rule, wonder what would happen if Ryan Jones decided to join Leicester? But, this season, you’ve only two out of the four regions fielding first-choice Welsh scrum-halves.
You have to question the advice given to Mike Phillips over his move to Ospreys and whether or not it really was in his best interest to go to a club with a scrum-half regarded by some as the best No9 of the past decade or so. With Justin Marshall being selected for the Heineken Cup games, he’s clearly first choice and Phillips’ place at the Blues has been taken by another Kiwi – Jason Spice. The third scrum-half, Gareth Cooper, is by and large playing second fiddle to Rory Lawson over at Gloucester, which – Dragons’ young No.9 Wayne Evans aside – only really leaves Dwayne Peel as the realistic contender.
But that’s not to suggest that the likes of Marshall and his fellow New Zealanders Marty Holah, Xavier Rush, Regan King et al should be shown the door. Indeed, those four players certainly bring something to the Welsh game and their experience will certainly do the world of good to those around them. If the WRU force the issue of players needing to ply their trade in the Principality however, it could become an issue.
If Welsh players are allowed to earn their crust in the Guinness Premiership and France’s Top 14 – two divisions that are significantly and consistently stronger on a week to week basis than the Magners League – spaces are created back home which should mean more local players blooded at the highest level which would then increase Gatland’s player base.
Forcing players with international ambitions to shun moves away from Wales however means the WRU is significantly reducing its player resources – particularly if the regions continue the trend of importing overseas players.
Of course the argument of the WRU is that it will allow them to control the players and their game time. This maybe so but at what cost? Does it mean they’ll pull more internationals out of Magners League games thereby further denting the credibility of the already much maligned Celtic League? Look what happened to the All Blacks when they rested their stars too much.
If Argentina can manage to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup with a squad based almost entirely in Europe then surely Wales can manage with a squad based 90 per cent in Wales? And if England can have a competitive Guinness Premiership – complete with internationals – and reach two consecutive World Cup finals then why do Wales need more time with their players? Yes, England were rubbish in between, but international rugby success is based purely on World Cups. If in doubt, just ask the All Blacks.
When Edinburgh haemorrhaged it’s star names over the summer, everyone predicted it was the end of pro rugby as they knew it north of the border. Instead, the absence of star names meant that Andy Robinson fielded some aspiring young guns who stepped up to the plate with aplomb. As a result Frank Hadden had two very competitive regions and more players than he could have imagined competing for places in his Scotland squad.
Not that we like to do it too much, but take the example of France in football. When they dominated the world game, it was with a squad full of players mostly plying their trade anywhere but France. The French league instead became a place where local talent could blossom.
So, in short, while it’s a nice ideal to keep all Welsh players in Wales, the reality might be somewhat different. It wasn’t that long ago that Scotland muted a similar concept but, ironically, it was when all the players left the country that all the talent truly began to emerge.
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