South Wales Echo

Young gives Wales a reminder, while Scarlets unleash a face for the future

CONSIDERIN­G Warren Gatland names his Wales squad for the Six Nations today, it’s safe to say this past weekend of European rugby took on greater significan­ce.

It wasn’t exactly a vintage round of results for the Welsh sides, with only the Ospreys emerging victorious after comfortabl­y seeing off Perpignan in Swansea on Friday night.

There were, of course, a number of decent individual performanc­es, while there were a handful of Welsh players on show for clubs in England.

Rugby correspond­ent Steffan Thomas picks out his winners and losers from an exciting round of European rugby.

WINNERS Thomas Young

He may have ended up on the losing side against Harlequins, but the experience­d Cardiff openside flanker put in an excellent individual display in his first game since injuring his calf last November.

Young was a constant pest at the breakdown, while also running in two first-half tries for the Welsh club.

The 31-year-old’s skillset is sublime,

while he also gets through a huge amount of unseen work. But the former Wasps star has never been given much opportunit­y at Test level, which is perhaps no surprise considerin­g the strength in depth Wales posses at openside.

But with Jac Morgan expected to miss the entire Six Nations, could this be his opportunit­y? Time will tell, but he did his chances no harm on Saturday night.

Louis Rees-Zammit

The 22-year-old is as close to a nailed-on selection as you can get for the Six Nations, but he was in imperious form for Gloucester as they edged past Edinburgh on Saturday.

Rees-Zammit started at full-back and had a fine all-round game which will have pleased Gatland considerin­g he is short of credible internatio­nal class options in the No. 15 jersey with Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams no longer available.

Rees-Zammit seems the most likely solution to that problem position for the opening match at this stage.

The Wales speedster stole the show in Edinburgh when he brushed aside a defender before showcasing his electric speed, while also side-stepping Emiliano Boffelli to score a stunning 60-metre try.

Wales will be hoping he can replicate that on the internatio­nal stage over the next couple of months.

Unsung Ospreys heroes

In a dark period for profession­al rugby in Wales, the Ospreys have performed admirably with their comfortabl­e 25-3 victory over Perpignan in Swansea sealing qualificat­ion for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.

While the Ospreys have a host of senior Wales internatio­nals on their books, there are a number of unsung heroes.

Lock James Fender has arguably been the find of the season and was outstandin­g again in Swansea on Friday night. On form, Fender must surely be a contender for Gatland’s Six Nations squad, but a nasty injury to his arm may have put paid to his Wales hopes in the short term.

Keelan Giles was also very good with a tremendous individual try cementing the Ospreys’ victory. It seems like a lifetime ago since Giles sat on the replacemen­ts’ bench for Wales’ victory over Japan in 2017 with a series of severe injuries denying him a cap.

But the 25-year-old is doing his best to get Gatland to sit up and take notice with his finishing prowess not in doubt.

Another who has been quietly effective is Owen Watkin.

The 36-cap Wales centre is the glue of the Ospreys midfield, and is an outside bet for Gatland’s Six Nations squad. Friday night’s player of the match Iestyn Hopkins, fly-half Dan Edwards and scrum-half Luke Davies are also playing their part in the Ospreys’ rich vein of form.

Archie Hughes

The former Wales U20s scrum-half could hardly have asked for a tougher place to make his first competitiv­e start for the Scarlets than the intimidati­ng Stade Marcel-Michelin.

Despite playing most of the game on the back foot, Hughes (circled, left) acquitted himself extremely well against a strong Clermont Auvergne side.

The fundamenta­ls of the 20-year-old’s game are very strong with his service, box-kicking and decision-making not out of place in France. Hughes is also a threat with ball in hand and is not scared to boss around his pack of forwards.

Those within the upper echelons of Welsh rugby have long singled out the scrum-half from Tenby as a future Wales internatio­nal. The Six Nations has probably come a little too soon for him, but it is only a matter of time before he wears the red of Wales at internatio­nal level.

LOSERS Johnny Williams

The powerful Scarlets centre has had a rough time of it of late, having struggled to stay fit due to a long line of injuries.

At his best, the 27-year-old is an explosive ball carrier with good footwork who more often than not gets his side on the front foot.

Williams started well in Clermont but rightly received a red card in the 26th minute after making direct contact with the head of Julien Heriteau.

The former London Irish and Newcastle Falcons midfielder was a contender to make Gatland’s squad but is almost certainly facing a suspension which will do his internatio­nal hopes no good at all.

Late injury woes

There is nothing crueller in profession­al rugby than sustaining an injury days before an important internatio­nal squad announceme­nt. Unfortunat­ely, there are a few Welsh players who have fallen into that bracket over the past couple of days.

It began on Friday night when Wales’ Rugby World Cup co-captain Dewi Lake left the field in the early

stages of the Ospreys’ victory over Perpignan with a hamstring injury. Hopefully it is nothing more than a precaution, because Wales will need his leadership and raw physicalit­y over the next couple of months.

In-form Ospreys lock Fender was also forced to leave the field with what looked like a bad arm injury, while arguably the cruellest blow of the weekend came in the Massif Central when Scarlets captain Josh Macleod left the field with what looked like a serious leg injury.

Macleod would have been in contention for a place in Gatland’s Six Nations squad, but has been plagued by a series of injuries.

Sam Costelow was another who left the field in Clermont with a head injury, while both Cameron Winnett and Corey Domachowsk­i also sustained injuries during Cardiff’s heavy home defeat to Harlequins.

The Cardiff defence

Let’s be clear about this, the Harlequins attack was very good at the Arms Park and have the ability to score tries against the very best of sides.

But for all Cardiff’s bravery in attack, their midfield defence leaked like a sieve, and as a result they were torn apart by a ruthlessly efficient Harlequins outfit.

Much of this came as a result of coming second best at the contact area, with Cardiff conceding eight tries and 54 points.

It goes without saying they will need to tighten up in this area if they are to avoid a hammering in Paris against a star-studded Racing 92 outfit this weekend.