Rugby critics, pundits and fans are often left scratching their heads at the Welsh team selection. After a disappointing 2014 rugby autumn international campaign and a poor start to 2015 6 nations. It leaves us with the question are certain players losing focus and lacking direction at key moments especially the Welsh wings Cuthbert and North.
With this in mind is Warren Gatland picking players on performance or loyalty, especially when it comes welsh wing Alex Cuthbert?
It can be said both Welsh wings Cuthbert and North performances for their country has not been up to par. However George North’s club performances for Northampton Saints shows why he is being selected for the Welsh team. The same cannot be said for Cardiff Blues wing Alex Cuthbert who is constantly under performing for club and country having only scored 3 tries since September 2014/15 season.
Cuthbert has struggled to hit the outstanding form he showed in 2013 where he was the top try scorer of the 6 nations and showed that he was on the verge of becoming a great player.
Sadly his constant lack of direction at key moments in the autumn internationals, club matches and 2015 6 Nations has been costly in both defense and attack. With past Welsh players including the Welsh Legend outside Half Phil Bennett and fans calling for Cuthbert to be dropped against France! This has left Fans and critics bewildered at why Gatland and his coaching staff constantly picks a player that is under achieving when It is clearly obvious there are problems with his game.
With statistics being part of the modern game why aren’t they being looked at? They clearly show that Cuthbert is lingering at the bottom of the wings that are available for Wales. For he had only played 12 times and scored 1 try for Cardiff Blues before being selected for the 6 nations squad. With his fellow wings within the squad having had more game time and scored more tries for their clubs in the current 2014 – 15 season.
The performance statistics for their clubs shows their try scoring count for 2014/15 season,
George North ( Saints ) 15 games – 14 tries,
Liam Williams (Scarlets) 13 games – 5 tries,
Amos (Newport Dragons) 18 games – 5 tries,
Tom Prydie (Newport Dragons) 20 games – 4 tries (total of 123pts – including kicking duties),
Alec Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues) 12 games – 1 try
With the Statistics clearly speaking for themselves the Welsh wings waiting in the squad must be wondering does Warren Gatland have belief in them after he constantly selecting an under par Cuthbert.
Changes must happen now especially as Wales has only 3 games left in this year’s 6 Nations to improve before the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
It will be imperative if Wales are seeking to win the RWC then Gatland must start selecting players on performance and ability for loyalty will not bring results especially in what is seen to be the Rugby World Cup’s group of “death”. In which Wales will find themselves battling for the quarter finals with England, Australia, Fiji and Uruguay.
Gatland has shown he is not afraid to make unpopular selections. This was proven when he dropped Brian O’Driscoll on the 2013 British Lions tour to Australia. The dropping of O’Driscoll proved a success with the Lions beating Australia 41-16 in the last test match to win the series.
Closer to home, Gatland and his team of selectors seemed to have had an engrained problem at times of selecting out of form players. This is highlighted with outside half Rhys Priestland being chosen over inform James Hook and Dan Biggar on a number of occasions. However when loyalty has been put to one side and players have been selected on their performance it as yield rewards this has been seen with the dropping of Mike Philips for inform Rhys Webb, for Webb as scored 4 tries in his last 5 games for Wales.
Warren Gatland constantly talks about professionalism amongst the Welsh team. Surely its time he showed that in the team selection, starting with Alex Cuthbert. For loyalty has no place in the modern game of Rugby!
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