In the lead up to the Six Nations Warren Gatland predicted Wales would have to go through some pain before hopefully coming out the other end with a strong team.
Well he certainly got the first part right with Wales failing to win a single Test match so far in 2024 with their only victory coming in an uncapped game against the Queensland Reds. Gatland has stuck with his formula of giving youth its head no matter how uncomfortable it gets and is adamant Wales will be a force to be reckoned with at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
But has Gatland made any real headway in terms of building sufficient strength in depth. Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas takes a close look at Wales’ depth chart.
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Back-three
Wales’ depth is gradually improving in the back-three, although it is not quite at the same level as other nations. Cameron Winnett has been a good find at full-back while the return of Liam Williams has added some some quality.
Over the next couple of years it would also be a shock if Jacob Beetham didn’t mount a serious challenge to wear the Wales number 15 shirt while Cai Evans and Ioan Lloyd are also options and Max Nagy could come into the equation once he qualifies on residency. Full-back is by no means a weakness for Wales but they don’t quite have the quality of someone like Hugo Keenan, Blair Kinghorn or George Furbank.
Wales could really do with Josh Adams being back to his best this autumn after a much needed summer off while Regan Grace has the potential to give Gatland the cutting edge that has been missing since Louis Rees-Zammit crossed the pond. Josh Hathaway is not there yet but it would be a shock if he did not get better over the next couple of years while Rio Dyer is a reliable performer who scores tries.
Gatland as good as confirmed Theo Cabango would have been named in his summer squad if he hadn’t damaged his hamstring against the Ospreys on Boxing Day. In a similar fashion to Grace the Cardiff wing could add some much needed X-factor out wide while Wales U20s’ star Macs Page is one to watch out for over the next few years.
Provided he doesn’t get capped either by England or the Saxons Leicester Tigers wing Ollie Hassell-Collins will come into the mix.
Back-three depth chart: Liam Williams, Cameron Winnett, Jacob Beetham, Rio Dyer, Regan Grace, Josh Adams, Josh Hathaway, Theo Cabango, Keelan Giles, Tom Rogers, Macs Page *Ollie Hassell-Collins.
Centres
There’s good reason to get excited at the number of quality centres coming through the system in Wales but it’s not a case of selecting the best players but the combination which works. This is something Gatland has not figured out since the World Cup and the retirement of George North has not been helpful.
Owen Watkin is a safe pair of hands as is Nick Tompkins while Gatland is likely to persevere with Mason Grady at 12. Scarlets centre Eddie James looks a serious prospects because he is not simply a crash ball merchant but someone with silky distribution skills and nice footwork.
Emerging Cardiff star Jacob Beetham could also potentially be developed as a 12 but he would need to play there regularly for Cardiff if that experiment were to succeed. The ace up Gatland’s sleeve at the 2027 World Cup could be Louie Hennessey who was one of the star players at the recent World Rugby U-20 Championship.
Hennessey has a very similar offloading style to All Blacks great Sonny Bill Williams while Dragons centre Harri Ackerman is also an excellent prospect. Gatland will also be very keen for Scarlets centre Joe Roberts, who missed the summer tour with an Achilles injury, to return swiftly to action because he is a genuine 13 and a left footed kicking option.
Scarlets centre Johnny Williams and Ospreys man Keiran Williams will also be pushing hard for a place as will Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn. Gatland also has the option of employing Ben Thomas as a Southern Hemisphere style second five-eighth.
Wales are going through some pain in midfield but in the long run this could be a position of real strength and quality.
Midfield depth chart: Mason Grady, Owen Watkin, Nick Tompkins, Eddie James, Ben Thomas, Joe Roberts, Louie Hennessey, Keiran Williams, Johnny Williams, Harri Ackerman
Outside-half
Outside-half has been a bit of a problem for Wales since the World Cup with Dan Biggar, Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell out of the equation. But, injury permitting, Anscombe will be available in the autumn assuming he is playing well for Gloucester.
Gatland gave Ben Thomas an opportunity to wear the number 10 shirt in Australia and the Cardiff man didn’t disappoint with his goal kicking, distribution and peripheral vision strengths of his game. Sam Costelow has had a rough ride since the World Cup but he is a quality player who is highly regarded by the Wales management.
The Scarlets playmaker responded well to losing his shirt for the Australia Tests with a couple of impressive cameo appearances while he played well against the Queensland Reds. Wales need to stick with Costelow because there remains huge growth in his game.
It will also be interesting to see how Callum Sheedy goes at Cardiff after returning home from the Bristol Bears. Sheedy made a good start to his international career but had not been capped since 2022. During the Six Nations Gatland tried the talented Ioan Lloyd in the number 10 shirt but did not take him to Australia claiming he wanted more size in that position.
Ospreys outside-half Dan Edwards should soon be challenging for higher honours. Edwards is a work in progress but can manage a game of rugby while his kicking – both at goal and out of hand – and his running game have good for the Ospreys over the past year. Dragons playmaker Will Reed is also a very talented player with potential.
Wales have talent at outside-half but they really need someone to grab this position by the scruff of the neck.
Outside-half depth chart: Ben Thomas, Sam Costelow, Gareth Anscombe, Callum Sheedy, Dan Edwards, Will Reed
Scrum-half
Tomos Williams will add some serious quality when he returns from injury and is one of the first names on Gatland’s team sheet. One of the real success stories of this summer has been how well Ellis Bevan has taken to international rugby.
Bevan is a technically proficient scrum-half with his service, box kicking, decision making under pressure and his defence helping Wales this summer. If he wants to knock Williams out of the starting team he is probably going to need to become more of a running threat but he has at least added some depth to the scrum-half position in Wales.
He may be approaching the end of his career but the experienced Gareth Davies remains a quality player who can do a job in the international career while Kieran Hardy is an efficient scrum-half. Dragons scrum-half Dane Blacker and his Ospreys counterpart Reuben Morgan-Williams are options but it remains to be seen whether either is quite good enough to make the next step up to Test rugby.
Gatland will be very keen to see Archie Hughes get regular minutes under his belt next season because he is a serious prospect as is Che Hope of the Dragons while Wales U20s number nine Ieuan Davies should eventually come through. When Wales are at full-strength Gatland has some quality at scrum-half but there is a lack of depth.
Scrum-half depth chart: Tomos Williams, Ellis Bevan, Kieran Hardy, Gareth Davies, Archie Hughes, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Dan Blacker, Che Hope, Ieuan Davies
Props
To be brutally honest Wales are behind the other home nations in the propping department. Gareth Thomas is a solid performer but there is a big drop off to second and third choice especially if Gatland refuses to select new Leicester Tigers signing Nicky Smith while Rhys Carre appears to be lost to Wales following his move to Saracens.
The jury remains out on both Kemsley Mathias and Corey Domachowski as international class loosehead’s but that’s not to say they couldn’t kick on in the future. Ospreys head coach Toby Booth is a big fan of Garyn Phillips and has previously singled him out as a future international while Wales U20s pair Josh Morse and Jordan Morris look like top prospects.
But as it stands loosehead prop isn’t exactly a position of strength. Prior to the tour of Australia Gatland was quick to point out tighthead prop as an area of grave concern.
Wales have really struggled for a destructive scrummaging tighthead and it would be a wise move if Gatland was to recall Tomas Francis in November. But Gatland will have been encouraged by the performance of Bath tighthead Archie Griffin who made a remarkable 26 tackles in the first Test in Sydney while his dynamism around the park along with his carrying were big plus points.
The 22-year-old remains a work in progress at the scrum but one has to consider he has only started a handful of professional games. Gatland will also be pleased to see Henry Thomas sign for the Scarlets and it would be a surprise if he didn’t figure in his plans moving forward.
Keiron Assiratti and Harri O’Connor have been in recent squads while experienced campaigners Dillon Lewis and Leon Brown are still around. Sam Wainwright and Will Davies-King are options but it remains to be seen whether either are international level.
In the long-run the Wales management have high hopes of U20s prop Sam Scott.
Prop depth chart: Gareth Thomas, Kemsley Mathias, Corey Domachowski, Nicky Smith, Archie Griffin, Tomas Francis, Henry Thomas, Harri O’Connor, Keiron Assiratti, Leon Brown, Sam Wainwright, Will Davies-King, Sam Scott.
Hooker
Hooker is a position of reasonable strength for Wales with Dewi Lake having firmly established himself as first choice this summer. If Lake can stay injury free he could develop into one of the best hookers in the world.
Ryan Elias has been unfairly criticised by Wales fans but he is a quality international hooker who will push Lake hard for the number two jersey. The Scarlets hooker is a very powerful scrummaging hooker and a genuine carrier in the tight five who does a lot of unseen work.
Elliot Dee will also add a nice bit of depth at hooker. The Dragons man’s darts are the most accurate of the three while the 30-year-old is all-action around the park but he does not have the same level of power as Lake or Elias.
Evan Lloyd is someone with potential as is Efan Daniel while in the long-run Wales U20s hooker Isaac Young could come into the mix.
Hooker depth chart: Dewi Lake, Ryan Elias, Elliot Dee, Evan Lloyd, Efan Daniel
Second-rows
Wales have made some good headway in terms of building some strength in depth at lock over the past year or so. Racing 92 lock Will Rowlands is a high end Test player while Adam Beard is an experienced campaigner who is rated very highly by Gatland.
Dafydd Jenkins has been very impressive this season and has the potential to develop into a world class player while he is a natural leader. One of the most pleasing aspects of the trip to Australia was the performances of Christ Tshiunza at second-row.
The 22-year-old has always been a player with potential but over the last month he has really come of age as an international player. Tshiunza is a supreme athlete who is getting better with each passing game.
The Exeter Chiefs mans lineout prowess, dynamism around the park along with his general athleticism can give Wales a different dimension. Dragons lock Ben Carter also put in his best performance in a Wales shirt against South Africa but wasn’t able to build on it down under due to injury.
If he stays fit the 23-year-old could really kick on over the next couple of seasons while Cardiff lock Teddy Williams is also in the frame. Stylistically he is very similar to the type of lock the All Blacks would select in that he has a nice blend of athleticism and physicality while his handling is top notch.
Williams’ challenge is whether he can impact a tighter game with less space at Test level. Gatland is a big fan of Cory Hill but whether the 32-year-old, who was pulled out of the Queensland Reds game after being named captain, is able to play for Wales again is doubtful.
Dragons lock Matthew Screech is also in the mix while Ospreys trio Rhys Davies, James Fender and Huw Sutton could also be considered.
Second-row depth chart: Will Rowlands, Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins, Christ Tshiunza, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Matthew Screech, Cory Hill, James Fender, Rhys Davies, Huw Sutton
Back-row
Wales have some very good depth at openside flanker. Gatland’s World Cup co-captain Jac Morgan is special talent and if he stays fit will be a serious contender to start for the British & Irish Lions next summer while Tommy Reffel will also likely be considered.
Wales also have James Botham who can cover the whole backrow while Taine Basham will also be desperate to force his way back into the squad. If he can stay fit it would also be silly to discount Scarlets captain Josh Macleod who was a part of Gatland’s World Cup training squad.
Gatland has been very keen to find a big destructive blindside flanker. Ross Moriarty could fit the bill but the Brive blindside’s international days appear to be behind him after he pulled out of Wales’ World Cup squad.
Gatland is a fan of Taine Plumtree who went well in Australia but remains a work in progress while Christ Tshiunza is also an option to wear the number six shirt. In the long run Wales U20s captain Ryan Woodman will come into consideration if he can make his mark at regional level for the Dragons in the near future while Alex Mann will also be desperate to regain his place in the squad after doing well in the Six Nations.
But if Taulupe Faletau is fully fit he wears the No 8 shirt with the outstanding Aaron Wainwright moving to the blindside flank. Wales could do with some more explosive ball carriers in the backrow who can make serious post contact metres in the same fashion Scott Quinnell used to do but they are few and far between.
It seems only a matter of time before Morgan Morse makes the step up to the senior Wales side but it seems unlikely Gatland will ever select consistent URC performer Morgan Morris. The long-term No 8 option is Cardiff’s MacKenzie Martin who is a powerful carrier and was outstanding against the Queensland Reds.
Gatland will also surely be keeping a close eye on Blue Bulls No 8 Cameron Hanekom who qualifies for Wales through his grandmother but seems to have his heart set on representing South Africa.
Backrow depth chart: Taulupe Faletau, Aaron Wainwright, MacKenzie Martin, Taine Plumtree, Christ Tshiunza, Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, James Botham, Taine Basham, Morgan Morse, Josh Macleod, Morgan Morris.
