Gareth Anscombe’s Future with Wales in Doubt as Gatland Makes Cuts
Gareth Anscombe’s exclusion from Wales’ Six Nations squad raises questions about his future in the team amid injury concerns.
Gareth Anscombe, Wales, Six Nations, Warren Gatland, Dan Edwards, Cardiff, France
Cardiff: Gareth Anscombe is in a bit of a pickle after not making the cut for Wales’ Six Nations squad. It’s a tough break, especially with Sam Costelow out for a few months due to a shoulder injury.
Instead of Anscombe, young Ospreys player Dan Edwards got the nod, while Ben Thomas is also in the mix, even though he’s been playing inside centre lately. It’s a big change for the team.
Warren Gatland is looking to start either Thomas or Edwards in the opener against France on January 31. Edwards is new to this level, and Thomas has only had a couple of starts as a fly-half.
Anscombe had been back in the picture after a solid start with Gloucester, but unless more injuries hit, he’s out for this year’s Six Nations. Gatland mentioned that they need to build depth in the fly-half position for the future.
It’s a bold move, especially since Gatland is under pressure to get good results after a review of the team’s performance. Some might think Anscombe’s absence is due to injuries, but he’s been cleared to play.
He did feature in a couple of autumn matches, but didn’t play against South Africa. Now, it looks like Thomas is the favorite to take the 10 jersey against France, having had some experience already.
As for Edwards, this is his first call-up to the senior squad. He was training with the team last autumn but missed out due to injury. Gatland is keen on developing new talent in that position, and it’s a great chance for Edwards to show what he can do.