Good Day
For those who love the school of hard knocks as David Pocock made light of the cuts and bruises that adorned his features as he met the media yesterday and was asked how much more of a battering he could take.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he said with a grin).
“I’m feeling really good. It’s getting towards the end of the season so you’ve played a lot of rugby and your body gets used to recovering and we’ve got an outstanding strength and conditioning and medical team and physios who look after us so there’ll be no trouble getting up for another game.”
The do still make ‘em like that it seems…
Bad Day
For Rhys Priestland, Wales’ most recent Grand Slam winning stand off, after he was highly criticised by the high priest of Welsh rugby commentators for his decision to take a sabbatical from international rugby.
Jonathan Davies is one of the most respected figures in the sport, not least because as well as having been a magical play-maker for Wales, he proved tough enough physically and mentally to excel in rugby league, helping Great Britain to a win over Australia and, perhaps even more impressively, earning sufficient respect to be invited to have a couple of spells playing for Australian clubs.
When, then, ‘Jiffy’ suggests to a fellow Welshman that he should ‘toughen up’ most would reckon that Priestland should listen.
The former Scarlets player who has recently moved to Bath has admittedly been something of a magnet for criticism from Welsh supporters in recent times and has admitted to having crises of confidence and having sought the help of sports psychologists, while Dan Biggar now looks to have firmly asserted himself as Wales’ first choice stand off.
His decision also has a rather pragmatic look about it since focusing on club rugby will doubtless endear him to his new employers.
That suspicion may have contributed to what may come across to some as a rather unsympathetic ‘old school’ message from Davies.
"He does get a lot of stick, but he's got to take it on the chin and toughen up a little bit," he said.
"Because if you're playing 10 and you are in the public eye, it comes with the territory so for me it's a strange decision and one that I think he will regret when he retires."
Priestland’s decision may not, however, be the worst news for Warren Gatland, Wales’ head coach, who has been faced with something of a dilemma as a result of Toby Faletau’s desire to leave Newport Gwent Dragons and head for the English Premiershiip or French Top 14.
Under a new agreement with the Welsh provinces Gatland can only select two players not based in Wales for his international squad and Priestland and Jaime Roberts were the incumbent pair.
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