There are usually ups and downs with every international team, and it often comes when there is transition the likes of whch Wales have experienced since the World Cup ended.
I enjoyed watching the Welsh in the World Cup, and they played some good rugby, even though no-one outside head coach Warren Gatland was expecting too much.
This Six Nations has been quite similar with a couple of narrow defeats against Scotland and England, and then being on the end of it against Ireland in the same way that most teams in the tournament will be.
No one should be too surprised by the changes that Gatland has made for today's game against France at the Principality Stadium, especially at centre with Nick Tompkins and George North dropped for Joe Roberts and Owen Watkin.
My choice would have been to bring Mason Grady into the midfield because of his pace and elusive running, and put Roberts on the bench. However, I'm sure that Gatland has made this move because he knows what North can do, and he wants to put some bigmatch pressure on these youngsters to see whether they can rise to the occasion.
The Welsh will know that if France finally manage to raise their game in this tournament they will face a big challenge - but Gatland has earned a reputation as a selector who is prepared to take risks, and it is something that can create positive energy in a team.
This story is from the March 10, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the March 10, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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