Wales coach Graham Henry hopes that star players like Rob Howley and Chris Wyatt will bounce back after being dropped for the Six Nations Championship clash against Scotland. World Cup captain Howley and Wyatt, together with Quinnell brothers Craig and Scott, were the major casualties following Wales' record-equalling drubbing by England 11 days ago.
With injury sidelining fly-half Neil Jenkins and Welsh rugby's great eligibility farce meaning no place for New Zealand-born pair Shane Howarth or Brett Sinkinson, Henry will send a new-look team into battle on Saturday afternoon. But he has spoken to each of the axed brigade, a quartet with 122 caps between them. "I hope that the guys who are not in the side this time will take it on the chin and want to get back in. I've spoken to them all, and that is the feedback I have been getting", Henry said.
Howley, for one, is determined to take up the challenge, claiming, "I want to prove to myself that I am good enough to play for Wales again. I've asked if there are any weaknesses in my game, and Graham said that I need to improve my passing from rucks and mauls, and to make more things happen between set phases", Howley added. Wyatt, meanwhile, has an immediate chance to show Henry what he might be missing by featuring for Wales A against Scotland A at Bridgend on Friday night.
Despite a much-changed side, and unwanted distractions off the pitch, Henry remains in positive mood about Saturday's challenge. "It has not been easy for us. You want stability, and we haven't had that, but we've got to do the best that we can", he said. Unlike Wales, the Scots have not won a Six Nations match this season, but will fancy their chances, given Welsh upheaval this week.
At least a third New Zealand-born player - Llanelli fullback Matt Cardey - will be in the Millennium Stadium dressing room after being given International Rugby Board clearance. Cardey, whose grandmother came from Gwent - he has birth and death certificates to prove it - makes his Test debut. A Welsh Rugby Union probe is underway into Howarth and Sinkinson, which has met with approval from IRB chief executive Stephen Baines. Baines met WRU secretary Dennis Gethin in Cardiff yesterday, and said, "I am happy that a full investigation is underway, and have been promised that the results will be delivered to us within seven days".
