Welsh Rugby Youngsters in Demand

According to the Western Mail in this article.  And they’re not wrong from what I understand.  If Warren is really going to pick players for Wales who are plying their trade elsewhere it could well see a bunch of youngsters move across the border – especially with so many English players being snapped up by French clubs.

Tom Issacs, who joined Ospreys from the Dragons over the summer, was approached by Wasps and it is understood that one of his main reasons for staying in Wales was to show loyalty to Welsh sides in the hope that in a few years he will be in Welsh reckoning.  But if you take that away, the dream that these players can have an instant impact to the degree of Halfpenny or Dr Bob (as Jamie Roberts has become affectionately known on some Welsh rugby forums) can be recognised from England and France as well as it can in Wales – only with more money and potentially less competition for places (Tom Issacs would only really have competition from another youngster, Joe Simpson, at Wasps, rather than Mike Phillips and Jamie Nutbrown at the Ospreys).

Warren Gatland

The Western Mail say that they have asked for answers from Warren Gatland and the WRU over whether players playing abroad can play for Wales – as Robert Howley has apparently told Nicky Robinson that his move to Gloucester from the Cardiff Blues will cause no issues – indeed he was picked for the Welsh tour of North America this summer.

The Western Mail suggests that youngsters such as Kristian Phillips, Ashley Beck, Sam Warbuton and Josh Turnball are all wanted by top English clubs – and thats just to start with.

But in my opinion it wouldn’t just be the youngsters.  Good tightheads are rare, as are outside halves who can control a game… will we see Adam Jones move, or Stephen Jones again be tempted away?  Big money might convince them – and English and French clubs have that spending power.

The Regions

Wales is a small nation that doesn’t have the spending power of other countries.  Indeed only the Ospreys look close to matching the sort of money that the English clubs can afford – and even then it’s not the same as the French sides.  Welsh players, because of the non-Welsh-Qualified agreement with the regions, are at a premium with Welsh sides, they pay more because they are Welsh.  If you start letting other countries poach the players and STILL pick them for the national team, one of the only factors helping keep wages down to any sort of normal degree, then you will be pricing the regions out of the market for many Welsh stars and not allowing them to bring in foreigners at a sufficient level to replace them.  In short their entire chances of success will be destroyed as they will be forced to play below level Welsh players.

Of course that is unlikely to happen.  The Welsh regions are only agreeing to the non-Welsh-Qualified cap via a ‘gentlemans agreement’, nothing could be put into writing as it is frankly illegal to discriminate based on nationality.  Do you think the regions would honour an agreement with the WRU if this really became an issue, especially considering the bad blood between the regions (via their group – RRW, Regional Rugby Wales)?

I think it highly unlikely.  Warren needs to put that law back into place, if it was ever removed in the first place.  The regions need it to stay competitive, the WRU needs it to keep the regions at least partially onside and Warren needs it to get acess to his players to the degree the regions have allowed him (which I understand is the most access of any country in the world).  Yes it may cost us one or two players at international level – such as Nicky Robinson.  But disregarding the rule could cost us a whole lot more.