By Paul Jones
Warren Gatland is weighing up making Dewi Lake or Jac Morgan the Wales captain at the World Cup – or even both.
The radical plan has been forced on the head coach due to diminishing options among the older guard who are dropping by the wayside weeks before the action starts in France.
Turning to hooker Lake, 24, or 23-year-old flanker Morgan – or asking them to share the burden of leadership – is now a real possibility after Ken Owens became the latest to withdraw from the squad on Monday.
Both Lake and Morgan are older than Sam Warburton was when he led Wales to the 2011 World Cup as a 22-year-old.
Scarlets hooker Owens, capped 91 times, has failed to recover from a back injury ahead of the World Cup, which starts in September.
No Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric or Rhys Webb at #RWC2023 for 🏴 at a loss of 402 caps. Warren Gatland could go for co captains and isn’t worried by lack of experience. Don’t rule out young guns Jac Morgan or Dewi Lake. https://t.co/85neCMacEk
— Alex Bywater (@_AlexBywater) June 26, 2023
Gatland says it is possible 36-year-old Owens could feature in the later stages of the tournament if there was an injury at hooker, but he will not be named when the New Zealander announces his 33-man squad at the end of August.
“Ken didn’t train at all with us (in recent weeks), his back has not recovered,” said Gatland.
“He has not been able to do any of the training. It is the same injury but not as severe as before so he may need an operation on that.
“He wanted to reiterate he has not retired from rugby and he is hoping potentially he could be available later if we pick up injuries in the tournament.”
Asked about Owens’ successor, Gatland added: “Co-captaincy is a possibility. We did that with Ellis Jenkins and Cory Hill in 2018 and it worked well.
“It is something I have put out there potentially as an option, it is not guaranteed we will do that.
“We will put a leadership group together and we will tell the players. You look at the squad and I don’t think there are any guaranteed starting positions and players will get opportunities in the squad.
“It is looking at the team and picking the right person as captain. It is the support they are going to get or is it potentially co-captains that can share that role and responsibility?”
Wales captain Ken Owens out of World Cup squad for now with back injury – possibly available later in tournament.
Warren Gatland 🗣 “We’ll probably wait on naming a captain or captains until we name the squad.” pic.twitter.com/Wcm468Xf3z
— Phil Blanche 🏴 (@philblanche) June 26, 2023
Outside-half Dan Biggar, who captained Wales in the 2022 Six Nations and the following summer tour to South Africa, and second-row forward Adam Beard are among the other leading candidates to take the armband.
Gatland chose Warburton, then 22, to be Wales’ captain at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
Asked if he would consider a young captain again, Gatland said: “Yes absolutely. We have time for that with the two camps (in Switzerland and Turkey) and seeing more of the rugby.
“We have been doing that more with players getting plenty of touches on the ball.
“We probably won’t name a captain or captains until we name the squad.”
Scarlets Ken Owens and Josh Macleod have been released from Wales’ World Cup training squad because of injury
Ken Owens a Josh Macleod wedi’u rhyddhau o garfan Cymru
🔗 https://t.co/xjNbLUnbpB#YmaOHyd pic.twitter.com/Dx6ZkMwLYN
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) June 26, 2023
Scarlets back-rower Josh Macleod (shoulder) and Cardiff prop Will Davies-King (foot) have both been released from the squad.
Taulupe Faletau will miss the first week of the Switzerland camp because of a calf injury.
Alex Cuthbert and Owen Williams will miss the trip altogether for personal reasons but Gatland, who has called Ospreys hooker Sam Parry into a revised 47-man squad, is confident they will be ready for the Turkey trip.
Veteran trio Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb have all retired from Test rugby during a turbulent build-up to the World Cup.
Prop Rhys Carre was released from an initial 54-player training squad after he failed to hit individual performance targets, while lock Hill withdrew to pursue a club contract opportunity outside of Wales.
“They are different in a way,” Gatland said when asked how this group compared to previous squads.
“There are some young players that are a bit green, but even in a short of period of time we have seen how they have developed.
“They’re all sponges in terms of wanting to learn and wanting to get better. I see that as hugely positive.”
Warren Gatland surprised everyone by appointing Sam Warburton at the age of 22 to lead Wales in the 2011 World Cup.
Love to see Gatland take a similar approach for this year’s World Cup by naming someone like Dewi Lake or Jac Morgan as Wales captain. Time to be bold again.
— Jamie Phillips (@JNPhillips4) June 26, 2023
