Wales are on a roll. The statistics show it and the WRU claim the number of fans tuning up to watch the game against Tonga will underline it, too. Robin Davey believes the revival is something to celebrate and should not be threatened even if Warren Gatland tests his own squad depth this weekend.
There’s nothing like winning to bring the crowds in and although Wales aren’t exactly playing champagne rugby, they’re chalking up the w’s in near record-breaking sequence.
That is enough to appeal to the great Welsh rugby public. We have moved from a point where clubs initially had lots of tickets left on their hands for the Under Armour autumn series to one where they are now flying, out according to the Welsh Rugby Union.
Tonga on Saturday may not be the biggest attraction and coach Warren Gatland could change the entire team, fielding a virtual second XV, but that hasn’t deterred the fans.
The WRU were originally expecting a crowd of around 55,000 but, helped obviously by lower prices, they say tickets have been ‘flying out’ at the rate of 1,000 a day since last Saturday’s 9-6 win against Australia.
That was Wales’ first victory over the Wallabies for ten years and finally brought an end to a 13-match losing run against them.
Now Wales are in a position whereby victory over the Tongans would be their eighth in a row, making them the third most successful Welsh team in history in terms of successive victories.
The all-time record for consecutive wins occurred way back from 1907-1910 when Wales won 11 in a row. In more recent times, Graham Henry’s 1999 side won 10 on the bounce.
A year out from the World Cup, Wales are currently up to third in the world, behind New Zealand and Ireland, with England in fourth.
Tonga are back in 12th, which may not sound spectacular, but it is a place higher than perennial Six Nations strugglers Italy, two places further up than Six Nations wannabes Georgia, and five places beyond Samoa, who in recent seasons were recognised as the strongest of the South Seas nations.
Wales, then, would be wrong to take Tonga lightly in any sense, but the rewards from another victory should guard against any sense of complacency.
The incentives keep piling up, for a win on Saturday followed by another in the far more difficult task against South Africa a week on Saturday would give them a clean sweep of autumn international wins for the first time this century.
So the sky is pretty much the limit, and all the signs point to Gatland choosing a fairly experimental line-up to try to extend their current winning run for the Tonga match.
The summer tour saw a significant step forward in Gatland’s aim to develop more depth ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Tomos Williams, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard and Ellis Jenkins were a few who put their heads above the parapet and Gatland is giving them another opportunity during this series.
All could play a part against Tonga while young Dragons forwards Leon Brown and Aaron Wainwright – playing for works team Whiteheads just two years ago – are others who could feature against the Tongans.
And at No.10, where there was once Dan Biggar full stop, now there’s Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell firmly added to the list.
Gatland is also keen to experiment with players who are capable of switching positions, which could also be vital during the World Cup.
George North, for example, has been tried in the centre while Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams are interchangeable from full-back to wing.
Complete newcomer Jason Holmes could be tried on the wing and at full-back while Seb Davies and Cory Hill are two more who could move around.
Davies is basically a lock but can, and has, played at No.8 or even at blindside flanker, while Cory Hill is first and foremost a lock but forwards coach Robin McBryde believes he is well capable of playing at six.
All or most of these experiments may feature against Tonga when a near full house could roar Wales on towards that record breaking run.
Onwards and upwards!
