After a disastrous Six Nations campaign in which Wales plummeted to a low, coach Warren Gatland has made a bold call by leaving key Welsh players at home for the summer tour.
The fans with Six Nations tickets were furious over the outcome of the 2024 Six Nations, and the decision to leave players out of the tours of Australia and South Africa was another controversial call.
Hooker Ryan Elias, lock Will Rowlands, wing Josh Adams and flanker Alex Mann will not be involved in matches against Australia and South Africa.
It has been a long slog of a season for most Welsh players, given the workload resulting from reduced regional squads.
And for some, it has been two seasons rolled into one after last summer was spent suffering Gatland’s arduous World Cup preparation.
So, the decision has been made, sometimes by the head coach, other times by the player, that some should spend the off-season resting, recovering, or, in one case, bulking.
Wales finish their 11-month season with a match against Queensland Reds in Brisbane on 19 July.
The game will follow Tests against South Africa and two in Australia. It will be Wales’ 18th season match against England, which kicked off on 5 August 2023.
The need for rest and recovery was never more the case than with Adams.
The Cardiff wing has limped through the season, having struggled with a persistent knee injury – that requires blood to be regularly drained from the joint – since the World Cup.
The one surprise may be the decision to rest Rowlands, given how depleted Wales’ resources are this summer in the second row.
Wales are without Adam Beard, Rhys Davies, and Teddy Williams and could lose Seb Davies to suspension following his red card on Saturday. The Cardiff lock was not named in the squad.
They also need Exeter pair Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza for the South Africa match outside World Rugby’s international window.
But Cory Hill’s surprise return has meant Racing 92’s Rowlands, among Wales’ top performers at the World Cup, will remain in Paris.
Mann down
Alex Mann’s breakthrough season has also taken its toll.
The 22-year-old went from the semi-professional Welsh Premiership to the Six Nations in months.
He was a delight for every fan who watched the Grand Slam with Six Nations tickets.
But the Cardiff flanker missed the end of the season with a groin issue and has been told to use the summer adding bulk to cope with the rigours of Test rugby.
“He’s got skills that you look at to see if players can go to the next level,” said Gatland.
“He can scan well in defence and attack and communicates exceptionally well.
Tompkins the exception
Nick Tompkins has played 31 games this season, including nine Tests
One exception is Nick Tompkins.
The Saracens centre has played 31 games this season for club and country, matched only for Wales by another England-based player, Dafydd Jenkins, at Exeter Chiefs.
Gatland offered Tompkins the summer off, but the 29-year-old was determined to add to his 36 caps.
“Nick was excellent during the World Cup but went straight into Saracens and hadn’t had much of a break, and I didn’t think his form in the Six Nations was anywhere near as good,” said Gatland.
“He recognised that, and we gave him the option of having a break to refresh, but he made a different decision.
“He returned and said he’s desperate to go on tour and continue to play for Wales.”
Six Nations Hero Dupont Eyeing Olympic Gold?
Antoine Dupont’s influence on the fortunes of his club and country has been nothing short of transformative.
The talismanic 27-year-old scrum-half for France and Toulouse has etched his name into rugby history with his remarkable performances. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby union players of his generation.
Not for nothing, he has been named the Guinness Men’s Player of the Championship on three occasions since 2020.
One only needs to watch the highlights reel below to see the pivotal moments that have defined his career.
Dupont’s lightning speed, vision on the field, and extraordinary playmaking abilities have made him a fan favourite – and a nightmare for opponents. His prowess was recently displayed when he led Toulouse to a Heineken Champions Cup victory against Leinster, further solidifying his status as a rugby legend.
However, Dupont’s absence from the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations – in which many would say his absence was keenly felt – has left many fans with Six Nations tickets wondering where the man was.
The answer lies in his ambition to represent his country on home soil at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. Already, he has shown that he can weave his magic in the abbreviated form of the game.
Dupont helped them to the HSBC SVNS in Los Angeles in early March; France’s last sevens title was 19 years ago. He later triumphed in Madrid as France clinched the SVNS Series in the World Rugby Sevens Series finale.
On the weekend, he steered them to the top in Madrid and earned himself the Player of the Tournament award. Dupont’s dedication to his Olympic dream reflects his unyielding commitment to representing France.
While fans will watch with great interest how he performs during the Olympics – the sevens kicks off on 24th July – the anticipation for his return to the French XV after the summer will only heighten their excitement for what’s to come.
England’s Elliot Daily Misses Out
The RFU said on Monday that Saracens back Elliot Daly will miss England’s three test matches in Japan and New Zealand to be with his wife as she prepares to have their first child.
Coach Steve Borthwick has named a 33-player training squad to continue preparations for the matches against Japan in Tokyo on June 22, the All Blacks in Dunedin on July 6, and Auckland on July 13.
The squad, which does not include players involved in Saturday’s Premiership final between Northampton and Bath, will assemble at Pennyhill Park on Tuesday for a four-day training camp. Borthwick will name his final tour squad on June 10.
