Shane Williams: Judgement Day – for the regions… and Wales

Wales can’t afford to let this summer’s tour pass without blooding some youngsters – and that’s why Judgement Day is going to be so important this year.
The whole concept of a double header of regional derbies at Principality Stadium is brilliant – it’s something I’d have loved to be a part of – but what I want to see on Saturday is some of our best young talent put their hands up on a big stage and show coach Robin McBryde why he must pick them.
All the focus in the last few months has been on the Lions tour, and rightly so. But for me, the long-term development of Welsh rugby is vital and that’s where these games with Tonga and Samoa come in.
We saw last autumn and again in the Six Nations that Wales are reluctant to change things up and reticent to bring in fresh blood when there’s so much at stake against the big teams. I’ve made my frustration known and I’m not the only one to believe such as Steffan Evans, Sam Davies and Keelan Giles, and others, must get a run out in June.
Tonga and Samoa will be hard games, there’s no getting away from that. I’m sure there’ll be a strong Welsh contingent with the Lions, and when that happened in 2013, we ended up losing to Japan! But if we aren’t going to experiment against the Pacific Islanders, when are we? We simply have to take this chance and use it to the full and that’s what makes it an extremely exciting tour for those guys who will end up getting selected.
The squad McBryde, right, will pick will depend on which Wales players Warren Gatland chooses for the Lions, but I’d like to see him select a nice blend of youth and experience. Guys like Gethin Jenkins, Dan Biggar and Luke Charteris could miss the Lions, but I’d still like them to be available for Wales to help bring the next generation through.
Who knows, they might even then benefit from an injury call-up to the Lions further down the line. I know from my own experience of the 2013 trip to Australia that it can pay off being so close to where the guys are playing!
Whether Dan goes with the Lions or Wales, I think Sam Davies has to start at 10 in one of the two games. As everyone knows I’m a huge fan and think he has a big future at international level. If we don’t see him from the off this summer, when else is he going to get the chance? How else are we going to see whether he, and the other players coming through, have got the ability and bottle to make it?
Let’s be clear, the Tongans and Samoans will be bang up for their games with Wales and will certainly try to target the less experienced members of the opposition. I played against those countries a few times and it can certainly be an interesting experience.
Some of their guys are enormous and made me look like a child playing in a man’s game! But in that sort of environment, you learn a lot about a young player. They either thrive or let the occasion overcome them and I think most of the talent we’ve got in Wales would do the former.
Who else would I like to see get the chance with Wales? In the pack, there could be some interesting selections. At openside, I’d like to see Thomas Young get a debut, potentially with Ellis Jenkins or James Davies in reserve. Olly Cracknell and Rory Thornton were unlucky not to be involved in the Six Nations and I’d like to see them get a chance.
Behind the scrum, I’d expect Jonathan Davies to make the Lions, so Owen Williams can be given a run at centre. A midfield of Sam Davies at 10, Owen at 12 and potentially Scott Williams at 13 could be hugely exciting. With that trio, Wales would really have the ability to run the big South Sea Islanders around the park.
I really like Owen as a player. He can play fly-half or centre, but I think he would complement either Sam or Dan as a 12, in much the same way George Ford and Owen Farrell work with England. We’ve seen the success Eddie Jones has had with that and there’s no reason why Wales can’t do it, too.
It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the next few weeks, but for the players, they can only focus on doing the business on the pitch. That starts with Judgement Day and I think there’s the potential there for two superb matches.
Cardiff Blues have a terrible record against the Ospreys, but this one could be a lot closer than many expect. If I was a Blues fan, I’d be tearing my hair out! One minute they look like they’re going to rip the opposition to bits, and the next they’re leaking tries all over the place. That inconsistency has to stop if they want to be a regular top-six team and I’m sure Danny Wilson will be trying to get to the bottom of it.
For the Ospreys, there has been their first real blip. I was shocked to see them lose to Treviso and then they bombed a whole host of chances in the Challenge Cup loss to Stade Francais. But, given the way they’ve played this season, it would be a disaster if they didn’t make the top four and I expect a big response from them this weekend.
The Scarlets will know they have to beat the Dragons if they want to reach the play-offs. You’d think they’d have the firepower to do that, especially with the likes of Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams and Liam Williams back in their side. But wouldn’t it be great if guys like Ashton Hewitt and Tyler Morgan gave them a bit of a fright?
I really hope Ashton can feature after his concussion problems. The injury has seen him miss most of 2017 which is a real shame, because he’s another one I’d like to see this summer. Fingers crossed for him that he can get back to fitness because like many others, he’s got plenty to offer both his region and Wales in the next few months.
It all makes for an exciting end to the season. The Ospreys and Scarlets pushing for the top four, Lions and Wales tour places up for grabs, and the sun looks like it’s staying out, too! Let’s hope it leads to a feast of running rugby at the best stadium in the world on Easter Saturday.