Former Wales coach Wayne Pivac has responded to Warren Gatland's claim more younger players should have replaced the old guard during the past few years.
Pivac appeared as a surprise pundit on the BBC's live coverage of Wales v England, alongside Sam Warburton.
He was asked by presenter Gabby Logan to respond to Gatland's "slight" at the previous regime over the age profile of the Wales squad he's inherited from Pivac.
Gatland has suggested it is too late to pension off some of the more senior players with a World Cup around the corner, saying the process should have happened sooner. The suggestion is the current squad does not have enough established players in their mid-twenties, with exciting youngsters such as Joe Hawkins, Christ Tshiunza, Dafydd Jenkins and Mason Grady lacking experience.
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Pivac was quick to dismiss the suggestion, pointing to the fact Gatland has recalled more elder statesmen since taking over, alongside the likes of captain Ken Owens, Alun Wyn Jones and Leigh Halfpenny.
"Yeh, I sort of didn't think much of it really when you look at Scott Baldwin being brought in at 36 (he's actually 34) and Rhys Webb at 33," Pivac said with a knowing grin on his face.
"Look, there's a lot of guys there that fit the age profile he's talking about - Will Rowlands, Gareth Thomas, Taine Basham, players who have been injured. You've got Nick Tompkins, Johnny Williams and people like Callum Sheedy. There have been a lot of guys getting opportunities. There have been some injuries and really it's about getting guys in at the right time because some of the players we have picked in the last year - 19 and 20-year-olds, you couldn't pick them when they were 16, 17 or 18 so it's horses for courses in a way."
Pivac dished out 31 new caps during his three years in charge but was sacked after a dismal 2022 that included home defeats to Italy and Georgia.
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