Wales coach Warren Gatland could not have been much clearer.
He wants players from outside the Six Nations squad to show him they are worth places in his World Cup plans.
“There will no doubt be some bolters who put up their hand with the way they potentially train in the camps,” said the New Zealander after a fourth Six Nations defeat left Wales ending the campaign near the bottom of the table, with only Italy below them.
“You go in with an open mind and not wanting to make those decisions too early.”
What Gatland would give for an injection of competition across the board in his set-up.
Is it possible to transform a side in selection? Graham Henry did it in 1999 when he changed half his pack in mid-season, with Peter Rogers, Garin Jenkins and Ben Evans helping to turbo-charge the Welsh scrum, with streetwise Kiwi Brett Sinkinson introduced at openside flanker. With the dashing Shane Howarth operating at full-back, Wales were changed out of recognition back then, with 10 wins on the bounce arriving.
The fun didn’t last, not least because of the Grannygate affair when Sinkinson and Howarth were found not to properly qualify for Wales.
Oh dear.
Let’s return to Gatland and his quest for a rapid uplift.
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There is a school of thought the players are simply not there, that chopping and changing is the rugby equivalent of rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.
It was the same argument made in the 1990s when a long, dark night seemed to have engulfed Welsh rugby.
Wales found it devilishly hard to find their way back then.
Can Gatland fare any better heading towards the World Cup in France in September?
His starting point should be to find some ball-carriers because it’s an area where Wales have struggled badly in this Six Nations. He could also do with adding some creativity to his backline. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to beef up the Welsh scrum.
No small problems, then.
Here are some of the players who weren’t involved in the Six Nations but who could potentially power-up Wales’ squad, a few bolters among them.
Dewi Lake
“When is that Lake boy back for the Ospreys? Now there is a good player.”
So noted a gent on Sunday morning outside the shop from where this writer buys his newspapers.
At 6ft 1in and 17st 4lb, Lake packs major physical presence and is a force to be reckoned with. He carries strongly, hits hard in defence and contests ball at the breakdown.
Ken Owens generously said of him last summer: “He’s raw, he’s still young but he has all the attributes to be a world-class hooker. We’ve seen him grow. He still has a lot to learn, but all the fundamentals are getting better with him and he’s only going to improve more by playing and picking up experience.”
Lake’s lineout throwing has been a concern in the past but improvements have been made.
Injury kept him out of this Six Nations, but expect him to be in Wales’ World Cup squad. Whether he's a starter or not, he will make a difference.
Ross Moriarty
More than a few found it a surprise that the Dragon wasn’t named in Gatland’s squad for the Six Nations.
At the time the list was announced, he was seventh for carries in the United Rugby Championship and fifth for tackles.
Could he be the physical No. 6 Gatland has said he’s looking for?
Moriarty answered the question himself in an interview with BBC’s Scrum V programme shortly after Wales’ Six Nations panel was announced. "It's not what I could be,” he said. “It's what I have been for Wales in the past.
“I've played some games and made 40 odd tackles in two games, my collision dominance is usually above 80 percent and then I look at the other boys and they're probably way below 20. That's a huge part of my game and that's what I pride myself on.
“If I'm not top of the carry count as a back rower or forward then I will definitely be top of the tackle count. It's either one or the other with me, I know what I do and I know what I can offer."
Nothing is certain, but the thinking is Moriarty will come back into the mix in the summer as well.
Then it’s over to him.
Johnny Williams
The Scarlets centre has been bedevilled by injury problems but he played so well on his return to rugby against Munster earlier this month there were some who thought he might be parachuted into Gatland’s Six Nations squad.
It didn’t happen. But he is a physical specimen who makes things happen.
He isn’t a classical second five-eighth but he attacks the line, makes his presence felt and takes his side over the gainline.
If he’s not at least in the training camps this summer, it’ll be a surprise.
Will Rowlands
How do you solve a problem called Will?
He’s down to play for Racing 92 next term but is currently two appearances shy of the 25 caps he needs to play for Wales as an exiled player.
When does his contract with the French club start? We’ve yet to receive a definitive answer.
Will there be special dispensation for him if the deal kicks in before the summer Tests and leaves him potentially off limits to Gatland for the World Cup?
Somehow, you’d imagine he’d be available. Welsh rugby’s player of the year for last season is too good not to have in the squad.
Max Llewellyn
Here’s a potential bolter. He'll be playing for Gloucester next term but will not be trapped by Welsh rugby’s cap rule on exiled players because he’s yet to figure in a Test.
But the 6ft 5in, 16st 7lb centre is powerful, beats defenders and has good hands.
Others have stolen a march on him with Wales because of the injury that ruled him out of contention for the Six Nations, but keep an eye on Llewellyn.
He is a player with a bright future.
Nicky Smith
Wales’ scrum problems during the Six Nations unfolded with arguably the top-performing prop in Welsh rugby this season outside the squad looking in.
No-one is suggesting Smith would have revamped the set-piece on his own. It doesn’t work like that.
But it seemed odd not to at least have him in the mix. Not only can he scrummage, he is a force at the breakdown and does his fair share of carrying and tackling.
Morgan Morris
Here’s another man who may or may not catch Gatland’s eye in the coming months, particularly given the difficulties Wales have encountered in converting chances in the opposition red zone.
Such a skill is Morris’s forte, so much so that Ospreys boss Toby Booth is on record as saying the No. 8 reminded him of England and Exeter Chiefs forward Sam Simmonds.
Is Morris big enough for the Test scene? Maybe, maybe not. But he is a huge asset at regional level.
Sam Costelow
He gained Test experience under Wayne Pivac last autumn and is fast and unafraid to attack the line.
His game management has also improved and he has developed as a kicker out of hand.
Gatland passed him over for the Six Nations but he is a talent and a run of form might put him in the mix for the summer training camps.
Gareth Anscombe
As with some others on this list, Anscombe wouldn’t fit into the bolter category.
He is simply a player who’s been sidelined by injury.
When the vastly experienced and confident No. 10 is fit again, he’ll return to Gatland’s plans.
Josh Navidi
One of Welsh rugby’s grittiest players has been sidelined by a ‘neurological neck injury’ since last summer.
Cardiff have missed him, so have Wales. Any team would miss a player who does unglamorous jobs as well as anyone.
A superb team player, Navidi is a Gatland favourite but his injury can’t be rushed with patience the watchword.
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Cory Hill
Another Gatland favourite, he is playing in Japan but has been linked with a move to the Top 14.
An off-field incident cast a shadow over Hill’s final weeks in Wales before he left.
But in rugby terms he is a player who contributes energy, leadership and versatility with his ability to play at lock and in the back row.
If he returns to Wales, he’ll push hard for a place in Gatland’s squad.
Jake Ball
Like Hill, Ball has been playing in Japan. Like Hill, he would add value to the Wales set-up.
And in an interview with WalesOnline last year, he left the door open.
“ I never ruled myself out of playing for Wales again,” he said. "I never said that I was retiring from Test rugby. Funny things happen in the world of rugby."
He brings a hard edge and hits rucks like a steam train.
There are not many better players at the art of clearing out and Ball can scrummage.
Let’s see how this one goes.
Johnny McNicholl
The Scarlets playmaker is creative and scores tries.
An injury picked up against Munster is a concern, but depending on how quickly he recovers, he just may interest Gatland.
Dan Lydiate
Does he have a last Test hurrah in him?
Would Gatland be prepared to offer the old warrior a chance?
Lydiate is physical and teak-tough in defence.
He has a lot to do at this point, but never say never.
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