It’s an understatement to say Wales could have done without starting an international year that will lead into the Rugby World Cup with a record hiding in Cardiff.
Never before have they conceded so many points in a game in the capital.
The 55-23 defeat to New Zealand has left Wayne Pivac’s players facing a significant test of character over the rest of the autumn series.
How will they react? Will they let the setback jolt confidence for the remaining three matches? Or will they come out fighting, perhaps swinging a metaphorical chair above their heads as they do so?
The certainty is that selection will be important. Pivac could give the players the chance to atone for Saturday’s poor display. On the other hand, he may feel the effort against the All Blacks was so underwhelming that changes are called for.
Here is the side that he perhaps should play for the game with Argentina on Saturday.
15. Josh Adams
This one comes with the obvious proviso that Adams is fully fit after his hand injury.
Also, it’s assuming Leigh Halfpenny won’t be ready after his hamstring problem.
Wales have to start developing an extra full-back and given that Adams has played there successfully with Worcester Warriors, there’s more than a fair chance he could make it work again.
He has power, pace and good aerial skills.
If the coaches think he has a good enough kicking game to do a job at the back, then there are worse ideas than to throw him the jersey.
14. Louis Rees-Zammit
There isn’t much of a problem with the Gloucester player. Barely a week earlier, Austin Healey was saying Rees-Zammit could eventually be as good as David Campese.
What Wales have to do is get the ball to the youngster in space. Do that and tries will come.
13. George North
His partnership with Nick Tompkins is starting to click and the impressive thing about the big man’s effort against the All Blacks was his appetite for work. He looked to get involved and when possession did come his way he made inroads.
It was further evidence, then, that his switch to centre is working.
12. Nick Tompkins
He was arguably the best Welsh back on the field on Saturday with his tackling, passing and alertness. His was a testing brief, too, up against the imposing Jordie Barrett, but Tompkins gave a decent account of himself.
Pivac taking him off with 20 minutes or so still to play was puzzling.
11. Rio Dyer
While he was outjumped by the 6ft 5in Jordie Barrett as the Kiwi scored his first try, Dyer otherwise had a strong Test debut, not prepared to let the game pass him by and in no way awed by the occasion. He took his try well, was bold enough to venture off his wing in search of ball and chased impressively.
He deserves another run this coming weekend. You can read more about Dyer here.
10. Gareth Anscombe
Injuries and the presence of Dan Biggar have meant he has worn the No. 10 jersey for just 47 minutes during Wayne Pivac’s reign as Wales head coach.
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Wales need to give him exposure at fly-half to act as insurance in case Biggar picks up another injury over the year ahead.
A positional switch, then. Or rather the position he was originally selected in against New Zealand before being forced to move to 15.
9. Tomos Williams
Aaron Smith dished out a scrum-half masterclass against Wales, but his opposite number Williams’ effort wasn’t without spark and he didn’t stop looking for gaps in the 68 minutes he was on the field. He lost possession a few times but he is inventive and a run of games as a starter would add to his confidence.
1. Nicky Smith
It will be a close call here and Pivac will be wary of change for the sake of change, also known as rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. Thomas did well for Wales in the summer, after all. But the Welsh scrum hit problems early on against New Zealand, with perhaps Thomas' lack of match fitness counting against him — he’d had just 52 minutes of rugby this season before Saturday.
Smith will want to forget the dummy he bought off Ardie Savea, but he’s been in form at regional level. A start against Argentina would be reward for those efforts.
2. Ken Owens
Nothing to see here. Owens had a very good game against New Zealand. He holds his place.
3. Tomas Francis
Effort wasn’t a problem for Francis in the match at the Principality Stadium, with the Osprey putting in a double-figure haul of tackles. Wales’ scrum did send out distress signals and their starting No. 3 did lose the ball in contact a couple of times. But he’s still the best set-piece operator in the pool of tightheads available to Pivac.
4. Will Rowlands
Couldn’t transfer his stellar club form, complete with lineout takes and turnovers around the field, to the Test stage this time. There again, he defended well and gave it a go with ball in hand, even if the All Blacks were often waiting for him. He remains an important player for Wales.
5. Adam Beard
Didn’t make a lot of impact with ball in hand and was replaced at half-time. Pivac may be tempted to give Alun Wyn Jones a start and thus an opportunity to respond to the criticism he’s received, or he might even contemplate throwing a chance at lock the way of Christ Tshiunza, but maybe he should keep belief with Beard, who played well in South Africa and is one of the team's leaders.
6. Dan Lydiate
It’s only two internationals since Lydiate produced one of the finest displays of his career with his effort for Wales in the second game against South Africa in the summer. Test rugby has a massive physical dimension and back rows work best when they are balanced. If Lydiate doesn’t have the phrase “Test match animal” emblazoned across his forehead, there’s a case for believing he should have.
Tshiunza is another option, but given where Wales are, coming off the back of an eight-try pounding, maybe his first Test start can wait for another day.
7. Justin Tipuric
Revised statistics showed Tipuric made 23 tackles against the All Blacks. No Welsh player achieved a turnover, with the opposition so powerful in contact, bashing through tackles and recycling at lightning speed, but the captain recovered well after missing that early hit in the run-up to the opening New Zealand try.
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Even when the odds were stacked against his side, he never gave up.
That’s what quality players do.
8. Taulupe Faletau
If Ardie Savea won the No. 8 battle in Cardiff, Faletau can console himself that the All Black would have bettered any direct opponent on the day.
Faletau still had a fine game in adversity, not missing with any of his 26 tackle attempts.
He remains the first name on the team-sheet. Not just because Wales have no other specialist No. 8 option in their squad, but because in the Cardiff player they have a player who fronts up whatever the opposition and whatever the occasion..
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