It was hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for every Wales player on duty against France in the Six Nations last Friday evening.
All that effort against a side lauded as the best in the world right now, and no win to show for it. Tough — very tough. But spare a thought for those who've been in Wayne Pivac’s squad in this championship without seeing a single minute of action.
They are the forgotten few. There’s still one game left for them to be involved against Italy, but there are no guarantees for any of them that the situation will change.
MARK ORDERS runs through their stories.
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James Ratti
“He’s a really good rugby player. If Toby Faletau were not around, he’d be my Wales No. 8. A lot of people don’t realise how good he is.” So said a former Wales international about James Ratti this week.
The Cardiff player hinted at his quality yet again in the United Rugby Championship encounter with Ulster in Belfast a week last Friday. On a difficult night for the visitors, Ratti came on for the final 24 minutes and made seven carries for 30 metres, crowning his effort with a try. There were also four tackles and nothing missed.
Earlier this season he outshone Alex Dombrandt when Cardiff faced Harlequins. He hasn’t featured in this Six Nations as Faletau has returned to fitness and Wales have experienced back-up at No. 8 in the shape of Aaron Wainwright, with Ross Moriarty and Josh Navidi also able to play there.
It’s meant Ratti has had to play a game of patience. Looking ahead, he’ll hope he’s done enough in training to impress the coaches and stay part of their plans.
Rhys Priestland
Wales named four fly-halves for this campaign on the basis that two of them, Dan Biggar and Callum Sheedy, would be going back to their English clubs during fallow weeks and so another two were needed for training purposes. Largely, it’s been the Dan Biggar show with the captain on the field for all but 11 minutes of Wales' four games so far.
Gareth Anscombe and Sheedy have had cameos, but Priestland hasn’t even enjoyed one of those, with a calf injury hampering him to the point where he was released back to Cardiff earlier this month. It’s a shame for the talented game-controller because even at 35 he would have wanted to show what he could do as Pivac starts to tighten his plans for next year’s World Cup.
Willis Halaholo
Some things are just not meant to be.
Wales have lacked creativity in midfield but haven’t used arguably their most creative centre.
Injuries provide part of the explanation, with Halaholo missing the early rounds because of a hamstring problem and then sustaining a laceration of an eyelid which knocked him out of contention for the game with England.
He did play for Cardiff against Ulster earlier this month but uncharacteristically misfired on the night as the Arms Park team went down 48-12.
Also, Nick Tompkins played well at No.12 in the opening three Six Nations rounds.
But as Wales look to do something about their attacking game, which has yielded just five tries in this tournament — Italy have managed four — there’s a fair chance Halaholo’s claims will be considered for the match with the Azzurri.
Nothing is certain. But with his quick feet and soft hands, he does have plenty to offer.
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Bradley Roberts
It’s been a strange old season for Roberts, with the hooker coming on for his first cap against South Africa and unerringly sending his first throw to the back of a lineout and into Welsh hands with the pressure on in a tight game.
Tick.
Then there was his effort for Ulster against the Ospreys in early December. He only lasted 34 minutes before pulling up injured but drove like a demon in the time he was on.
But both Wales’ other hooker in the squad have delivered in this championship.
Accepted, the lineout may have malfunctioned a tad against Ireland and England, but at Twickenham the match officials failed to sanction the set-piece shove that led to the hosts’ decisive try, with Ryan Elias left to cop flak.
Before then against Scotland he’d nailed Wales’ only official man-of-the-match award in this edition of the tournament with an industrious display against Scotland, while he also battled hard against France.
Dewi Lake has also taken a leap forward with a series of big-hitting, strong-carrying contributions off the bench, too.
As with Ratti, Roberts will just have to bide his time.
Rhys Carre
Featured in three Tests in the autumn, two of them as a starter, but it’s been a watching brief for Carre in this Six Nations.
Evidently, Wales’ pre-Christmas scrum issues haven’t been forgotten.
They were not all Carre’s fault — he didn't even feature against Australia when Taniela Tupou did a demolition job on Wales' set-piece — but the assumption is Wayne Pivac and Jonathan Humphreys will want to see significant improvements in his scrummaging before handing him a front-line role again.
That, then, is Carre's work-on. The frustrating thing is his work around the field is good.
He carries like a tank and contests breakdowns. But he’s been overtaken by Gareth Thomas while Wyn Jones also remains firmly in Pivac’s plans.
Christ Tshiunza
The 6ft 6in utility forward showed enough in the autumn to suggest he could make a go of it at Test level. He’s a unit, for starters, and he carries and tackles with venom.
He may need to develop his skills in other areas, but he hasn’t long turned 20 and so has much time on his side.
His Six Nations was over before it began, with Wales releasing him from their squad before the first round because the Exeter University and Exeter Chiefs player had a calf injury.
Alun Wyn Jones
Of course he hasn’t improved his cap tally, with Jones only being officially added to the squad after Friday’s game with France.
A shoulder injury picked up during the autumn has kept him on the sidelines for more than four months.
Had he stayed fit, it’s hard to imagine the captain not figuring as a starter, well though Wales have gone in the second row during this campaign.
Will he appear in the run-on side against Italy and win his 150th Wales cap?
It’s uncertain.
Will Rowlands and Adam Beard have distinguished themselves over the past six weeks, while there are also youngsters to develop.
But Pivac also knows the value of the talismanic lock going forward.
And Jones will want to prove he remains the extraordinary force he has long been in the Wales set-up.
Let’s see how selection goes.
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