The depth of talent in the Welsh back row presents “a nice problem” for head coach Warren Gatland going into the 2019 Guinness Six Nations, according to Martyn Williams.
Even with injuries to Taulupe Faletau, Ellis Jenkins and Aaron Shingler, Gatland was not short of options in the back row positions as he announced his 39-man squad for the Championship on Tuesday.
Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi, Ross Moriarty, Thomas Young and Josh Turnbull all made the cut and are in contention to start the opening game against France in Paris.
And while former flanker Williams, who won two Grand Slam titles with Wales in 2005 and 2008, is backing Tipuric and Moriarty to start, he believes whoever is selected will make their mark.
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“We’re blessed in the back row, we really are,” he said. “They have been coming off a conveyor belt in the last five or six years and the talent has been incredible.
“There are some players where you think they are good at club level, but can they make the step up? Yet every one of the back rowers who has been given the opportunity has stepped up.
“It gives Warren Gatland a nice problem to have but it makes it difficult at this stage to say who is going to start, but if everyone is fit I would have Ross Moriarty and Justin Tipuric in there.
“But then you have someone like Aaron Wainwright waiting in the wings, the young kid has been in superb form in recent months and went on the summer tour.
“You also have the luxury of Josh Navidi being back and fit. He was outstanding when he was given an opportunity last year so it’s a real nice position for Gatland to be in.”
Another flanker option for Gatland is Young, who has earned a recall for the Guinness Six Nations after impressing for Wasps in the Gallagher Premiership this season.
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The 26-year-old was named in the 2017 squad under Rob Howley while Gatland was on Lions duty, although he didn’t feature in any of the Championship matches that year.
Gatland has also given opportunities in the past to James Davies and Ellis Jenkins, with the latter impressing for Wales during their clean sweep in the Autumn Internationals before injury struck.
Both Jenkins and Davies were unavailable for Guinness Six Nations selection due to injury, but Williams insists the back row remains the strongest area of the squad going into the Championship.
“Obviously James Davies is out and Ellis Jenkins as well, who was man of the match last time out – and it was cruel what happened to him right at the end of the South Africa game,” he said.
“It is definitely our strongest area without a shadow of a doubt and it will be interesting to see if Moriarty gets game time in the next few weeks whether he gets picked for that opening game.”
