Wales face a selection headache with almost a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of their Round 3 contest with England at Principality Stadium.
Despite winning their opening two Championship encounters, Wayne Pivac’s side have struggled with a selection of injuries throughout the opening rounds.
However, a host of experienced names have now returned to training with Jonathan Davies back following an ankle injury, while George North has recovered from a foot injury, and Josh Navidi, Johnny Williams and Hallam Amos are all available for selection also.
That means many ‘difficult discussions’ are taking place about the nature of Wales’ first-choice XV, but it’s a situation in which the coaching staff are revelling.
“Everybody has reported back and we [almost] have a full bill of health,” said Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys.
“We’ve [almost] got a full squad to choose from, which brings a headache but is also really positive.
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“Selection meetings have taken a lot longer than they did a couple of months ago. There are some really difficult discussions going on about combinations but that’s very positive.
“Right now there is a lot of competition for places.”
Close-run victories over Ireland and Scotland have boosted the confidence in Pivac’s ranks after a difficult 2020, with Wales hot on France’s heels at the top of the Guinness Six Nations standings.
Their toughest test to date is now just around the corner though, with a revitalised England bidding to boost their own title hopes following their Round 2 victory over Italy.
Not only is extending their unbeaten start to the Championship on the line for Wales in Round 3, but also a chance to win a third Triple Crown in nine years.
But, with that having been said, the emphasis in the Wales camp is firmly on performance and execution rather than the potential outcomes and consequences of Saturday’s fixture.
“This week is huge in all aspects, and we’re aware of that,” Humphreys added.
“We don’t talk about it [Triple Crown]. We’re all aware this is on the line but we don’t need to talk about it.
“We talk about how we’re going to play, how we’re going to start and how we’re going to go about trying to win this game.”
