When I was growing up, I pleaded with my London-based sister to bring me back a Welsh rugby jersey.
This was 2008, and not 30 minutes after her arrival at Port Elizabeth airport, I was donning that Grand Slam thread, and from my my ankles right to the bridge of my neck, hairs were rising, imagining the choir and sheer brilliance of that anthem at the coveted Millennium Stadium.
I couldn’t imagine a greater spectatorship than being there and experiencing that. In 2010 I was fortunate enough to tick that that off my bucket list.
‘Land of my Fathers’ lifted me to the rugby heavens five years ago. Since then I have still pretended to know the lyrics, but more importantly Wales narrowly missed out on a World Cup final, won a Grand Slam and formed the bulk of the victorious British and Irish Lions team.
None of which is a mean feat and collectively that shows they are a high-quality outfit.
Central to all of that was coach Warren Gatland and captain Sam Warburton, their relationship has been crucial. A coach needs to have faith in his captain, and his captain needs to reward that faith, and Warburton has done so admirably. He’s a fine asset to Wales and will go down in history as one of the nation’s better players.
However, he is currently the understudy of arguably the best flanker north of the equator – Justin Tipuric.
Despite that defeat in Cardiff to Ireland in the warm-ups matches, I truly felt the Welsh could go all the way in this tournament. I have four reasons.
Firstly, they’re closer to home. Secondly, the English setup – like the Springboks – don’t know their best team (not even the players do), and as a result aren’t looking like tournament winners. Kudos though to a few outstanding players but one famous win against the Kiwis can’t carry them for three years.
Thirdly, the Wales versus Australia fixture has historically favoured the Australians, but usually in the last five minutes. It’s always been an absolute beaut to watch. And lastly, the Welsh have the players to do it.
Well, used to anyway.
The first name on that Welsh sheet was Leigh Halfpenny, but let’s try hold back the tears. And given the scrum-half’s form in 2015, the second one was Rhys Webb. Not least to mention the loss of Jonathan Davies, which was also a thug-shot to the kidneys.
Unfortunately all are now on the wrong side of history, and Gatland must make do. We never want to see the best players injured because the World Cup is essentially their time to perform and hopefully be in a video montage 10 years from now. But Gatland’s best player is warming the bench instead of hearts, and unforgivably so.
In the 2013 Six Nations, we saw Tipuric and Warburton put in a wonderful match-winning performance to hoist the Welsh as tournament champions. Since then, Tipuric has been playing second fiddle to Warburton without Gatland extensively justifying why he’s leaving out Justin.
Here’s what I have… nothing.
We can all agree Warburton and Dan Lydiate boast bigger biceps and quads, but that doesn’t mean anything in making metres. Tipuric always goes forward because he attacks space and has got pace to burn. He might not hit rucks as hard as the other two, but he plays to the ball and doesn’t commit himself to a long lost ruck.
Tipuric keeps himself available for the next tackle, or the next best opportunity to turn the ball over. With the exception of Kieran Read and Leone Nakarawa, there may not be another forward with such a deft pair of mittens.
I can’t recall him missing tackle.
Gatland needs big moment players and although he still has Jamie Roberts and George North, he needs someone who the English cannot contend with. There isn’t a single English forward that can match Tipuric’s temperament.
Yet Gatland’s opted to match size for size and the fixture is likely to end in a slug-fest. Yawn. He might be saving Tipuric for the last 30 to really make the English dig deep in their lungs, but the fact is Warburton and Tipuric can go the full 80, start to finish, give the Welsh backs enough ball to play with, and even generously add themselves with attacking ball.
Wales won’t win this fixture in the forwards, and if they do, it still won’t justify leaving out Justin.
Whatever the result on Saturday, the rugby heavens better answer my prayers, and bless this Rugby World Cup with Tipuric-Warburton versus David Pocock-Michael Hooper. It will be an ‘all or nothing’ game, and Gatland needs to start the man who always gives his all.
If he doesn’t, my Welsh jersey will stay in the cupboard, and I’ll go buy myself some blue headgear instead.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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