Wales squad preview for the Guinness Six Nations 2024
In the past five Men’s Guinness Six Nations Championships, Welsh rugby has struggled with consistency, winning two crowns and finishing three times in fifth place. Rugby fans worldwide are called to book Six Nations 2024 tickets from our online platform ticketing. co. Rugby fans can book Wales Six Nations Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.
Wales has only won one game in each of the last two campaigns, resulting in two of those fifth-place results. But the last time Wales accomplished that, they went on to win a Grand Slam the following year (2008), and two of their four Grand Slam victories in the past have occurred in the Six Nations following the World Cup (2008 and 2012).
That being said, if they were to repeat that performance in 2024, it would undoubtedly be shocking. But Wales have a leader with experience in this role in head coach Warren Gatland. If you go back to 2012, you’ll remember a youthful, underdog Welsh team under Gatland going into a Six Nations campaign with low expectations. That team proceeded to secure the first-ever consecutive championship.
A decade and a half later, might history be repeated? Yes, based on recent remarks from Gatland, but what do the statistics show?
England vs Wales: Six Nations 2024
Wales and England will meet in the competition’s second round on Saturday at Twickenham Stadium on February 10, 2024. There have been 141 test matches between England and Wales since the two countries’ first encounter in 1881. Wales emerged victorious in 61 of those games. Rugby fans can book England Vs Wales Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.
Wales is trailing behind in terms of wins, so there will undoubtedly be close competition in the second round of the tournament. Additionally, Wales defeated England 40–24 in the Principality Stadium in 2021 to win the Triple Crown. Wales’s victory over England demonstrated their invincibility in this situation, especially in light of their victories over Scotland and Ireland.
But Wales’s dismal showing in the previous campaign wasn’t unusual. In 2023, England defeated Wales 20–10, scoring three tries during the match. During this game, Wales gave up some significant turnovers and dropped a few balls, which in the end proved to be their undoing.
This demonstrated that the team under head coach Warren Gatland needed to improve their transition from offense to defense. England won 68 of the matches, with twelve being tied.
Playing Style
In the 2023 Six Nations, Wales’ tackle evasion rate of 15% was the lowest of any country, indicating their attempt to go through rather than around their opponents. There is still a place for so-called “Warrenball” in the modern game, though, since only two perennial title challengers, France (55%) and Ireland (52%) broke the gainline from a higher share of their carries than Wales.
In the previous Six Nations, Wales attacked the blindside more often than any other team (13%), except Grand Slam winners Ireland, who targeted the middle channels more frequently. On 39% of their attacking phases, Wales chose to move the ball between two and ten meters from the previous ruck rather than spinning it out wide.
Strengths and Weaknesses
In the Six Nations last year, Wales retained control from 14% of their open-play kicks, the highest rate of any squad in the Championship; that rate increased to 18% in the World Cup, demonstrating the effectiveness of their kick-chase style. Positive developments were also observed on the defensive front in France during the previous fall season.
Wales led the competition in tackles made per game (167) and had the third-highest tackle rate of achievement (89%). This perseverance was never more on display than in their opening match against a Fijian team fresh off their first-ever Test triumph over England. In that game, Wales completed an incredible 253 tackles, setting a record for the Rugby World Cup, route to a 32–26 victory.
Wales will need to strengthen their set-pieces to have a chance in this year’s Six Nations, despite the tenacity and passion they showed. While the Welsh increased their scrum rate to become the highest of any squad in the World Cup (97%), their lineout retention rate stayed at 85%. The Welsh had the lowest lineout (85%) and scrum (81%) Percent of wins of any team in the 2023 Championship.
Star Players
As with many teams this season, Wales’ star-studded roster will be lacking for a variety of reasons, such as injuries, NFL career switches, and retirements (such as fly-half Dan Biggar). It has therefore been necessary for Gatland to assemble a strong group of young players in his team. Although making a debut in the Six Nations can be intimidating, the strongest steel is made in the worst of circumstances.
Dafydd Jenkins has been chosen to captain Wales this year instead of Jac Morgan, and he will lead his nation against Scotland in front of a typically packed Principality Stadium at the young age of just 21 years and 60 days. By doing so, he will equal Welshman Sam Warburton, who previously held the record for being the youngest player to captain any team in a Six Nations match (23 years, 123 days, versus Ireland in 2012).
Ospreys’ mainstay Adam Beard, the only Welsh player to play all 400 minutes available in the Championship last year, is expected to line up alongside Jenkins in the second row. Beard’s experience could be crucial given the gaps in Wales’ lineup created by the injuries to Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones.
In addition, George North brings a wealth of experience to the backline. Should he score four or more tries this year, he might surpass the illustrious Brian O’Driscoll as the greatest try scorer in Six Nations history (now at 23, O’Driscoll at 26).
Many were taken aback by Louis Rees-Zammit’s last-minute decision to play in the United States, but it’s important to remember that Wales has been fortunate to have several quick wingers in recent years. In 2023, Rio Dyer crossed the line in both of Wales’ final two Six Nations matches and broke the line twice as frequently as any of his other countrymen (6).
Wales Six Nations 2024 Fixtures:
February 3: Wales vs Scotland at Principality Stadium, Cardiff
10 February: England vs Wales at Twickenham Stadium, London
February 24: Ireland vs Wales at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
March 10: Wales vs France at Principality Stadium, Cardiff
March 16: Wales vs Italy at Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Wales Six Nations Squad
Forwards:
Corey Domachowski, Cardiff Rugby: 6 caps
Kemsley Mathias, Scarlets:1 cap
Gareth Thomas, Ospreys: 26 caps
Elliot Dee, Dragons: 46 caps
Ryan Elias, Scarlets: 38 caps
Evan Lloyd, Cardiff Rugby: uncapped
Keiron Assiratti, Cardiff Rugby: 2 caps
Leon Brown, Dragons: 23 caps
Archie Griffin, Bath Rugby: uncapped
Adam Beard, Ospreys: 51 caps
Dafydd Jenkins, Exeter Chiefs: 12 caps
Will Rowlands, Racing 92: 29 caps
Teddy Williams, Cardiff Rugby: 1 cap
Taine Basham, Dragons: 16 caps
James Botham, Cardiff Rugby: 9 caps
Alex Mann, Cardiff Rugby: uncapped
Mackenzie Martin, Cardiff Rugby: uncapped
Tommy Reffell, Leicester Tigers: 13 caps
Aaron Wainwright, Dragons: 43 caps
Backs:
Gareth Davies, Scarlets: 74 caps
Kieran Hardy, Scarlets: 18 caps
Tomos Williams, Cardiff Rugby: 53 caps
Sam Costelow, Scarlets: 8 caps
Cai Evans, Dragons: 1 cap
Ioan Lloyd, Scarlets: 2 caps
Mason Grady, Cardiff Rugby: 6 caps
George North, Ospreys: 118 caps
Joe Roberts, Scarlets: 1 cap
Nick Tompkins, Saracens: 32 caps
Owen Watkin, Ospreys: 36 caps
Josh Adams, Cardiff Rugby: 53 caps
Rio Dyer, Dragons: 14 caps
Tom Rogers, Scarlets: 3 caps
Cameron Winnett, Cardiff Rugby: uncapped
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