Wales’ No.12 Dilemma: Can Thomas End Years of Midfield Instability?

Local TV Sport

Since Hadleigh Parkes left the Welsh No. 12 jersey after the 2020 Six Nations, Wales have played 61 Tests, winning just 19. That stark decline contrasts sharply with the team’s peak a year earlier, when they briefly held the No. 1 world ranking and reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-finals.   Now, at their lowest point in the world rankings, Wales are trying to rebuild, having ended an 18-Test losing streak. But with the game mired in crisis, optimism remains cautious.

Transcript

00:00Since Adelaide Parks left the Welsh number 12 jersey after the 2026 Nations, Wales have

00:07played 61 tests, winning just 19. That stark decline Contrash Sarpley with the team's

00:13peak a year earlier, when they briefly held the world number one spot and reached the

00:182019 Rugby World Cup semi-finals. Now at their lowest point in the world

00:24rankings, Wales are trying to rebuild, having ended an 18-tests losing streak. But with the

00:30game mid in crisis, optimism remains cautious. The midfield has been a constant area of instability.

00:39Since Parks' exit, Wales have fielded 26 different centre partnerships, with 13 players starting

00:45at number 12. Only three, George North, Josh Adams and Joe Roberts, have worn the jersey

00:50more than once. Nick Tompkins started consecutive campaigns in the jersey twice, first in the 2022

00:59under Wayne Pivac and again in 2023 when Warren Gatlin made him first choice for the World Cup

01:05and Six Nations. These were the only occasions he started five successive tests.

01:11Jonathan Davis, Joe Hawkins and Ben Thomas also had five match runs with Davises coming during the

01:172021 Six Nations title. Hawkins is spanning a coaching change and Thomas is covering Wales' most

01:24recent tests into the Japan tour. If Thomas starts against Argentina on November 9th in Cardiff,

01:31he would become only the third Welsh player alongside Davises and Tompkins to start six successive

01:38matches at number 12. This highlights Wales' desperate need for midfield stability.

01:43If Thomas starts against Argentina on November 9th in Cardiff, he would become only the third

01:50Welsh player alongside Davises and Tompkins to start six successive matches at number 12.

01:58Hayward must find a starting point and bring stability. How he manages the number 12 jersey could

02:04define the future of Wales' midfield and that hope is unlikely and five years from now it could be a game

02:11of musical chess.

02:13of musical chess.

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