Former Wales international Scott Baldwin has reiterated his call for Gareth Davies to come out of retirement for next year's Rugby World Cup, questioning the depth at scrum-half. Baldwin was speaking after Davies' influential performance off the bench for the Scarlets against Benetton on Saturday night.
Baldwin took to X on Saturday evening, urging Wales head coach Steve Tandy to consider the veteran. He then expanded on his comments to BBC Radio Wales on Sunday, saying depth at number nine is an issue.
Baldwin backs Davies return
"He could be just what you want in a quarter-final of a World Cup, in a Wales-England fixture in 12 months' time," Baldwin told BBC Radio Wales Sport. "He's not going to be overawed with the pressure of that environment. And outside of Tomos [Williams] really, have we got the depth there to come on in those huge moments?"
Davies replaced Dane Blacker against the Italians, and Baldwin felt he did not look his age. "Firstly, he did not look like a 36-year-old, he looked like someone who was out playing his first game - that's how much it meant to him," said Baldwin. "That was the desperation he showed and the moment when the Scarlets needed it."
"They're 21-7 down, you've got a 36-year-old scrum half coming on and the energy he brought was outstanding. I have no doubt that would have driven the energy of those players around him."
Tomos Williams is expected to head into the autumn, Six Nations and next year's tournament in Australia as Tandy's first-choice scrum-half, but Baldwin believes no one else is better placed than the Scarlets man to rival him for the jersey. "Tomos Williams is out and out number one [but] I challenge someone to show me a better scrum after that than Gareth Davies," he said. "We're building for a World Cup next next year. I haven't given up hope on [Wales] getting out of the group and getting into the deep stages of the knockouts with the squad."
Mbonambi's future in doubt
Bongi Mbonambi's Sharks career is hanging in the balance as the seriousness of the Springbok hooker's disciplinary situation emerges. Mbonambi is awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing over alleged misconduct, with a ruling expected within the next two weeks following a months-long process.
The case reportedly relates to an alleged breach of team rules during a pre-season team-building session at Bayala Private Safari Lodges, ahead of the Sharks' August 11 clash against the All Blacks. Coach JP Pietersen had reportedly told players they could socialise on Tuesday evening but were then expected to prepare for a return to full training.
Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane and Eduan Swart allegedly continued socialising into Wednesday morning, despite Pietersen confronting them. Mbonambi is understood to have attended the meeting where the rules were outlined. Fellow hooker Fez Mbatha also allegedly missed a team activity following a late night.
Mbatha and Swart subsequently received written warnings after disciplinary hearings. The Sharks reportedly considered their lack of previous offences and the possibility they had been influenced by more senior teammates. Nyakane could avoid more serious punishment because he was absent from the meeting where the rules were explained.
Mbonambi is not currently training with his teammates despite being fit to play, with his availability becoming a talking point this week. Asked why the hooker was unavailable for selection, Pietersen said: "Bongi is obviously not available. There is no comment on Bongi."
The situation also raises questions over Mbonambi's availability for South Africa's November Tests against Italy, Ireland and France. He has not played since January 17 and has also struggled with knee and back injuries. His last Test appearance came against Wales in Cardiff on November 25 last year.
Costelow praises fans after comeback win
Scarlets star Sam Costelow has praised fans for sticking by them after a slow start to the season. Costelow nailed the winning penalty on Saturday night as the west Walians came from behind to beat Benetton in Llanelli. The win got Nigel Davies' charges off the mark properly after derby defeats to Cardiff and the Dragons.
"It's massive," he said. "We knew we weren't good enough the first two games and it's nice to see a smile on the fans' faces. They are with us thick and thin. They are out in their thousands and it's brilliant to see. It's awesome."
The home team turned around a 21-7 half-time deficit to win the encounter 27-26 in dramatic fashion. "Our kicking game probably didn't help us in the first half. We put ourselves under pressure," admitted Costelow. "But I thought our back three put us in great positions in the second half. They excited us and brought us into the game."
"It was a pretty tough kick in fairness after missing the previous two," he added. "But our forwards had worked so hard, so I thought I would save them the legs in the driving maul and slot one over!"
One man who knew the fly-half was going to nail his attempt was team-mate Blair Murray. "It was never in doubt," he said. "I see him practice those all through the week. He's a class kicker, a class player. I never had a doubt."
Reflecting on the comeback win, full-back Murray said: "It's unbelievable. We had a bit of a slow start in the first half. Our own mistakes made it hard for ourselves. Coming out at half-time, we knew if we kept hold of the ball and cut out those mistakes we would have a good run. I am just so proud of the boys' efforts. They stepped up when we needed them and helped us get the win. We knew we had to stick in there and how important it would be to get a win. It was awesome."
