Wales could turn to Dragons scrum-half Che Hope this summer after an injury to Kieran Hardy opened up a vacancy in the pecking order, with one former international coach comparing the 23-year-old to Mike Phillips.
Hardy is set to undergo knee surgery, leaving Wales head coach Steve Tandy with a decision to make at scrum-half for the second phase of the Nations Championship. Hope missed out on selection last season but now looks set to get his opportunity.
Depth concerns at scrum-half
Scrum-half has traditionally been a position of strength for Wales, but the depth of genuinely international-class talent is now a growing concern. Tomos Williams remains one of the most dangerous attacking nines in the northern hemisphere, yet the drop-off behind him is considerable.
Wales have several scrum-halves who are technically proficient, but few possess the attacking instinct, pace and ability to unlock a defence that Williams brings to the position — qualities that were also a hallmark of some of his predecessors.
One former international coach of considerable standing told this writer that Hope reminded him of Mike Phillips, and believes the 23-year-old has the potential to succeed Tomos Williams as Wales' first-choice scrum-half in time.
Hope's attacking threat
Hope has a sharp pass and a sound kicking game, but it is his attacking threat that sets him apart. He has the pace and instinct to produce game-changing moments, with the ability to break clear and score from 50 metres out.
At Test level, technical proficiency alone is not enough. Wales need a scrum-half capable of offering something different, of turning half-chances into genuine opportunities and producing moments that can change a game. Hope has the attacking qualities to provide precisely that.
Of course, it is impossible to know whether Hope can make the step up to international rugby until he is tested at that level. The jury remains out, but his attacking qualities suggest he has the potential to offer Wales something different.
Other options and a veteran reminder
Ospreys scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams is another option who has been waiting in the wings, having featured in recent Wales squads. But the wider issue is whether Wales have a nine capable of controlling a game in the way their French counterparts do. Across the Channel, Antoine Dupont, Maxime Lucu and Nolann Le Garrec are not simply distributors; they are decision-makers who dictate the tempo, manage territory and know when to take control of a contest.
Ironically, Wales' most impressive performance from a scrum-half so far this season has come from 36-year-old Gareth Davies, who has retired from international rugby. With the Scarlets trailing 21-7 at half-time, director of rugby Nigel Davies turned to the veteran scrum-half. The impact was immediate. Davies brought authority and composure to the performance, managing the game superbly through his kicking, tactical awareness and decision-making under pressure.
Former Wales hooker and current Bridgend head coach Scott Baldwin was so impressed that he took to social media platform X after the match to urge Steve Tandy to try to persuade Davies out of international retirement ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup.
"I thought he played really well," said Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel. "Gar has got bags of experience and he came on in that game at an important time for us. I can't speak highly enough of Gareth as a professional. He's competitive. He wants to train hard every game and every day. It's great for us to have him in that role. I think that for Gaz it's important that he just enjoys his rugby now. I think that's where his mindset is. If it's going to be his last season, it might not be his last season. We've been saying that for the last couple of seasons! But I think it's important for him just to enjoy it. If he's playing, he's playing for us and doing those type of performances. I'm happy where he is at the minute. So I think he's fairly content with his career so far and what he's achieved. He's probably not chasing that (international recall), if I'm being honest."
World Cup concerns and Hope's chance
Wales need to find a genuine international-class alternative to Williams. If Williams were to suffer an injury on the eve of the World Cup, they would be dangerously short of proven options.
Next month could be Hope's opportunity to make his case. Having missed out last year, the Dragons youngster looks poised to get his chance to show Tandy that he is the man to eventually succeed Williams.
