-Credit: (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
The first block of the United Rugby Championship season is behind us with two Welsh clubs occupying positions in the top eight.
While all four Welsh clubs – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – are operating off £4.5m playing budgets there has been some shrewd recruitment over the summer which has enabled a couple of them to be more competitive than last season. While the days of marquee signings are over for now a number of new arrivals have made an immediate impact in the Welsh rugby.
Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas selects the new signings which have made the biggest impact in the first block of URC fixtures.
READ MORE:Brian O’Driscoll reveals ‘standout’ Welshman for Lions selection and tips one-cap star as potential bolter
READ MORE:Tonight’s rugby news as dropped Wales star told to be patient and top coach quits in shock move
WIN Wales autumn internationals tickets: Just fill in the form here and you’ll be entered in the draw for free Wales v Fiji tickets
6. Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets)
The South African hooker has made a big impact since joining the Scarlets from the Cheetahs. One of the Scarlets’ biggest problems last season was a lack of impact from the bench.
The signing of the 27-year-old has meant the Scarlets have been able to rotate between the South African hooker and Wales international Ryan Elias. As you would expect from a South African forward van der Merwe is extremely physical and is an explosive ball carrier capable of making significant post contact metres while he also provides a jackal threat at the breakdown.
His throwing into the lineout is also accurate while internally he has also been praised for his scrummaging prowess with the Scarlets’ set-piece significantly stronger than it was last season. The west Walians were guilty of having a very soft underbelly last season but the signings of players like van der Merwe and Australian lock Max Douglas has helped solve this issue.
When signing overseas players they really need to improve performances and the majority of the Scarlets’ signings upfront have succeeded in doing just that.
5. Shane Lewis-Hughes (Dragons)
The 27-year-old is playing like a man reborn since leaving Cardiff for the Dragons. Just a few short years ago the back-five forwards was a member of the Wales squad and was getting compared to the legendary Alun Wyn Jones but for one reason or another Lewis-Hughes’ progress stalled.
But a fresh start has done him the world of good and he has been outstanding for the Dragons this season. Lewis-Hughes is a player with a nice blend of athleticism and physicality.
The man from Pontypridd is a good lineout forward who is capable of making metres with ball in hand, both in the tight and wide channels, while his versatility has also come in handy for the Men of Gwent. It has been a tough season so far for the Dragons with just one win out of their opening six URC fixtures, although performances were a lot better against Leinster, the Sharks and the Lions.
But the Dragons’ poor results are no reflection on Lewis-Hughes’ form with the 27-year-old one of their better players. According to the official URC stats Lewis-Hughes has made 25 successful carries this season and 127 metres, with 64 tackles and nine turnovers won.
If there is to be an uplift in form for the Dragons this season then Lewis-Hughes will likely play a big part in any resurgence.
4. Dan Thomas (Cardiff)
The 31-year-old found himself surplus to requirements at Bristol but has been given a chance by Cardiff and has paid them back with some excellent performances. Thomas was signed as a replacement for former Wales openside Ellis Jenkins and so far he has been up to the task.
The openside flanker is a very physical player who adds a lot to the breakdown and has a huge work rate. Thomas was named player of the match in Cardiff’s Welsh derby victory over the Scarlets in Llanelli last month and has been a model of consistency since joining from Bristol in the summer.
His physicality in defence has been a huge asset to the Blue & Blacks while he also carries a lot of ball. Both Thomas and former England lock Josh McNally have added some quality to the Cardiff pack.
3. Henry Thomas (Scarlets)
At times last season the Scarlets scrum was shoved from pillar to post and there is no doubt a poor set-piece contributed towards an awful 2023/24 campaign. But things have improved down west and finally the Scarlets have a solid set-piece which is in large part down to experienced Wales tighthead Henry Thomas.
The 32-year-old is exactly the type of player the Scarlets needed. There is nothing flashy about the former England international but when it comes to the scrum he rarely comes off second best.
Thomas more than held his own as a scrummager in the French Top 14 with Montpellier and Castres, respectively, which says a great deal about his quality. Since moving to the Scarlets he has given Dwayne Peel’s side a solid set-piece while he also gets through a decent amount of work around the park.
The likes of Taine Plumtree, Blair Murray, Macs Page, Eddie James and Tom Rogers have got the plaudits this season but none of those would have performed anywhere near as well if Thomas was not providing a solid platform at scrum time. Against the Bulls in Llanelli recently Thomas didn’t budge which went a long way in the Scarlets getting over the line.
His performances have not gone unnoticed by Gatland either with the 32-year-old selected in Wales’ squad for the Autumn Nations Series and given his recent form at the set-piece he must surely be a serious contender to start against Fiji on November 10. Thomas has solved what was a serious problem for the Scarlets.
2. Josh McNally (Cardiff)
The former England international may not be the flashiest player in the world but this was a shrewd bit of business by Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt. When McNally’s signing was officially announced the Welsh rugby corner of social media was awash with people who couldn’t understand how a 34-year-old Englishman could improve Cardiff, while there were also concerns at how he could potentially block the path of young homegrown players.
But McNally has been excellent for Cardiff and by all account has been a positive influence on the young Welsh forwards at the Arms Park. The former London Irish and Bath lock has brought a physical edge to the Cardiff front five with his huge work rate both in defence and with ball in hand a big plus for Sherratt’s side.
At 6ft 7in and 126kg McNally is exactly the type of big and physical lock Cardiff have needed for years. McNally compliments the athletic Teddy Williams well and gets through a huge amount of the unseen dirty work around the park which very rarely gets any praise.
Another area of the field where Cardiff have benefitted from McNally’s presence is the scrum. Cardiff’s scrum has been very destructive at times this season and clearly having a lock of McNally’s size adding weight and power behind the front-row has been a factor in that.
McNally is a prime example a player doesn’t have to be a big name to be deemed a good signing.
1. Blair Murray (Scarlets)
When Murray was announced as a new signing for the Scarlets in the summer Welsh rugby fans would have had to do a thorough search on Google to find out who he was. Murray had impressed for New Zealand Schoolboys and for Canterbury in the Bunnings NPC but hadn’t played Super Rugby.
But the Scarlets saw something in the 23-year-old wing who has been outstanding in the opening block of the URC. Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel saw real potential in Murray but even he would have been surprised by just how quickly he has been elevated to the Wales squad.
Murray, who qualifies for Wales courtesy of a mother from Tonyrefail, is a deadly broken field runner with searing pace and wicked footwork. Whenever he gets the ball it feels like something positive is about to happen and his tremendous try in the Scarlets’ superb victory over the Bulls summed up his finishing prowess.
Murray is only 5ft 8inch and 75kg but is deceptively powerful in a similar fashion to Wales legend Shane Williams and has not been found wanting defensively in the URC, although this side of his game will get examined far more thoroughly at Test level. His is an extremely intelligent rugby player and could be an asset for Wales moving forward.
His meteoric rise and the huge impact he has made in such a short space of time means he takes first place.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
