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Josh Adams of Worcester Warriors has been named in Wales’ Six Nations squad.
Josh Adams of Worcester Warriors has been named in Wales’ Six Nations squad. Photograph: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
Josh Adams of Worcester Warriors has been named in Wales’ Six Nations squad. Photograph: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Warren Gatland happy that Wales are considered underdogs in Six Nations

This article is more than 6 years old
Uncapped Josh Adams and James Davies are part of 39-man squad
Scotland have included uncapped prop Murray McCallum

Wales have not won the Six Nations since 2013, the year they lasted defeated England in the tournament. They have been written off by the bookmakers this year, not least because they play England and Ireland away after starting at home to resurgent Scotland, but their head coach, Warren Gatland, predicts his underdogs will have bite.

Wales go into the competition without two of their Lions, Sam Warburton and Jonathan Davies, while Taulupe Faletau will miss at least the first three rounds, but after announcing a 39-man squad that contains two uncapped players, the Worcester wing Josh Adams and the Scarlets flanker James Davies, Gatland was pleased to be regarded so low.

“The team that did well in the Six Nations in the previous year are always the favourites,” he said. “We finished fifth and when people write you off, it is a good position to be in. Our players have always thrived on being underdogs: people put the boot into them and they respond.

“They were disappointed with fifth place and I am pretty happy with the draw. Scotland first up is a good challenge for us and if you win your first two matches, you gain confidence, are tough to beat and have a chance of winning the championship.”

Told that Wales were 15-1 to win the Six Nations, Gatland responded: “That’s a good bet.”

Gatland has, over the years, needed to pick up his players when they report for training before the Six Nations after failures in Europe, but the Scarlets and Ospreys go into their final group matches on Saturday with a chance of topping their groups.

“It is good when players come into camp with confidence and a spring in their step,” he said. “The Scarlets were outstanding in Bath last week and we will continue with our attacking style. You have to use the strengths of your personnel: if you are using a ball-playing centre rather than someone who is great at crossing the gainline, you must attack in different channels. That is what we are trying to do.”

Gatland’s gainline crasher this decade has been Jamie Roberts but the Harlequin was left out of the squad. His way back will be through injuries or a system failure with Wales set to continue with an outside-half, Owen Williams, at 12, although he will be challenged by Hadleigh Parkes.

Gatland said there was no debate about Alun Wyn Jones retaining the captaincy while he considered leaving out the scrum-half Rhys Webb, who will be ineligible for selection next season having turned down a new national dual contract to join Toulon, but concluded he would be penalising himself. He hopes George North, who has played once in the past three months, will return from a knee injury for Northampton on Saturday.

“George needs to play to gain confidence,” said Gatland. “I think he is ahead of schedule. He provides an option for us at 13 and if I were a club coach I would play him a lot there. With his physicality, footwork and pace, he can cause a lot of damage. We have not used him there much, but it is an option going forward and we now have the opportunity to look at Josh Adams, who has a lot of pace.”

A third of the 39-man squad are Scarlets and Scotland will be led by one, the flanker John Barclay, even though Greig Laidlaw has recovered from injury to return to a squad that includes four uncapped players, Blair Kinghorn, Nathan Fowles, Murray McCallum and D’Arcy Rae.

The Worcester flanker David Denton is recalled, along with the Saracens centre Duncan Taylor, but the head coach, Gregor Townsend, is without three props. “We have to ensure we build on the momentum generated in 2017,” he said.

Quick Guide

Scotland's and Wales' Six Nations squads

Show

Scotland
Backs: M Bennett (Edinburgh Rugby), A Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), N Grigg (Glasgow Warriors), C Harris (Newcastle Falcons), S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), P Horne (Glasgow Warriors), R Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), H Jones (Glasgow Warriors), L Jones (Glasgow Warriors), B Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby), G Laidlaw (ASM Clermont Auvergne), S Maitland (Saracens), B McGuigan (Sale Sharks), A Price (Glasgow Warriors), H Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), F Russell (Glasgow Warriors), T Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), D Taylor (Saracens), N Fowles (Edinburgh Rugby)

Forwards: J Barclay  (Scarlets, capt), S Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby), J Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), M Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby), D Denton (Worcester Warriors), C Du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby), G Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), J Gray (Glasgow Warriors), R Gray (Toulouse), L Hamilton (Leicester Tigers), R Harley (Glasgow Warriors), S Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), M McCallum (Edinburgh Rugby), S McInally (Edinburgh Rugby), G Reid (London Irish), D Rae (Glasgow Warriors), B Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby), G Turner (Glasgow Warriors), H Watson (Edinburgh Rugby), J Welsh (Newcastle Falcons), R Wilson (Glasgow Warriors)

Wales
Backs: L Williams (Saracens), G North (Northampton), L Halfpenny (Scarlets), S Evans (Scarlets), A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), H Amos (Dragons), J Adams (Worcester), S Williams (Scarlets), O Williams (Gloucester), O Watkin (Ospreys), H Parkes (Scarlets), R Priestland (Bath), R Patchell (Scarlets), D Biggar (Ospreys), G Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), R Webb (Ospreys), G Davies (Scarlets), A Davies (Scarlets). 
Forwards: R Evans (Scarlets), W Jones (Scarlets), N Smith (Ospreys), T Francis (Exeter), S Lee (Scarlets), D Lewis (Cardiff Blues), K Owens (Scarlets), E Dee (Dragons), S Baldwin (Ospreys), A Beard (Ospreys), B Davies (Ospreys), S Davies (Cardiff Blues), C Hill (Dragons), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), J Davies (Scarlets), T Faletau (Bath), E Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), R Moriarty (Gloucester), J Navidi (Cardiff Blues), A Shingler (Scarlets), J Tipuric (Ospreys).

Photograph: Nigel French/PA
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