BBC Sportrugbyunionwelsh

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Related BBC sites

Page last updated at 15:44 GMT, Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Coach Warren Gatland asks for Jamie Roberts input

2011 SIX NATIONS: SCOTLAND v WALES
Venue: Murrayfield Stadium Date: Saturday, 12 February Kick-off: 1700 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One from 1635, and on the Red Button and online; listen on BBC Radio 5 live; live text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles. Also broadcast on BBC America.


Gatland explains half-back choices

Wales coach Warren Gatland has told centre Jamie Roberts to 'go looking for the ball' against Scotland on Saturday.

The British & Irish Lions star had an uncharacteristically quiet game in the 26-19 defeat to England - his first Wales match for eight months.

He returned to the centre with Jonathan Davies after having wrist surgery following the New Zealand tour in 2010.

"I think perhaps there is a responsibility on Jamie to go looking for the ball," said Gatland.

"[Against England] Jamie didn't get his hands on the ball until 41 minutes on the clock.

"I think that Jamie would like the ball to be in his hands. We need to use him as an attacking weapon.

We need to get Jamie in the game... We potentially need him to run at the Cardiff number 10 [Dan Parks]

Warren Gatland

"I think Neil Jenkins made a good point afterwards to us. If Scott Gibbs didn't get the ball for 80 minutes he [Jenkins] would have got an earful and that's probably just saying to Jamie that he has got to demand the ball as well.

"Without a lot of line-out opportunity on attack, we have probably limited [the] chance to get him in the game.

"We've called too many short line-outs and not enough full line-outs. That is potentially something we need to address as well.

"We need to get him in the game. We need to use him. We potentially need him to run at the Cardiff number 10 [Scotland's Dan Parks]."

Roberts admitted he did not have the game he wanted in attack and hopes it is a different story at Murrayfield.

He revealed that last Friday's reversal against England had been a personal frustration.

"You come off the pitch and you question how you touch the ball five times. It's very frustrating as a player not touching the ball a lot," he admitted.

'We must be clinical' says Ryan Jones

"Some elements of that is down to me individually and something I have to work on this week.

"Just getting involved in the game more. Saying that, as a backline we didn't really get any start of plays of line-out or scrums. That's just the nature of the game. That's the way it went.

"As far as carrying the ball and getting involved in the game, it was very hard to do that.

"It was just one of those games. I haven't really experienced it at international level, but I certainly have with the Blues where you find that you constantly don't feel like you are there. Certainly in attack.

"But as a backline I thought we defended very well on Friday and we will take that into Saturday."

James Hook is a very dangerous runner and as a centre that takes a lot of heat off you

Jamie Roberts

Roberts conceded that he and centre colleague Jonathan Davies were similar players, but believes they can develop a useful midfield partnership.

"We get on very well. It's a combination which certainly Friday night worked well. We felt very comfortable with each other, certainly in defence," added Roberts.

"In attack, as a backline as a whole, we have certain things to work on. We had limited opportunity Friday night.

"It's a partnership [with Davies] which hopefully will develop and that starts Saturday.

"It's a great opportunity for us to go up there and repeat what certainly we did there two years ago [Wales won 26-13] which was one of the most clinical performances I have been involved in in a Welsh shirt.

"We were ruthless for the first 40 up there and certainly as a backline we were very effective."

Roberts believes the attacking ability of James Hook, who has been preferred to Stephen Jones at fly-half, could help the Wales centres.

"James is full of flair," he added. "He is a very dangerous runner and as a centre that takes a lot of heat off you. With an outside-half inside you that is a huge running threat, defences can't afford to take their eye off him.

"Hopefully on Saturday he can demonstrate some of that and afford some of the backs some space."


Wales team to face Scotland in Edinburgh on 12 February:
Lee Byrne (Ospreys); Morgan Stoddart (Scarlets); Jamie Roberts (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets); Shane Williams (Ospreys); James Hook (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Ospreys); Paul James (Ospreys), Matthew Rees (Scarlets, capt), Craig Mitchell (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Blues), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Sam Warburton (Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys).
Replacements: Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), John Yapp (Blues), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), John Turnbull (Scarlets), Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets), Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets).



Print Sponsor


see also
Gatland demands conservative Hook
08 Feb 11 |  Welsh
Wing Stoddart passes fitness test
11 Feb 11 |  Welsh
Under-fire Gatland backed by WRU
08 Feb 11 |  Welsh
Davies to escape trip punishment
07 Feb 11 |  Welsh
Wales lose Powell for Scots match
07 Feb 11 |  Welsh
Wales 19-26 England
04 Feb 11 |  Rugby Union
Highlights - Wales 19-26 England
04 Feb 11 |  Rugby Union
Scotland 13-26 Wales
08 Feb 09 |  Rugby Union


related bbc links:

related internet links:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites