Wednesday, January 21, 2015

awkward squad

The 34-man Wales squad that Warren Gatland announced yesterday for the 2015 RBS 6 Nations includes four uncapped players, one of whom is the Blues' Gareth Anscombe, who was signed from the Waikato Chiefs in New Zealand recently, can play fly half or full back, and is qualified for Wales through his mother.

The Cardiff Blues also signed Argentina international full back Lucas González Amorosino in September 2014. Since November Dan Fish doesn't seem to have got much of a look in and can be found turning out for Cardiff RFC under permit while still in the Blues' first team squad.

When you think that Dan (a relative of ours) was playing full back for the Possibles against the Probables last June in the final trial for the Welsh party that toured Australia in the summer, going from that to what looks like the fringes of the Blues squad in six months or so shows what a tough environment professional rugby is.

As a postscript, Fish and Josh Navidi (a man widely regarded as unlucky not to make the cut with Wales yesterday) both signed for the Blues from Glamorgan Wanderers at the same time.

'The old rugby game?  Hardest game in the world. Done it meself, you see.'

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