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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Paul Abbandonato

Jac Morgan wins fans' vote for Wales rugby player of 2022

Jac Morgan has won the fans' vote for Wales Player of the Year in our online poll.

The blockbusting back-rower won 35 per cent of the vote after we asked readers who shone most brightly during 2022.

Morgan was followed by Taulupe Faletau (30%), those two netting two thirds of the vote between them.

READ MORE: Dan Biggar reveals his difficult conversation with Pivac after Wales axe

Then came Louis Rees-Zammit (13%), Will Rowlands (10%), Dan Biggar (8%) and Tommy Reffell (4%).

Morgan ended the year in spectacular fashion, producing tryscoring displays in the autumn Tests versus Georgia and Australia.

He bagged a brace of tries in each of those matches, even though Wales lost, with incoming coach Warren Gatland dubbing him a one-man wrecking machine.

However, Wayne Pivac didn't have Morgan as first choice for the autumn. He started against New Zealand with a back-row of Justin Tipuric at six, Reffell at seven and Faletau as his No.8 in the opening hammering.

Pivac then picked Dan Lydiate at blindside against Argentina, but he was injured early in the game and Morgan came on to have a barnstorming match as Wales won 20-13.

Morgan retained his place, being Wales' standout performer in those losses to Georgia and the Wallabies.

He had earlier only been a fringe figure under Pivac in the Six Nations and and was axed completely for the summer tour to South Africa.

However, Gatland is clearly a huge fan, talked up Morgan in his role as a TV pundit during the autumn and will make him a key player in his Wales side moving forward in 2023.

In the Six Nations, Morgan was brought into the starting XV in Wales' only victory, against Scotland. He also helped turn the game in Wales' favour late on at Twickenham against England - albeit in a losing cause - by challenging Eddie Jones' men at the breakdown after coming off the bench.

Overlooked for the tour of South Africa for not being big enough, he responded as well as anyone could - coming off the bench to shine against Argentina in the autumn before crossing for those braces against Georgia and Australia.

With three starts and three appearances off the bench, you can't help but feel Morgan was under-utilised in 2022 - but when he was called upon, he looked every part the Test player.

The Welsh fans certainly think so, hence Morgan winning our poll. His form for the Ospreys has been excellent.

Expect him to have a big 2023 under Pivac, too.

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