Richard Hibbard has called for Wales to spring a selection surprise for the Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday by starting with Dragons tighthead Leon Brown — a player he dubs a ‘fantastic beast who could develop into a future Adam Jones’.
Tomas Francis and Dillon Lewis are the other players vying for the No. 3 shirt in Wayne Pivac’s squad.
Many would consider Brown to be only an outside bet to make the run-on side in the Irish capital, perhaps seeing him as unproven as a Test-class scrummager.
But at 6ft 3in and 20st 4lb he isn’t short of power and he is also mobile around the field with Hibbard believing the 25-year-old has the potential to become a force.
“I just think Leon is a fantastic beast,” said Hibbard, until recently a team-mate of Brown’s at the Dragons.
“Give him a chance on the international scene now to get some minutes under his belt.
“He could be a future Adam Jones and a talisman of the pack for us.”
Hibbard played alongside Jones for region and country so knows what it took for him to achieve what he did. It didn't happen overnight, but scrummaging was his strong point and at 25 he had already started every game in a Grand Slam season for Wales.
Brown needs to start engaging full throttle, then.
The 60-cap Francis is favourite to start this weekend, with experience likely to be needed at the Aviva Stadium.
But Wales and the Dragons have been trying to develop Brown and barely two months ago the east Wales region’s director of rugby Dean Rugby spelled out what was needed for him to take a leap forward.
“You can't ignore Leon,” said Ryan.
“He is a huge presence with huge potential and that has accelerated him into the international arena. What you also have to be aware of is how you make him better, and underpinning that potential with lots of games is crucial.”
Naming his Wales team for the championship’s opening weekend, Hibbard opted for an eyebrow-raising five Dragons in his pack, with Ben Carter, Aaron Wainwright, Taine Basham, Ross Moriarty and Brown all finding favour.
Moriarty made a strong return to action after three months out with a man-of-the-match display against Benetton on Friday evening.
“In the back row, I want Ross there, I really do,” Hibbard said on BBC Wales' Scrum V programme.
“He’s someone we can play on the back of.
“You have Biggs (Dan Biggar) who can control the backline and Ross will be our talisman up front.
“Those two would be good for us.”
Hibbard also opted for Gareth Davies at scrum-half with Owen Watkin at No. 12.
Wales Women's captain and fellow panellist Siwan Lillicrap included Jac Morgan at No. 6 in her selection, saying: “I’ve put him in based on how he’s been performing week-in, week-out for Ospreys.
“He’s been outstanding. He deserves a shot.”
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