And then there were three.
With two rounds of Six Nations games left to play, Warren Gatland has used 34 players, with the new Wales head coach wading through his options and looking to accelerate the development of young players ahead of the World Cup. It’s a lot of players.
In their 1971 and 1976 Grand Slam campaigns Wales used only 16 players in each term as their coaches enjoyed the benefits of settled teams.
Now, if Gatland starts early in the morning to read the names of those he has used so far in this campaign, he might just be home for the Ten O’Clock News if he gets a shift on. Different times.
Rugby is more power-based now and injuries are more commonplace. But Gatland is also experimenting. Quite how much of that he will be able to do next time out is unclear.
In past seasons, a game with Italy might have been seen as the opportunity to make wholesale changes, but this year the stakes are higher with Wales facing a potential wooden spoon should they come unstuck in Rome on Saturday week against opponents who are giving the impression of being significantly improved.
The cost of finishing bottom would be significant, with the share of the Six Nations prize money for propping up the rest thought to be around £500,000 less than for the side that comes fifth in the final table.
There is also the prestige factor as Wales look to avoid a fate that they haven’t suffered since 2003.
Gatland will not want his side to endure such status, but he will also want to continue to give players the chance to put their hands up for selection through to the World Cup. Time is not on the coach’s side, with just five Tests remaining before Wales open their global tournament campaign against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.
Here are the three players he hasn’t picked so far and their prospects of being involved over their next two games:
Keiran Williams
Joe Hawkins has held the No. 12 shirt with some solid performances, meaning others have had to wait in the wings. Nick Tompkins had to sit tight until last weekend before seeing any action, and then it was for just 26 minutes at outside centre.
But Williams had been playing exceptionally well before the Six Nations started.
When the Ospreys centre played against Leinster in early January, one count reckoned he beat 11 defenders and made 73 metres from nine carries, with 15 tackles. The thought crossed the mind that had the Irish knocked up a wall across the pitch in double-quick time that night, Williams would still have smashed through it, so powerful was his running.
“One of Kieran’s strengths is his strength,” ex-Wales captain and former Neath coach Gareth Llewellyn once told WalesOnline. “He isn’t a huge guy but he’s a pocket-battleship who makes yards on the gain-line.”
The wonder is whether the compact Williams could do it at Test level. But Wales will never know unless they give him a chance.
Will his opportunity come against Italy a week on March 11 or maybe France in round five? He has been released back to the Ospreys this weekend for their home game with Benetton. A trademark performance would be timely, if only to remind all what he can do.
Teddy Williams
The Cardiff lock is a game defender who sealed his place in the squad by piling up 22 tackles against Newcastle Falcons in the European Challenge Cup. Williams also impressively attacked the opposition lineout that day and contributed some eye-catching charges around the field.
But so far he has had to be patient with Wales.
Warren Gatland's team haven’t exactly been routing opponents in the front five yet the coach has been trying to develop young players in a side which is short of confidence. Dafydd Jenkins has been given a chance at lock, with Rhys Davies also having an opportunity, albeit off the bench.
Cardiff have been trying to add to Williams' physicality and feel the 6ft 6in, 18st 9lb player has made significant strides.
Might Wales have a look at him in Italy or France? Whether a chance comes along for him in this tournament, he is a young player likely to be in the mix all the way through to the 2027 World Cup and beyond.
Aaron Wainwright
He always shows up with his carrying and work around the field, but since the last World Cup he has been anything but a frontline Wales fixture, starting just 11 Tests out of 34 under Wayne Pivac.
Gatland’s return appeared to have changed things, with Wainwright recalled to the squad with his Dragons clubmate Ross Moriarty missing out. But Gatland has long had a soft spot for Wainwright.
Rewind to the Kiwi addressing a room full of big-name Barbarians players when he briefed them on what to expect ahead of Pivac’s first game in charge of Wales in 2019. "He has got a little bit of X-factor about him,” said Gatland of the Welsh No. 8 that day. “He is going to be special. He is quick, has great footwork, is intelligent and works hard."
But Wainwright has yet to feature in this campaign. The competition is fierce in the back row, with Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell and Christ Tshiunza in the mix, and the Dragons player has had to bide his time.
Gatland knows what he can do and picking him wouldn’t be a gamble. But presumably the requirement is to outshine his rivals in training. To say it’s not an easy task is to deal in significant understatement.
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