Warren Gatland is not afraid to admit his mistakes and to learn from them. The announcement yesterday of his team to play Samoa was evidence that he will not repeat the error of taking an opposing side for granted.
The criticism the Wales head coach received for picking a below-strength team to start against Italy in Rome in last season’s RBS Six Nations Championship, a team who found themselves 9-7 down at half-time and 15-13 down with nine minutes remaining, influenced his thinking in selecting who will play at the Millennium Stadium on Friday evening.
There were those who thought that Gatland would make wholesale changes from the side who lost 19-12 to New Zealand on Saturday, saving many of his better players for the Invesco Perpetual games against Argentina and Australia later in the month.
He has declined to do so, making only five changes. He admitted yesterday he was aware of the accusations of his being “disrespectful to the competition”, which was one of the remarks made about him on the eve of the match against Italy. “You don’t want to hear that sort of thing,” Gatland said.
Accordingly, he has introduced a new half-back pairing in Dwayne Peel and the promising Dan Biggar, to replace Gareth Cooper and Stephen Jones respectively.
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There is little to choose between the scrum halves, although Peel, who will win his 70th cap, probably has a quicker pass than Cooper. If Biggar, who will earn his fourth cap and start an international in Wales for the first time, is thought to be young — he was 20 last month — then it can also be said that he is very promising. He is first choice in that position for the Ospreys. He is also known to not lack confidence.
Tom James replaces Shane Williams on the left wing. Considering how physical Samoa are, James’s chances of selection were not hindered by his five-inch height advantage and being several stones heavier than Williams.
Matthew Rees, who started the game against New Zealand as hooker, is replaced by Huw Bennett, who came on for Rees after an hour’s play on Saturday, as Gatland seeks to find good replacements in each position, knowing as he does so that having two good men competing for one position can only be good for the team.
Martyn Williams, as with Shane, his namesake, is rested and Sam Warburton will win his second cap. This is part of the long-term plan to keep Williams fit and as near as possible to the top of his game in the run-up to the 2011 World Cup. But it is also recognition that Warburton, 21, is turning into a very good flanker, who has probably overtaken Robin Sowden-Taylor, 27, in the race to replace Williams.
Wales (team to play Samoa in Cardiff on Friday): J Hook (Ospreys); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), T James (Cardiff Blues); D Biggar (Ospreys), D Peel (Sale Sharks); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), H Bennett (Ospreys), P James (Ospreys), A W Jones (Ospreys), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Powell (Cardiff Blues), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys, captain). Replacements: M Rees (Scarlets), C Mitchell (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), M Roberts (Scarlets), J Davies (Scarlets), M Stoddart (Scarlets).