My Team of the Season shows promise for future
The silverware for the season is set to be handed out without any Welsh involvement. The quarter-finals of the URC took place this weekend, while the finals of both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup will both be region free. Is it the worst season on record for the four professional teams in Wales? If it isn't, then it isn't far off!
Things, as they say, can only get better. So, in the absence of any medals, I thought I'd hand out my own awards and pick my Team of the Season from the four regions.
Before anyone criticises me for including 10 players from my old region, the Ospreys, three of the top 10 performances from the four teams came in the Champions Cup when they beat the English champions, Leicester Tigers, at Welford Road, and the French champions, Montpellier, both home and away. You have to include Cardiff 's home win over Sale Sharks in the Challenge Cup in the top half-dozen, as well as adding in their URC wins over Munster and reigning champions the Stormers at the Arms Park.
Scarlets' home triumphs over ASM Clermont Auvergnee and South African sides the Bulls and Sharks were also right up there. As for the Dragons, the pick of their results were the home wins over Munster and Ospreys, while they also drew with the Lions in South Africa.
The Dragons may have finished one off the bottom of the URC table, but there were signs of a revival under head coach Dai Flanagan. They were unlucky to lose Will Rowlands for such a long period with injury, but I can see them showing great improvement next season.
I've always admired the footballing skills of full-back Jordan Williams and with five tries in his 14 appearances he remains a major catalyst for his side. That's why he got my nod over Tomi Lewis. Lewis can play across the back three and did well enough to force his way into Warren Gatland's World Cup training squad. I've put him on the bench, but he is one to watch over the next 18 months as Gatland seeks out a full-time replacement for Leigh Halfpenny and Liam Williams.
I don't think anybody can quibble with my choice of wings. Steff Evans was on prime form all season for the Scarlets, scoring 12 tries in 23 outings to move onto 54 tries in the URC. Only Tommy Bowe (67), Craig Gilroy (59), Tim Visser and DTH van der Merwe (58) are ahead of him and he now stands as the leading Welsh try scorer.
Joining him on the flank is Rio Dyer, who laid down his credentials for international honours by turning Munster's Simon Zebo inside out before out sprinting him to reach the try line. That helped Dragons earn their first home win in 17 months and Dyer went on to become an instant hit on the international stage, scoring four tries in his opening seven caps.
Equally impressive in midfield all season were rising young stars Keiran Williams and Mason Grady. The latter hash broken into thet Wales set-up, while Williams is an international player in waiting.
He did a great job in getting the Ospreys across the gain line time after time with his direct running and fast feet. He looks to me like he is ready for duty on the biggest of stages, especially now that his former team-mate Joe Hawkins is out of the running.
As for Grady, he reminds me of a young George North when he first burst onto the scene. Equally at home at centre or on the wing, he is quick, gigantic and elusive. He is going to become a major weapon for both club and country, as his try in the Euro quarter-final game in Italy against Benetton proved.
I've loved seeing the development of Sam Costelow at outside-half at the Scarlets. For such a young man he bears responsibility so well and his points scoring ability has been critical all season. His ability to play so close to the gain line means he, and those players around him, are a constant threat. I can see him coming to the fore under Gatland either during the World Cup or immediately after.
He plays with two Welsh scrumhalves at the Scarlets, Kieran Hardy and Gareth Davies, and I have paired him with another, in Rhys Webb. His renaissance at the Ospreys got him back into Gatland's thinking and he was one of the guiding lights for his region. He remains a class act!
Up front, I had to go for Nicky Smith at loosehead. What a season he had, even if it wasn't enough to get him back into the international reckoning. He destroyed the Leicester pack and gave Montpellier a tough time as well. Joining forces with Gareth Thomas, he gave the Ospreys a hard edge at the set piece all season.
Keiron Assiratti grabbed his chance to shine towards the end of the season, along with his Cardiff front row colleague Corey Domachowski, and joins Smith as the tighthead.
In between, I've included Elliot Dee, who has returned to the form that has already earned him 37 caps, scoring five tries in 12 games for the Dragons in the URC.
There are two serious pieces of timber behind them in the boilerhouse. The Scarlets' Tongan-duo, Vaea Fifita and Sam Lousi, gave their side huge stability up front and immense power at the breakdown.
And what about Fifita's pace? Wow, that boy can move! When they played, Scarlets won, when they were missing they were considerably weakened.
Wales' back row strength remains outstanding and I feel conflicted having left out Josh Macleod, Dan Davis, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau and Aaron Wainwright from my starting XV. I've cheated a bit by including breakthrough star Rhys Davies on the bench to cover both second and back row. But for me, the regular Ospreys trio of Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric and Morgan Morris were the best combination.
Who'd be a selector? Perhaps that's why Gats picked 54 in his training squad!
