By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports
The Wales squad has officially been announced, and Welsh fans will likely have mixed emotions when looking over Gatland’s choices.
It is pleasing to see rising stars like Dan Edwards get their chance to shine in the Welsh shirt. Yet, many notable names, such as Rio Dyer, Cameron Winnett, and Taine Plumtree, will not feature in this year’s Six Nations.
One name that will particularly feel hard done by is Max Llewellyn.
The 26-year-old has been in fine form across the Severn, leaving many people baffled by the decision to leave him out of the squad.
It is hard to understand the decision when Llewellyn is firing on all cylinders for Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is an exciting team to watch, as they are always box office on the pitch. The English club knows how to attack and is very potent on the front foot.
They play a very expansive style, which is easy on the eye as the side often scores a handful of magnificent tries.
However, even though they are great at putting points on the board, George Skivington’s side have often been prone to lapses in defence, allowing relatively easy opposition scores.
It was an impressive display from the ‘Cherry and Whites’ as they dispatched Scarlets with relative ease last week.
Gloucester have a wealth of talent in the squad, and the coaching staff have a lot of explosive athletes to choose from. The first name that comes to mind is Max Llewellyn.
Max Llewellyn
Llewellyn is an absolute specimen of an athlete.
Standing at 6’4” and weighing 107kg, Llewellyn has all the physical tools to be a force on the field. Not only does he bring tremendous physicality, but he is also a player who is very versatile and can play across the backline.
Llewellyn is an exceptional talent who causes trouble for defensive lines whenever he steps on the field.
Throughout his career, Llewellyn has shown an ability to beat defenders and put points on the board.
This season, he has truly taken his game to the next level and has been wowing the Kingsholm crowd, which makes his omission from the Welsh squad all the more surprising.
His numbers so far this year have been truly impressive.
The stat that stands out the most is the number of tries Llewellyn has scored.
The 26-year-old leads the Gallagher Premiership with seven tries to his name. It is safe to say that the Welshman makes ground whenever he touches the ball, gaining 518 metres from 97 carries, which averages out to around 5 metres per carry.
On the defensive side of the ball, Llewellyn has made 113 tackles, missing only 22. These stats highlight the impact Llewellyn is making at Gloucester.
It makes you wonder what Gatland was thinking when he left him out.
READ MORE: George Skivington surprised by Gloucester duo’s absence from Wales Six Nations squad
Wales’ Six Nations outlook without Llewellyn
There is always a buzz of excitement whenever the Six Nations rolls around. Whether you are in Cardiff, Twickenham, Paris, Rome, or Dublin, fans flock to see their nation compete.
A tournament built on prestige and legacy; it holds a special place in rugby fans’ hearts.
From a Welsh perspective, it is easy to reminisce about the good old days of Grand Slams and Triple Crowns, as well as sensational memories such as beating rivals England 30-3 in front of a packed-out Principality Stadium to capture the title and deny their counterparts a Grand Slam, or Scott Williams’ grubber kick, which led to a game-sealing try under the posts at Twickenham in 2012.
However, Welsh fans have been unable to relish an international victory for a long time. In last year’s Six Nations, Gatland and Wales came away with the wooden spoon.
They will definitely be looking for some retribution this time around, yet it will be a tough task this year as they will be travelling to France, Italy, and Scotland.
In addition, they will have to welcome formidable forces England and Ireland to the Welsh capital.
It will be interesting to see how this Welsh squad performs, given that many notable names have been left out.
Centre Options Now
As stated before, Llewellyn is probably the most notable absence from the squad, given his form. It leaves the door open for players like Eddie James, Owen Watkin, and Ben Thomas to make their presence felt on the international stage.
Given the lack of depth at the outside centre position, it doesn’t make much sense to leave out a player like Llewellyn, as he has shown time and time again that he can produce at a high level with the number 13 on his back.
Llewellyn is an electrifying player, in great form, and will feel hard done by not being included in Gatland’s squad. Yet, he will continue to develop and gain valuable game time with Gloucester.
This is unlikely to be the last time we see him don the famous Welsh jersey and compete for his country.
A big question going into the Six Nations is: what will Wales’ centre partnership look like?
