The unluckiest players in Wales right now and why they've been overlooked
National squad announcement days are emotional in different ways.
For those who are named in the squad there is a feeling of immense joy, but for those who missed out it quickly becomes a day to forget. There are numerous players who would have been very close to winning the nod but ultimately didn't make the cut.
Success on the field does in large part depend on getting selection right and if Warren Gatland is proved wrong there is a strong chance he will not be Wales coach at the conclusion of the Six Nations. Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas takes a look at the players who can deem themselves unlucky not to have made the final party. Sign up to our Welsh rugby newsletter here.
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Max Llewellyn
The 26-year-old has been in outstanding form for Gloucester and is the joint-top try scorer in the Gallagher Premiership this season. Llewellyn started all three of Wales defeats last autumn and while he didn't do much wrong he didn't have as much of an impact as was hoped.
But the former Cardiff centre played well in Gloucester's victory over the Scarlets on Friday night and it was a shock when his name was not included in the squad. Gatland has brought Scarlets centre Joe Roberts back into the fold and the fact Llewellyn plays outside of Wales might have worked against him.
Gatland has to get the balance right between selecting Welsh-based players and those who ply their trades in England or France. Those who aren't Welsh-based miss a big chunk of training sessions and have to go back on the fallow weekends which can't have helped Llewellyn's cause.
Olly Cracknell
The 30-year-old has been one of the form backrowers in the English Premiership this season. Former England World Cup-winning lock Ben Kay described the former Ospreys man as "a revelation", while his Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika is adamant Cracknell is good enough to make an impact at Test level.
Cracknell is a no-nonsense forward who makes post-contact metres with his carries and is extremely physical with a huge work rate. There are many who would argue Cracknell is exactly the type of player Wales could do with.
But unfortunately Cracknell plays in a very competitive position, with the likes of Aaron Wainwright, Taulupe Faletau and Christ Tshiunza, among others, in the mix. He is also in a similar place to Llewellyn where the fact he plays in England and will miss certain training sessions not helping his cause.
Cameron Winnett
Out of all the contenders left out of the squad this was arguably the strangest call. The 22-year-old made his Wales debut against Scotland a year ago and was an ever-present fixture at full-back throughout 2024.
Winnett performed well in difficult circumstances and while he is a work in progress one would have expected Gatland to stick with the Cardiff man due to the fact he has invested in the youngster. Liam Williams' availability after moving back to the UK from Japan didn't help his case, while the emergence of Scarlets pair Ellis Mee and Blair Murray has increased Gatland's options in the back-three.
This will have come as a massive disappointment for Winnett but he is an excellent footballer who will no doubt bounce back over the coming months.
Taine Plumtree
It always happens. A player arrives in Wales, starts his career with a bang before inevitably hitting a bump in the road.
Plumtree is an excellent athlete and a very good lineout forward with a nice skillset. But currently his error rate is a little too high for Test rugby, while he does tend to give away too many penalties.
The Scarlets backrower has the raw minerals to develop into an efficient Test player but he currently has a few creases he needs to iron out of his game.
Rio Dyer
The Dragons wing has been an ever-present member of the Wales squad since making his Test debut against the All Blacks in 2021. At his best Dyer is an excellent finisher, with top-end speed and a huge work ethic but his form has dipped of late.
Dyer is likely paying the price for playing in a weak Dragons team but he does have what it takes to force his way back into the squad in the near future. What wouldn't have helped Dyer's cause was getting outplayed by Scarlets wing Murray during the Dragons' defeat in Llanelli on New Year's Day.
Against the Scarlets he made one cracking break but refused to pass when he had a two-man overlap on the outside and as a result an almost certain try went begging. Former Wales flanker Gwyn Jones summed up Dyer's strength and weaknesses perfectly while commentating on the game for S4C.
"What the Scarlets did well there is put him in a position where he had to make a decision," Jones said during S4C's live commentary of the match. "He is a natural runner but he's not one who can look up and analyse what is needed; pulling players towards him and putting others in space.
"He is just explosive and full of energy and he's difficult to pull down but when he needs to make a decision, be patient and show skill to put others into space he doesn't."
Gareth Anscombe
Considering Gatland has selected just one player in the squad who regularly plays outside-half at club level, and that man is just 21 one without a single cap to his name then it is a risk not selecting Anscombe. Yes, he at 33 Anscombe is at the tail end of his career but the former Cardiff and Ospreys playmaker has been playing well for Gloucester.
Gatland has quite rightly pointed out how bare the cupboard is at fly-half and the desperate need to develop younger number tens but Anscombe would have been a good mentor for Dan Edwards.
