The Wales winners and losers as Gatland picks Six Nations squad after derby trials
Warren Gatland will name his Wales squad in a couple of weeks and the recent festive derbies will undoubtedly have a bearing on selection.
Of course, a large percentage of the squad will already be pencilled in because Wales does not have the depth the likes of England or France enjoy but there are likely just over a handful of places up for grabs which means some players will have shot up the Wales reckoning over the past couple of weeks while others will have dropped.
Rugby correspondent Steffan Thomas selects the players who enhances their reputations over the Christmas period and those who struggled.
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Winners
Reuben Morgan-Williams
The Ospreys scrum-half has been playing well for quite some time but has been overlooked in terms of Wales selection, with Gatland favouring Ellis Bevan and Rhodri Williams. But over the last couple of months the 26-year-old has become more of an attacking threat and got the better of Bevan in the Ospreys' 13-13 draw with Cardiff on New Year's Day.
One searing 50-metre break almost resulted in an Ospreys try only for it to be ruled out by the TMO for a knock on. Morgan-Williams' kicking game, his service and his control have been consistently good over the past couple of years but he is now a greater threat from the base of the scrum.
Tomos Williams is head and shoulders above any other Welsh scrum-half but the remaining two squad places are open. Gatland may decide to stick with Bevan because he has invested in him, while Dragons number nine Williams is playing well in a struggling side but if he picks on form Morgan-Williams deserves an opportunity.
Teddy Williams
The 24-year-old has been in excellent form for Cardiff over the past couple of months. Williams is a player with high rugby IQ while he is an excellent lineout forward with a high work rate.
The twice capped Williams has a nice blend of athleticism and physicality while he has also developed into a real leader. When it comes to Test rugby the jury has always been out on his size to make an impact at that level but perhaps his long-term future in the international game is on the blindside.
Will Rowlands and Dafydd Jenkins are dead certs for the squad, while the injured Adam Beard will likely get included later on. That leaves the likes of Williams, Freddie Thomas, Rhys Davies and James Fender fighting for squad positions.
On the evidence of his form over the Christmas period Williams might just squeeze in.
Dan Edwards
It is probably a matter of when, not if, Edwards plays Test rugby. The 21-year-old outside-half was named the official player of the match after a fine all-round performance in the Ospreys' draw at the Arms Park.
Edwards has been playing very well for the past 18 months and is pushing hard for higher honours. He is a triple threat player who can be a dangerous runner, has a good kicking game and doesn't shirk anything defensively.
What is also very good about Edwards is his confidence and while there are mistakes in his game he does not let them bog his performance down. His problem solving on the field of play is also good which is a valuable trait for an outside-half in the international arena.
Sam Costelow has played well of late so it would be a surprise if he did not retain his place in the squad, while Gareth Anscombe's experience and Ben Thomas' versatility make them likely picks. Perhaps Edwards will have to bide his time until the Japan tour but he is certainly knocking on the door.
Ellis Mee and Blair Murray
When the Scarlets announced the signing of Nottingham wing or full-back Ellis Mee last May, it's safe to say it went under the radar. But the 21-year-old has been one of the signings of the season and the Scarlets deserve huge credit for identifying his talent.
Mee, who is Welsh-qualified, has been in blistering form for the west Walians over the past month. Playing on the wing he regularly makes metres with ball in hand and has hit some excellent angles to break clear, while his decision making under pressure has also been good.
He also knows his way to the line, scoring tries against both the Ospreys and Dragons. Crucially, Mee is excellent under the high ball and doesn't shirk anything defensively either.
Of course, playing well at regional level doesn't necessarily mean someone can make the step up to Test rugby but Mee has made a promising start to life in Wales. The Six Nations might be too soon, although he is a dark horse for selection, but a first cap on Wales' summer tour of Japan is a real possibility.
His wing partner Blair Murray made his comeback from a hamstring issue with an excellent performance, scoring two tries and looking dangerous whenever he had the ball.
Josh Macleod
If he hadn't been plagued by injuries Macleod would almost certainly have won more than two caps for his country but he still has time on his side.
The 28-year-old has been outstanding for the Scarlets since returning from injury, leading from the front and putting in big shift after big shift. Macleod is excellent at the breakdown and is an extremely physical player in defence.
He is riding the crest of a wave having crossed for six tries this season. Unfortunately for Macleod he plays in the most competitive position in Wales with the likes of Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, James Botham and Taine Basham competing for places but he at the very least deserves to be in the conversation.
Losers
Rio Dyer
The 25-year-old is not enjoying the best of seasons having missed out on selection for Wales' first two autumn Tests against Fiji and Australia, respectively. He has played well in patches but has lacked consistency this term.
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." Dyer also failed to bundle his opposite number and fellow Wales wing Blair Murray into touch which cost his side a try.
Wales aren't blessed for depth and perhaps he has enough credit in the bank to make the Six Nations squad but some of his rivals are in better form.
Callum Sheedy
When the 29-year-old returned to Cardiff from Bristol Bears, many experts thought he would launch a bid to make the Wales squad. He's played quite well on the whole for Cardiff bringing some control and game management at 10 while he also brings the ball to the line and is a good playmaker, but is unlikely to have done enough to get in the squad.
He did not enjoy his best game against the Ospreys where his defence got exposed on a few occasions and he was one of three players who failed to make a tackle on his opposite number Dan Edwards.
He also missed a number of crucial kicks at goal which he really needed to nail. Wales have struggled at 10 with the lack of experience costing them dear at times but it's unlikely Sheedy has done enough to push his way into the reckoning.
Ioan Lloyd
The Scarlets utility-back is a wonderful rugby player, perhaps the most naturally gifted in Wales. He can beat players on a sixpence and create opportunities out of absolutely nothing.
Lloyd is a real spark and is great value for the Scarlets but his game management hasn't been great when he's worn the number 10 shirt. The 23-year-old got given a chance by Gatland during last year's Six Nations and while there were many positives in his game his error rate was a little too high for Test rugby.
It was evident again in the Scarlets' last-gasp defeat to the Ospreys last month when Lloyd missed two kickable penalties which would have won them the game. He also wore the number 10 shirt in a narrow loss in Glasgow last November where his game management just wasn't where it needed to be.
He's a lovely footballer but he has fallen behind in the Wales number 10 pecking order.
James Fender
Fender is a player with a high ceiling and was being considered by Wales before injuring his arm a year ago. The abrasive lock has looked good since returning from injury, getting stuck in and providing some much-needed physicality and grunt.
He is highly likely to get capped in the near future but his red card for a croc roll on Cardiff's Dan Thomas yesterday could count against him. World Rugby are clamping down on croc rolls and there is a high chance he could face a ban.
This won't help his Six Nations chances but his time will eventually come.
Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti
The 28-year-old missed out on selection for the Wales' squad for the Autumn Nations Series with the Scarlets' Kemsley Mathias leapfrogging him in the pecking order. Domachwoski is more than capable of getting back in the Wales squad but hasn't been at his best of late.
The Cardiff scrum got given a torrid time against the Ospreys on New Year's Day with Assiratti put to the sword by Gareth Thomas. With Archie Griffin a major doubt for the Six Nations, Assiratti has a decent chance of starting against France but will have to up his game significantly in what will be one of the toughest challenges of his career to date.
