Wales await Jenkins decision

Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins will unveil his 30-man World Cup squad later today – and at the same time end one of the longest-running national debates by announcing his captain.

Last October, Stephen Jones was appointed captain through to the World Cup but his form and Wales’ performances through the Six Nations led many to insist Jenkins must have a rethink.

The other clear contender is Gareth Thomas, who captained the 2005 Grand Slam team and led Wales in Jones’ absence to Australia in the summer.

The meteoric rise of James Hook as a rival to Jones for the fly-half position has added another dimension to the debate.

Hook’s man of the match performance in Wales’ win over England in the Six Nations – a match Jones missed through injury – forced Jenkins to float the idea of a non-playing captain.

Unless Jenkins has since had a change of mind, that points towards Jones retaining the role.

Jenkins said at the time: “The captain’s role and responsibility doesn’t necessarily mean he has got

to be in the team.

“If you are the captain of a squad you are the conduit between the players and the coach.

“The importance of the relationship I need to have with the captain is huge and he is a barometer of how the squad is feeling and reacting. The squad has got to identify with that player strongly.

“Stephen is doing a great job in that role and I am comfortable he will be captain through to the World Cup.”

For the Tri-Nations, Australia named co-captains in Stirling Mortlock and Phil Waugh. For the World Cup they have gone with a captain and two named vice-captains.

It could be Jenkins decides on a similar policy, particularly as neither Jones nor Thomas is likely to play in every match.

The captaincy is not the only major issue Jenkins and his management squad have had to finalise in the days since the record 62-5 defeat to England.

Colin Charvis is possibly a key figure in Jenkins’ World Cup thinking. If he decides the versatile loose forward is suitable cover for Martyn Williams as open-side flanker, then that opens the door for Wales to take a third specialist lock. That will be between Robert Sidoli and Will James.

But if Wales need to take Gavin Thomas as a back-up seven, then Jenkins might decide to stick with Ian Evans and Ian Gough as his specialist locks.

Alun Wyn-Jones will be primarily considered a second-row option but like Michael Owen and Jonathan Thomas he can also play in the back row.

They are crucial decisions for Jenkins to make because Wales must be able to secure clean lineout ball and compete at scrum-time if they are to have any chance of success in the World Cup.

Jenkins will also name the side to play Argentina next Saturday and, following the Twickenham debacle, it is set to be a full-strength line-up.