By Gavin Rich.
The man dubbed the ‘silent assassin’ by regular teammates and opponents has been selected by Wales coach Wayne Pivac to make his international debut in the first match of the three match Castle Lager Test Series against the Springboks in Pretoria on Saturday.
South Africans would not have seen 23-year-old opensider Tommy Reffell play in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this past season for the simple reason that he is one of the Welsh players who does not play for a Welsh club. Instead Reffell, who did come through the systems at Swansea club, the Ospreys, has been playing for newly crowned English Gallagher Premiership champions Leicester Tigers.
Reffell will make his debut as part of the Welsh loose trio against a man he should know very well – Springbok No8 Jasper Wiese also plays for Leicester Tigers. Reffell showed consistent form in England and in Europe – Leicester made it to the quartefinals of the Champions Cup – this season and his selection ends the debate about which of England or Wales he will represent.
Welsh critics have slammed Pivac in the past for overlooking Reffell, but the Wales coach has now answered the call in the continued absence of Justin Tipuric.
Considered an abrasive and uncompromising player, Reffell’s nickname is apparently well earned and he could be a big threat to a Bok side that does not take the field on Saturday with a genuine ball scavenging mould opensider in their starting mix.
Of course, the hosts though do have several players who are among the best in doing that job, such as replacement hooker Malcolm Marx, reserve flanker Kwagga Smith, starting hooker Bongi Mbonambi and others, right through to outside centre Lukhanyo Am.
Reffell is the only newcomer in a match day squad that features last year’s British and Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones not just as just a foot soldier – flyhalf Dan Biggar is the captain of the touring squad – but also not even as a member of the starting team.
Wyn Jones will play off the bench behind the preferred Wales starting second row pair of Adam Beard and Will Rowlands. Another feature of the Wales’ starting team is the appearance of Kieran Hardy as the scrumhalf ahead of Tomos Williams.
Dan Lydiate finds himself back in the Wales team at blindside flank after a long absence because of injury and will be tasked with helping lead the Welsh attempts at fronting South Africa’s renowned and feared physicality.
When you look at the Wales side on paper, the preconception that they will be easy meat for the Boks is challenged somewhat. For instance George North, a key member of British and Irish Lions touring parties in 2013 and 2017, is there at inside centre, while there are several other players, such as fullback Liam Williams, wings Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams, Beard and Taulupe Faletau who will want to make up for the disappointment of being losing Lions here last year by being part of the first ever Wales team to win a test match in South Africa.
Wales team: Liam Williams; Louis Rees-Zammit, George North, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams, Dan Biggar, Kieran Hardy; Taulupe Faletau, Tommy Reffell, Dan Lydiate, Adam Beard, Will Rowlands, Dillon Lewis, Ryan Elias, Gareth Thomas. Replacements: Dewi Lake, Rhys Carre, Tomas Francis, Alun Wyn Jones, Josh Navidi, Tomos Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Owen Watkin.