Six Nations Pass Notes: Anscombe’s inclusion no problem for Welsh

So what will all that brouhaha about Henry Blake in Scotland, the Welsh media and supporters must be peppering about Gareth Anscombe being included ahead of indigenous talent?

Nope. There is very much a welcome for the 23-year-old outhalf in the hillsides and valleys. The Welsh are expediency driven when it comes to procurement. Once recruitment enhances the standard in the national team, they can come from Mars, as far as they're concerned. Anscombe is one of 11 players born outside of Wales in the Welsh Six Nations squad, along with Jake Ball (Mansfield), Hallam Amos (Stockport), Luke Charteris (Camborne, Cornwall), Alex Cuthbert (Gloucester), Jonathan Davies (Solihull), Taulupe Faletau (Tofua, Tonga), Aaron Jarvis (Exeter), James King (Wodonga, Victoria, Australia), Dan Lydiate (Salford) and George North (King's Lynn).

What about Land of my Fathers?

Well, in Anscombe's case it's his mother. She's from Wales and Irish supporters will know his dad, Mark, from his days as Ulster coach. And no, we are not developing that topic any further because people in glass houses shouldn't be throwing stones.

But didn’t Wales once cap New Zealander Shane Howarth back in 2000, a controversy that was given the name granny-gate?

He won 19 caps for Wales before it come to light that he didn’t have Welsh grandparents and therefore wasn’t eligible to play for the Principality. But he wasn’t the only one and the name granny-gate referred to more than one case.

Are you telling me he wasn’t alone in not being able to read the family tree?

Yep. New Zealand-born flanker Brett Sinkinson, who won 20 caps for Wales (1999-2002), also claimed a Welsh grandparent but it turns out his grandfather was born in Oldham. Wilkinson did eventually qualify for Wales through the residency rule. The WRU had to pay €14,000 costs for the IRB hearing and were severely reprimanded.

Enough of the eligibility history, what are Wales’ Six Nations prospects like?

They won the 2013 Six Nations Championship title, claimed three victories in the tournament last year and have England and Ireland at home in the Millennium stadium. However, November wasn't a great month as they lost to Australia for a 10th consecutive match, squeaked home against Fiji, 17-13, were hammered by New Zealand and then ended their Southern Hemisphere drought with a 12-6 win over a South Africa side that was desperate to board the plane home.

So expectation will be muted?

You’re joking. Welsh supporters understated? These are people who bestowed the title king on a former outhalf and described another former player as the prince of centres. They’re rugby royalty and the sport is embraced with a religious fervour. That’s why you see a lot of people on their knees down chip alley in Cardiff in the early hours of Sunday morning on a match weekend.

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