Gareth Delve is prepared to turn down what he describes as a once-in-a-lifetime move to the new Super 15 franchise, Melbourne Rebels, if he feels he has more than an outside chance of playing in next year's World Cup. The Gloucester captain will replace the injured Wales captain, Ryan Jones, at No8 against Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday for his first Six Nations start, seven years after he first made the squad.
The 27-year-old has not been involved with Wales since turning down the chance to go on last summer's development tour of north America because he wanted to work on his fitness. Jones's calf injury, coupled with the exile of Andy Powell after he was charged with drink-driving, gave him an unexpected opportunity to add to his nine caps.
"I have been talking to the Rebels, but I have not signed a contract," said Delve. "I have also spoken to other sides, but being called up by Wales changes things. I am leaving the negotiations to my agent because I want to concentrate on Wales, but I know a decision has to be made sooner rather than later and it will be."
Delve has also attracted the attention of Cardiff Blues, in the city of his birth, as his days at Gloucester, the club he joined from Bath three seasons ago, look to be drawing to an end, with the Kingsholm club unable to match offers from elsewhere.
"Melbourne presents me with a great opportunity, one I will never get again, but now that I am back in the Wales set-up, the World Cup becomes a factor and that makes it all the more difficult a decision to make. I look upon Saturday as a great opportunity for me, but it is no more than that yet. The World Cup is a huge draw, all the more so because injury ruled me out of the previous two tournaments, but I cannot look too far ahead. I talked to Danny Cipriani about his move to the Rebels after Gloucester's game at Wasps on Sunday and I think he is making the right move.
"He is on the periphery of the England squad and he will be playing in a tournament that involves the countries ranked one, two and three in the world. He will match himself against the best around and that can only improve his game, but the World Cup is at the top as far as your career is concerned and I have a lot to think about."
The Wales coach, Warren Gatland, said he hoped Delve would return home. "We have been watching Gareth for a while: he is an accurate player who does not make many mistakes. I would like to see him in Wales and he has a lot to play for in the next 18 months. We considered bringing back Andy Powell but Gareth offered more in terms of what we were looking for."
The flanker Martyn Williams will captain Wales in the absence of Jones, as he did at Murrayfield last year. He will be winning his 95th cap, beating Colin Charvis's national record for a forward. Matthew Rees returns at hooker after missing the first three matches with a calf strain, Luke Charteris is back in the second row and Dwayne Peel is on the bench after Mike Phillips suffered a shin injury in his second game back for the Ospreys on Sunday.
Brian O'Driscoll will be winning his 100th cap for Ireland, 11 years after Gatland gave him his first. "I am proud of my association with him," said the Wales coach, drowning the Irish in compliments a year after, when stirring was his forte, saying his players did not like their Irish counterparts. "He showed his leadership qualities with the Lions in South Africa last year, when he brought the best out of Jamie Roberts, he understands the game incredibly well and he deserves all the accolades that come his way."
O'Driscoll becomes the 14th player to join the ranks of rugby's centurions, one match after John Hayes became the first Irishman to reach the landmark. "At the start you want to get as many caps as possible, but you never look and hope to attain 100," he said. "I've always approached it like the next game in a green shirt is my last. With that policy you can't go far wrong. And it's not over yet."
The head coach, Declan Kidney, has decided against making any changes to the starting line-up that edged England in a brutal Test at Twickenham. Rob Kearney has recovered from the knee injury sustained against France but Kidney has opted to retain Leicester's Geordan Murphy at full-back. Kearney is included among the substitutes, however, with Andrew Trimble dropping off the bench in the only change to the 22.
