Dwayne Peel's future with Wales is not in jeopardy after the scrum-half yesterday announced he would be leaving Llanelli Scarlets in the summer to join Sale.
This is despite a proposed policy to discourage players from leaving Wales and an unequivocal statement from the national coach, Warren Gatland, on Monday that the Lion would be making life more difficult for himself if he moved to England.
The Welsh Rugby Union will next week vote on a recommendation by Gatland that a central plank of national selection policy is that players are based in Wales, although those currently elsewhere will not be at a disadvantage.
After announcing his 28-strong squad for the Six Nations at the start of the week, which included Peel, the coach was asked whether the 26-year-old would be jeopardising his international future by moving to Sale and replied: "I want the likes of Dwayne to remain in Wales because he is only 26 and I will be talking to the Scarlets. If players like Dwayne and a few others want to leave, it will make it more difficult for them, not me. I've got other scrum-halves in Mike Phillips and Gareth Cooper and I am sure I can find someone else if I have to."
Gatland qualified his remarks 24 hours later: "I will not penalise any of our current internationals because they did not know about our proposed new policy until last week. It would be unfair. We are aware Dwayne's negotiations were well advanced when we made our statement. However, structures and systems are being built in Wales and we know we can develop and nurture talent fully. We will do all we can do help our regions flourish."
Peel, who has won 59 caps, said he wanted to take the path trodden by his half-back partner for region and country, Stephen Jones, who spent two seasons with Clermont Auvergne from 2005, and sample life outside Wales, having spent his entire senior career at Stradey Park. "My motive is not financial because the deal offered to me by the Scarlets was similar to that put forward by Sale," he said. "I have never lived outside Wales and would like to experience another country for a short period." Peel's move will not be welcomed by England: scrum-half is a problem position and Sale's Richard Wigglesworth is regarded as the best emerging player in the position in the country.
Gatland may have been forced into an early U-turn but Wales's new backs coach, Robert Howley, who spent two years at Wasps under the New Zealander, believes the senior squad will experience a culture shock in the coming weeks when they will come to understand the full meaning of the word professional.
"People have asked me if I am taking a gamble by joining the Wales set-up after only a couple of years as a coach but I have complete faith in Warren and Shaun Edwards [the Wasps' head coach who will take charge of defence] and know they will make a big difference," he said. "Warren's record at Wasps speaks for itself while I have never come across anyone like Shaun in rugby. They are both men who demand total professionalism but they also know when to chill out. Shaun's attention to detail is incredible and these are exciting times for Wales.
"The World Cup showed that, when it came to attack, Wales were up there with the best but we were not so good defensively. We have conceded more than three tries a match in recent times and I would not like to be in the changing room with Shaun if Wales leak three tries in one game. South Africa showed in the World Cup just how important defence is and it is an area in which we will be out to show an immediate improvement."
