Shane Williams backs Priestland to wear Welsh jersey again

Legendary Welsh winger Shane Williams has conveyed the notion that Rhys Priestland could be back in the red jersey soon. 

Priestland has recently returned to Wales after a stint with Bath in the Premiership and is thus again eligible to play for his country. 

While Dan Biggar is still the frontrunner for the number 10 jersey, Williams is keen to see what might happen with regard to the 34 year-old Priestland. 

 "Dan Biggar has been the number one fly-half for a while now, but I think there could be an interesting dynamic at No. 10 this autumn," Williams wrote in his weekly column for the The Rugby Paper. 

"I’m fascinated by Rhys Priestland’s move back to Welsh rugby and I wouldn’t rule him out of an international return, even though he is at the end of his career and hasn’t played Test rugby since 2017. 

"It will be interesting to see how both he and Jarrod Evans go at Cardiff. 

"Rhys Patchell should also be back in action this season and then there is Callum Sheedy who is a coming force. 

"Wayne Pivac really is spoilt for choice in that area when everyone is fit." 

After a very long lay-off Gareth Anscombe is also on the verge of making a comeback, but Williams points out that to rush the flyhalf back into international rugby would be a mistake. 

"It’s great news Gareth Anscombe is poised to make his long-awaited return from injury this season because he is a player the Ospreys, and to a lesser extent Wales, need desperately," he says. 

"But I must make my opinion clear that we cannot rush Gareth back into action too quickly. To do so would be criminal. 

"I was lucky not to suffer serious injury in my career. So, while it is difficult for me to relate to Gareth’s situation because I never spent two years on the sidelines, I do know what it is like to miss months of action. 

"It is an awful experience. 

"You are constantly worried if you are going to come back as the same player and there are worries over losing your place both at regional and Test level. 

"Gareth will have experienced all those emotions. It must have been very tough, which is why it would be criminal to throw it all away now. 

"I am sure that won’t happen, but I do have a small concern especially when it comes to the Ospreys because I think they desperately need a playmaker at 10 for the start of the new United Rugby Championship. Stephen Myler has done a great job since coming in, but he is a very different player to Gareth, who is superb at taking the ball to the line in attack. 

"Toby Booth must resist the temptation to throw Gareth back in too soon because I think it would be a brilliant achievement if he can get some form of games in before Christmas."