TAYLOR POISED TO JOIN ‘5O CLUB’

Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions Published 1:18 pm 31st May 2005 News

The 32-year-old centre may have found himself surpluss to requirements with the Llanelli Scarlets at the end of last season, but Ruddock shows no sign of giving up on him just yet.

When there was an injury crisis in his back line for the Grand Slam game against Ireland last season it was Taylor who Ruddock turned to to play on the wing. He didn’t let him down.

Then came a call to join the European Challenge Cup winners Sale Sharks for the next two years and a second invitation from Ruddock – this time to skipper the Welsh team on their two match tour of north America.

“This is going to be a challenging couple of weeks for everyone involved in the squad because we are all at different stages of our development,” admitted Taylor. “Everyone has a point to prove. There are the youngsters who are desperate to become involved in the Autumn Series when we take on the three Tri-Nations teams, the established players who are hoping for a call-up for the Lions and people like me who are desperately trying to hold onto the Welsh jersey.

“It was great to be asked to lead the team on tour, but at this stage I don’t know if I’m going to play. I’d certainly love to win my 50th cap, but none of us can take anything for granted.”

Ruddock has had taken 29 players with him for the two games – Wales face Canada in Toronto on Saturday, 11 June – and he is without 10 of his Grand Slam line-up due to Lions calls. That will give him the chance to check out the credentials of some of the rising stars of the club scene in Wales, Ospreys flanker Richie Pugh, Scarlets scrum half Michael Phillips and Cardiff Blues prop John Yapp, while still being able to rely on some old heads like Taylor and Colin Charvis.

Cardiff Blues players Rhys Williams, Nicky Robinson, Craig Morgan, John Yapp, Rhys Thomas, Rob Sidoli and Robin Sowden-Taylor all flew to the Unisted States yesterday to join up with the tour party having taken part in the Heineken Cup qualifying victory over Viadana in Italy on Sunday.

While they will have had the benfit of playing a game, the majority of the Welsh players won’t have had a competitive outing for almost three weeks. The Americans and Canadians, meanwhile, have been honing themselves for a tilt at the Grand Slam champions by playing in the Super Cup in Tokyo with japan and Romania.

Llanelli Scarlets recruit Mike Hercus warmed up for his clash with some of his new team mates at Rentschler Field at the weekend by becoming the United States leading points scorer with his ninth Test try in a 28-22 win over Romania. The 25-year stand-off moved to 290 points in his 25th Test to overtake Matt Alexander at the top of the Eagles’ all-time scoring list. Hercus is joining the Scarlets from Sale Sharks.

The Eagles, ranked 16th in the IRB world rankings, fell to a four point defeat to 13th ranked Canada in their opening game and had to hit back against 13th ranked Romania to finish third overall in the competition.

Skippered by Cardiff Blues back row man Kort Schubert, the Eagles found themselves 11-3 adrift midway through the first-half before hitting back with three smart tries to secure a 28-22 victory in Tokyo. As well as that record breaking Hercus try, wings David Fee and Mike Palefau also crossed the Romanian line and full back Francois Viljoen kicked 13 points.

Eagles coach Tom Billups, who had a spell as a player at Pontypridd, used the two games in the Super Cup to blood six new caps ahead of the clash with Grand Slam champions Wales on Saturday. One of them, Palefau, is a player that Wales will have to be wary of.

Still a newcomer to international rugby, Palefau, the University of Southern Utah cornerback and track man, has made his mark this spring with five tries at the 7s Rugby World Cup and now two in two starts at the Super Cup.

“We trained twice a day right through the tournament and our guys were tired, but we were not going to cut any corners against a worthy opponent like Romania. Better to be tired and prepared and then to be fresh and unorganized,” USA coach Tom Billups said after the match.

Canada edged 17th ranked Japan 15-10 in front of a crowd of 12,000 to lift the Super Cup.