Hansen swaps Welsh wings for full-backs

It is perfectly understandable that Steve Hansen should delete the term 'wing' from Welsh rugby vocabulary. After all, Hansen hails from New Zealand, whose emblem is a flightless bird, the kiwi.

Hansen has decided that in future the back three will be referred to as left full-back, right full-back and centre full-back. Which is pretty much how Wales will end up, i.e. all over the place, if the experiment backfires against any or all of their autumn opponents, Romania, Canada, Fiji or New Zealand.

"There will no longer be any wings in the side," said Hansen after announcing a 29-man squad yesterday, "I want them to think of themselves as full-backs. Most specialist wings tend to put picket fences around themselves and do not work as a link with the full-back. I can see the three interchanging during a match." The three "full-backs" in the squad are Craig Morgan and Rhys Williams, of Cardiff, and Mark Jones of Llanelli.

The Wales coach is certain that under the continued captaincy of Colin Charvis, his side will take off. Charvis stepped in to lead the party in place of Scott Quinnell on their summer tour to South Africa and Hansen explained: "One of the big pluses of the tour was Colin's captaincy. Scott is still coming back after his operations and we want him to concentrate on his own game and not be burdened with the captaincy issues."

Wales start their series against Romania at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham on Friday 1 November with Hansen stating the whole squad would feature at some time during 22 days of international action. That should mean first caps for Gethin Jenkins, Vernon Cooper, Dafydd Jones and Sonny Parker. The New Zealand-born Parker, who qualified for Wales this year under the residency ruling, gets his chance with the Llanelli captain, Leigh Davies, not considered through injury.

"I would hope the majority of this squad will still be around by the time of the 2003 World Cup – barring injuries and drop in form," said Hansen.

They might be around for the 2007 World Cup as well, although where that will be held is still to be decided, but France for one are vehemently opposed to England's proposal for a two tier Rugby Fest, involving 16 senior countries in the World Cup proper and a further 32 developing nations in a parallel, but lesser tournament.

The French Federation president Bernard Lapasset angrily trumpeted his thoughts in the French sports daily L'Equipe yesterday, saying: "It looks attractive but it's pure demagogy. It is a grave violation of the International Board's policy of openness and development. For two weeks the lesser rugby nations will be under the illusion that they exist in the rugby world, but what will happen to them over the next four years?

"I am not surprised at the attitude of the English. They have always harboured this élitist ideal. The English have always attempted to modify competitions to suit their own interests." The French are due to announce their bid, expected to be more in line with the present 20-team format – at the end of the month.

The IRB will announce its decision on who gets to stage the tournament at its annual meeting next April.

WALES SQUAD (for November Tests vs Fiji, Romania and New Zealand): Forwards: I Thomas (Llanelli), G Jenkins (Pontypridd), B Evans (Swansea), M Madden (Llanelli), R McBryde (Llanelli), M Davies (Pontypridd), V Cooper (Llanelli), G Llewellyn (Neath), S Williams (Northampton), R Sidoli (Pontypridd), C Charvis (Swansea, capt), S Quinnell (Llanelli), D Jones (Llanelli), M Owen (Pontypridd), G Thomas (Bath), M Williams (Cardiff), R Parks (Pontypridd). Backs: D Peel (Llanelli), R Powell (Cardiff), S Jones (Llanelli), N Jenkins (Pontypridd), I Harris (Cardiff), S Parker (Pontypridd), T Shanklin (Saracens), A Marinos (Newport), J Robinson (Cardiff), C Morgan (Cardiff), R Williams (Cardiff), M Jones (Llanelli).