psychic duck
International
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2011
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Just wanted to take a look back at what has happened to the Wales World Cup winners of 2009 where they entered the tournament as 80-1 with the bookies, and how they have fared since and whether they made good Union players.
Rhodri McAtee (Plymouth Albion)
Never really was a force in Union, the former England U19 player has spent his entire career playing in the Championship in England with Worcester, Cornish Pirates, Redruth on loan in the English 4th Division and now currently Plymouth Albion. No longer part of the Welsh Sevens team.
Lee Williams (Scarlets)
Scrum half turned winger who is still on the Scarlets squad list, but barely ever plays these days. Used to be a reserve, but now with the emergence of George North, Liam Williams and also the presence of Andy Fenby and Morgan Stoddart he can't get a game. Spends most of his game time with the Carmarthen Quins in the Principality Premiership.
Tom Isaacs (Ospreys)
Another scrum half converted to an outside back, was let go by the Dragons and signed by the Ospreys and is being a distinctly mediocre regional player, however the coaches love him and he often features in the Ospreys lineup at 13 or on the wing, and the Ospreys also let Tom Prydie and Kristian Phillips go as they preferred him, despite most others disagreeing especially with letting Prydie go. Swapping Isaacs for Prydie is a good bit of business for the Dragons though.
Craig Hill (Newbridge)
Probably the player who has gone onto to have the least success of all the 2009 Sevens Champions. The flanker played just 3 times for the Dragons in 2006/07 before being released, and after a spell in the Principality Premiership with Newport he now plays for Newbridge in the Welsh second division the SWALEC Championship.
James Merriman (Bristol)
Spent the first part of his career with Gloucester but never got much game time, moved onto Neath in the Principality Premiership and is now a highly respected flanker in the Championship for Bristol and was named in the Championship Dream Team last season as the best openside flanker in the league.
Tal Selley (Retired)
The only player ever to play for all four Welsh regions, Selley was a regular in the Scarlets side for a couple of seasons and even managed to win a solitary Wales cap in 2005, but after falling out of favour with the Scarlets he moved onto the Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and the Dragons and didn't find much success at any of those regions as he featured more in the Sevens side. After being released by the Dragons in 2009, he joined Tonmawr in the Principality Premiership and is now retired and is working at the Murco Oil Refinery. He is the only retired member of the squad.
Aled Brew (Biarritz)
The member of the squad who has had most success at Union, after being ignored at the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues and featuring a lot for Wales Sevens, Brew reignited his career as a popular player for the Dragons and was the leading try scorer of any Welsh player domestically in 2010/11 season earning him a call up to Wales' World Cup squad. Unfortunately, despite having a great attitude as a player, he never really made it at international level for Wales, and is now playing as a regular starter in the Top 14 with Biarritz.
Aled Thomas (Scarlets)
Never broke past James Arlidge or Jason Tovey for fly half at the Dragons, so went to London Welsh for a year before returning to the Scarlets as World Cup cover in 2011 whilst Priestland and Stephen Jones were away. Is now currently getting quite a bit of game time with the Scarlets now Stephen Jones has left, and is undoubtedly the Scarlets on form fly half at the moment.
Rhys Webb (Ospreys)
A player who was hit particularly hard by the Ospreys "tan ban", Webb had a brief patch of form which got him called up to the Wales squad this year and kept an off form Fotuali'i on the bench for the Ospreys. But this season Fotuali'i has got back to form, and Webb has been found out as not such a good player when the Ospreys pack hasn't been so strong sans Adam Jones.
Richie Pugh (Scarlets)
A veteran of the Wales Sevens team, and the only member of the World Cup winning squad who is still a member of the side. Was once seen as a promising flanker at the Ospreys and even became a one cap wonder for Wales, but was unwanted by the Ospreys once they signed Marty Holah and after stints with Exeter and London Welsh in the Championship, he moved onto the Scarlets where he is still in the squad, although he barely ever plays these days and is more of a Sevens specialist.
Dafydd Hewitt (Cardiff Blues)
Not a player you would associate with being a Sevens player, Hewitt was a member of this squad. Was once amazingly called up to a Wales extended squad, which showed the lack of depth Wales had at centre at the time as he really isn't an international player. Is currently involved with a tough battle with Gavin Evans at the Cardiff Blues to see who is the worst centre at the club, opinion is split on who is worse.
Lee Beach (London Welsh)
Was offloaded by the Ospreys, and spent time in the Principality Premiership with Neath and captaining the Sevens side, before moving onto London Welsh.
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