Wales captain gives insight into players' minds as game faces huge moment
Wales captain gives insight into players' minds as game faces huge moment
'I would be getting asked questions that I had absolutely no idea the answer to,' explained former Cymru skipper Ellis Jenkins.
Former Wales captain Ellis Jenkins revealed how he dealt with uncertainty as a regional captain.
(Image: © Huw Evans Picture Agency )
Former Wales captain Ellis Jenkins has revealed what players will be thinking after another colossal moment in Welsh rugby.
News was broken by WalesOnline on Saturday night that the Welsh Rugby Union were expected to cut the number of regions down to three, with the days of four equally-funded clubs over.
In response to this news, Ospreys and Scarlets, who did not sign the Professional Rugby Agreement, put out a statement of their own criticisng the WRU's U-turn on their stance on four regions and slammed them for creating more "destabilising and debilitating uncertainty".
Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Scrum V's podcast, former Cardiff flanker Jenkins explained what it will be like for players going through this. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby
Of course, Jenkins was captain of Cardiff when players in Wales went through a period of contractual uncertainty in 2023. Wales Six Nations players at the time walked out of a dinner at the Parkgate Hotel and very nearly took strike action ahead of the game against England - the WRU's biggest moneymaker.
"The majority of the players won't understand a thing that's going on," began Jenkins.
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"They will look to the senior players or the more 'in the know' players for answers. I found myself, obviously, as Cardiff captain, as one of those.
"I would be getting asked questions that I had absolutely no idea the answer to. It falls on you to speak to the coaches, and the majority of the time the coaches wouldn't know either.
"You'd speak to the chief executives, the people in charge and try to get some sort of answers to: One - put the boys at ease so that they can get on with training and focus on the rugby.
"But also, more importantly, be honest.
"There's no point putting the boys at ease if you're just filling them with false promises and false answers. It became very difficult. There have been very different scenarios over the years. It seems to be one after the other.
"Every time you seem to put one to bed another thing pops up to challenge it."
You can watch the clip below.
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Welsh rugby is now entering a precarious period, and it comes at an inconvenient time.
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Scarlets have just qualified for the play-offs of the United Rugby Championship and Wales are heading to Japan for a summer tour in a matter of weeks.
Rugby in Wales is now set for seismic change, levels of which haven't been seen since the inception of the regional system in 2003.
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"Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe. We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. "I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny. I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing. "With the numbers we've had, he's had to jump in sometimes so it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him. "It's good to have a guy with his experience here. I can chat to him and bounce things off him as and when I need. "All the coaches seem open to conversations and chats. It's a good environment to be in." Australia will be Russell's third expedition with the Lions, with all three set to be very different experiences. In 2017 in New Zealand he was part of the controversial 'Geography Six', a group of Scotland and Wales players who were called into Warren Gatland's squad not on merit but because of their close proximity while on summer tours. Four years later he travelled to South Africa where all matches were played behind closed doors due to the pandemic, denying the Lions their famed 'sea of red' support. The Bath ringmaster started the third Test against the Springboks. "New Zealand was still amazing because it was my first time being called up to the Lions," Russell said. "We weren't there for the whole tour, but to have gone to New Zealand and played was really cool for me. Article continues below "And then in 2021 it was special going the whole time, even though it was Covid. We couldn't have family and friends or fans at the game, but it was still amazing in a different way. "In terms of the boys, we probably got to know each other a little bit better because it was just us in the hotel and whatnot. I'm looking forward to what this one's going to be like."
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Finn Russell has revealed that he buried the hatchet with Johnny Sexton with the help of Andy Farrell as the old foes join forces on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. Sexton has previously been critical of Russell, labelling him 'flashy' and a 'media darling', while adding he would choose Owen Farrell over him against the Wallabies because the former England captain is a 'Test match animal'. And in his autobiography, the Ireland great confessed that it 'kills me to this day' that he was overlooked in favour of Russell for the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa. Now the former fly-half rivals are working together to plot the downfall of Australia, with Sexton acting as the Lions kicking skills coach and Russell in pole position to take the playmaking duties in the Test series. When they first linked up after the players involved in the Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championship finals arrived into camp earlier this week, any acrimony quickly faded. 'It's just been bit of a craic. It was never a thing. When we came in, we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed so that was good,' Scotland international Russell said. 'Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe. We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. 'I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny. I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing. 'With the numbers we've had, he's had to jump in sometimes so it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him. 'It's good to have a guy with his experience here. I can chat to him and bounce things off him as and when I need. 'All the coaches seem open to conversations and chats. It's a good environment to be in.' Australia will be Russell's third expedition with the Lions, with all three set to be very different experiences. In 2017 in New Zealand he was part of the controversial 'Geography Six', a group of Scotland and Wales players who were called into Warren Gatland's squad not on merit but because of their close proximity while on summer tours. Four years later he travelled to South Africa where all matches were played behind closed doors due to the pandemic, denying the Lions their famed 'sea of red' support. The Bath ringmaster started the third Test against the Springbocks. 'New Zealand was still amazing because it was my first time being called up to the Lions,' Russell said. 'We weren't there for the whole tour, but to have gone to New Zealand and played was really cool for me. 'And then in 2021 it was special going the whole time, even though it was Covid. We couldn't have family and friends or fans at the game, but it was still amazing in a different way. 'In terms of the boys, we probably got to know each other a little bit better because it was just us in the hotel and whatnot. I'm looking forward to what this one's going to be like.'
