Sam Warburton sees key Wales trait emerging as star on another level
Sam Warburton sees key Wales trait emerging as star on another level
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Sam Warburton sees key Wales trait emerging as star on another level

Dylan James 🕒︎ 2025-11-09

Copyright walesonline

Sam Warburton sees key Wales trait emerging as star on another level

The start of Wales' new era under Steve Tandy may have seen Argentina run in seven tries against the hosts in Cardiff, but there were plenty of positives to take from the game. Legendary duo Dan Biggar and Sam Warburton have heaped the praise on "world class" Jac Morgan, while the latter identified a key area which represents a turning point for Wales. Unfortunately for Wales, despite Morgan's talismanic performance, Tandy has confirmed the Ospreys star has dislocated his shoulder and is likely out for the remainder of the autumn internationals. He led by example, particularly in terms of physicality, like he always does. Previous to this campaign, Wales were seriously lacking ball carriers, with Morgan and team-mate Dewi Lake among the only players able to get significant post-contact metres. However, there were positives today with the likes of Keiron Assiratti and Rhys Carre also providing some punch in the collision area. This good work, coupled with improved attacking shape and defensive cohesion - at times - Wales looked noticeably improved. Of course, things weren't going to just improve overnight, so this performance can definitely be the foundation to build from in the coming weeks and months. British and Irish Lions legend Warburton identified the team's resilience as a key point that suggests Tandy and Co could be turning the tide. Asked whether he saw the new identity of Wales, Warburton said: "I did. When we played England ( Six Nations ), like I mentioned at the top of the show, Wales threw in the towel that game. I remember thinking, I've never seen that in a Welsh team. They gave up. And I've never been part of a team like that. "And I think that's something we've always taken a massive amount of pride in beforehand. You mentioned mindset, fight, pride. We can't just create a world-class attack in one or two weeks. We don't have the players. "Similarly with defence, we're not just going to suddenly become a maul team because we don't have 6ft 8in monsters who are 20 stone. But one thing you can create through your culture and your messaging is a team who are so tough to beat in the sense that you are so stubbornly resilient. "That's why I wanted to see how we defended that last five minutes. How much heart is there throughout the whole game? And the best teams I've been involved in, you're just full of players who just never, ever, ever give up. I think that's a team that 75,000 people can get passionate about, they feel represents them and what we are as a nation. I think we can instil that and Steve Tandy has that as a person. I think that will naturally infiltrate all the team. "You lead on people like Jac Morgan who can spearhead that. I think we can become a really tough team to beat, but it will take time." After touching on the game itself, Biggar brought up the performance of Morgan: "Jac Morgan was head and shoulders above every other Welsh player on the pitch in terms of carries, turnovers, metres made, brilliant." Warburton added: "I think the word world class gets banded around a little bit too easy. Jac is genuine world class. He was brilliant in the summer with the Lions. "He's come back and he's used that confidence to lead this team. Whether it's both sides of the ball, carrying, tackling, competing over the ball, scoring tries, whether it's smart play like nearly stopping a try. Such a smart, brave, intelligent player. And he is a really nice ball player as well. Jac Morgan is exactly what Wales need. I do fear the worst with his injury." Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news. You can also follow us on social media on our X account , Facebook , Instagram and TikTok. For more exclusive stories and in-depth analysis, you can sign up for the Inside Welsh Rugby substack newsletter here.

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