Rugby Union: Davies passes Welsh test

JOHN DAVIES, the Neath prop, came through a tough fitness test yesterday and will be able to anchor the Welsh scrum against Scotland on Saturday, writes Robert Cole.

The Pembrokeshire farmer's fitness had been put in doubt by a nagging ankle strain and back problem, but when put to the test by the Wales assistant coach, Gareth Jenkins, at yesterday's rain-soaked training session in Cardiff he came through with flying colours.

Jenkins forced the reshaped Welsh pack to go through 25 full-scale scrums against a hydraulic machine and confessed to being happy with the results.

''John came through the session very well and there are no doubts with his fitness. Like the rest of the players, his attitude to training and the game on Saturday is superb,' Jenkins said.

Wales' other fitness worry is over the Cardiff centre, Mike Hall, and he did not train with the rest of the squad. He went for more physiotherapy on the leg injury he picked up on Monday night. The Cardiff captain will be given until tomorrow to recover. The team manager, Rob Norster, said: 'Mike is responding well to treatment and we want to give him as much time as possible to recover.'