Six Nations 2016: Undercooked Rhys Priestland is the only concern for Warren Gatland’s settled Wales

Wales' Six Nations campaign begins away to holders Ireland on 7 February

Dan Biggar (left) and Rhys Priestland are the only two fly-halves in Wales’s Six Nations squad (Getty Images)

It is possible to argue that Wales are a more settled team than at any point since the golden age of the 1970s, but the World Cup quarter-finalists will head into next month’s Six Nations with a question mark the size of Barry John’s talent over the one position they love to call their own: outside-half.

Warren Gatland, the most successful head coach in European union, named just two No 10s in his 37-man squad for the forthcoming tournament, and one of them – Rhys Priestland – has next to no game time behind him, let alone anything resembling consistent form.

Gifted as he is, Priestland could not conceivably claim that his move into the English club scene with Bath has been a success. Indeed, he has played something less than five hours of competitive rugby since crossing the Severn Bridge from the Scarlets last October.

Dan Biggar, second only to Daniel Carter as the World Cup’s most eye-catching performer in the crucial game-management role, is certain to start against Ireland in Dublin a fortnight on Sunday, assuming he is fit and healthy. But Sod’s Law being what it is, Priestland could find himself on the field within seconds, ring-rustiness and all.

“Rhys is an experienced player and having seen the way he applied himself at the World Cup despite having limited opportunities, we believe he can produce the things we’ve seen from him in the past,” argued Rob Howley, the Red Dragons’ assistant coach and back-line strategist. “I’ve spoken to him and he sounds confident. We feel he offers a different set of skills and we’re looking forward to seeing where he’s at when he comes into camp.”

Priestland, who is said to be unsettled at Bath, was initially thought to have made himself unavailable for the Six Nations, having decided to take a sabbatical from international rugby. Certainly the Bath head coach, Mike Ford, was under that impression. “It’s his choice – he wants to develop here, to get settled and put a lot of time and effort into being the best player he can be with us,” Ford said shortly after the player arrived.

A few days after Christmas, it was a different story. If Bath were less than jubilant at Priestland’s apparent change of heart, Howley insisted that the 29-year-old from Carmarthen had never spoken of a sabbatical with any member of the Wales hierarchy. “Rhys has always been available to us as far as we’re concerned,” he insisted. Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice once said.

The only players from Gatland’s original World Cup party not included in this latest group are the injured ones: the full-back Leigh Halfpenny, the centre Scott Williams and the scrum-half Rhys Webb.

Balanced against that is the return of the influential Lions Test midfielder Jonathan Davies, who was ruled out of the global gathering because of serious knee ligament problems, and the reappearances of two Cardiff Blues men in fine fettle: the wing Tom James and the lock Josh Turnbull. As expected, the Scarlets half-back Aled Davies is the one uncapped call-up.

“It’s a reflection of what happened at the World Cup, where a lot of players did well for us,” Gatland explained. “We feel there’s a nice balance between us rewarding people for what they’ve done in the past and picking some who have impressed with their club performances.

“Apart from a couple of loose-head props [the 35-year-old Gethin Jenkins and the 33-year-old Paul James], most of the squad should be around for the next World Cup in 2019. That means we’re in a pretty healthy state.”

Talking of long-serving tight forwards, the revered lock Alun Wyn Jones gave Gatland a substantial helping of good news by re-signing a national dual contract with Wales and the Swansea-based Ospreys regional team, thus resisting the temptation to accept one of the many big-money deals that have been thrown in his direction by chequebook-wielding suitors in England and France.

“The service Alun has given us is fantastic,” the coach said. “It’s been a pleasure to see him develop into an extremely valuable member of the squad. He’s world class.”

Forwards

R Evans (Scarlets), P James (Ospreys), G Jenkins (Cardiff), T Francis (Exeter), A Jarvis (Ospreys), S Lee (Scarlets), S Baldwin (Ospreys), K Dacey (Cardiff), K Owens, J Ball (both Scarlets), L Charteris (Racing 92), B Davies (Wasps), D Day (Bath), A W Jones (Ospreys), J Turnbull (Cardiff), T Faletau (Newport), J King, D Lydiate (both Ospreys), R Moriarty (Gloucester), J Tipuric (Ospreys), S Warburton (capt; Cardiff)

Backs

A Davies, G Davies (both Scarlets), L Williams (Cardiff) D Biggar (Ospreys), R Priestland (Bath), C Allen (Cardiff), J Davies (Clermont), T Morgan (Newport), J Roberts (Harlequins), H Amos (Newport), A Cuthbert, T James (both Cardiff), G North (Northampton), G Anscombe (Cardiff), M Morgan (Bristol), L Williams (Scarlets)