Carling hits out at Wales style

Will Carling says James Hook should be Wales’ fly-half and urges them to follow the player’s lead

England legend Will Carling says Wales coach Warren Gatland has imposed a subdued and restrained style on his players that does not suit them.

Carling says Gatland should pick James Hook at fly-half and “set him free”.

“Trying to play a set-piece and a restrained style… is not bringing the best out of the Welsh,” said Carling.

“It might be easy for me to say, but… when Wales are at their best and most dangerous is when they are just playing and taking risks.”

Wales face Ireland at the Millennium Stadium in the Six Nations on Saturday, 12 March having lost there to England in the tournament opener and gone on to win away against Scotland and Italy.

Stephen Jones was dropped from fly-half after the opening 26-19 defeat by England with Gatland preferring Hook to start the 24-6 win over Scotland that followed.

Will Carling played 73 England games, 59 of them as captain

Hook then switched to centre in Jonathan Davies’ injury absence to drop a crucial late goal in the 24-16 win over Italy in Rome with Jones back at fly-half.

In the build-up to the clash at Murrayfield Gatland said he wanted Hook to adopt a conservative style, saying: “It’s about being more conservative and taking on less risks.”

Carling, who was captain in 59 of his 73 appearances, says Grand Slam-chasing England are not equipped to match the sort of natural style he believes Wales should be encouraged to reproduce.

But he says Wales must adopt a more fluid style to improve their form in Six Nations tournament.

He told Thursday’s Scrum V Radio: “I know a few of them Wales squad and I just think there’s talent there. I’ve been slightly confused by the way they’ve played and not played.

“I think their pack of forwards have gone pretty well and this, coming from a stilted emotionless Englishman, I think the Welsh are at their best when they play Hook at 10 and actually just play.

Let it go, free him Hook up, let him play, let people play off him, get the confidence, bring the best out of Shane Williams, Lee Byrne

“And that may be me just taking the risk. But I think for me what Wales have always done brilliantly is express themselves, take chances, create chances – stuff that England – we can never do that sort of stuff.

“And that’s a Welsh strength.

“Well, trying to subdue it and restrain it, to me is not the best way to go forward.

“To me it’s actually let it go, free him Hook up, let him play, let people play off him, get the confidence, bring the best out of Shane Williams, Lee Byrne – boys who I genuinely rate – and play.

“Trying to play a set-piece and a restrained style of rugby, to me, is not bringing the best out of the Welsh.

“It might be easy for me to say, but that to me is when Wales are at their best and most dangerous is when they are just playing and taking risks.”

Wales squad:

Forwards: Paul James (Ospreys), John Yapp (Blues), Craig Mitchell (Ospreys), Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Scott Andrews (Blues), Matthew Rees (Scarlets, capt), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Blues), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Andy Powell (Wasps), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Rob McCusker (Scarlets), Dan Lydiate (Dragons).

Backs: Mike Phillips (Ospreys), Dwayne Peel (Sale), Tavis Knoyle (Scarlets), Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), James Hook (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Shane Williams (Ospreys), Morgan Stoddart (Scarlets), Lee Byrne (Ospreys), Leigh Halfpenny (Blues).