Wales have maintained they still have full faith in Mike Phillips despite the scrum-half recently being dropped by his club side Ospreys in their Heineken Cup match against London Irish. With Dwayne Peel returning to the Welsh squad for the first time in nearly a year, the pressure will be on Phillips to produce on the pitch from the very start of next week's Six Nations. Anyone who has placed a rugby bet on Wales will be interested to see what decision is made.
Sale Sharks number nine Peel has been named alongside Phillips and Tavis Knoyle as the three scrum-halves in the squad, all battling it out to earn their place in the starting line-up who will battle England in Cardiff next week. Welsh backs coach Rob Howley made it clear Phillips had the management's backing while also making it clear that the other scrum-halves will also be a be in the minds of those picking the team.
"I'm not concerned about Mike's form because he came on at the weekend and made an impact. But everyone is under pressure and Dwayne and Tavis will come into the selection equation," he said.
Richie Rees' 12 week ban ruled the Cardiff half-back out of the entire tournament and scrum-half has decided against appealing the suspension he received for gouging England's hooker Dylan Hartley. Whether Rees would have started as Wales' first choice number nine remain speculation but the reaction of Warren Gatland towards Hartley this week would indicate the coach is a little perturbed at the least to be without Rees.
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