Jac Morgan has received a ringing endorsement of his all-round quality as he prepares for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final appointment with Argentina.
Wales co-captain Morgan is expected to skipper the side, as he did for critical pool-stage victories over Fiji and Australia, against the Pumas in Marseille.
The Ospreys forward has arguably been Wales’ outstanding player of the tournament and it has earned him acclaim after displaying similar attributes to former back-row stars Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric.
Warburton was 22 – a year younger than Morgan – when he captained Wales to the 2011 World Cup semi-finals and similarities have often been made between the two.
Morgan, though, has also shown the attacking skills and footballing ability that Tipuric, who announced his retirement from Test rugby earlier this year, was renowned for.
“There is a work ethic there, a hunger to be the best, all those similarities,” Wales assistant coach and former international back-row forward Jonathan Thomas said.
“It is really interesting, because you had quite contrasting players in Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric.
“Both world-class players, but quite contrasting in their styles. Jac is probably a bit of a hybrid of both, if that makes sense.
“Jac is pretty physical, hard-working – characteristics that Sam had. But he has also got a good skill-set, a bit like Tips, with some of those nice kicks he has done.
“He is obviously young and he will be learning and growing through his experience as well.
“He is a really humble kid and he will know he is not the finished article at this stage, but he has got a really good balance to his game.”
Morgan will feature in a reshaped Wales back-row following a tournament-ending injury suffered by number eight Taulupe Faletau against Georgia last weekend.
Faletau broke his arm during that game, with Aaron Wainwight widely expected to be switched from blindside flanker and handed the number eight shirt.
That could mean Morgan moving from openside to blindside, with Tommy Reffell completing the back-row trio, while Dan Lydiate and Christ Tshiunza also provide options.
“Gats (Wales head coach Warren Gatland) from the outset wanted people to express their individuality and focus on what their super-strength is,” Thomas added.
“We’ve had a bit of a theme about relating your individual ability to a superhero.
“It wouldn’t work if you went into a game trying to be Toby (Faletau). You’ve got to be yourself and show your particular super-strength.
“Toby is an obvious loss to the team, but I think where this team is at at the moment and what we are about is that we are a team.
“We have a way that we want to play and whoever slots in is really clear on the team objective and then he has to bring his own individual super-strength to the team. You can’t try to say to a player that you need to play like Toby.
“A game of rugby is each individual expressing themselves, but also doing their job for the team. Whoever gets selected will hone into whatever the team objective is and how we want to play.”
Gatland will name his side on Thursday, with fly-half Dan Biggar expected to return following a pectoral muscle injury that forced him off early against Australia.
Gareth Anscombe looks likely to provide bench cover for Biggar if he recovers in time from a groin problem, and full-back Liam Williams took a blow to his knee during the Georgia match.
Thomas on Tuesday described the situation as “pretty positive” regarding Anscombe and Williams in their quest to be available for selection.
Gatland future up in the air after Wales suffer 12th consecutive loss
Wales head coach Warren Gatland did not have answers about his future following their 45-12 defeat to South Africa, their 12th consecutive loss.
The Springboks dominated from the off and were cruising 26-0 just before half-time, after Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Elrigh Louw crossed.
Rio Dyer's try before the break ensured Wales did not draw a blank in the first half, but South Africa did not let up as Aphelele Fassi, Gerhard Steenenkamp and Jordan Hendrikse all followed suit.
James Botham's late effort ensured Wales did not suffer their worst-ever home defeat, but they have now gone an entire calendar year without a win for the first time since 1937.
Gatland has come under increasing pressure as the losses pile up, and though his future remains up in the air, he was proud of how his inexperienced side held up against the world champions.
"It's about seeing what the Welsh Rugby Union has to say," he told TNT Sports when asked about his future.
"You don't make a decision straight after a game, it's always tough coming to a press conference straight after a game before you've had time to catch your breath and look at some of the stats and numbers.
"Let's just see what happens over the next few days."
On their recent run of form, he added: "We punched massively above our weight for a number of years, and we've been saying that when the dam bursts it's going to take a little bit of time to put things right.
"The dam has burst, but it's about making sure that, collectively, with the regions we work together.
"I think we need to be in better shape in a conditioning point of view. We will work on that with some of the players over the next couple of months, so when they turn up for the Six Nations, they're ready to go from day one."
South Africa have won each of their last three Tests, building on their wins over Scotland and England earlier in the series.
Captain Siya Kolisi was pleased with their ruthlessness in the game but also sympathised with Gatland's situation.
"It's been a really good tour," he told TNT Sports. "It hasn't been perfect, the first two games we weren't happy - happy we won, but there was so much we could have done better.
"The results are important, but it's how you do things, the standards we set for ourselves. We know we can do a little bit better as a group.
"We were where Wales are a couple of years ago.
"The only thing I can say is you just can't stop believing. If you look at their starting backline, one of our guys had more caps than all of them. You have to be realistic about these things."
Elsewhere, Ireland produced their most convincing win of their series, scoring eight tries as they cruised past Fiji 52-17 in Dublin earlier on Saturday.
France 37-23 Argentina: Les Bleus wrap up campaign with third win
France posted a comfortable 37-23 win over Argentina on Friday to make it three wins out of three tests at the Stade de France to conclude their Autumn Nations Series.
Having also beaten New Zealand and Japan in Paris this month, Fabien Galthie's side claimed four tries, including a superb solo effort from Louis Bielle-Biarrey, as they eased to victory against the Pumas.
The hosts led 30-9 at the break after Argentina's Julian Montoya and Juan Martin Gonzalez were both shown yellow cards in the first half, with Thomas Ramos slotting his third penalty of the game.
Tomas Albornoz made it 30-16 for Felipe Contepomi's visitors, but their hopes of a comeback were dashed as Bielle-Biarrey scored his fourth try in three games before Ramos made it 37-16.
Albornoz then cut the deficit to 37-23 with a two-pointer with nine minutes to play, but that wasn't enough to stop his side from falling to a defeat.
"We knew it was going to be an 80-minute game. We saw last week how Argentina went all the way against a good Irish team," France lock Emmanuel Meafou told TNT Sports.
"We are happy with the win. We have three from three [in the autumn] and we will look to build on that in the Six Nations next year."
England must be 'brave on the ball' to halt winless run, says Borthwick
England head coach Steve Borthwick has demanded his team to be "brave on the ball" when they take on Eddie Jones' Japan in the Autumn Nations Series on Sunday.
Borthwick's side have lost each of their last five matches, their longest such run since another five-game stretch between February and June 2018.
However, they have not lost more in a row since a streak of seven in 2006. Each of the five losses in their current streak have also come in single-digit margins.
But England have also struggled at home. They have fallen to defeat in their last three matches at the Allianz Stadium, their longest losing run since 2008.
Only once before have they lost more in a row at the Twickenham venue (L5 between 1971 and 1973), though Borthwick has urged his players to persist with an attacking style.
"We are trying to play the game a different way," he told BBC Sport.
"I am encouraging the players to be brave with the ball, to move the ball, that’s where the strength of the team now is and where it is going to be in the future."
Borthwick named his 23-man squad to face Japan on Friday, reinstating Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, nicknamed the "Kamikaze Kids" by Jones in 2019.
Curry has been recalled to the team after he was knocked out against Australia, and he replaces Chandler Cunningham-South in the back-row.
In the other change from the starting XV that lost to South Africa, full-back George Furbank comes in for Freddie Steward.
Fin Smith replaces George Ford on England's bench while Cunningham-South steps in for Alex Dombrandt. Sale's Opoku-Fordjour could also make his senior debut.
"We anticipate a tough challenge from a team that thrives on playing fast and with tempo," said Borthwick.
"Japan are a dangerous team, so it’s important that we execute our game plan and maintain focus throughout the full 80 minutes."
England team to face Japan
George Furbank, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Ollie Sleightholme, Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Nick Isiekwe, Chandler Cunningham-South, Harry Randall, Fin Smith, Tom Roebuck.
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