Rhys Webb: Ospreys scrum-half will keep 'banging door down' to play for Wales again
- Published
Scrum-half Rhys Webb "leads from the front defensively" according to Ospreys coach Toby Booth
Scrum-half Rhys Webb is desperate to play for Wales again and will "keep banging the door down", says Ospreys head coach Toby Booth.
The 33-year-old was outstanding in Ospreys' 22-6 win at Cardiff, running the game in a try-scoring performance.
Webb played two Tests for the 2017 British and Irish Lions in New Zealand, but has not added to his 36 Wales caps since November 2020.
"Of course he is [good enough to play for Wales again], 100%," Booth said.
"He led from the front defensively... he created problems [for opponents Cardiff]. I think when you go to World Cups, in particular, you need to be good both sides of the ball.
"I've made him captain because he leads the attitude of the team well and if I was going to a World Cup I'd want someone who was a competitor, and he certainly is that.
"We need to make the ball available for him and we need to play a certain way to help him, but I can only comment on how he's been in the group, on the pitch, and he's been one of our stand-out players all year.
"He'll keep banging the door down, I know he's desperate to play for Wales. He's absolutely so proud a Welshman and I think his performances have been very, very good."
Cardiff's Tomos Williams, plus Scarlets pair Gareth Davies and Rhodri Williams were the scrum-halves preferred by head coach Wayne Pivac for Wales' Six Nations campaign, which saw the defending champions finish second-bottom with one win.
Action from Arms Park as Cardiff take on old rivals Ospreys.
Booth says Webb's influence can be felt off as well as on the pitch, underlining his importance to the squad on their recent mini-tour to South Africa where they lost both United Rugby Championship (URC) games to Stormers and Lions.
"There's a great example, why South Africa was so important with such a young group, we've got a lot of young players who are learning their trade, but also learning how to be very good professionals," Booth added.
"Brad Davies (the Wales lock, 35) and Rhys Webb were up at six doing their prep, because they know what they have to do to their bodies to allow them to train and the choices they make, their post-match recovery.
"Those are leading by example and those two boys, the reason they're still playing at such a level they are at the age they are is because they're competitors and they know what needs to be done."
After beating Cardiff, Ospreys face another URC Welsh derby at home to Scarlets on Saturday, 30 April and Webb was pleased to have marked the 250th Ospreys appearance of lock Alun Wyn Jones with a win.
"We were pretty disappointed with the two results we had out in South Africa but, as a group, we're working hard behind the scenes and I'm just glad we got to show what we can do," Webb said after the game.
"It was a full house at the Arm's Park and no [better] place to do it for Alun Wyn's 250th game, so a special occasion and we'll enjoy tonight."
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