Warren Gatland said Ken Owens’ “outstanding rugby intellect” lay behind his decision to appoint the Scarlets hooker as Wales captain for the Six Nations.
Owens, who has won 86 caps for his country, is set to lead Wales for the first time in their tournament opener against Ireland in Cardiff on 4 February.
Gatland, returning for a second spell as Wales coach after his fellow New Zealander Wayne Pivac was sacked last month, had several other options as skipper including former Test captains Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar and Justin Tipuric.
The former British and Irish Lions boss also thought about installing a younger captain as part of a long-term plan. But with a World Cup in France coming up later this year, he settled on the 36-year-old Owens.
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“Looking at the squad, I think if we are picking a team, if you look at the way he [Owens] played in the autumn and how he came back from injury, he is probably number one in that position,” Gatland said after naming his Six Nations squad on Tuesday.
“I did contemplate whether we picked a young captain and looked at that for the future.
“Talking to the other coaches, there are probably a few contenders post the World Cup, where there will be significant change to the squad.”
Gatland added: “I have a huge amount of respect for Ken as a person and I’m sure he’ll be popular with the players. He wears his heart on his sleeve, has an outstanding rugby intellect and he relates well with people.”
Gatland has returned following a woeful 2022 for Wales that yielded just three wins and included losses at home to both Italy and Georgia.
Those defeats led to the exit of Pivac, who won just 13 of his 34 Tests as Wales coach, though he guided the side to the 2021 Six Nations title.
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But Gatland, recalling Wales’ 2008 Grand Slam in his first Six Nations in charge, said: “It wasn’t believable 15 years ago, so anything is possible.
“I am incredibly competitive and I will do whatever it takes to get this team to a position where they can compete with the best sides in the world.”
The Kiwi has selected four uncapped players, centres Keiran Williams (Ospreys) and Mason Grady (Cardiff), as well as Ospreys lock Rhys Davies and Cardiff second-row forward Teddy Williams, ahead of Wales’ clash against Ireland.
Gareth Anscombe and Ross Moriarty are among several players not selected due to injury but Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit, currently sidelined by an ankle problem, has been included.
“It’s probably a bigger squad than I would normally name, but we want to have a good Six Nations and also look forward to the World Cup [in France later this year], said Gatland.
Wales won just 13 of 34 Tests under Pivac, though he guided them to the 2021 Six Nations title. He succeeded Gatland following the 2019 World Cup.
Wales lost four of their five matches in the 2022 Six Nations, including a home defeat by Italy.
Gatland presided over one of Wales’ most successful eras from 2008 to 2019, winning four Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams, as well as reaching two World Cup semi-finals.
Full Wales squad: Backs: Kieran Hardy (Scarlets), Rhys Webb, Tomos Williams (Cardiff), Dan Biggar (Toulon/FRA), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Owen Williams (Ospreys), Mason Grady (Cardiff), Joe Hawkins (Ospreys), George North (Ospreys), Nick Tompkins (Saracens/ENG), Keiran Williams (Ospreys), Josh Adams (Cardiff), Alex Cuthbert (Ospreys), Rio Dyer (Dragons), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets), Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester/ENG), Liam Williams (Cardiff). Forwards: Rhys Carre (Cardiff), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets, capt), Bradley Roberts (Dragons), Leon Brown (Dragons), Tomas Francis (Ospreys), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Rhys Davies (Ospreys), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter/ENG), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Tommy Reffell (Leicester/ENG), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Christ Tshiunza (Exeter/ENG), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)
© Agence France-Presse