Rhys Priestland

Rhys Priestland
Date of birth (1987-01-09) 9 January 1987
Place of birth Carmarthen, Wales
Height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 95 kg (14 st 13 lb)
School Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin
University Swansea University
Rugby union career
Current status
Current team Bath Rugby
Playing career
Position Fly-half
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006–2009
2015–		 Llanelli RFC
Bath		 32
26		 (175)
(101)
correct as of 11 November 2016.
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2007–2015 Scarlets 150 (1,064)
correct as of 16 May 2015.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)


2011–		 Wales U19
Wales U21
Wales

48

(95)
correct as of 25 June 2016.

Rhys Priestland (born 9 January 1987) is a Welsh international rugby union player. His position of choice is as a fly-half, however he occasionally plays at full-back. He attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin, Carmarthen, and he is a fluent Welsh speaker.[1]

Club career

Priestland joined the Scarlets in 2005 through the academy, he was only 18 at the time. He currently plays at fly half or at full back for the Welsh region side the Scarlets. They play rugby in Parc y Scarlets. He has played 91 games for them and scored over 600 points. In the 2010/2011 season against USA Perpignan, he scored a try at the end of the first half which the Scarlets won.[2]

In January 2015, it was announced that he would join English club Bath, on a two-year contract at the end of the 2014-15 season.[3]

International career

In January 2011 he was named in the Wales national rugby union team squad for the 2011 Six Nations Championship[4] and made his international debut on the 12 February 2011 in the 24–6 win against Scotland as a second-half replacement.[5]

Priestland was picked in Warren Gatland's 30-man 2011 Rugby World Cup squad in New Zealand. He started at fly-half in the first match against current champions at the time South Africa, he impressed with a very good performance losing only 16–17. He started at 10 again against Samoa, winning 17–10, and started again against Ireland in the quarter finals, a match Wales won 22–10. He missed the semi-final due to a shoulder injury picked up in the quarters. He has now become Wales' starting fly-half ahead of Stephen Jones and James Hook. He is now regarded as one of the 'new generation' of Welsh rugby talent, alongside players like Leigh Halfpenny, Toby Faletau and George North.[6]

He was picked on RTÉ's team of the Rugby World Cup 2011.

Priestland scored his first try for Wales on the 3 December 2011 against Australia. They lost 18–24.[7]

Statistics

Club Season League Anglo-Welsh Cup Europe[8] Total
AppsTCPDPts AppsTCPDPts AppsTCPDPts AppsTCPDPts
Scarlets 2007–08 13217210107100103302301317219250123
2008–09 130915063000000100000140915063
2009–10 1831127011842511053414201926620400190
2010–11 18313372158000000625503524518422193
2011–12 60917069000000715904213114260111
2012–13 90771380000003026125120913263
2013–14 141122601070000006081606420120420171
2014–15 13012171780000006021204019014291118
Total 104990167473852512056364285312381451512323251032
Source: [9]

Apps = Appearances; T = Tries; C = Conversions; P = Penalties; D = Drop goals; Pts = Total points

References

  1. ↑ bbc.co.uk
  2. ↑ Rhys Priestland ready to do battle with Stephen Jones for Scarlets No.10 shirt against Munster – Rugby News – Rugby. WalesOnline (2011-12-08). Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  3. ↑ "Rhys Priestland: Bath sign Wales fly-half from Scarlets". BBC Sport. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  4. ↑ 2011 Wales squad. BBC News (2011-01-23). Retrieved on 2011-11-03.
  5. ↑ Rugby World Cup: How Rhys Priestland's mum was told her 7-year-old son would play for Wales – Need to Read – News. WalesOnline (2011-10-13). Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  6. ↑ Rugby World Cup 2011: Rhys Priestland gets nod for Wales against Fiji | Sport | guardian.co.uk. Guardian (2011-9-30). Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  7. ↑ Rhys Priestland the apprentice is ready to fly for Wales and Scarlets in the Heineken Cup. Telegraph (2012-1-16). Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  8. ↑ Includes appearances in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup
  9. ↑ "Rhys Priestland". scarlets.co.uk. The Scarlets. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
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