Rhys Priestland
 |
|||
| Date of birth | 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 19 |
(175) (58) |
| correct as of 30 April 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 |
46 |
(95) |
| correct as of 29 May 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.
International career
In January 2011 he was named in the Wales national rugby union team squad for the 2011 Six Nations Championship[3] and made his international debut on the 12 February 2011 in the 24–6 win against Scotland as a second-half replacement.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Anglo-Welsh Cup | Europe[7] | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | T | C | P | D | Pts | Apps | T | C | P | D | Pts | Apps | T | C | P | D | Pts | Apps | T | C | P | D | Pts | ||
| Scarlets | 2007–08 | 13 | 2 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 107 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 17 | 2 | 19 | 25 | 0 | 123 |
| 2008–09 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 63 | |
| 2009–10 | 18 | 3 | 11 | 27 | 0 | 118 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 53 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 26 | 6 | 20 | 40 | 0 | 190 | |
| 2010–11 | 18 | 3 | 13 | 37 | 2 | 158 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 24 | 5 | 18 | 42 | 2 | 193 | |
| 2011–12 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 42 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 26 | 0 | 111 | |
| 2012–13 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 25 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 63 | |
| 2013–14 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 26 | 0 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 64 | 20 | 1 | 20 | 42 | 0 | 171 | |
| 2014–15 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 17 | 1 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 40 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 29 | 1 | 118 | |
| Total | 104 | 9 | 90 | 167 | 4 | 738 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 56 | 36 | 4 | 28 | 53 | 1 | 238 | 145 | 15 | 123 | 232 | 5 | 1032 | |
| Source: [8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Apps = Appearances; T = Tries; C = Conversions; P = Penalties; D = Drop goals; Pts = Total points
References
- ↑ bbc.co.uk
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 2011 Wales squad. BBC News (2011-01-23). Retrieved on 2011-11-03.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Includes appearances in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
