Wales international 'bitter' about Warren Gatland snub as Leigh Halfpenny left stunned

Wales international Johnny McNicholl says he will be bitter for the rest of his life over Warren Gatland leaving him out of his World Cup plans last year.

The New Zealand-born star had been in sparkling form for the Scarlets last season and while injury meant he missed out on the Six Nations, was arguably the form full-back in Wales heading into the summer. After a strong campaign, McNicholl was hopeful that he would get to add to his 10 Welsh caps at the World Cup, while he was "100 per cent" confident that he would at least make it to the training camp.

However, when Gatland named his initial 54-man training squad for the tournament, the now-33-year-old was left stunned to learn that he had been left out. The Wales boss had named five potential full-back options in the wider squad, with Leigh Halfpenny, Louis Rees-Zammit, Liam Williams, Tom Rogers and Cai Evans all involved before the latter two were cut ahead of the tournament.

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The omission came as a huge shock to McNicholl, who has since left the Scarlets to rejoin the Crusaders in Super Rugby and seemingly end his international career. It also followed a series of injury setbacks for the New Zealander, who won his final cap against Italy in the 2022 Six Nations.

Appearing on the What a Lad podcast, hosted by Crusaders assistant coach James Marshall, McNicholl reflected on how his Wales career came to an end. "I got injured at really bad times for campaigns," he admitted. "I made the Six Nations [in 2020] and then Covid hit, so we missed out on a game then and then during all the Covid games I was dealing with an ankle injury. I got a chance to play one of the last games against Georgia, I think it was, and then I popped my rib out in that game so I missed the rest of them.

"The following Six Nations I made the squad and my form wasn’t good. I had gone into that campaign with a little bit of a form slump. I started the first game, had a bad game and then never really got a look in."

But the upcoming World Cup gave him extra motivation to impress the returning Warren Gatland and break back into the international fold. However, despite his best efforts, scoring six tries in his final 11 games of the season, McNicholl was still overlooked.

"With the World Cup looming after that Six Nations, I was really keen to make it and definitely 100 per cent thought I was going to make this World Cup camp, to prove myself," he said. "I was playing great club rugby, I was probably the form 15 at the time and I didn’t get a look in. I think they picked five [full-backs] and I didn’t even make the camp.

The snub left him and his now-Crusaders teammate Halfpenny baffled, with the Wales centurion apparently struggling to understand the reasoning behind it. To make matters worse for McNicholl, he has never learnt why he was left out of Gatland's plans.

"The coaches had changed from Pivac to Gatland and I got no feedback, nothing," he said. "I say sometimes you can be confident or delusional but I don’t think I’m delusional saying I should have been in that camp at least.

"The boys are good, they also said it. Leigh Halfpenny is in my position and he made the camp. I wouldn’t have taken his spot, it would have been someone else’s, but he was like ‘How the hell are you not in this camp? What have you done to Gats? What have you done to these coaches?’

"I couldn’t tell you why I didn’t make it, he continued. "I honestly wouldn’t have a clue to this day. I’d have to go ask Gats and be like ‘Mate, why didn’t you pick me for that camp at least? I thought the camp was a definite, I was like ‘I hope I get on the plane to the World Cup’. But I didn’t even get a chance."

McNicholl went on to admit that he will be "bitter for my whole life" over the snub, having missed out on his one real opportunity to play at a World Cup. During his podcast appearance, he jokingly told Gatland to call him and explain his decision as he admitted he wished "someone else was in that job that would pick me".

"It’s not a nice end to your Welsh career, especially when you’re playing really good footy," he said. "My club coaches were really happy with me and I was happy with my form, but someone else was not. It’s just another man’s opinion but yeah, it’s the wrong man in the job. I wanted to be at the World Cup, so I wish someone else was in that job that would pick me. Gats mate, what’s the problem? Give me a call.

"I’m not bitter about any of my other teams I haven’t made or selection for other things like the Six Nations, which I missed out on a couple of times," he continued. "But I will be bitter for my whole life for that one I reckon.

"You don’t get a chance to go to the World Cup very often and one comes around where you think you’re going to make it and you don’t... I’ll get over it one day, but not yet.”