Warren Gatland's most difficult Wales pick and the radical option now emerging

Wales take on Australia in Sydney a week today and Warren Gatland has much to ponder when it comes to selection.

Who starts at tighthead prop in the absence of Henry Thomas and Keiron Assiratti, who partners Dafydd Jenkins in the boilerhouse and what is the make-up of his back-three? All questions which need answering, but finding the best balance in midfield is perhaps the biggest dilemma.

In France during the Rugby World Cup the midfield partnership of Nick Tompkins and George North dovetailed beautifully, with Dan Biggar's presence in the number 10 shirt playing a big part. But during the Six Nations there was a clear lack of incisiveness in the midfield and it doesn't help that North has now retired from international rugby.

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Gatland selected three different centre combinations during the Six Nations and a fourth one against South Africa at Twickenham last weekend. It's fair to say Gatland hasn't settled on a first choice midfield and there are places up for grabs.

Last week this journalist made the case that Wales should stick with Mason Grady no matter how he went against South Africa. Grady didn't set the world alight at Twickenham but the 22-year-old showed glimpses of what he is capable of.

Wales struggled to get over the gainline during the Six Nations and need as many players who can make as many post-contact metres as possible. Grady is someone who can do this with his size, explosive power and top-end pace making him a difficult attacking proposition for defences to contain.

But there are question marks over his decision making in defence which is presumably part of the reason he has been moved to 12 at Test level, with outside centre arguably the most difficult position to defend on the field. The midfield didn't work as well from an attacking point of view last weekend, with Wales creating very little despite building periods of sustained pressure.

Owen Watkin is a safe pair of hands but his best position is 12 not 13 and the Ospreys man lacks a cutting edge in the outside centre channel. Wales want Grady on the field because he can beat defenders and offers a real gainline presence but it remains to be seen whether he fits in well with Watkin in midfield.

It isn't a case of selecting the best players, it's a question of what is the best midfield balance for Wales moving forward. Grady at 12 with either Watkin or Tompkins at 12 is the safe option but Wales need to be ambitious and bold if they are to win a Test in Australia.

There are at least two radical options for Gatland to consider. One is to employ Ben Thomas as a Southern Hemisphere-style second five-eight, backing the Cardiff mans passing and peripheral vision to get the best out of Grady.

The 25-year-old is an excellent shot caller with a good kicking game so it could work well from an attacking perspective, but there are question marks over whether Thomas has the size and defensive game to play in the midfield at Test level. Gatland sees him as an outside-half at international level in the long-run.

The other radical option is to overload on size and power. A centre partnership of Eddie James and Grady has serious potential but they only have 13 caps between them.

James has been a shining light in a dark season for the Scarlets and is a serious carrier while his footwork and distribution are underrated parts of his game. Pairing James and Grady in midfield would give Wales some serious go forward and even if they aren't the most experienced players it would be a surprise if they didn't cause the Wallabies some serious problems.

But if Gatland decides to go that way he might have to accept the odd defensive glitch with both players yet to fully find their feet as international players. Wales are on a run of seven straight defeats and Gatland could really do with a victory to ease some pressure and instil some confidence into the squad.

But if they are to take a step forward this summer they will have to throw the shackles off and be bold.