Jonathan Davies: Sorry Wales drive Iestyn to the brink

If Wales are not careful they will drive Iestyn Harris back to rugby league. He is becoming so disillusioned there is a real danger that he will eventually have no alternative but to return to the game he left with such high hopes 18 months ago.

And that would be an absolute scandal, because he is the most talented player in Welsh rugby. All he has needed is the right coaching and co-operation to assist in the very difficult transition from one code to the other, and it just has not been forthcoming.

He worked so hard in the summer to prepare himself for World Cup year, and now he seems as far away as ever from establishing himself. He was unlucky to lose his place after the Italy game. It was a shocking performance, especially in the forwards, but I thought the backs did quite well with the small amount of decent ball they had and there was certainly nothing wrong with his kicking at goal.

Against England, however, the selectors decided to select a defensive line-up aimed at damage limitation, and they felt that Ceri Sweeney was more reliable defensively than Iestyn, who still tends to tackle high, as they do in league, instead of going low to bring them down.

You cannot complain at that policy because Wales gave a much better account of themselves and made England fight every inch of the way. Sweeney did well, but he is not an experienced place-kicker at that level and that is where they missed Iestyn, who showed up well when he came on late in the second half.

Now they go to Scotland on Saturday and they need an entirely different approach. They dare not think defensively and they dare not go into the game without a reliable goal-kicker, because it could be tight enough for the result to be down to just a few points.

It is good news that Stephen Jones is back in the squad but he has only just had the plaster removed from his injured thumb and will need to prove his fitness. Nevertheless, it seems that Iestyn is in line to be left out of the squad for the game at Murrayfield, which will be another bitter blow for him.

It would be diabolical if Wales were to lose him altogether, just because of a lack of coaching and a proper understanding of the part he can play. You have only got to look at the mixed fortunes of top league players who have tried to make it in union with the top English clubs. Jason Robinson is the only one who can be called a success, and certainly no one has yet made it in the key position of outside-half.

When Iestyn first moved to Wales it was suggested that I should be employed to help him, but nothing came of it. He is a very good friend of mine, so we have had many private chats about the change, but the difficulty I had was in persuading others to see that it could not be done in isolation. It wasn't just Iestyn's problem, because for him to succeed requires as much adaptation from those around him as it does from him.

No one else has his priceless ability to put players into space, but he cannot put it into practice if those around him lack the same awareness.

I said when he first arrived, and I stick rigidly by it, that his best position in union is inside centre. It is the position from where his particular skills can be used to the best advantage. He and Stephen Jones could form a tremendous partnership, but to create it needs more imagination than is being applied by Wales at the moment. Iestyn is carrying the burden alone, but he should not be and it would be appalling if he disappeared after the investment Wales have put into him.

With or without him, Wales go up against Scotland in the full awareness that the wooden spoon is riding on the game. Scotland's best attacker is back-rower Simon Taylor, because their backs badly lack penetration. Wales have the opposite problem. They have cutting-edge backs, but they lack a ball carrying No 8, which is why I would have Colin Charvis back in the team.