Wales’ scrum-halves have been a fairly established group in recent years, with few breaking through
Che Hope goes over for the first of his two tries(Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency)
Scrum-half has been something of a slow-moving position in Welsh rugby over the past decade.
Where other areas of the team have resembled a revolving door, just eight men have worn the nine jersey in the last decade. Another couple have been bench options.
But it’s not an area where debutants are coming through thick and fast.
There was a four-year gap between Kieran Hardy and Ellis Bevan being capped, with Reuben Morgan-Williams joining them in the summer.
Tomos Williams is the undisputed first-choice, with Hardy and Morgan-Williams currently his deputies.
There’s been an established set of nines for some time. Just looking at the scrum-halves starting on Boxing Day, you had Gareth Davies, Aled Davies and Hardy – 34,33 and 30 respectively.
The outlier was Che Hope. The Dragons half-back is just 22 – a young man in a position dominated by experience.
His back-up on the bench is Rhodri Williams, a vastly experienced option who even forced his way back into Test rugby in recent seasons after a decade away.
Starts have been a rarity for Hope in his fledgling career, playing second fiddle to Williams so far.
The Boxing Day clash with Cardiff was just his sixth senior start for the Dragons and only his third in the league.
And yet, a week after crossing for two tries against Connacht at Rodney Parade, he once again went over for a double in a well-rounded performance.
Not only were there the usual scrum-half cheat lines for his two scores – both set up by Rio Dyer – but there were some decent box-kicks in the first-half when the wind was blowing against the Dragons.
“He’s been excellent,” said former Wales scrum-half Richie Rees on BBC’s coverage. “We’ve been watching him a lot over the last 18 months.
“It’s his perception of where the ruck is going to be, where the ball is going to be. He’s electric.
“He’s a bit of a young Tomos Williams. He plays a bit off the cuff and he’s got a very, very good skillset.”
After a fairly torrid 2025, the Dragons are turning something of a corner.
Back-to-back wins over Lyon and Connacht were followed by a close one against Cardiff, with plenty of fight shown.
Hope’s X-factor around the park is certainly helping, with head coach Filo Tiatia – albeit in his understated way – saying the scrum-half has been “good for us”.
It’s still early days, but Hope looks like the Dragons’ nine jersey could soon be his on a permanent basis.
From there, he’ll be well-placed to challenge the status quo when it comes to Wales’ scrum-half pecking order.
Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.