Wales V Japan

[Welsh Exile]

His discipline and lack of brains would drive coaches nuts, or at least would me, there were a few offsides and stupidity at the breakdwon id love to rollock him for lol.

Like i said Reffell i agree, but Basham has lost form, cant get a start at cardiff, and has proved lightweight when stepping up, Mcleod lost his mojo 2 seasons ago, Morris is going ok but lets be real hes limited and a clubmna, a bit like Lawrence at Cardiff. I think Morris chance was 2 seasons ago wasnt ir really. Mann has plenty of dog, hes physical, but hes like my dog, or my 8 year old daughter playing football, rabidly chasing anything that moves, tongue flapping in thw wind, mindlessly chasing a ball. There is some potential there, but **** knows how to find it

Deaves will fix everything when he starts on Saturday, scores 4 tries and wins 19 turnovers.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I honestly think Japan will be favourites

Japan are 7/2. Think I’ll have some of that. It’s basically free money unless Deaves starts.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Apparently only 2 changes. LRZ starts and Cracknell comes in for Morgan with Mann moving to 7.

Very uninspiring. Might stick £50 on Japan at 7/2.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I don’t think I’ve looked forward to a team announcement and game as little as I do for this game this weekend which considering how **** we’ve been for 2 plus years that is some achievement.

If you said to me in the summer (when things were awful) we’d have Beard, Cracknell and Mann starting a must win game against Japan in the autumn I would’ve told you we need to pack it in and stop playing rugby.

 

[dirty harry]

I don't think I've looked forward to a team announcement and game as little as I do for this game this weekend which considering how **** we've been for 2 plus years that is some achievement.

If you said to me in the summer (when things were awful) we'd have Beard, Cracknell and Mann starting a must win game against Japan in the autumn I would've told you we need to pack it in and stop playing rugby.

I think we probably have, if you travel to Cardiff, Swansea and Newport Rugby has become a bit of a niche sport these days, especially within schools. I heard last sunday Brentford v Newcastle were on the big TVs in a few Newport pubs instead of the game

 

[Welsh Exile]

Just kill me now.

Wales: Murray; Rees-Zammit, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Adams; Edwards, T Williams; Smith, Lake (capt), Griffin, D Jenkins, Beard, Wainwright, Mann, Cracknell.

Replacements: Belcher, Carre, Assiratti, F Thomas, Plumtree, Hardy, J Evans, Tompkins.

 

[dirty harry]

Feel for Rogers, he was probably the best of our back 3.

RIght, time for positivity...

Japan lack size up front, Smiths a better scrummager and Beard is huge.

Glad to see Plumtree on te bench, some grunt 2nd half, and Tompkins is exciting ball in hand at least, could create late on...

Thats all i have tbh, we wont have a lineout again, scrum will go ok, i think the backs will be better, and Murray in broken olay, which Japan will create, is exciting.

Thats all i have

 

[Welsh Exile]

I wish I won the euro millions, I’d buy the WRU and bin off this game and put Rhys Davies and Beard in the cage. Now that is something I could get excited about. Well, for the 30 seconds it took Rhys Davies to spark out Beard anyway.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Feel for Rogers, he was probably the best of our back 3.

RIght, time for positivity...

Japan lack size up front, Smiths a better scrummager and Beard is huge.

Glad to see Plumtree on te bench, some grunt 2nd half, and Tompkins is exciting ball in hand at least, could create late on...

Thats all i have tbh, we wont have a lineout again, scrum will go ok, i think the backs will be better, and Murray in broken olay, which Japan will create, is exciting.

Thats all i have

I'll counter your positivity by saying Beard is big but the weakest person in our squad. Murray's power to weight ratio probably far exceeds Beards.

Smith is a better scrummager and I agree with this pick.

Grunt and Plumtree and not 2 words I would put together.

Tompkins is more a safe pair of hands than exciting ball in hand. Jarrod will provide that off the bench.

The set piece will be crap.

 

[Welsh Exile]

From my perspective, I actually couldn’t think of too many worse starts for Tandy than this. I feel so low and despondent. I was optimistic about Tandy and co a few weeks ago and now I couldn’t give a ****. Obviously early days and I won’t write him off but as I say, terrible start and I have little faith in him if these are his picks

 

[dirty harry]

I'll counter your positivity by saying Beard is big but the weakest person in our squad. Murray's power to weight ratio probably far exceeds Beards.

Smith is a better scrummager and I agree with this pick.

Grunt and Plumtree and not 2 words I would put together.

Tompkins is more a safe pair of hands than exciting ball in hand. Jarrod will provide that off the bench.

The set piece will be crap.

Only way to settle it, put them in an octagon hahahaha

I wouldnt call Tompkims safe, hes erratic and makes errors, but hes been breaking lines and offloading for fun this year with sarries.

Scrum will be fine, i thought it did better than expected last weekend. Well have no lineout, or high ball defence.

 

[dirty harry]

From my perspective, I actually couldn't think of too many worse starts for Tandy than this. I feel so low and despondent. I was optimistic about Tandy and co a few weeks ago and now I couldn't give a ****. Obviously early days and I won't write him off but as I say, terrible start and I have little faith in him if these are his picks

I think this is harsh, my criticism of Tandy would be that hes come in, and seemingly just listened to Sheratt and thought, if this guy can be on the end of record defeats, his game plan must be a banger.

And well we saw what Sheratts wide attacking game plan heralded... again!!!!

I think Tandy needed to be more pragmatic, stamp his own style on the squad from the off. I cannot imagine that a rough, dynamic defence coach came in and said 'lets play total sexy rugby', no thats Sheratts plan and team last weekend.

Tandy can only really be accused at the minute of a bit of leniency and maybe weakness, cosching team and players clearly expressed their desire to keep the plan as it was lol.

Also, as a side note, im looking at the coaching team, and it all seems to be jobs for the boys, with the greatest of respect to both Lydiaye and Patchell, WTF are we doing?!?!?! I dont want to go into slagging either, but id rather employ my missus as a defence and kicking coach over either of these 2!

Wilson as forwards coach hahahaha, how can you have a lineout with that type of %, infact i went to look at the stats and i am shocked, 80% lineout, 0 scrums lost lol bull ****!!!!

International 2025 Round 1: Wales vs Argentina (28 - 52)

Full match report, highlights, and analysis of the International draw between Wales and Argentina at Principality Stadium on November 9, 2025

eagles.rugby

 

[Welsh Exile]

I think this is harsh, my criticism of Tandy would be that hes come in, and seemingly just listened to Sheratt and thought, if this guy can be on the end of record defeats, his game plan must be a banger.

And well we saw what Sheratts wide attacking game plan heralded... again!!!!

I think Tandy needed to be more pragmatic, stamp his own style on the squad from the off. I cannot imagine that a rough, dynamic defence coach came in and said 'lets play total sexy rugby', no thats Sheratts plan and team last weekend.

Tandy can only really be accused at the minute of a bit of leniency and maybe weakness, cosching team and players clearly expressed their desire to keep the plan as it was lol.

Also, as a side note, im looking at the coaching team, and it all seems to be jobs for the boys, with the greatest of respect to both Lydiaye and Patchell, WTF are we doing?!?!?! I dont want to go into slagging either, but id rather employ my missus as a defence and kicking coach over either of these 2!

Wilson as forwards coach hahahaha, how can you have a lineout with that type of %, infact i went to look at the stats and i am shocked, 80% lineout, 0 scrums lost lol bull ****!!!!

International 2025 Round 1: Wales vs Argentina (28 - 52)

Full match report, highlights, and analysis of the International draw between Wales and Argentina at Principality Stadium on November 9, 2025

eagles.rugby

It’s like Neil Jenkins being our skills coach for years with skills training consisting of fast hands and hot potato.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Only way to settle it, put them in an octagon hahahaha

I wouldnt call Tompkims safe, hes erratic and makes errors, but hes been breaking lines and offloading for fun this year with sarries.

Scrum will be fine, i thought it did better than expected last weekend. Well have no lineout, or high ball defence.

I'm getting all nostalgic to when I was a kid in the late 80s and 90s when we were **** and all I wanted to see was someone knock out their opposite number.

All I want to see is fighting now. I don't care about Rugby. Funnily enough if Tandy just picked a team based on who's the hardest we'd have a much better side. Even you know deep down that Beard would be one of the worst performers for us if we made them all do a round robin cage fight.

 

[dirty harry]

I'm getting all nostalgic to when I was a kid in the late 80s and 90s when we were **** and all I wanted to see was someone knock out their opposite number.

All I want to see is fighting now. I don't care about Rugby. Funnily enough if Tandy just picked a team based on who's the hardest we'd have a much better side. Even you know deep down that Beard would be one of the worst performers for us if we made them all do a round robin cage fight.

Ah the good old 90s...

Convincing ourselves there was only 1 game that counts, then getting depressed when we lost that one too lol.

It could be worse, we could be Scotland, only having 2 clubs and not a championship for 26 years (even 99 had a caveat) and counting, not even in contention on final weekend...

Ooooohhhhh so thats our goal!

 

[Welsh Exile]

Do you know what @dirty harry I think you're turning me into being Anti Sherratt. I'm convinced he's behind the Mann and Thomas selections and think they'll both be 2 of the first names on the team sheet under this regime.

 

[dirty harry]

Do you know what @dirty harry I think you're turning me into being Anti Sherratt. I'm convinced he's behind the Mann and Thomas selections and think they'll both be 2 of the first names on the team sheet under this regime.

Ben Thomas definately, Sherratt loves the 2nd ball player and kicking option, which amazes me because of how poorly he consistently kicks, especially the restarts!!!!

Not sure about Mann but i know Sherratt loves him, ive heard those words come out of his mouth.

Gatland come home, all is forgiven!

 

[Welsh Exile]

Ben Thomas definately, Sherratt loves the 2nd ball player and kicking option, which amazes me because of how poorly he consistently kicks, especially the restarts!!!!

Not sure about Mann but i know Sherratt loves him, ive heard those words come out of his mouth.

Gatland come home, all is forgiven!

Going to swing past the bookies on way back from school run and put £50 on Japan. It’s the only thing o can think of doing that gives us a chance of winning.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Considering 7 has been Wales’ most stacked position for over a decade (and I’d say it still is) it’s very odd that you’ve ended up without a single one of them in your 23.

 

[IT157]

I think it will be a comfortable win for Wales.

With a Beard hattrick.