Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Help Support The Rugby Forum :
Forums
Featured
2024 Guinness Six Nations
[2020 Six Nations] England vs Wales (07/03/20)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="MikeTheNative" data-source="post: 991666" data-attributes="member: 74084"><p>I agree with a lot of this post but I think some points need to be expanded a bit. I agree about a rather conservative selection but a lot of this has been due to injuries/unavailability in the backs. Biggar has played well but Anscombe is much more suited to Privac's style and when fit will be a big asset with his good running game. One thing that let's Biggar done is he doesn't really beat players with ball in hand, which creates a lot more space for other players as the defence is worried about 10. Liam Williams would be 15 but he's been injured and has only just come back (I would have swapped him and Halfpenny on the weekend.). JD is a massive miss in the centre and while Tompkins has played well on the whole, he has made a few errors which is natural when your new to test match rugby. Parkes has been Parkes, solid although unspectacular. However it highlights how much centre is a problem for Wales at the moment, no test level players have really come through in the past few years. Watkin is still young and could still prove himself but he hasn't kicked on as much as I would like, to be fair he has had injury problems. I'm sure that is Halaholo was fit he would have started 12, with no centres in Wales currently good enough they would have turned to another late 20 something NZ. </p><p></p><p>AWJ is a great captain leader and often tops the tackle charts, however the reason he has played so much is that their is simply no other better options, I would disagree that he's always just been a good player. In his prime he was one of the top locks, sadly that's a good number of years ago now. It leads into the next point about the tight 5. The past few years Wales just simply haven't had top quality tight 5 players come through. Lock cupboard has and still looks rather bare, Adam Beard has made big strives forward but I can't see him ever being better than 'good enough' for test level. Seb Davies seemed to be high the skills and athleticism but he's never really been given a chance, I'm sure he's played at 8 more than 2nd row for Wales. Props is actually looking better the past year to be honest. Dillon Lewis, Leon Brown and Rhys Carre have had a bit of a hard time but they are young and I'm reasonably confident that they will become decent test level players. Will they be top level players like Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones? I'm not so sure to be honest but I'm not writing them off yet. </p><p></p><p>I've said Wales don't have the test quality/depth for a number of potions. What's the cause of this? Poor coaching? Players simply not good enough? Probably a combination of both to be honest, compounded by the poor performances (and some case management) of the regions the past few years. Some people don't like it but there's going to be an increase in English based players which the family links being chosen the next few years. I would prefer that Wales picks players who feel Welsh through and through and it's not only an option after being over looked by their first country but this is a pro game. If Wales picked purely "Welsh" players they would be a lot poorer for it. Few names to look out for the next years:</p><p>Dewi Lake - 20 Yo who was captain of the under 20s, hooker converted from a back row. Tackles, carriers, jackles, work rate like a good back row. Only converted to hooker reasonably recently so throwing needs work, I can see him getting a cap in AI this year.</p><p></p><p>Ben Thomas - a 12/10, a silky running and great passing game would make him the ideal candidate from new Privac style, played quite a bit for the Blues this year and hasn't looked out of his depth with the step up. </p><p></p><p>Taine Basham - small flanker (5'11, 13st small) but never looked like it's a problem at pro level. Great footwork, amazing in the wider chanels, a good jackler and tackler despite his smaller stature. Only 20 but has already played over 30 times for the Dragons, there's going to be a question mark about his size but till you throw he in at test level you are never going to know if he's good enough.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MikeTheNative, post: 991666, member: 74084"] I agree with a lot of this post but I think some points need to be expanded a bit. I agree about a rather conservative selection but a lot of this has been due to injuries/unavailability in the backs. Biggar has played well but Anscombe is much more suited to Privac's style and when fit will be a big asset with his good running game. One thing that let's Biggar done is he doesn't really beat players with ball in hand, which creates a lot more space for other players as the defence is worried about 10. Liam Williams would be 15 but he's been injured and has only just come back (I would have swapped him and Halfpenny on the weekend.). JD is a massive miss in the centre and while Tompkins has played well on the whole, he has made a few errors which is natural when your new to test match rugby. Parkes has been Parkes, solid although unspectacular. However it highlights how much centre is a problem for Wales at the moment, no test level players have really come through in the past few years. Watkin is still young and could still prove himself but he hasn't kicked on as much as I would like, to be fair he has had injury problems. I'm sure that is Halaholo was fit he would have started 12, with no centres in Wales currently good enough they would have turned to another late 20 something NZ. AWJ is a great captain leader and often tops the tackle charts, however the reason he has played so much is that their is simply no other better options, I would disagree that he's always just been a good player. In his prime he was one of the top locks, sadly that's a good number of years ago now. It leads into the next point about the tight 5. The past few years Wales just simply haven't had top quality tight 5 players come through. Lock cupboard has and still looks rather bare, Adam Beard has made big strives forward but I can't see him ever being better than 'good enough' for test level. Seb Davies seemed to be high the skills and athleticism but he's never really been given a chance, I'm sure he's played at 8 more than 2nd row for Wales. Props is actually looking better the past year to be honest. Dillon Lewis, Leon Brown and Rhys Carre have had a bit of a hard time but they are young and I'm reasonably confident that they will become decent test level players. Will they be top level players like Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones? I'm not so sure to be honest but I'm not writing them off yet. I've said Wales don't have the test quality/depth for a number of potions. What's the cause of this? Poor coaching? Players simply not good enough? Probably a combination of both to be honest, compounded by the poor performances (and some case management) of the regions the past few years. Some people don't like it but there's going to be an increase in English based players which the family links being chosen the next few years. I would prefer that Wales picks players who feel Welsh through and through and it's not only an option after being over looked by their first country but this is a pro game. If Wales picked purely "Welsh" players they would be a lot poorer for it. Few names to look out for the next years: Dewi Lake - 20 Yo who was captain of the under 20s, hooker converted from a back row. Tackles, carriers, jackles, work rate like a good back row. Only converted to hooker reasonably recently so throwing needs work, I can see him getting a cap in AI this year. Ben Thomas - a 12/10, a silky running and great passing game would make him the ideal candidate from new Privac style, played quite a bit for the Blues this year and hasn't looked out of his depth with the step up. Taine Basham - small flanker (5'11, 13st small) but never looked like it's a problem at pro level. Great footwork, amazing in the wider chanels, a good jackler and tackler despite his smaller stature. Only 20 but has already played over 30 times for the Dragons, there's going to be a question mark about his size but till you throw he in at test level you are never going to know if he's good enough. [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Featured
2024 Guinness Six Nations
[2020 Six Nations] England vs Wales (07/03/20)
Top