When were we ever sufferable
I know it is a dangerous position to be in for a French supporter to interfere in the perennial brawl between English and Welsh supporters, but to give the Welsh what I think is their due:
- they probably do not have the best players the 6N can offer and many of their strongest assets are past their prime
- but they have by far the best rugby brain of all teams in the competition (experience, but not just that)
- they can collectively switch from one tactic to another depending on the conditions and the state of the competition
- they almost always sense how to best match their opponents
- they are able to adjust to all refereeing styles, much better than the English or the French for instance
Look at the way they practically matched SA in the 2019 semi-finals while being largely outpowered on every line and compare it to what happened to the English team in the WC final, that was crushed because they could not adjust tactically and only tried to beat the saffers in a game of collision.
At the same time, they probably would not have beaten the Blacks and definitely not as comprehensively as the English did. But their ability to adjust and play practically at potential every time is very impressive. French and English were at 90% yesterday, but we have seen them at 60% sometimes. The Welsh always seem to be at 95%, even though it might not be enough.
And no, I m not trying to lull them into any sort of complacency for next Saturday
