[2022 Six Nations] Wales vs Italy (19/03/22)

[McTallshort]

Just thinking..this is another last minute try Wales have conceded after a kick return. Why do half back never seem to kick for touch anymore?

 

[GlosJoe]

Hopefully that game today will put an end to the 'Italy shouldn't be in there' comments, it'll be nice to think so anyway

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

Hopefully that game today will put an end to the 'Italy shouldn't be in there' comments, it'll be nice to think so anyway

I personally think that Wales should be replaced by Georgia or Spain.

 

[Grizwald]

As a Welshman I'm very happy for the Italians.

My girlfriend is Italian and I know a couple of Italians as a result who like rugby. What a day for those people, and also great to see for the competition of Italian rugby.

As a Welshman, you need to point fingers at the tacticians - that gameplan was consistently arrogant and incredibly poor. Deserved to lose.

Inquest needs to start at a number of things including Biggar's captaincy amongst loads of others things. Embarrassing and remnants of Fiji world cup loss.

Can Pivac survive? I don't think him and his coaching team deserve to from this. Will he? We will see. Anger shared with happiness. Not one to feel anger from sport but this really is incredible!

I don't think anyone else can really do any better. Gatland milked every ounce out of Wales for years. The state the provisional teams are in they're arguably still over performing.

 

[die_mole]

Wales and bottling it at the last moment . . . some things never change

 

[McTallshort]

Wales and bottling it at the last moment . . . some things never change

Again, kick return that didn't find touch

 

[die_mole]

Again, kick return that didn't find touch

just saw your post, was in a rush to post that video cause I can't believe it happened again.

I don't think there's an answer to your question. I think good teams know when to kick to contest and when to clear. It doesn't make sense to me either.

 

[wombles]

Its been mentioned in other quarters that Fiji in 2007 inspired a sea change that ushered in the Gatland era. And although the shock of defeat is similar, that to me is where the parallels end. I just dont see enough in the grass roots to regional set up, players coming through and under 20 performances to see how fortunes can be turned like it was then. This felt more an end of an era and the start of a decline rather than hitting rock bottom.
As an aside however, Josh Adams showed some real class after the game today (maybe Biggar could take note after his post match interview! Although I do credit him with his honesty).

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Bloody typical that this game clashed with my annual day of summertime. Absolutely fizzing.

Crowley is clearly some kind of master psychologist. He basically tells his players publicly that they are so inadequate Italy should be relegated before a ball is kicked in the tournament. They've worked their socks off to prove they belong.

Absolute horror show for Pivac and Wales. Incredible for the defending champs to lose at home to Italy.

A wee shoutout to Andrew Brace for his "Primo stop!", which gave me a giggle. At least he's trying I suppose.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

AWJs 150th cap and Dan Biggars 100th cap - a loss to Italy at home

It's the small things in life

I guess now he should be called Alun Lose-Jones

 

[retired9]

I guess now he should be called Alun Lose-Jones

Definitely worth £100 on his 200th cap for Wales to lose

 

[SamYeager270]

Italy have beaten Wales before you know, twice, 2003 & 2007

That was in Rome rather than in Cardiff. My fault for not making it clearer what I meant.

 

[Johnny Storm]

I've just watched the game again on catch up. Wales players were dwarfed by the Italians, it honestly looked like boys against men. Wales are going to need to bulk up.

Anyway I said last year that when Wales played so much of the last 6N against 14 man teams, that it was covering some cracks in the Welsh side and those have now been exposed this year. They were just very lucky last year.

It will be interesting to see the IRB rankings on Monday. Wales losing at home to a team so far below them is really going to damage their standing. Possibly drop them down to 10th in the world.

That will raise questions about the summer tour to SA. Is it really a good idea for Wales to play the Boks at this time? I think they would do better to have a confidence building tour against a weaker side?

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I've just watched the game again on catch up. Wales players were dwarfed by the Italians, it honestly looked like boys against men. Wales are going to need to bulk up.

Anyway I said last year that when Wales played so much of the last 6N against 14 man teams, that it was covering some cracks in the Welsh side and those have now been exposed this year. They were just very lucky last year.

It will be interesting to see the IRB rankings on Monday. Wales losing at home to a team so far below them is really going to damage their standing. Possibly drop them down to 10th in the world.

That will raise questions about the summer tour to SA. Is it really a good idea for Wales to play the Boks at this time? I think they would do better to have a confidence building tour against a weaker side?

Wales go down to 9th. 1.2 points ahead of Japan. So they could be caught soon (although it's well away from the time where rankings impact on RWC seedings).

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I've just watched the game again on catch up. Wales players were dwarfed by the Italians, it honestly looked like boys against men. Wales are going to need to bulk up.

Wales like all their bulk in the backs, rather than the forwards - why do you think they like guys like North and Cuthbert?

Italy have a good mix of midgets and monsters - 10 and 15 were the two smallest guys on the pitch by a mile

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Bad for Wales but good for Italy the 6N as a whole.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Garbisi is a baller. I been sayin it for years

 

[Genghis]

Well done Italy. There are very few undeserved wins in the game of rugby, and this wasn't one of them. After being physically battered for 36 (?) games in a row, humiliated at times and with so many people calling for their expulsion, written off and disrespected ….. they still turned up with passion, guts and pride. Played a full 80 minutes of rugby and deserved the win with no big controversy or scandal. Well done guys and to all your fans who have stuck by you in hard times

Now, Wales, though. A different story. Utterly disrespectful and arrogant from the start. 7 changes and stuffing AWJ back in just to get the 150th cap at home to sell more overpriced tickets. The whole build up was about Biggar and AWJ, not our opponents. The players coming onto the pitch with their children, ffs. Where is the Eye of the Tiger? Was this really a testimonial game! No wonder we were cold and undercooked at the start.

Right from the whistle, we were chucking it wide. From the third minute we were turning down three points and kicking to corners. Who the flock do we think we are? Arrogant.

Offside ridiculously often. Lost the collision battle. No shape or attacking strategy. Over 15 dropped balls. Clearly no system or strategy in place to win that game ….. or the players didn't believe in it.

Something has gone seriously wrong within our team culture for this to happen like it did. That culture is shaped by the WRU and the team management, and they should be accountable. if that culture is not shaped by them, they should be still accountable as it must be shaped by them.

This cannot be swept under the carpet. That was an inept, toothless and embarrassing performance at home on our stadium In front of our fans.

Italy did what they needed to do, stuck to their principles and beliefs and played for each other …….. but I have to say I think many many teams would have come away with a win against us today.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Pivac has to go. He has too. Just get Robinson in tomorrow and give him the SA tour, the Autumn internationals and next years 6N as prep for the WC. If we can't get him in then liquidate the WRU and pretend this rugby thing never existed.

Genuinely pleased for Italy, though. Much deserved. Congratulations.

 

[Amiga500]

Pivac has to go. He has too. Just get Robinson in tomorrow and give him the SA tour, the Autumn internationals and next years 6N as prep for the WC. If we can't get him in then liquidate the WRU and pretend this rugby thing never existed.

Genuinely pleased for Italy, though. Much deserved. Congratulations.

The problems in Welsh rugby run far deeper than the national team head coach.

The regions have been almost universally crap for over a decade now. The one exception being the Scarlets, who had a good couple of years and were at the time coached by.... the current national coach.

Regarding the U-20s, since the grand slam in 2016, they have been 3rd, 5th, 4th, 4th I think (2020 didn't happen). While they aren't great results, they aren't dire if a few players were making the grade at senior level. But, judging from the regions - and really - leaving aside the monumental fluke that was last year - not making an impact at national level either.

Does anyone from Wales have stats on participation rates? I'd expect they are through the floor.