[2022 Six Nations] Wales vs Scotland (12/02/22)

[Welsh Exile]

sorry this isn’t relevant to the thread but there isn’t a specified Wales squad thread from what I can see. Anyway, Dai Young has said Navidi is back in training and looks like he’s never been away. Hopeful for him to be back against Ulster in March 4th which could put him in contention for the France game maybe.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

from what I can see

You know what they say is bad for your eyesight?

Wales Six Nations squad 2022

No Owen Lane, Scott Williams, Samson Lee, Rob Evans, Jarrod Evans... New caps include Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and James Ratti. Wales squad for 2022 Six Nations Forwards: Rhys Carre (Cardiff), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Bradley...

www.therugbyforum.com

 

[Welsh Exile]

You know what they say is bad for your eyesight?

Wales Six Nations squad 2022

No Owen Lane, Scott Williams, Samson Lee, Rob Evans, Jarrod Evans... New caps include Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and James Ratti. Wales squad for 2022 Six Nations Forwards: Rhys Carre (Cardiff), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Bradley...

www.therugbyforum.com

Ha ha. Cheers bud.

 

[BenniMarco]

sorry this isn’t relevant to the thread but there isn’t a specified Wales squad thread from what I can see. Anyway, Dai Young has said Navidi is back in training and looks like he’s never been away. Hopeful for him to be back against Ulster in March 4th which could put him in contention for the France game maybe.

If only Navidi, North, Faletau etc were back that little bit earlier ie a month.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

If only Navidi, North, Faletau etc were back that little bit earlier ie a month.

Honestly, I’m not sure Faletau would really do too much to help the current Wales side. There was a time when he was the best 8 on the planet IMO but the number of injuries he’s had have clearly had a huge toll. He was borderline anonymous on the Lions your and hasn't impressed for Bath or Wales in a long time. Wales clearly need a major rebuilding phase and I think the best thing they can do is look for/persist with alternative options.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Honestly, I’m not sure Faletau would really do too much to help the current Wales side. There was a time when he was the best 8 on the planet IMO but the number of injuries he’s had have clearly had a huge toll. He was borderline anonymous on the Lions your and hasn't impressed for Bath or Wales in a long time. Wales clearly need a major rebuilding phase and I think the best thing they can do is look for/persist with alternative options.

I agree with all you say except that he did show good form for Wales last 6N. Not back to his best but still very good.

He certainly wouldn’t of made any difference to the Ireland result that’s for sure. I’m not even sure AWJ, North, Owens, Tips, Navidi would’ve made that much difference either to be honest.

 

[dullonien]

I understand the criticism on Biggar but I actually think he’s been one of our best players the last 2 games (not saying much against Ireland) he’s taken the ball to the line well too. I wouldn’t even think twice about playing him over Sheedy who I think Pivac overrates.

Anscombe needs more time as we still don’t know if he can get back to where he was prior to injury. I’d actually like to see Costelow start being brought into training camps but I can understand why not. What I do not get is Pivacs insistence on not playing Evans or Lloyd. Lloyd looks like a genuinely special player and he’s been ignored since he won his first cap.

I despair a little when the reality is that Biggar's our best option at 10. I respect the guy massively because if everyone had his attitude we's be a better side, but he really offers very little in attack.

Taking the ball to the line is only a small part of attacking 10 play, and even then he's bloody poor at it. Patchell is a good example of someone who does it well, fixes defenders and picks the right pass. Jarrod does a fine job too. Biggar doesn't often pass across the face of the defence which is what's really needed to unlock.

Then you look at Sexton. He only occasionally takes the ball flat, other times he's looping behind to give himself more time to spread the ball wide. Smith has similar variety to his game that unlocks defences.

I don't see any of that in Biggar, never have. Our best attacking rugby during either Gatland or Pivacs reigns were with Stephen Jones/Hook at 10 2008-9, Priestland at 10 in 2011-12 or Anscombe at 10 in 2019. We've has success with Biggar at 10, 2013 comes to mind, but he wasn't really instrumental in that victory, not from an attacking pov anyway.

Have we got a ready made alternative like England have in Smith? Probably not, but someone like Jarrod Evans has bossed big games for Cardiff going back to 2018 in the final of the challenge cup. I think he could be just the player we need to unlock our exciting backs.

All 10's need decent ball from their forwards though, and that's still a work on for Wales.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I'm a bit sad about Patchell. Thought that he had all the skills to be Wales' first choice 10 for years, shame his career has been marred by injuries any time he get's some decent form going he get's injured again.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

What's dad's will Gatland be dropping from Grandad's Army?

Surely it's time for the overrated AWJ to go along with North, Tipuric and Biggar

 

[Welsh Exile]

I'm a bit sad about Patchell. Thought that he had all the skills to be Wales' first choice 10 for years, shame his career has been marred by injuries any time he get's some decent form going he get's injured again.

Is he injured again?

 

[Welsh Exile]

Lol just realised this is an old thread.

 

[dullonien]

What's dad's will Gatland be dropping from Grandad's Army?

Surely it's time for the overrated AWJ to go along with North, Tipuric and Biggar

AWJ is out after failing a HIA, so there'll certainly be a change there. Deserved dropping regardless. Pains me to say it becaise I love him as a player, but Tipuric was poor v Ireland, so I would like to see a bigger 6 like Tshiunza with Morgan shifting across to 7, or Reffell coming in to start.

In the backs, never been a fan of Biggar at 10, never offered much other than effort. He was terrible on the weekend, Wales' worst player. Owen Williams has transformed the Ospreys since joining, he deserves a shot from the start. North certainly isn't offering much atm, I'd love to see Grady tested, but there's a lot of rookies in that side then!

 

[Welsh Exile]

AWJ is out after failing a HIA, so there'll certainly be a change there. Deserved dropping regardless. Pains me to say it becaise I love him as a player, but Tipuric was poor v Ireland, so I would like to see a bigger 6 like Tshiunza with Morgan shifting across to 7, or Reffell coming in to start.

In the backs, never been a fan of Biggar at 10, never offered much other than effort. He was terrible on the weekend, Wales' worst player. Owen Williams has transformed the Ospreys since joining, he deserves a shot from the start. North certainly isn't offering much atm, I'd love to see Grady tested, but there's a lot of rookies in that side then!

Yeah this is the problem. I don’t necessarily disagree with what you’re saying but if we make 8 plus changes we could be on the receiving end of a beating.

Having said that changes are needed. Personally I’d like to see Beard dropped to the bench with Jenkins and Davies starting in the row. They have a good blend of skills with Rhys offering some real dog and dynamism with Jenkins being the engine doing a lot of the nitty gritty and solid in the line out. What he’ll end up doing is playing Beard and Jenkins which doesn’t work for me. If Beard is starting (and let’s face it he is) then I’d rather he start Davies alongside him than Jenkins. As I say, though, ideally I’d have Jenkins and Davies starting. We’re not going to find anything about Beard between now and the WC and a kick up the arse might do him some good.

Same goes for Francis, he didn’t have a terrible game against Ireland but we know what he’s about and it ain’t to much so give as much time to Brown as we can. I think Carre could start but think he might prefer his impact off the bench. We’ll see.

 

[dullonien]

Impact off the bench is rubbish if the game is done before half time. We need forwards who can carry the ball and we have a few available in Carre, Brown, Rhys Davies and Tshiunza (Wainwright too in a different way).

Beard just needs dropping from the squad imo, guy offers nothing apart from maul defense. Not sure he even took a single lineout ball v Ireland either! Better to shift Tshiunza forwards to the row allowing an extra backrow replacement than include Beard on the bench who can't impact much of anything. I saw Graham Price mentioned Beard's lack of physicality in his article on WoL today, finally! Felt like I was going mad with the universal praise of Beard from WoL, like I was watching a different game!

We despirately lack dynamism to get us over the gainline and generate quick ball. Start with the dynamic players, then bring the steady players off the bench. Gatland did just this in 2019 with Anscombe and Biggar. Far easier to hold onto a lead than recover from a poor start.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

Surprised you don’t mention the back three. Adams was MIA and Dyer tried but doesn’t look like an international wing. Most effective Welsh wing was Cuthbert and he only played for 10 minutes

 

[dullonien]

Surprised you don’t mention the back three. Adams was MIA and Dyer tried but doesn’t look like an international wing. Most effective Welsh wing was Cuthbert and he only played for 10 minutes

I don't want to be too judgemental of the back 3 who weren't exactly given a huge amount of good ball by the forwards and halfbacks to use. Adams is a world class finisher, he's proved that time and again, so I back him to convert chances when they come his way. He's usually good at looking for work too, but he maybe didn't do as much as he could v Ireland.

I was quite happy with Dyer. He get's a lot of touches and always beats the first man. Yes he probably should have done better with that hack through, shouldn't of let Keenan beat him to the ball from behind like he did, but he'll learn from that. He has pace and can beat defenders + has a solid, if unspectacular defensive and aerial game, so he should stay imo.

Cuthbert was effective in his cameo, can never fault his effort. However his defensive positioning is often very ropey, so I'd be weary of him v Duhan, although his size could be useful in that duel.

Given the age of Cuthbert, I'd also prefer not to drop a young up and comer who hasn't done much wrong for yet another 30+ y/o player. That's what got us into this mess with Pivac. We need to back youth where we can now!