[2024 Six Nations] Wales vs France - 10/03/24

[TRF_Olyy]

 

[dullonien]

France aren't great atm, but I think they may be too powerful up front, like England were. It'll probably be another battling display from Wales where we don't embarass ourselves, but come up short again. Then the pressure will really be on V Italy in the wooden spoon decider...

 

[Welsh Exile]

Yeah a lot of people seem to be tipping us to win which I don't agree with. France are looking shaky but we're still fielding a lot of green players. As @dullonien says I expect we'll keep it relatively close (Wales v France games usually close games to be fair)

I liked Sean Hollies team that he picked the other day. Rowlands to start (Beard dropped) with Lloyd at 10 and Joe Hawkins at 12. lol. I'd like that team as well.

 

[HamJan]

France aren't great atm, but I think they may be too powerful up front, like England were. It'll probably be another battling display from Wales where we don't embarass ourselves, but come up short again. Then the pressure will really be on V Italy in the wooden spoon decider...

I see Wales winning this one, I reckon Gatland will have targeted this as a home win.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I see Wales winning this one, I reckon Gatland will have targeted this as a home win.

What before the tournament? No way. But you're probably right if you mean in the last week or so. Sad that we can't even look at Italy at home as a banker.

Actually it's not a shame it's good for the 6N to be fair.

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

Yeah a lot of people seem to be tipping us to win which I don't agree with. France are looking shaky but we're still fielding a lot of green players. As @dullonien says I expect we'll keep it relatively close (Wales v France games usually close games to be fair)

I liked Sean Hollies team that he picked the other day. Rowlands to start (Beard dropped) with Lloyd at 10 and Joe Hawkins at 12. lol. I'd like that team as well.

I thought Joe Hawkins couldn't play for Wales as he is at Exeter?

 

[Welsh Exile]

I thought Joe Hawkins couldn't play for Wales as he is at Exeter?

You're right he can't. Hollie knows this as well of course but wanted to make a point how we're shooting ourselves in the foot.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Pretty sure Hawkins is banned at the moment anyway.

 

[HamJan]

What before the tournament? No way. But you're probably right if you mean in the last week or so. Sad that we can't even look at Italy at home as a banker.

Actually it's not a shame it's good for the 6N to be fair.

Probably not before the 6N started, to be fair nobody expected them to be playing as they have been. But I do think that he would have seen quite a bit of promise from Wales in their last meeting in Paris and there have been small areas of improvement from the first three games.

 

[dullonien]

Wales Online suggesting Dafydd Jenkins will be at 6 (good call @dirty harry) and Joe Roberts starting at 13!

 

[dullonien]

Wales team: 15. Cameron Winnett, 14. Josh Adams, 13. Joe Roberts, 12. Owen Watkin, 11. Rio Dyer, 10. Sam Costelow, 9 Tomos Williams; 1. Gareth Thomas, 2. Ryan Elias, 3. Keiron Assiratti, 4. Will Rowlands, 5. Adam Beard, 6. Dafydd Jenkins (capt), 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Aaron Wainwright

Replacements: 16. Elliot Dee, 17. Corey Domachowski, 18. Dillon Lewis, 19. Alex Mann, 20. Mackenzie Martin, 21. Gareth Davies, 22. Ioan Lloyd, 23. Mason Grady.

Edit. Ryan Elias is starting, wtf!!!!. Adams still there too is crazy.

 

[Al Bangor]

France > Wales

 

[Welsh Exile]

Gatland is starting to really **** me off.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Wales Online suggesting Dafydd Jenkins will be at 6 (good call @dirty harry) and Joe Roberts starting at 13!

I'm telling you, @dirty harry is Gatland. Where is he now hey? Nowhere to be seen just at the same time Gats has press responsibilities. A coincidence? I think not.

 

[Welsh Exile]

So we only have 3 proper locks in the squad (2 and a half really factoring in Beards being half useless) but we have lots of young back row talent so what does he do? Shoe horns Jenkins at 6 meaning we have no locks on the bench and we stifle the development of promising players like Mann and Martin who could end up playing in the second row. I'm still baffled that Watkins is even in the squad let alone having 2 starts this 6N. Elias extremely lucky as well.

 

[dullonien]

I've come to the conclusion that Elias is starting due to Jenkins starting at 6. This gives us 4 genuine lineout options inc. Wainwright, which Gats obviously thinks will give Elias the options needed to hit his targets. Then Dee and Martin will come on in the second half where we'll lose a jumper but gain a better thrower.

Can't explain Adams though. Edit or Wakin.

 

[Welsh Exile]

You start your best players in the positions they play in. That means, at present, Dee starts, Lewis starts, Beard is dropped with Rowlands and Jenkins starting, Mann starts, Lloyd starts, Watkin shouldn't start and, at this point, Adams doesn't deserve another chance to find form. But meh, we're getting the spoon this year and next so who cares.

 

[Jimbo]

I don't think the Welsh position is as bleak as is being made out, sure there are disagreements in some personnel, they have for the most part looked very competitive given the relative inexperience and for the most part been hard to beat, with that in mind and where some of the opposition are at in terms of experienced player consistency I don't think there is to much to complain about.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I don't think the Welsh position is as bleak as is being made out, sure there are disagreements in some personnel, they have for the most part looked very competitive given the relative inexperience and for the most part been hard to beat, with that in mind and where some of the opposition are at in terms of experienced player consistency I don't think there is to much to complain about.

Im actually, generally speaking, a very positive, optimistic glass half full kind of guy. I think we have a lot of really good, young talent in Wales. The main problem is we have the WRU who hate rugby. Gatland being past it is a secondary concern as I back our players to do well in any system anyway but I just can't get my head around some of these selections. I have concerns about gatland being past his sell by date and him not utilising what little strengths we do have and relying on weaknesses we have (cough beard cough) but as I say these are secondary concerns and sadly I can't see the issue of the WRU being resolved.

What I would say, though, is while the results haven't been too bad as far as losses go if you look at them individually I'm not thinking oh wow we're on the right path either. Scotland were 28 nil up with almost an hour on the clock. Sure, a great comeback but we had no choice but to play (not Gatlands game plan) and the Scots, naturally, took their foot off the gas after that VDM try in the second half. Then we narrowly lost to one of the worst English sides in recent memory which some people could understandably spin in a positive way but as I say, this is a bad England team under an uninspiring coach. Weirdly the Ireland game was probably our most encouraging seeing as they're the best team in the world (arguably) and were playing us at home. So reasons to be positive for sure but hardly exciting and if we get pumped by France and lose to Italy at home for the second time in a row it'll be hard to spin that in any positive light.

He gets this season with only mild moaning from me but next season should be the real test where I'll serve judgement upon him and he should be scared because I can write up to 5 paragraphs if I'm really annoyed.

 

[Saintjay]

I thought North was going ok for Wales. I am always a little ex-Saints player biased but has he been bad enough to be dropped? From the games I've seen he seemed steady at least.