Italy v Wales

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Mar 14 2009, 05:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Our Championship hopes have all but gone down the drain.
We need to rely on Ireland and France losing today now. Unlikely cases both.[/b]

not quite it'll be another tight game again in Edinburgh, you'll probably only need a 10 point victory next weekend.

 

[Sir Speedy]

At least we can derive one positive: Italy are making progress!

 

[An Tarbh]

hopefully enough to keep France from racking up a score next weekend and coming into contention should Ireland mess up.

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Mar 14 2009, 04:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Mar 14 2009, 05:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Our Championship hopes have all but gone down the drain.
We need to rely on Ireland and France losing today now. Unlikely cases both.[/b]

not quite it'll be another tight game again in Edinburgh, you'll probably only need a 10 point victory next weekend.
[/b][/quote]
Don't think so. Unless France f*** up tomorrow, they'll be aiming to thrash Italy next week and it wouldn't surprise me if they snuck the tournament.
At least we can say the Italians aren't going to roll over next week if today shows anything.

^Yeh, what you said.

 

[Bluemoon]

As I said before the game, the forwards couldn't handle it for the first 60 mins. Powell was dreadful... Heaslip takes his lions shirt.

Wales to beat ireland, winning the Triple Crown, Ireland to win the championship, we all get drunk happy in Cardiff saturday night

 

[dullonien]

The experiment up front didn't work. Yapp got destroyed in the scrum (probably shows us he won't handle a switch to tighthead), and our backrow was poor without Williams and Ryan Jones. Powell had an absolute shocker, I can't believe he wasn't taken off!

I can't really say much about our backs, they hardly got the ball! I'm sure Roberts only touched the ball once in the entire match, mostly down to the forwards and partly to Phillips and Hooks poor performances.

Overall, relieved we won, but am bitterly dissapointed we didn't score more points to put the pressure on Ireland. I fear the championship's now gone.

Nice way to look at things bluemoon.

 

[Cymro]

Finally people have realised how poor Powell really is, he had a good few games in the AI and teams have just worked him out and he aint effecitve anymore, bring back Gareth Delve I say!

Italy should have won today, Wales had really no right to win!

Serge Parrise is a class act on his own!

 

[An Tarbh]

I don't agree, Wales were clinical in terms of taking their chances, Italy created nothing and relied on Welsh indiscipline to get their scores.

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Mar 14 2009, 05:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I don't agree, Wales were clinical in terms of taking their chances, Italy created nothing and relied on Welsh indiscipline to get their scores.[/b]

Italy created but failed to take there chances

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Mar 14 2009, 06:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Mar 14 2009, 05:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't agree, Wales were clinical in terms of taking their chances, Italy created nothing and relied on Welsh indiscipline to get their scores.[/b]

Italy created but failed to take there chances
[/b][/quote]

and that's the difference at the end of the match

 

[Bluemoon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Mar 14 2009, 05:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Finally people have realised how poor Powell really is, he had a good few games in the AI and teams have just worked him out and he aint effecitve anymore, bring back Gareth Delve I say!

Italy should have won today, Wales had really no right to win!

Serge Parrise is a class act on his own![/b]

Agree with all expect the idea Italy should have won. Italy kicked away all possession and expect for the pressure on the line at the end of the first half didn't even look like scoring a try. We outscored them in tries 2-0. Wales weren't good at using the scrappy ball they had, taking nothing away from a good italian performance.

Parrise was fantastic though.

 

[An Tarbh]

He's a joy to watch.

 

[danny]

didint see the game but seeing the Welsh made so many changes it wasnt that surprising a result. The strength in depth just doesnt seem to be there in the front 5. Please dont mention Gareth Delve for a re-call he is doing very well but is only just back from a terrible injury. Anyway good to see Italy competitive as they have been abject this entire 6nations.

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (danny @ Mar 14 2009, 07:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

didint see the game but seeing the Welsh made so many changes it wasnt that surprising a result. The strength in depth just doesnt seem to be there in the front 5. Please dont mention Gareth Delve for a re-call he is doing very well but is only just back from a terrible injury. Anyway good to see Italy competitive as they have been abject this entire 6nations.[/b]

Gatland likes Delve and so have many other Welsh coaches, Id say we could see him back in the summer tour!

 

[alexrugby]

I like the Wales goes

Go Wales Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[danny]

All of the Powell for the Lions test team talk is now over I presume?

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (danny @ Mar 14 2009, 08:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

All of the Powell for the Lions test team talk is now over I presume?[/b]

Like ive said I have never really rated Powell, today showed he has been worked out by opposition, Heaslip is the man or Simon Taylor!

 

[dullonien]

Powell has all the skills to be a top player, and for 6 months this year it all came together beautifully. I'm not sure what's happened since, it's not just that oppositions have found him out, he's changed the way he plays! I haven't seen him use the quick feet he posseses, instead just looks for contact (normally 2 or 3 guys) and ploughs into them. His handling let him down today, he just wasn't taking care of the ball. His offloading has also gone backwards from the autumn, it's either too obvious or so complicated that his team mates don't get it!

I think Gatland will revert back to a Thomas, Williams, Jones backrow for the Ireland match, which is probably the more balanced backrow with Ryan Jones back in command from the no 8 position.

I feel sorry for some of the backs today, they were given their chance to stake a claim for their shirts and barely got any ball in good positions. This resulted in both Hook and Shane Williams trying to force things when the ball did come their way. The only one that stood out was Henson who created a try, defended well and made the right decisions. Shanklin also made a big impact an for that I feel we might also see a return to a Henson - Shanklin midfield working off a Phillips - Jones halfback pairing (pitty Peel's out).

So overall the team for Ireland will be:

Gethin Jenkins
Mathew Rees
Adam Jones
Ian Gough (Though Charteris played well I thought)
Alun-Wyn Jones
Jonathan Thomas
Martyn Williams
Ryan Jones

Mike Phillips
Stephen Jones
Shane Williams
Gavin Henson
Tom Shanklin
Leigh Halfpenny
Lee Burne

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Mar 14 2009, 09:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (danny @ Mar 14 2009, 08:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All of the Powell for the Lions test team talk is now over I presume?[/b]

Like ive said I have never really rated Powell, today showed he has been worked out by opposition, Heaslip is the man or Simon Taylor!
[/b][/quote]

Taylor was a no show today from what I saw, Heaslip definitely made an impact when he came on.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Mar 14 2009, 10:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Powell has all the skills to be a top player, and for 6 months this year it all came together beautifully. I'm not sure what's happened since, it's not just that oppositions have found him out, he's changed the way he plays! I haven't seen him use the quick feet he posseses, instead just looks for contact (normally 2 or 3 guys) and ploughs into them. His handling let him down today, he just wasn't taking care of the ball. His offloading has also gone backwards from the autumn, it's either too obvious or so complicated that his team mates don't get it!

I think Gatland will revert back to a Thomas, Williams, Jones backrow for the Ireland match, which is probably the more balanced backrow with Ryan Jones back in command from the no 8 position.

I feel sorry for some of the backs today, they were given their chance to stake a claim for their shirts and barely got any ball in good positions. This resulted in both Hook and Shane Williams trying to force things when the ball did come their way. The only one that stood out was Henson who created a try, defended well and made the right decisions. Shanklin also made a big impact an for that I feel we might also see a return to a Henson - Shanklin midfield working off a Phillips - Jones halfback pairing (pitty Peel's out).

So overall the team for Ireland will be:

Gethin Jenkins
Mathew Rees
Adam Jones
Ian Gough (Though Charteris played well I thought)
Alun-Wyn Jones
Jonathan Thomas
Martyn Williams
Ryan Jones

Mike Phillips
Stephen Jones
Shane Williams
Gavin Henson
Tom Shanklin
Leigh Halfpenny
Lee Burne[/b]

I still feel it's a huge gamble leaving that many players out for 3 weeks, obviously we'll be hailing Gatland the genius though if it pays off next week.