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[RWC2019][3rd & 4th Place Playoff] New Zealand vs. Wales (01/11/2019)

In every game our breakdown looks dodgy, like we are about to lose the ball, we barely retain it at times and the ball isn't clean or fast. Been the story of Hansen's last few years.

Needs to be sorted out ASAP next cycle.
 
Wales do incredible well for their size as a country, England have 1 million registered rugby players, Wales only have a population of 3 million for comparison. I think Gats to keep them up there as a competitive force, winning grand slams has been an amazing achievement.
 
Yeah I mean there's no doubt that he's had some big achievements with them, but he's been in post for 12 years and not all of that has been used efficiently, in my opinion.
One can argue they've been stagnant and gone backwards the past 7-8 years. In the 2011-12 season he got to a semi-final lost by 1 point and lost the 3rd place playoff by 3 and won the second of his three Grand Slams.
 
Wales do incredible well for their size as a country, England have 1 million registered rugby players, Wales only have a population of 3 million for comparison. I think Gats to keep them up there as a competitive force, winning grand slams has been an amazing achievement.

We may have 1 million registered players, but a lot of them are eligible for Wales and Scotland. We're proper inbred on this island :confused:
 
Pretty much as anticipated, an exhibition the ABs were always going to win handily when they come stin full strength . Congrats to them on their third medal

Now on to a new era let's put this to bed and injuries considered we did okay a few positives , Josh Adams has had a brilliant tournament really finished well and cemented his place as top Welsh winger, Wainwright has had a decent campaign, tomos Williams and patchell have all done great from the bench (hope the injury isn't too bad) .
 
Gatland is a hard one to judge, massively successful against the likes of O'Sullivan, Kidney, Johnson, Lancaster etc... But once Schmidt, and then Jones came it took him six years to win the 6n while those two won half of theirs. That, coupled with the appalling record against the SH, holds him back a little in my books but then again I don't think he had the player base Schmidt or Jones had for most of the last 6 years and Wales were probably only as uncompetitive as Ireland were this year or England were last year once or twice in that period.

Definitely a positive for Wales, a bit more innovation was probably needed, he stuck with his mate Howley until the bitter end and I think that'll be seen as the step which stopped Wales getting to the level Ireland were and England are in being competitive against the best the SH has to offer. Whether that's a realistic goal for Wales is probably the big question, I think the comparison with Ireland is a good one, resources are fairly similar, but it must be borne in mind that we're the biggest bottlers in international rugby.
 
Gatland is a hard one to judge, massively successful against the likes of O'Sullivan, Kidney, Johnson, Lancaster etc... But once Schmidt, and then Jones came it took him six years to win the 6n while those two won half of theirs. That, coupled with the appalling record against the SH, holds him back a little in my books but then again I don't think he had the player base Schmidt or Jones had for most of the last 6 years and Wales were probably only as uncompetitive as Ireland were this year or England were last year once or twice in that period.

Definitely a positive for Wales, a bit more innovation was probably needed, he stuck with his mate Howley until the bitter end and I think that'll be seen as the step which stopped Wales getting to the level Ireland were and England are in being competitive against the best the SH has to offer. Whether that's a realistic goal for Wales is probably the big question, I think the comparison with Ireland is a good one, resources are fairly similar, but it must be borne in mind that we're the biggest bottlers in international rugby.
I think you look at both Lions tour's and see whether he's up to the challenge and the answer is no. With the additional resources or Ireland and England he onlt scrap up a draw on an AB's side on wane and was heavily reliant on Welsh players when reality now is geuinely ask who would make a combined side if you were the selector.
 
A new era now with Pivac ,Jones and Humphreys at the helm . I'm hoping they will introduce us to a more expansive game akin to how the Scarlets played under his tenure , I think we have the players to do it just might take a while to wash gatland out the system as he's been there a long time and it could linger.
 
Alyn Wyn Jones has made it his goal to make it into another lions tour just to please all his English and Irish fans;)
 
Alyn Wyn Jones has made it his goal to make it into another lions tour just to please all his English and Irish fans;)
How do you even begin to select him over Lawes, Itoje, Kruis & Launchbury? And that's just the England locks that are way ahead of him!
 
Alyn Wyn Jones has made it his goal to make it into another lions tour just to please all his English and Irish fans;)
Gatland's in charge so he's a shoe in tbh, he's been Gatland's main man for a decade or more.
I don't think Gatland is dumb enough to start him but I think it's inevitable he'll tour.
 
Gatland's in charge so he's a shoe in tbh, he's been Gatland's main man for a decade or more.
I don't think Gatland is dumb enough to start him but I think it's inevitable he'll tour.

I don't know he will be 36 by the time the tour comes around . I think he'll be pushing and other locks are
 
I think you look at both Lions tour's and see whether he's up to the challenge and the answer is no. With the additional resources or Ireland and England he onlt scrap up a draw on an AB's side on wane and was heavily reliant on Welsh players when reality now is geuinely ask who would make a combined side if you were the selector.
Again, a hard yardstick, it's a totally unique challenge that I think every coach has failed in in the pro era... Primarily because it doesn't belong in the pro era but let's not get into that!

I don't think you can call Gatland bad by any measure but I don't think he stands up to Schmidt, and definitely not Jones whose done better with multiple international sides.
 
Gats has done more with the Lions than just about everyone since the 70s. It's a harder job than people give it credit for, and having more players at your disposal doesn't always help make a team.

'Only' drawing against NZ in 2017... not sure what to make of that. NZ weren't quite what they were in 2015 but still colossal. Look at what they did to the rugby championship that year. Drawing with them at home using a composite side is a big achievement.
 
How do you even begin to select him over Lawes, Itoje, Kruis & Launchbury? And that's just the England locks that are way ahead of him!
It's more the subtleties of the game what alyn Wyn does great. Hes also leads by example , tackles his heard out , he's a great captain. Age isn't on his side now and I do think his best years are behind him now somo wouldn't expect him at 36 to make another lions campaign . The interesting thing is whether he will figure in future Welsh plans , as he may not be suited to the way Pivac want to play , just have to see how cutthroat Pivac is.
 
Gats has done more with the Lions than just about everyone since the 70s. It's a harder job than people give it credit for, and having more players at your disposal doesn't always help make a team.
It's almost impossible to comapre Lions coaches as it doesn't happen often enough.

Geech has a pretty good record on his 4 tours.

Then you looking at Woodwards complete disaster and Henry coming against probably the best Australian side there's been.
 

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