[RWC2019][Pool D] Round 4 -Wales vs. Fiji (09/10/2019)

[Leonormous Boozer]

Although since 2015 it is against NZ only that wales have had such poor tackle completion stats...

Games in 2016 and 2017 don't apply much to this Welsh side, they've had their upward curve since the 2018 six nations.

 

[bushytop]

Lololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololon I can't hit the space bar anymore!!!!

 

[bushytop]

So ive finally caught up... yeah it wasn't simple, was never gonna be lol you fux!

 

[bushytop]

Fairs fair, Fiji got the same in the first half

That bump on Biggar a minute ago was crazy - he went full horizontal

You literally just shocked the absolute f*** outta me,., bravthefuqooh!

 

[MikeTheNative]

I haven't watched the game yet but Wales got the job done with 5 points against a pretty decent Fiji team. You do wonder if they would have made the QFs in England's group.

 

[BiggusLaddus]

They also lost to Uruguay and none of the teams in England's group are as poor as Uruguay.

 

[MikeTheNative]

They also lost to Uruguay and none of the teams in England's group are as poor as Uruguay.

Even if they did lose to the the US then beating either Argentina or France which they are quite capable of doing would have meant 2 losses each for 2nd place. It would be close.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Wooohoo! I got a margin point on Superbru for this game!

What an entertaining game to watch!

But Wales, you disappointed me. Why didn't you play off 9?

 

[Bluemoon]

Great game that. Fiji with all the power, skills and the excellent running. Really pushing Wales to the edge with the defence and stretching it much wider that it's used to. What a team they'd be if they could just play in the right areas and find some sense of game management. What they did to the welsh defence in the first half was incredibly smart and with those two trys. Wales smartened to it and fought incredibly hard on the floor to disrupt Fiji after that. I thought Navidi was excellent again. Wales did well to finish their trys and took their opportunities. It was good to see them come back from a deficit in the first half as they haven't experienced that pressure at the WC yet. I was a bit worried about some of Biggar and Liam's choices in attack, often chasing to go high or put boot to ball. They need to find some structure in their attack against the better defences. All around, a good test.

 

[D0m3]

Super entertaining game to watch as a neutral!
I thought that Fiji had really good chances to win after this crazy start but no.

Congrats to Wales for not panicking and winning the game without a scare at the end, very impressive.

I was quite shocked when they got pinged for offside, every welsh player, everyone, was running in front of the kicker! I had a hard time believing that no one in the team did this in other occasions.

Two things that are annoying me overall in most of the game and that I saw in this game:
- TMO reviewed forward pass. Do you know how hard it is to run fullspeed and actually throw the ball backward (without momentum)?
I feel like if you look at the ball from the ground, so many of the passes are actually forward.
But when it leads to a try then we care (though I saw some forward passes that where not reviewed by the TMO in other games)
I think it would be better if this was actually the interpretation of the ref and the assistants in real time. Because then the momentum is kind of taken into account. On top of that if there is not mark on the ground to help, how the hell are you gonna see if it's forward if the camera is at an angle with the actual pass (and it's almost always at an angle)??
- TMO interventions. I feel like it's a bit crazy to have this guy who is not even on the field having this huge impact on the game. I don't know how to solve this.

 

[BobbyM]

Games in 2016 and 2017 don't apply much to this Welsh side, they've had their upward curve since the 2018 six nations.

During which time they've played NZ precisely 0 times. Not sure how you are suggesting that NZ don't have the athletes to make the line breaks that Fiji have.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

During which time they've played NZ precisely 0 times. Not sure how you are suggesting that NZ don't have the athletes to make the line breaks that Fiji have.

I don't know what to tell you, it's fairly obvious. Who do you think is more likely to create a linebreak or halfbreak for themselves against a set defence? Tuisova or Bridge, Nayacalevu or Crotty?

NZ will do more with their breaks but Wales can plan to stop them in the first place.

 

[BobbyM]

It's fairly easy because they don't. Radradra

I don't know what to tell you, it's fairly obvious. Who do you think is more likely to create a linebreak or halfbreak for themselves against a set defence? Tuisova or Bridge, Nayacalevu or Crotty?

NZ will do more with their breaks but Wales can plan to stop them in the first place.

hilarious bringing up Ryan Crotty, who is specifically in his team for his defence.

Maybe consider Savea, Barrett, SBW, ALB we just 4 names that immediately come to mind as line breakers.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

hilarious bringing up Ryan Crotty, who is specifically in his team for his defence.

Maybe consider Savea, Barrett, SBW, ALB we just 4 names that immediately come to mind as line breakers.

I'll give you Savea, no Radradra though... NZ don't break the line through chaotic, one up running.

 

[BobbyM]

I'll give you Savea, no Radradra though... NZ don't break the line through chaotic, one up running.

Oh Radradra is unreal, genuinely world class rugby player. As a team though the all blacks still have the players to create line breaks against set defences. And with the typhoon looking more and more ominous it looks like you may have the chance to see them breaking the lines against Ireland in the quarters

 

[Rich Taff]

Very very poor performance by Wales, due to a ridiculous gameplan.

I can only assume it was executed poorly, as surely Gats and co are aware that the way to beat Fiji, with very little fuss, is to set-piece the crap out of them (specifically lineouts/mauls).

Whoever decided that repeatedly kicking in field and once again taking them on at 15-man 7's needs their head examined (can't have been Howley, who would, no doubt, have got the blame normally).

Very very poor performance by Wales, due to a ridiculous gameplan.

Oh, and there's talk of Garces reffing the final.....

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Oh Radradra is unreal, genuinely world class rugby player. As a team though the all blacks still have the players to create line breaks against set defences. And with the typhoon looking more and more ominous it looks like you may have the chance to see them breaking the lines against Ireland in the quarters

"They're not going to face another team with that ability to smash through their defence."

That was my original post, think we arguing different points to be honest with you!

Yeah, I don't want that game cancelled almost as much as you I reckon! Maybe I should have added "like that" to be clearer

 

[dullonien]

Good game, but a tough one to watch from a Wales fan for 70min. Fiji's ability to break tackles and/or offload is just insane. Wales have one of the best defenses in world rugby, but Fiji regularly smashed it to pieces!

Wales did well in the end to get the result.

Thought Ken was lucky not to receive a red for that crazy tackle. There may be a ban coming his way I fear. Also lucky not to pick up a second yellow for collapsing the maul for the penalty try (think it was him at the bottom there).

Worrying head knock for Biggar. That could easily be a few weeks on the sidelines, especially as it follows the head knock v Aus. No guarantees he'll be OK in time for the 1/4ers.

 

[Dai Yorkshire]

the offload is king, if you perform it well you are capable of beating anyone, what Fiji need is more, a better scrum, a better line out, better game management. awareness around them and they will be a force.

 

[Dai Yorkshire]

a

Very very poor performance by Wales, due to a ridiculous gameplan.

I can only assume it was executed poorly, as surely Gats and co are aware that the way to beat Fiji, with very little fuss, is to set-piece the crap out of them (specifically lineouts/mauls).

Whoever decided that repeatedly kicking in field and once again taking them on at 15-man 7's needs their head examined (can't have been Howley, who would, no doubt, have got the blame normally).

Very very poor performance by Wales, due to a ridiculous gameplan.

Oh, and there's talk of Garces reffing the final.....

totally agree.