Scotland v Wales

[Cymro]

Would not discount Horan going either!

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Feb 8 2009, 08:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Would not discount Horan going either![/b]

he's upped his game this season but he's not a Lions option.

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Feb 8 2009, 08:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Feb 8 2009, 08:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Would not discount Horan going either![/b]

he's upped his game this season but he's not a Lions option.
[/b][/quote]

Dunno hes been better than Sheridan!

 

[wlshby09]

Personally I think Peel added a bit of tempo, actually passing off the floor rather than picking it up, looking, stepping, then passing like Phillips did. He didnt really get much chance to do anything though, I'd probably still go with Phillips for next week. I just hope Cooper is still unavailable.

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (wlshby09 @ Feb 8 2009, 08:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Personally I think Peel added a bit of tempo, actually passing off the floor rather than picking it up, looking, stepping, then passing like Phillips did. He didnt really get much chance to do anything though, I'd probably still go with Phillips for next week. I just hope Cooper is still unavailable.[/b]

Never know Peel might start if he applies himself!

 

[dullonien]

Peel and Hook looked furious at their forwards a couple of times after coming on. They really weren't given any good quality ball after the mass personel changes in the pack with numerous knock ons etc. I saw both of them having a few words to members of the pack, they were despirate to show Gatland what they can do before the England match, but had little to no opportunity.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Cross actually looked as if he was trying to stop, Byrne did jump for the ball late. I don't for one moment think that Cross, a man with a medical degree, purposefully ran into Bryne's knee with his face. It was a mistimed accident and a penalty, but not malicious and not a sin binning.

And Webbo did boom nugget, and made him loose the ball. Just wasn't very clever of Webbo using his face. So for all the Welsh going on about how Nugget got up, he was thoroughly emptied and lost the ball. Webster did what was asked of any player and put his body on the line for the jersey, shame he just came off worse.

 

[shtove]

Moment of the match for me was the scrum just before half time, when Wales won it against the head on their own line. Scotland had to score there. Sums up what Gatland has achieved.

Wales looked like the real deal up to 60 mins. And then ...

Williams' yellow was spot on, but watch how he did it: right arm covers the player in case he keeps the ball, left arm covers the ball in case it gets passed, and the deliberate knock on is executed as if it's just the arm swinging around for the tackle. Very smart and devious. Rolland didn't fall for it.

Wales' big worry is that their replacements didn't work. I know there's this blaaah about resting players for the big one, but Scotland had a serious chance of winning that match. If Paterson had got the touch down, there would have been alarm bells all over the place.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Re: Props.

Yeah, we struggled without Murray. Dickinson and Cross are good, but much better in the loose. I thought our pack was no where near as good as it can be, that Welsh pack would have been there for the taking if our 8 brought their A game. But we didn't, and Wales were better on the day. I'll be the first to admit that Wales deserved the win and the score flattered us.

 

[Incredible Schalk]

For all that if bloody Paterson had grounded the ball we would have had a crazy last few minutes..

 

[dundeesmiffy]

A W Jones cemented his place as a lock today as well, in my eyes anyway, Powell too for sure.

 

[dullonien]

Yeh, both played well. Powell was quiet by his high standards, I'm sure he'll be slightly dissapointed at his performance given the way he's played the last few months. Alun-Wyn Jones was more like his old self, much better performance than in the Autumn.

 

[Bluemoon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Incredible Schalk @ Feb 8 2009, 09:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

For all that if bloody Paterson had grounded the ball we would have had a crazy last few minutes..[/b]

Yeah but if Stephen Jones had converted his kicks, and if wales hadn't switched off, if Martyn Williams wasnt sin binned... etc

I think the bare bones of it are that for 60 mins, the welsh were to physical in defense and had far to many men who can convert in the right positions for the scots. Scotland were building a good platform in some patches in the game, but lacked the men to finish off. Judging on this weekends fantastic game in Ireland, the French will also have to much for Scotland next week. I hope they prove me wrong!

Im finding the debate of scrum half very interesting. Its a difficult call, but the way I look at it, if you want fast ball and wide, you chose Peel, if you want a strong man to give you go forward, but a bit slower and tends to go blind alot, its Philips. Against England, Id choose the same halfbacks, bringing the fast men on later. Just because Philips will get right in England's faces and I think it will be effective against them.

 

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bluemoon @ Feb 8 2009, 10:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Against England, Id choose the same halfbacks, bringing the fast men on later. Just because Philips will get right in England's faces and I think it will be effective against them.[/b]

To be fair, you could recall Wale's most valuable scrum-half from 1958 and he'd still be able to walk around England or bore them to death about how he beat three players from this random South African provincial club whom he can't remember the name of...

...whether you go for speed and agility or pure brawn, it won't be that hard to get past England.

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dundeesmiffy @ Feb 8 2009, 10:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

A W Jones cemented his place as a lock today as well, in my eyes anyway, Powell too for sure.[/b]

jones yes but I wasn't overly impressed by Powell. alot of Crashball but he usually does that better. It was very dull crashball.

Definitely wouldn't say he has a Lions place secured with the way Heaslip performed against far better opposition.

And saying this, I picked Powell ahead of heaslip in my Fansty rugby team so it's not an Irish bias.

 

[Bluemoon]

Agreed. However, it must be said that everyone is ready for Powell at the moment as they know what he is capable of. The scotland game was also tighter than the france game...

I agree if we were picking lions based on this weekend, Heaslip would go ahead. But I feel it'll probably be Haskell and Powell. Haskell just because Edwards, Gatland and McGechan are all Wasps ...

Its made the No.8 battle in the millennium stadium all that more interesting!

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bluemoon @ Feb 8 2009, 11:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Agreed. However, it must be said that everyone is ready for Powell at the moment as they know what he is capable of. The scotland game was also tighter than the france game...

I agree if we were picking lions based on this weekend, Heaslip would go ahead. But I feel it'll probably be Haskell and Powell. Haskell just because Edwards, Gatland and McGechan are all Wasps ...

Its made the No.8 battle in the millennium stadium all that more interesting![/b]

Number 8 and number 15 dueling!

Ferris had a cracker too actually.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Feb 8 2009, 10:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bluemoon @ Feb 8 2009, 10:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Against England, Id choose the same halfbacks, bringing the fast men on later. Just because Philips will get right in England's faces and I think it will be effective against them.[/b]

To be fair, you could recall Wale's most valuable scrum-half from 1958 and he'd still be able to walk around England or bore them to death about how he beat three players from this random South African provincial club whom he can't remember the name of...

...whether you go for speed and agility or pure brawn, it won't be that hard to get past England.
[/b][/quote]

I was thinking that earlier, Wales could experiment with whoever they like at scrum half and they're still likely to get the win come Saturday

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Monkeypigeon @ Feb 8 2009, 11:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bluemoon @ Feb 8 2009, 11:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed. However, it must be said that everyone is ready for Powell at the moment as they know what he is capable of. The scotland game was also tighter than the france game...

I agree if we were picking lions based on this weekend, Heaslip would go ahead. But I feel it'll probably be Haskell and Powell. Haskell just because Edwards, Gatland and McGechan are all Wasps ...

Its made the No.8 battle in the millennium stadium all that more interesting![/b]

Number 8 and number 15 dueling!

Ferris had a cracker too actually.
[/b][/quote]

yeah but we all know there's gonna be Welsh and Wasps' bias regardless of what happens in the tournament

 

[timrees]

I fyou think that Edwards and Gatland show bias then you must be a very poor judge of character. The first thing that both of these men are is winners. They are not looking for colour, nationality, yes-men. They want talent, application and total commitment to the cause. If Powell is picked for the Lions it will be because he is seen as the best man for the job, and that same theory will be applied accross the squad. And by the way, if Irish coaches were a little more prepared to make difficult decisions then the BOD would no longer be Irish captain. He is quality, but not the best man to lead that team, you would think that was evident after all these years.