What a terrible game yesterday it was for Wales, but my god how well did Australia play. No longer can anyone say that the front row of Australia is a problem and my good they are building a side capable of challenging for the next World Cup.
However I cannot disagree more with some of the stuff said in above posts and I also wish to elaborate more on some of the stuff said!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Nov 29 2009, 02:11 AM)
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In the front row, Gethin Jenkins has been good as usual, Mathew Rees has impressed me, really come along since the Lions. We however need a better replacement than Bennett, and In Ken Owens I think we've got at least that, if not our future starter. Tight head is a big problem without Adam Jones. Hopefully Eifion Roberts works on his fitness and general condition so we can have another top class tight head. I still believe that Gatland left him out this Autumn to give him the kick up the backside he needs. If a professional player can't get into top shape, fitness wise, they don't deserve to play.[/b]
No doubt we have a problem here. Mainly in depth at hooker and tight head. I said this at the start of the AI series about Gatland's Welsh squad. Where were the two inform hooker bar Matthew Rees for Wales? Where was Gareth Williams of the Blues and where was Ken Owens? I cannot and understand why Gatland decided to pick Huw Bennett over them. Bennett showed this AI series that he cannot hack international level at the moment. He struggles to throw the ball into the line and his loose and tight play is nothing short of awful. Gatland failed to recognise the two inform hooker for Wales and hopefully by the turn of the 6 Nations he will realise this and sort this out.
Regarding the tight-head situation. I think we have hopefully seen the last of Paul James in a Welsh no. 3 shirt and hopefully in a Welsh shirt. His scrummaging was terrible and his tackling just as bad, he was never evident in the loose and he was just poor in the tight. Nothing annoyed me more than seeing this guy being selected over Eifion Roberts or Craig Mitchell. ******** was Eifion Roberts not fit! Gatland did not select him because he was not fit enough. Gatland never picked him because he plays his rugby in England, that is why he threw so many shots at the Guinness Premiership calling it weak, he wants all the best Welsh players playing in Wales. Gatland should have manned up and selected Eifion Roberts regardless. Hopefully Adam and Eifion are fit enough for the start of the 6 Nations!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Nov 29 2009, 02:11 AM)
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Changes must be made in the backrow. Powell is a waste of space. We need to concentrate on a group of players and build some combinations. I'd include Ryan Jones, Martyn Williams, Dan Lydiate, Dafydd Jones, Sam Warberton and Gareth Delve. There's enough quality there to form a very good backrow.[/b]
Dan Lydiate yesterday showed how he could not cope with international rugby at the moment. He was quiet and was completely ineffective yesterday! Give him another season with the Dragons and I think he will be ready. Sam Warburton made a massive difference when he came on yesterday, he was also a good performer for the Blues against Australia in midweek. Andy Powell is a complete was of time, I have never seen somebody run so lateral and no go forward. Yesterday we missed Ryan Jones massively, there was really no one who took us forward in the pack. Hopefully by the 6 Nations Gatland will have seen the light with Delve again and include him. This boy has talent and would do the job for us at 6.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Nov 29 2009, 02:11 AM)
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At 9, Phillips, Peel and Martin Roberts are our best scrum halves. No need to continue with Cooper. Stephen Jones is obviously our first choice 10, and I'd stick with Biggar as backup. Centres are an area that needs freshening up imo. Roberts hasn't impressed this Autumn. He's not getting much ball, and when he does there's not much space. There's also a lack of runners around him, meaning it's easy for the defense to target him and stop him every time. He should remain at centre, but we need to use him in a more intelligent way. Who will be the other centres in the squad? Jonathan Davies, James Hook, Tom Shanklin, maybe one of the Dragon's boys?[/b]
Disagree with scrum half's. Roberts is not good enough. We have missed Phillips and I reckon having a Peel / Phillips battle again for the 9 shirt will once again get the best out the 9's. I would select Cooper as third choice 9. He did nothing wrong over the AI and he looked good, gave good serivce when ball was available. So it would deffo be Peel / Phillips / Cooper come 6 Nations time.
At fly half we don't have a problem there, Biggar is a touch raw but he will be there come the 6 Nations.
At centres we lack depth. Jon Davies is not the finished article and you cannot play Roberts and Davies in the centre. Davies cancels out Roberts as they are similar this was evident against Argentina. Why did Gatland not spot this? Davies has been in good form all season but looked out of it at times for Wales. Yesterday showed how poor Bishop is. Shanklin should have been on the bench simple as and Gatland missed a trick there. Bishop yesterday did not show the quality needed of a back up centre. He failed to get the ball over the gain line, I know the Oz defence was solid but it looked like Bishop every-time he took the ball he was taking a backward step. Where I was sitting yesterday in the stadium he just lacked creativity something Wales need in the centre. Maybe Hook should be installed there. Hopefully Lee Thomas can find his form for Sale and hopefully Gatland will select him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Nov 29 2009, 02:11 AM)
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On to the wings. I'm happy with the wings we've got. Shane, Halfpenny and Tom James are quality. Bring Fussell or Aled Brew into the squad aswell. They do need to start getting through a bit more work, running angles in midfield to keep the defense guessing, in the same way Bowe does for O's and Ireland.[/b]
Dunno what game you were watching yesterday but Tom James showed he is not international material. A player who wares blades should be dropped from the Wales side. Can't believe how many times this boy slips over. His tackling his week and he rarely penetrates the defence with ball in hand. Maybe I am being harsh on him but he could be a future winger, but needs more game time with the Blues. Fussell could be a shout on the wing for Wales as he has the pace and the defence to be able to cope with big players. Aled Brew has been tried and tested and he's simply not good enough. Going back to him would be taking a backward step. Wing slot is a difficult one but we must remember that Mark Jones is out injured and we did miss him this AI series.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ozzay @ Nov 29 2009, 08:19 AM)
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08 Grandslam, we rotated the side and made players play for their positions, now certain people just know their number is safe.
Last year, we had peel, hook coming off the bench, now we got Martyn Roberts, Andrew Bishop.
Gatland has not helped by moving players around, eg. Hook at fullback, leaving no 10 on the bench, Paul James at tightead, the scrum got smashed yesterday, absolutely hammered, Jamie Roberts in the centre.
I do genuinely believe we've gone backwards because of Powell and Roberts, playing this smashing game, and its just not working, it worked in the summer because of the class of BOD coming from him, he doesn't do the same for Wales.[/b]
Agree with the above James, Roberts and Powell are simply not good enough for Wales.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ozzay @ Nov 29 2009, 08:19 AM)
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Wales are missing Gavin Henson BIG TIME!
If i was Gat i'd be getting him back, because Wales are gonna struggle and play frustrating rugby in the 6N.[/b]
No we cannot rely on Gav. His head is not in the right place. He would need at least a full season before being even considered for Welsh selection.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ozzay @ Nov 29 2009, 08:19 AM)
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The support runners this autumn seem to just have disappeared, the amount of pentalies giving away, or slow ball is terrible! Wales are dangerous with quick ball, we don't seem to be getting any of it.[/b]
Ruck area must be addressed by the IRB so many times ball is slowed down so much that we could not get anything quick. But could we argue Wales are not fin enough to clear opponents away quick enough in the ruck area?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Nov 29 2009, 12:31 PM)
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Roberts is a class centre. However you can't expect him to break every tackle when there's no kind of foil for him. He created as much, if not more than BOD for the Lions. The reason why is that BOD, Bowe, Burne and Kearney were also breaking the line, or running lines alongside Roberts to take defenders eyes away from him. Wales have very rarely used Roberts in an intelligent way i.e. England last year. We do need to try other combinations though.[/b]
Reason why Roberts could not break was the ball he was getting was not good enough. Roberts needs a creative 12 to give him good ball at 13 so he can get the angles to break the line. Shanklin gives him this and so would a Hook / Lee Thomas player.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Nov 29 2009, 12:31 PM)
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I'm still not sure who can fill the other centre birth. Hook's worth a shot, but I'm getting more and more tired at his running across field antics. Does he think he can hand-off ever player in front of him? He needs to start running straighter lines and use that quick feet in a different way, cos it's just so predictable nowerdays, he rarely get's anywhere against quality opposition. I thought Andrew Bishop played well yesterday. If he had more support runners, we might have got a try or two off his half breaks. Jonathan Davies didn't have enough time to show what he can do unfortunately. Maybe we'll start seeing more of Gareth Owen this year. He's the kinda player Wales needs.[/b]
Bishop DID NOT play well. He was terrible and all the fans round by me yesterday were in agreeance that he was terrible. Jon Davies as I have mentioned is raw and needs shaping more. Hook is the best bet at the moment until Shanklin is back.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Nov 29 2009, 12:31 PM)
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Unfortunately this game was also another example of how Martyn Williams cannot compete against the more physical opensides out there. Every time he comes up against the likes of McCaw, Brussow, Pocock & Smith, he get's blown away at the breakdown. We cannot continue to rely on him in these kinda games. This is where we need to develop a player like Warberton, who has the strength to compete in the tight. There may still be space for Williams is other members of the pack help him out in the ruck. Look at Ireland against SA, the likes of O'Connell were stealing as much ball as Wallace was. The only other member of Wales' pack that does that is Gethin Jenkins, and we didn't see him yesterday due to the pummelling he was taking in the scrum.[/b]
As I mentioned above. Lydiates lack of work in the breakdown yesterday meant that Martyn Williams had to do so much work and basically he could not cope with the load. Had Warburton started then it would have made a difference for Williams. I love how some have said Williams is finished. But I remember last week against Argentina he was the link man and was winning ball on the floor. Funny how one week can make a player poor ey?
Gethin Jenkins was noticeable yesterday! He made some try saving tackles yesterday and was all over the pitch. He never had a 'pummelling' at scrum time, you may find that it was all Paul James getting a hiding. Don't get me wrong it was not Geth's best game but to say we never saw him yesterday is simple wrong.
Basically Wales got a lot of work to do by the 6 Nations!
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