Welsh Rugby Stuff

[Welsh Exile]

At some point we need to sit and have a pint and fix welsh rugby once and for all!!!

I asked 9 my year old what would he do if he was in charge of the WRU and he said "have great academies and make some money and give it you and uncle Rhys." Smart kid.

 

[dirty harry]

I asked 9 my year old what would he do if he was in charge of the WRU and he said "have great academies and make some money and give it you and uncle Rhys." Smart kid.

I agree with the first 2 points of that statement... I just don't think you or uncle Rhys are the right people to handle those kind of finances...

That said, nor are the WRU, **** it I'm in!

 

[Welsh Exile]

What's the deal with Eddie James as well. I thought he was injured as I didn't see him in the matchday 23 in the scarlets last couple of days but has he just been left out for Williams?

I would've taken Morse and Tshiunza instead of Mann and Ratti. Morse isn't even playing for the under 20s. We better have him on some Ivan Drago training programme at least.

 

[dirty harry]

What's the deal with Eddie James as well. I thought he was injured as I didn't see him in the matchday 23 in the scarlets last couple of days but has he just been left out for Williams?

I would've taken Morse and Tshiunza instead of Mann and Ratti. Morse isn't even playing for the under 20s. We better have him on some Ivan Drago training programme at least.

Apparently he's not injured, but he must be surely.

Defo Morse over either, at least Mann is young, and has some bite to him, even if it is Plumtree dumb at times.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Apparently he's not injured, but he must be surely.

Defo Morse over either, at least Mann is young, and has some bite to him, even if it is Plumtree dumb at times.

I like Mann but his main point of difference seems to be his work rate and mentality. Which is great obviously but he's kinda like a small Lydiate which is kind of pointless. It's weird how's he's ended up as a specialist 6 in my opinion.

 

[dirty harry]

I like Mann but his main point of difference seems to be his work rate and mentality. Which is great obviously but he's kinda like a small Lydiate which is kind of pointless. It's weird how's he's ended up as a specialist 6 in my opinion.

Thomas Youngs and Jack Morgan I think. He was a superstar out and out 7 at u20s, I think his management decided he was never really going to be THE 7 in Wales, so they bulked him up and we'll the result is a flawed 6. Him and Botham are similar in that they are trying to be athletic and abbresive 6's, but don't seem to excel in those areas.

Mann is a penalty machine

 

[Welsh Exile]

Thomas Youngs and Jack Morgan I think. He was a superstar out and out 7 at u20s, I think his management decided he was never really going to be THE 7 in Wales, so they bulked him up and we'll the result is a flawed 6. Him and Botham are similar in that they are trying to be athletic and abbresive 6's, but don't seem to excel in those areas.

Mann is a penalty machine

I saw him at under 20 level (was captain wasn't he) and I remember him at 6 but I could be wrong. Either way, what is he now? 22? Still young but I'm not counting on him. What's happened to my boy Basham. I know you don't like him coz he's not big enough but he punches well above his weight. I like players like that. I'd give Deaves from Ospreys a go. lol.

 

[dirty harry]

I saw him at under 20 level (was captain wasn't he) and I remember him at 6 but I could be wrong. Either way, what is he now? 22? Still young but I'm not counting on him. What's happened to my boy Basham. I know you don't like him coz he's not big enough but he punches well above his weight. I like players like that. I'd give Deaves from Ospreys a go. lol.

Ye he captained for 2 seasons, realistically he played 6, 7 and 8 over that period, but IMO he was best at 7. He was destructive at the breakdown, carried well and defensively murdered people.

His problem was that his dominance depended on his physical attributes, and whereas that's great again 60kg kids, against 130kg men his skillet especially at the breakdown isn't high enough.

He's 23 apparently, and only 191cm and 97kg. That's pretty lightweight for a pro back rower, and he isn't particularly mobile with it.

Bashams on his way to Cardiff, personally I'd prefer to have kept Thomas Young, easily the best back row in Wales over the last 3 years or so, how he and Belcher don't have 10 cars I'll never know!

 

[Welsh Exile]

Really hope we get to see Page at 13. Roberts is in good form though to be fair so should start alongside Williams.

 

[dirty harry]

Really hope we get to see Page at 13. Roberts is in good form though to be fair so should start alongside Williams.

Without sounding like that guy, Robert's just isn't powerful enough for me. He gets rag dolled too easily, he's not quick enough for wing, and doesn't provide enough in defence for 13. I'm much more an Ediie James / Llewellyn kind of guy (I'd put Robert's on par with Grady).

It's not that I dislike small or less powerful players, there's a place for them, but when that's all we seem to be breeding at the minute it becomes a problem.

9, 10, 13, wings and fullback I think we have the physically weakest players in tier 1 rugby, maybe even tier 2.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Without sounding like that guy, Robert's just isn't powerful enough for me. He gets rag dolled too easily, he's not quick enough for wing, and doesn't provide enough in defence for 13. I'm much more an Ediie James / Llewellyn kind of guy (I'd put Robert's on par with Grady).

It's not that I dislike small or less powerful players, there's a place for them, but when that's all we seem to be breeding at the minute it becomes a problem.

9, 10, 13, wings and fullback I think we have the physically weakest players in tier 1 rugby, maybe even tier 2.

Roberts is an out and out 13 though and we don't have too many of them. I know what you mean, though. I don't mind having a less baulky pacey 13. Which is why I'm excited about Page.

 

[Weldit]

I asked 9 my year old what would he do if he was in charge of the WRU and he said "have great academies and make some money and give it you and uncle Rhys." Smart kid.

I'm not defending the WRU, but I think people overestimate just how competent organisations etc are ran and get distracted by the CVs.

 

[dirty harry]

Roberts is an out and out 13 though and we don't have too many of them. I know what you mean, though. I don't mind having a less baulky pacey 13. Which is why I'm excited about Page.

And I'd be on board, but we would need a solid defencive back 3, and a very good defencive 12 to help Marshall things. Imagine Roberts with Mee, Winnett, Roger's, Murray, Giles, or even heavens forbid, Costelow needing to be hidden out there, against the best in the world.

Honestly, I don't say this lightly, we 100% have the weakest back 3 in the 6N, regardless of combo selected, both in defence and attack. Infact I'd put Gerogia, and Portugals back 3s head to head and I think we come out 2nd best. There is little to no changing that for a while, Mee and Bowen show a bit of potential, but as usual both look small and underpowered, even for their age.

Development pathways really have failed us!

 

[Welsh Exile]

And I'd be on board, but we would need a solid defencive back 3, and a very good defencive 12 to help Marshall things. Imagine Roberts with Mee, Winnett, Roger's, Murray, Giles, or even heavens forbid, Costelow needing to be hidden out there, against the best in the world.

Honestly, I don't say this lightly, we 100% have the weakest back 3 in the 6N, regardless of combo selected, both in defence and attack. Infact I'd put Gerogia, and Portugals back 3s head to head and I think we come out 2nd best. There is little to no changing that for a while, Mee and Bowen show a bit of potential, but as usual both look small and underpowered, even for their age.

Development pathways really have failed us!

I think back 3 looks alright. We've got plenty of talent coming through there albeit on the small side. As we were saying, compared to our scrum half problem, it's not an issue for me.

 

[Reiser99]

I haven't been following enough. Obviously, Wales haven't appointed a new head coach yet, but why has Sherratt still agreed to be involved in this **** show?

 

[dirty harry]

I think back 3 looks alright. We've got plenty of talent coming through there albeit on the small side. As we were saying, compared to our scrum half problem, it's not an issue for me.

I mean our scrum half problem is depth, Tomos is plenty good enough. And tbh 9 is a position that's easy to play, very tough to master, you can mitigate having a poor 9 to a degree.

What you can't mitigate is not being able to defuse a bomb, being exposed in the 15m channels and being toothless out wide. Even tier 2 teams will target the aerial battle, I fully expect Japan to be peppering out back 3 with high balls and playing off the scraps when we can't deal with them.

 

[dirty harry]

I haven't been following enough. Obviously, Wales haven't appointed a new head coach yet, but why has Sherratt still agreed to be involved in this **** show?

Ambition over common sense. Sacrificing Cardiff again for a free trip to Japan

 

[Weldit]

 

[higgik]

Option to maybe follow the Netball system and go to 1 pro team, playing in a British and Irish League.
The saved money could be put into a development system, with geographically based clubs being subsidised to run academies.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I mean our scrum half problem is depth, Tomos is plenty good enough. And tbh 9 is a position that's easy to play, very tough to master, you can mitigate having a poor 9 to a degree.

What you can't mitigate is not being able to defuse a bomb, being exposed in the 15m channels and being toothless out wide. Even tier 2 teams will target the aerial battle, I fully expect Japan to be peppering out back 3 with high balls and playing off the scraps when we can't deal with them.

Yeah, I was more referring to the pipeline re scrum half's. You know I love Tomos, one of the best in the world in my opinion.