Welsh scrum in near future

[Big Ewis]

So I've been watching a bunch of scrums lately, I'm doing scrum compilation videos, here are a few off my channel, subscribe if you like scrum compilations I'll be doing many more from now on I think they're great to have handy on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTQlU_gkyyM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea8TMNGZlOI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymua5XaGGZE


Anyways now that my cunning promotion tactics are at work - I remember watching 2012 Wales Samoa and they didn't have Adam Jones and I think Hibbard was out. Here's a vid (not mine):



Samoa aren't a reputed scrummaging nation as we know, and yet this happens. Census is good though, no doubt.
So Adam Jones is 32 already - you see where this is going. In 2 years, Wales is facing England in the Pools, and then who knows if they make it out. Adam Jones would be around 34 then. It's very possible he'll stay for his country.

The scrum has been a huge advantage for Wales thus far, and they've cancelled out notorious opponents' scrums basically thanks to Adam Rhys Jones (Jenkins, Hibbard are fine too). If Italy don't have a scrum, they can't really play their game much for e.g. unless they're on 2013-6N-beating-France mode.

But what happens after that ? We all know the importance of the tighthead in scrums, and Wales hit the fkn jackpot with such a Gargantuan figure, I think easily the strongest scrummager in the world. But again, what happens when he leaves ? I have too little knowledge of Welsh depth and domestic teams to emit any sort of intelligent remark here, so I'll leave it to the fans of the Red XV.

 

[j'nuh]

You'll never replace a star player like Adam Jones right away, but this happens with every team. New Zealand will lose McCaw and Carter around the same time, and they won't find replacements, but they'll still have great players across the board and should remain the top team post-2015.

I think Wales will probably continue to improve given the ages of guys in the back row and back line. They should start hitting their mid/late-20s post-2015, and as a whole the squad should improve. Question is, can Wales come up with a reputable front row post-Jones/James/Jenkins to give a good enough platform for the rest of the team to shine?

Hard to say. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Samson Lee turns out. I think a lot of Wales' fortunes depend on how well he develops. He has a lot of promise, but even if he delivers on it, I don't expect him to take over the first-choice tighthead spot for Wales at least until 2016 or 2017. Good for Wales that Craig Mitchell could play up to the 2019 World Cup, giving some security in the position.

Hooker is fine. Hibbard is good for a while yet, Ken Owens will eventually succeed him, and Wales have numerous young hookers on the way.

It's loosehead I think Wales should be nervous about. Wales will potentially have a double-blow of losing Jenkins and James post-2015. It leaves Wales a little short, with no apparent successor yet.

tl;dr: Wales will be fine if Samson Lee delivers and a loosehead emerges. If they can hold the set piece post-2015 (and not necessarily get on top), then the rest of the squad should generally be hitting the heights of their form in their mid-to-late-20s, and Wales will have a generally very strong team. (Although scrum-half is another worry.)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Rhodri Jones and Samson Lee could've, potentially been, the props for the future except Jones is converting (/has converted) to tighthead now, so that takes him out of the equation for that side of the scrum.

 

[Big Ewis]

sooooooooo...you're both "fans of the Red XV" ??

Well yeah sure every team faces a hole, more often than not. But tightheads like Adam Jones are just...well, has there ever been such a powerful pusher ??...
Sure Dan Carters don't exactly grow on trees either, but the AB don't have depth issues, and certainly not for backs or loose forwards.

This thread means to single out the specifically Welsh issue of replacing Adam Jones. I mean, in my ignorant (of Welsh future generations) mind, all of a sudden Wales fall into a chasm of powerless scrums for months, years maybe. I'm sure they have good props in the cellar waiting, but that example against Samoa. That's pretty bad against Pac. Islanders, albeit an incredibly weighty one that time.

So like I said, I'm sure they've got guys waiting behind, but it's the Thomas Domingos, the Corbisieros, the Puma, Bok or Italian scrums they face. Good isn't enough. It feels like they've been relying, de facto, on Adam Jones all this time. Not that there's anything "wrong" with that at all, I just mean all of a sudden the crutch just swings away and I may be wrong but it doesn't seem Wales have had as consistent a scrummaging culture as nations like France or England, but this could be a false impression, I haven't looked that closely into it.

 

[Ospreylian]

It's loosehead I think Wales should be nervous about. Wales will potentially have a double-blow of losing Jenkins and James post-2015. It leaves Wales a little short, with no apparent successor yet.
)

Ryan Bevington's your man

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

Inb4 scrum gifs

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Isn't Bevington terrible in the scrum, though?

 

[Draggs]

Ryan Bevington's your man

Really? He hasn't done anything of note for the Ospreys in the last few seasons. I keep hearing 'give him time', but he has shown little improvement.

Gatland seems to have his eye on Rob Evans. He was involved with the Lions training squad and most recently Wales.

 

[psychic duck]

Isn't Bevington terrible in the scrum, though?

Yes.

 

[j'nuh]

sooooooooo...you're both "fans of the Red XV" ??

I move there in a little over a week. I'm kind of obliged to wear a little daffodil next to my white rose.

 

[Big Ewis]

I move there in a little over a week. I'm kind of obliged to wear a little daffodil next to my white rose.

hah, well a timely thread for you then. I see you're practicing your Welshness already, very promising signs ! That's quite an analysis you gave me up there !

 

[Draggs]

I move there in a little over a week. I'm kind of obliged to wear a little daffodil next to my white rose.

I assume you won't miss 'the bloody north'?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I move there in a little over a week. I'm kind of obliged to wear a little daffodil next to my white rose.

Pah, I lived there for 4 years.
Wear an even bigger rose and tell everyone that we won the world cup constantly.

 

[Ospreylian]

Pah, I lived there for 4 years.
Wear an even bigger rose and tell everyone that we won the world cup constantly.

I assume you didn't use to do that on a Saturday night in Cardiff... if you wanted to live till morning

Also, you're really gonna play the 2003 card? *Yawn*

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I assume you didn't use to do that on a Saturday night in Cardiff... if you wanted to live till morning

Also, you're really gonna play the 2003 card? *Yawn*

*reads list of Wales world cup wins*


*yawns*

 

[Draggs]

Yeah, well.... Uhh 30-3, haha!

 

[Ospreylian]

*reads list of Wales world cup wins*


*yawns*

*compares list of achievements of Wales in comparison to England since 2003*

Wales

3 Grand slams
1 Six Nations trophy
World Cup semi
Winning the Lions tour in emphatic style ()


England

1 six nations trophy
Tuilagi successfully jumping off a ferry and surviving



Ok stop, this is getting petty Back to Ryan Bevington...

 

[ratsapprentice]

*compares qualities of teams*

Wales

- Welsh

England

- Not Welsh

England wins. That's just my pure objective decision.
The situation has been weighed, measured and dealt with.

 

[HenryChinaski]

*compares list of achievements of Wales in comparison to England since 2003*

Wales

3 Grand slams
1 Six Nations trophy
World Cup semi
Winning the Lions tour in emphatic style ()


England

1 six nations trophy
Tuilagi successfully jumping off a ferry and surviving



Ok stop, this is getting petty Back to Ryan Bevington...

you've missed a world cup final!

and at the risk of taking this too seriously.....

England have won more six nations games since 2003 than Wales have!

 

[Ospreylian]

you've missed a world cup final!

Oops, my mistake! Think that's because it was one of the most mind-numbingly dull games I've ever seen. Easy to forget!

and at the risk of taking this too seriously.....

England have won more six nations games since 2003 than Wales have!

What will be remembered in the history books, Six nations games won? Or six nations trophies won?

...but yeah, this wasn't supposed to mutate into yet another Wales v England thread! Nooooooooo!