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Welsh squad under Gatland

The AWJ thing was weird because he's way better than Beard but now it's put us in a bit of a bind.

Beard and Rowlands will be the first choice pairing you'd imagine (yey Rowlands boo Beard) but imagine if either, or both, got injured. What 4 locks we taking then.

Actually, maybe then the penny would finally drop and we'd actually consider Tshiunza as a second row option and play him alongside Jenkins with Rhys Davies competing too. It's a WC too soon for all of them but great experience
 
Welsh Exile said:
At this rate Gatland won't have to cut the squad down for the next training camp.
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The Charles Darwin method of squad selection.
Welsh Exile said:
Beard and Rowlands will be the first choice pairing you'd imagine (yey Rowlands boo Beard) but imagine if either, or both, got injured. What 4 locks we taking then.
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To be fair if any team lost their 1st and 2nd choice locks then they'd be looking a bit bare (except maybe the Saffas).
Welsh Exile said:
Actually, maybe then the penny would finally drop and we'd actually consider Tshiunza as a second row option and play him alongside Jenkins with Rhys Davies competing too. It's a WC too soon for all of them but great experience
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To my knowledge Tshiunza has never played a minute of rugby at lock at a level higher than U20s. Pivac/Gatland choosing not to select him there is not the braindead move you always seem to think it is. He's too lightweight and would get battered, IMO.
 
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Pieter Steph du Teague said:
The Charles Darwin method of squad selection.

To be fair if any team lost their 1st and 2nd choice locks then they'd be looking a bit bare (perhaps maybe the Saffas).

To my knowledge Tshiunza has never played a minute of rugby at lock at a level higher than U20s. Pivac/Gatland choosing not to select him there is not the braindead move you always seem to think it is. He's too lightweight and would get battered, IMO.
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Look, we all know Baxter is all weird and back to front with what numbers he puts on players backs. All I know is that Tshiunza and Jenkins were a good pairing at under 20 level in the games I saw and he's 6,6 and almost 18 stone. Plus he'll fill out more in the next few years.

But yeah he is young and raw, so isnJenkins and Rhys Davies but get the em in now I say. Lightweight is a state of mind anyway, he's got the size and bulk now but as I say he'll fill out too
 
I'd also add that in a different scenario where we're well stocked in the row but weak in the back row I'd be fine but the current reality is that its the other way round.
 
And thirdly, Beard is already getting battered and runs around like he's 5,1 and weighs 6 stone. I'd rather a young player get battered in the hope he learns and adapts than persisting with a player who's already bang average
 
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Bluemoon said:
New level of shambles reached today for me. This update doesn't benefit anyone at all and hugely contradicts anything they've said about player welfare. Just seems to be a horrible culture.
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Yep, although press releases from 'employers' tend to have the agreement of all parties. Who knows what's really gone on, but to me this feels more like straw that broke the camel's back than a single episode.

As for players putting their financial future ahead of a red shirt, it's scarcely surprising….and a portent for other countries if they don't get their acts together.
 
Tshiunza will prob end up as a lock but he needs to do George Martin and gain like another stone.
He would get munched at lock in the RWC this year though.
 
Bada-Bing! said:
www.bbc.co.uk

Gatland questions Wales return amid chaos

Warren Gatland on player retirements, the transfer that disappoints him most and underestimating the problems in Welsh rugby before his return.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
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Well doesn't seem like the retirements well Gatland's choice. Fair enough it's up to the players, but it's a surprise that Gatland hadn't told them they definitely weren't going to make the squad.
 
TRF_Olyy said:
Weird thing to come out and say in the press,
Not exactly a vote of confidence in the dressing room

"Right lads - big tournament ahead...I wish I wasn't here, not gonna lie"
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I didn't want him anyway so the feeling is mutual. You're right though, joke comment but he probably thinks this is going to drive the culture he wants like telling Carre hes a fatty for being 6 kegs overweight while still having Francis in. No surprise most reports out of camp say the players aren't happy.
 
Apparently Gatland said re Carre that it's the first time he's set targets for a player who hasn't then hit those targets. I find that hard to believe and if true it makes you think what kind of targets he's giving players like Beard and Francis.
 
Groundhog said:
Weird comment alright, but in Gatlands defence (just threw up in my mouth), I think he's moreso saying between the finances and misogyny, digging too deep and awakening an eldritch god etc the union is busted, which I don't think his players will take offence to.
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Just stating what they all are thinking

Players might be relieved the coach is on the same page

But the Carre thing was dumb af
 
I agree, but creating a siege mentality is straight out of the Gatland playbook.

I would imagine he's basically saying: 'I'm hacked off, you're all hacked off, everyone is writing us off - let's use that as our fuel'.
 

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