Rugby World Cup blog for the Western Mail

Many of you may not be that familiar with me - I’m more of a reader than a poster.

I am currently writing a RWC2011 blog for the Western Mail, Wales’s national newspaper - I realise that a few of you are not fans of some of the journalists.

However I would love it you guys would take a look at it.

There are some very informed posters on this forum – you know who you are – and your comments would be welcomed.

I’m writing about all things RWC2011 particularly Wales’s involvement in the tournament.

Here’s the link.

http://www.comeonwales.co.uk/paul_williams/

or you can follow the blog via my twitter feed #thepaulwilliams

Cheers Guys

Paul Williams

PS Scroll to the bottom right of the page and there is a link to all of my posts – it’s called recent posts

As well as posting comments on the actual blog site. It would be great if you could post a few on here as well.

Nice blog, I enjoyed reading it

Nice blog will comment after I have spent some time reading some more of it.

Welcome to the site Paul.

Thankyou so much for your comments much appreciated.

Hopefully I will get a new post up on there later this evening, concearning the very different problem that Samoa pose as oppposed to the boks

A decent, optimistic and well written article.

You caveat professionally with the statement "I realise that this view may not sit easily with some", you are correct. I believe there are too many superlatives to describe coming second, in a two horse race.

Here is my take on the matter, to describe almost no progress in relation to the RWC (albeit 1 bonus point) and the IRB rankings (zero ranking points increase).

Could do better.
Should do better.
Will do better.

My following thoughts are not in relation to the article itself but in relation to the legacy of consensus that we still inherit from many a Welsh fan of eras past.

Let us break that legacy. The gift of humility and optimism in defeat. Time to throw away father's gift. Optimism is nothing more than a hope. An admission that there are things outside our control. Well the 11/9 game showed us that both winning and losing is completely up to us. In short, we blew it.

The score matters more than the manner of the game, not only does it matter more ... it matters only.

Even the tag 'nearly men' is a misnomer, rugby is not analogue, it is binary, a 'one' or a 'zero', a win or a loss.

Nearly men indeed, what the hell are we trying to attain here? ... sympathy? ... empathy?

'Please world, can you notice that we are better than you think we are' ... verbal testicles, get off our knees and stop waiting for the party invite, just gatecrash our way in. To describe a loss in any other way than a loss is creative accounting.

I must have missed the IRB regulation that rewards the exponent scoreboard points for effort & artistic merit.

That is not the attitude of a winner.

Let facts the remain, let the tiresome romanticism of a non-productive RWC past fall. We lost. We were, in the most blunt term ... 'losers'.

You can't nearly win a game of rugby any more than you can nearly win a heads-tails coin toss.

Our own errors cost us that game.

To the 24 month future, keep the intensity, keep the game plan, reduce the number of errors and the big three will start to fall, of that I have no doubt.

But in the meantime, play to the schedule. Samoa up next.

First half: better them.
Second half: batter them.

Do that and we will be a step closer to a long overdue Webb-Ellis exorcism.

So as you can see, my opinion differs from yours, but that is no bad thing. We each see our world differently and yours may indeed be more valid than mine. I may come across as harsh, and this is true, I am harsh, there were no doubt great moments in that match that should be applauded, but there were also moments of doubt and panic that should also be highlighted.

Truly kind and honest regards,

Iso.

Are you the Samoan fullback?

I wish.

Although I did play fullback. But In Division 5, South West Wales. For the second team. Pityfull.

Iso.

How do you think we will fare on Sunday. The Samons are a very different proposition.

paul

Heart and head say the same thing. Thus enabling me the indulgence of repetition:

History is history, I am not afraid to say it.

First half: we'll better them.
Second half: we'll batter them.