Can the Scarlets Castres side their inhibitions...

First topic message reminder :

...and put it to the Frenchmen?

They're backrow is supposedly quite fearsome, which worries me especailly as we are missing Rob Gog and Turnbull, Murphy now injured too so we've only really got Richie Pugh as cover. They've really got to make the step up tomorrow.

It is worrying, can't help thinking that this game has come a few weeks too soon, as Priestland isn't fit we've got a lot of key players out injured and our main players in the team (besides North and JD2) Rees, Jones, Knoyle, & Morgan haven't played themselves into form

I'd prefer Pugh to Edwards actually. Turnbull and Stoddart are a big loss. Knoyle makes me nervous. He is becoming more like Phillips. He had a cracking pass when he started, where has it gone. Where is Gareth Davies, should we have sold Roberts? I really want to make it tomorrow. Depends if my back is up to it. Are there plenty of tickets to walk up - terrace especially?

Is this game on red button s4c etc ?

Check Pendro's TV guide - sticky in the Rugby Union section.

Doesn't mention red button games as far as I can see...

Not sure that Knoyle ever had a cracking pass but he did have a much better pass than Phillips. Feel he's gone backwards over the last few months.

Would have thought there would be plenty of tickets available. Now just got to collect a lot of brownie points quickly!

I checked Penfro's TV guide and there's not even any mention of the game, even on the highlights.

Not sure what's happened to Knoyle (maybe too much time in the Welsh squad)

Ti'n meddwl dod? Beth am Eifs a Griff? Gallen ni fynd a un car wedyn

Translation:

Yes he is suffering second season syndrome. I'm not sure he's ready to be out on his own as first choice.

Ddim yn meddwl. Mynd mas am bwyd - penblwydd Ifan.

Time away from Phillips wont hurt Knoyle thats true Priest. With a bit of luck a few weeks with the Scarlets and concentrating on his passing instead of the physical side of his game and he'll come good again. Plus there are a couple of young SH snapping on his heels.

Glas a du wrote:Ti'n meddwl dod? Beth am Eifs a Griff? Gallen ni fynd a un car wedyn

Translation:

Yes he is suffering second season syndrome. I'm not sure he's ready to be out on his own as first choice.

LMAO

Yes if he doesn't improve soon then I imagine Gareth Davies will replace him

Ble chi'n mynd, Y Sospan? Cwarter I pedwar ma'r gem cofia, galle ti fod yn cael bwyd erbyn chwech.

I think Nigel recognises that Knoyle puts his outside half under pressure. There is still no better outside half in the world at dealing with rubbish ball than Stevo.

Os mae pawb yn gwneud e, dw'n fynd i cael dau sgwrs, un yn Saesneg ac un yn Cymraeg!

Couldn't agree more about Steve - I wonder if more Welsh fans will appreciate him when he retires...

Na, F & B Caerfyrddin! Wnai gadael t gwybod os ma siawns.

Stephen will be missed when he retires but at international level there will always be the Hook brigade who cant, or wont, appreciate what he brings to the game and the team.

Ti galli cael app ar yr iBone sy'n gadael ti edrych ar gem Heineken, yn ffrangeg rhan fwyaf. £6 yn bargain glei - Justintv. Fi'n gwylio'r gleision ar hyn o bryd.

I am a huge fan of Stephen's and I want him to put another season or two in for the Scarlets before he takes over punditry on S4C, but I think this 6N is a bridge too far.

Atgofiad! Reminder! If you are going to have a conversation in a language other then English please make sure you provide as accurate a translation as possible. Diolch yn fawr

Subs - agree with you completely re the Hook brigade. Can get so tiresome!

Spoilsport!

Dam yr dyn

Damn the man

You're quite right about there being a Hook brigade, but they have an equally annoying set of neighbours known as the Knoyle Brigade who only seem interested in slagging Mike Phillips. As predicted it didn't take Lloyd Williams long to oust Knoyle as the number 2 choice scrum half. Phillips had an excellent world cup and this is after missing a chunk of the latter half of the season with the Ospreys.

thanks for that, it made me laugh out loud. Would these people be the same ones who've been saying that Knoyle was shocking at the world cup? the same people who've been saying he's been terrible in the couple of games for the Scarlets since he's been back? or are these people mainly in your head?

Personally I prefer a Lloyd Williams type SH. Phillips did have a good WC. Question is, when he has the physical attributes to be an aggressive SH and cause the opposing back row all sorts of trouble, why on earth cant he sort his pass out? I'm not trying to knock him, from a Wales perspective I want him to be great. Just cant understand why he cant improve his pass.

Turkster, nice to see the truth still hurts you.

I really don't understand the problem with Phillips passing. Yes he does move sideways a lot but it's part of his game, that's how he draws in opposition forwards and releases our strike runners. He scored two critical tries for us doing this. If it was this bad then opposition would capitalise on it every time he passes the ball and our backs wouldn't be effective.

Morgannwg wrote:Turkster, nice to see the truth still hurts you.

eh? I've never called for Knoyle to be in the Wales team, I've defended people on here for saying he should be in the team when he was playing well and Phillips was rubbish, but personally I've always rated Williams higher. You know, you remind me of someone that used to be on here, Nottins_Jones, he wasn't quite all there either.

My appologies then. If you had explained this earlier I wouldn't have responded that way. I have not seen Nottins since the old BBC 606.

Just had a look back through my posts actually and there was quite a lot of people calling for Knoyle instead of Phillips, this was back in June when Knoyle had just finished a good season for him and Phillips had just been suspended and then brought back, glad to say I wasn't one of them, but maybe they weren't all in your head, so apologies from me too. Here's the thread by the way.

https://www.606v2.com/t8017-phillips-returns-to-welsh-squad

If it was this bad then opposition would capitalise on it every time he passes the ball and our backs wouldn't be effective.

That's exactly what did happen 09-11.

If the 7 leans in to a maul - that would be "Shingler's List"

Will Lamont be singing "Je ne regret rien"?

slartibartfast wrote:If the 7 leans in to a maul - that would be "Shingler's List"

That is excellent!

Shingler's playing at 6

Turkster wrote:Shingler's playing at 6

No, it's just a "cover"

Get it?

Great win for the Scarlets, just got back now - suprisingly nice day for rugby.

We almost butchered it a few times, and that was one of the worst starts to a game I can remember. Still when we actually kept our composure we looked very dangerous and North looks like he's carried his WC form back to the Scarlets.
Rhodri Williams was poor again (maybe not as poor as the start of the season but still)

Thoroughly enjoyed this match at Y Parc, thought it was brilliant!

Tight at times int he 2nd half and we did brilliantly to deny Castres the LBP, but a bit gutted now we didn't get a TBP after we butchered those two chances first half.

SOme sumblime rugby on display, the 2nd try was magic. I am a happy, happy Scarlet!

Very good win for the Scarlets( is Llanelli in a valley,I was thinking of saying Valley Men ) A great start and it will be interesting next week against Northampton. The pool is all to play for and next weekend could be very interesting.



P.S. those Castres puns were awful. They should have been Castres aside.

nah Llanelli is by the coast. No valley there.

Can't see us taking any more than an LBP from Franklins Gardens our scrum is not good enough

That TBP could be crucial. The final
Penalty sort of makes up for it, but I can see the French being Castres adrift shortly anyway.

Good game, scarlets played very well in parts, nearly had a nightmare start though! North was class again, although he might want to try going round his man instead of over them all the time . Smirnoff, i agree with u mate, rhodri williams was poor again, slow service, bad options and poor defence, he's not ready for this level yet. Any injury news on Dom Day and Timani?

Munster home should be a cracker.

Our second string side beat the Scarlets well there last year. Shouldn't be a problem..... It is a potential banana skin as EOS used to say.

Last year? A month changes things in rugby. So long as you don't come over here just trying to kill the ball and play a bit it should be a corker.

I was joking Glas. Scarlets are a decent outfit. I would be disappointed if we didn't beat them twice though. We didn't kill too much ball today. A lot of stupid penalties though as per usual. Some decent running lines today aswell.

Are you coming over Thomond? It would be nice to meet you.

Nae,I'm playing a match that day. I will miss most of Munster's live HC games.

Good man. There will be time for following when you've hung up your boots.

Munster have great preparation for the game at Y Parc, the Scarlets don't and that could be the difference. Can't put into words how much I want to win that, but we never seem to play well against Munster.Twill be a huge ask.

Buzz - reports are that Dom has injured his calf but I've not heard more then that. Didn't think Timani was injured?

I hope Timani isn't injured as our scrum seemed a lot more solid with him in it, but it's strange to pull off a fit lock who was a replacement himself 2 minutes from time for a flanker.

Good news about Dom - does anyone know how long McGog and Turnbull are out for?

Timani went off 10 mins before time didn't he? I just thought he was out of puff myself. Will see if I can find out anythign else...


Think Turnbull is due back December, and think McGog should be back for the Dragons match, reckon next week is too early for him, but who knows!