Shaun Edwards: Wales would have beaten the All blacks

First topic message reminder :

Apparently Wales would have beaten the AB's if they had made the finals. The idea being Wales had bigger backs and would have exposed NZ out wide.

Here's the lkink: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10764795

My thoughts are, it's good to be positive and you are always in with a chance. I'm not sure if it's media spin. I'd say Wales chances were probably less than France. I'm not sure if the AB's mindset would have been the same against Wales as it was against France. To my mind the AB's were a bit flat in the final, which is not altogether surprising given the relative performances leading into the game. I guess the other point is, whilst I enjoy watching Wales play, I'm not sure how good they actually are. They only have a 50% winning record under Gatland and have, I think, 1 victory against a SANZAR country. So a chance, yes, but an outside chance.

the original post was about both Edwards opinion and about Wales v NZ. I guess this was always going to become a Wales vs England debate (it's the natire of the beast).

I think it's fair for Edwards to believe his team could have won. I agree with an early post that states he says "could have" not "would have", and that's why I thought it was a media beat up.

Interestingly enough, I went and supported Wales at the semi. I think they have a team with potential and one of the few teams that had the ability to expose opposition teams. having said that I think there's a bit of over hype. Percentage wise they have the worst record of the quarter finalists against the top 8 teams and the same for the semis.

Gatland has improved the side, and they are more competative than they have been, but the fact remains they struggled to score wins against NZ, SA, Aus and France (2 out of something like 20 matches).

Anything is possible in a one off game, but I think it's difficult to draw comparisions between games. Wales played better than France for much of the semi, but lost. Having said that, the mood of the game changed with the yellow card. France may have played better, and with more urgency, if he had stayed on. Is the game against Australia a better comparision. The xscore indicates it was close, but Australia were always in control.

Similarly for the NZ. They demolished Australia, and struggled against France. There is no guarentee if France had got ahead, they would have stayed there. Similarly NZ was comming off an emphatic win over Australia. Whilst, NZ didn't take France lightly, the mood during the week was strange, fear that France could cause an upset, set against their poor form leading into the game and the relatively comprehensive loss in the pool stages. I doubt that would have been the case if wales had won.

England rugby fan wrote:

Gatts wrote:Really i can't stand this sort of speculation with hindsight

Quite. Wales didn't make it to the final, so they had no chance of beating NZ.

Gatts wrote:Its like saying England would have beaten France if they didn't have to be back in the UK for biography season!

Why mention England when the thread is about Wales ?

er because as far as i know i don't have to get your permission every time i mention england even though you are their fan

and because you always turn up like a gumless guppy and have a nibble ( i wouldn't call it a bite!)

and you are a bright one, working out all by yourself that wales didn't make it to the final and therefore couldn't beat NZ. congratulations thanks for coming

get back to your biography

suggestion for title

Why I desperately want Shaun Edwards to be England Defence coach

Gatts wrote:
er because as far as i know i don't have to get your permission every time i mention england even though you are their fan

and because you always turn up like a gumless guppy and have a nibble ( i wouldn't call it a bite!)

and you are a bright one, working out all by yourself that wales didn't make it to the final and therefore couldn't beat NZ. congratulations thanks for coming

get back to your biography

suggestion for title

Why I desperately want Shaun Edwards to be England Defence coach

Well done on making the personal comments.

Boys mun! Read the Daily Mail have a five knuckle shuffle and get over it.

Glas a du wrote:Boys mun! Read the Daily Mail have a five knuckle shuffle and get over it.

Thanks Glas worked a treat although i got the order mixed up and have ruined my Daily Mail

Gatts wrote:

Glas a du wrote:Boys mun! Read the Daily Mail have a five knuckle shuffle and get over it.

Thanks Glas worked a treat although i got the order mixed up and have ruined my Daily Mail

Surely ruined improved?

added zinc

A pearl necklace for Melanie Phillips.

Mmmmmmmm

She loves a bit of it.

Didnt bother much with this thread initially as it was a nothing story originally and it was always going to turn in to a Wales/England WUMfest, however it seems to have taken a somewhat strange and interesting turn this morning!

So you fancy right-wing columnists too?

Form would´ve suggested a Wales vs NZ would´ve been a more visually pleasing final. Both France and NZ played a very limited game in the final and though the defence on both sides was admirable, there was an over emphasis on kicking and playing the percentages from both sides. I get the feeling though that Wales would´ve come out and attacked NZ and that might have brought out more attack in NZ.

Conrad Smith, by no stretch of the imagination a gym monkey, is however a rock on defence and deceptively strong. He is often overlooked by his heavier and more combative centre partner Nonu but I have trouble with Edward´s claims that Smith could´ve been a defensive liability, even though the likes of Jamie Roberts and North were standout players for Wales in the backs.

Shame it wasn´t the final as form suggested Wales played better than France throughout the tournament. But it wasn´t to be and Edwards can say what he likes really. It won´t change what actually happened. Typical media fishing story dredging up something in order to sell off copies and get the trolls from both sides frothing up a storm on the internet.

England rugby fan wrote:And there are no Welsh trolls posting comments about Johnson ? Part of the thread title is "Wales would have beaten NZ", that means it's about Wales, NOT England.

Which 'Welsh trolls' posted some comments about Johnson that you found offensive?

Yeah it isn't about England so it means you don't have to grace us with your presence and comment seeing as you are the England rugby fan. There are one or two English trolls commenting and then there is you trying desperately to be an English troll. You're just looking a bit silly now though.

As for the thread, well it's dead now!

I think maybe Wales could have beaten the All Blacks,the ABs were running on empty for the second half.
The long season and the S/F took it really out of them,IF it had gone to extra time FRANCE would probably have won.
Defence for another 30 minutes for EITHER side would have been difficult
whatever the Ref did.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:So you fancy right-wing columnists too?

Yeah! But it's the communist columnists that really rev me up!

The All Blacks would have beaten Wales with something to spare if they'd met in the final. The All Blacks know from experience that France can beat them and that affected them, especially after Dusautoir's try; they have no such fear of Wales.

Which means that if we got them on the rack in the first quarter, the pressure could have got to them. We wouldn't have been able to do that though without Adam Jones, Warburton and Priestland. The Dr Jekyll Bennett wouldn't have helped either. So I think it would have Bern competitive for an hour, then they'd have cut loose.

That's true, Glas, but if they'd got the first try, as they did against France, then it could have been curtains. We'll never know how it would have panned out, of course.

Right, I'm off to buy the Daily Mail...

Melanie awaits, throbbing.

I might invest in a laminating machine as well.

That'll make a mess on the carpet. At least the paper as it is absorbs the run off.

The voice of experience / reason.