Autumn Series (Wales)

After some worry about only having arranged one fixture (Argentina); it seems the series has been announced and the opponents are:

Argentina
Samoa
New Zealand
Australia

IMO, if NZ are third up then it's a good time to play them. They usually start very well, finish off with a big win and play okay in between, the period it seems that we may be playing them. Have the All Blacks and Wallabies announced their schedule?

P.S. Seeing as after the summer we would have played Aus 5 times I would have preferred another shot at the Springboks.

Nothing announced as yet on the NZ side....though we are finishing off with Eng on Dec 1. Big win as you rightly say!

I'd expect (as I do all the time) NZ to win all our games up north.

I am sure most expect that. Will you be playing just the home nations this time, or games against Ita/Fra aswell?

Having played in the Rugby Championship(?) I expect the ABs will be very good and settled by the time they arrive.

Its funny isn't it the Allblacks have only had 3 grand slam tours in the 2000's yet they haven't lost a game. If they played all the home nations every tour they would have the grand slam every year!

Had a look at a few sites and nothing has been confirmed at this stage except for the Eng game. I would expect there will be a 3rd Bled Cup test also in Asia before heading into Europe.

gowales - I know your point but we lost to France in 2000. England 2002 and drew with France in 2002 - so we wouldn't have a GS in those years!

Think I read somewhere that we are to play NZ on the 24th November, no real confirmation though.

As a welsh fan, I'd be looking at that list thinking 3 out of 4 would be a good series result.

If this is true then it's a great series, a tester for every game.

Can't help loving life atm. Grand Slam in the bag does wonders for enthusiasm and positivity. I wish we were playing a game every day

Can't see past big wins against what should be struggling Argentina and Samoa sides by then. The big tests will be against the obvious two; who is going to be more knackered by then though? Wales will have had a big two seasons in the seasons before this series. I think I'll be getting tickets for the baa-baa's game post Aus tour. Should be a sunny day which adds to the atmosphere IMO.

Couldn't find any official dates for these tests, feel free to check WRU site for updates.

Morgannwg wrote:Can't see past big wins against what should be struggling Argentina and Samoa sides by then. The big tests will be against the obvious two; who is going to be more knackered by then though? Wales will have had a big two seasons in the seasons before this series. I think I'll be getting tickets for the baa-baa's game post Aus tour. Should be a sunny day which adds to the atmosphere IMO.

Couldn't find any official dates for these tests, feel free to check WRU site for updates.

I'm going to the Baa-Baas game but the WRU site seems to only offer tickets on the top tier.

My Dad just phoned and said he's got us tickets for the Baa-baa's game(god that makes me sound like a teenager...) But screw it, at least I'll be going to a game.

I'm glad that we're only playing 2 of the Top 3 nations as this will give us a very good chance to blood a few props and one or two other youngsters against the Argies and Samoa - be interesting to finish off against the Oz depending on what happens on the tour.

I just hope our players are still standing after what will be a tough 2 seasons

Sponsors and rugby clubs get the other tiers I assume.

Smirnoff, I think the domestic game this season is now a lost cause given how badly the Regions fell off after December, also coniciding with great improvements from the Scottish teams. Hopefully the top internationals get minimal games so are allowed to rest for the next Wales games.

Morgannwg - I think the domestic game has been written off by the WRU from the start of the season, most of the int's were shattered after the WC and they were only able to have enough game time in the HEC to prepare them for the unnecessary Australia game before being rested, some even through the xmas derbies and then play a handful of games before off to a pre 6N's training camp - I think some international players have played more international games than regional games this season.

It's no wonder the regions aren't doing as well (though not sure about falling off Scarlets are slowly rising, the Ospreys are still 2nd, the Dragons have been poor all season, and the Blues are still competing for 4th). The problem was before Dec where the regions never had settled squads until mid Dec-Jan and as a result skills and performance were poor meaning only 1 team in HEC QF and 1 team in Amlin QFs

10th November - Argentina (ko 2.30pm)
16th November - Samoa (ko 7.30pm)
24th November - New Zealand (ko 5.15pm)
1st December - Australia (ko 2.30pm)

Good to see a couple of 2.30 kick offs

WRU AUTUMN SERIES

SMIRNOFF - Ospreys are still 3rd (just 3 points ahead of Ulster in 5th), having lost 4 out their last 5 RABO PRO 12 games - hardly play-off form

Nice one Pete. Wonder if that Samoa match is a Friday night game? What could the BBC think is more important to aire on the saturday?

November the 16th is a Friday

Morgannwg wrote:Nice one Pete. Wonder if that Samoa match is a Friday night game? What could the BBC think is more important to aire on the saturday?

Tis indeed a Friday evening kick-off. Reeks of a banana skin imo, Friday night never a good omen in Wales and the Samoans never make it easy tbh. Going to have to be very wary of that one.

We always have a "Friday Night is Family Night" during the AI's so this is no different (£25, and £10 for juniors (under 16))

Knowsit does indeed know it

Friday 19th Nov 2010 - Wales 16 Fiji 16
Friday 13th Nov 2009 - Wales 17 Samoa 13
Friday 11th Nov 2005 - Wales 11 Fiji 10

Pete - I posted a response to you and another one hasn't appeared! FGS this is annoying.

I didn't realise the Ospreys had been doing so badly and still thought they were 2nd. That's not good

Let's not forget the 6N Friday Night experiment we got picked on with until last year. Three losses from three games if I recall.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:I didn't realise the Ospreys had been doing so badly and still thought they were 2nd. That's not good

Ah, why would you Your monocle would be concentrating on the Scarlets

Too true and it's difficult to see white and black with the scarlet tint on said monocle!

Fantastic we have Samoa again!

I can't wait to see Eliota Sapolu Fuimaono's excuse is this time, after we hand them their backsides (again).