Jamie Roberts out injured for 6 months.

First topic message reminder :

Announced on Twitter he needs surgery on his knee, reports indicating it'll be for around 6 months. Massive blow for the Blues, and Wales, though it will give Ashley Beck or Scott Williams a chance to stake a claim for the 12 spot on the tour to Australia.

Difference is view, Nonu and Francois Steyn make that many passes in a single game

gowales wrote:I reckon we'll see Biggar and Beck start in the Babas game

Not having been Biggar's most feverent supporter over the last few years, I have to say that recently he has been very good, I would be happy to see him and Beck start in the Baabaa's match.

Roberts is anything but one-dimensional, Gatland has based the welsh attacking game on winning the gainline battle in midfield and basically seeing whats on from there. We didnt have anyone other than Roberts to constantly get us over the gainline beforehand, now we have North/Cuthbert AND Roberts. Roberts was previously a wing/fullback and only switched to centre thanks to gatland, he has a good kicking game and the full skillset of a fullback.

The thing with Roberts is that he's very good at playing to a gameplan. Its why he flourishes in so many different set-ups with differing types of player. From this 6nations you only have to see the France game to see Roberts kicking game, and the Italian game to see him being used in wider channels.

The one thing I'd like him to improve is his distribution, although its not necessarily bad at the moment, I think if he worked on it (a la Nonu) he'd become a near complete 12.

Comfort wrote:Roberts is anything but one-dimensional, Gatland has based the welsh attacking game on winning the gainline battle in midfield and basically seeing whats on from there. We didnt have anyone other than Roberts to constantly get us over the gainline beforehand, now we have North/Cuthbert AND Roberts. Roberts was previously a wing/fullback and only switched to centre thanks to gatland, he has a good kicking game and the full skillset of a fullback.

The thing with Roberts is that he's very good at playing to a gameplan. Its why he flourishes in so many different set-ups with differing types of player. From this 6nations you only have to see the France game to see Roberts kicking game, and the Italian game to see him being used in wider channels.

The one thing I'd like him to improve is his distribution, although its not necessarily bad at the moment, I think if he worked on it (a la Nonu) he'd become a near complete 12.

Yes Roberts is not unable to kick, pass, sidestep or take a great angle, he just isn't as good at it as most inside centres.

his kicking is actually very good, he has a massive boot on him, and his angles of running have been improving ever since he moved to centre, although forward is still his favourite. Ive mentioned the passing, and we wont talk about the sidestepping aspect

its just funny that people think he isnt playing to a gameplan, its like when people were asking JD2 to be dropped the last 6nations, they just didnt understand why he wasnt attacking constantly like he did for the scarlets, thats not what was needed of him in Gatlands gameplan. now the gameplans evolving and were starting to see the best of JD2 but hes still got that defensiveness to his game at the top level gatland instilled.

running have been improving ever since he moved to centre, although forward is still his favourite

I would hope so!

Now Roberts is out I think we'll see JD2 moved to 12 and a younger player introduced at 13. It'd make sense for Aus. I personally want to see Beck in the 13 shirt. A bit of a tonking from Aus will certainly help his defencive capacity to improve.

Roberts cut a lovely line in his 50 meter try

munkian wrote:Roberts cut a lovely line in his 50 meter try

He certainly did and he showed much better pace than ever before.

Which is extremely well done considering he was carrying an injury

thebluesmancometh wrote:Now Roberts is out I think we'll see JD2 moved to 12 and a younger player introduced at 13. It'd make sense for Aus. I personally want to see Beck in the 13 shirt. A bit of a tonking from Aus will certainly help his defencive capacity to improve.

But Beck is a 12 and so is S Williams - though he and JD2 interchange between 12 and 13 at the Scarlets throughout games depending on the situation.

It would seem silly to move our best 13 to 12 and put a natural 12 at 13.

I am confused here - so Williams is a 12? I thought he was a 13? And Davies was the 12.. for the Scarlets anyway.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:I am confused here - so Williams is a 12? I thought he was a 13? And Davies was the 12.. for the Scarlets anyway.

Scott Williams, Jonathan Davies, Ashley Beck are all inside centres by choice.

Want to give us one of them? But really, it is a good thing having such depth there. I still think if Davies devotes himself to playing 12 though, he could be potentially the best in the world. And I don't say that about many welshmen