Another day another BBC article about Wales

First topic message reminder :

This time its another interview with Sam Warburton, he says it will be disappointing for Wales to come home without a series win in Aus blah blah,

Aren’t Wales ranked 3 places behind Aus in the irb rankings?

So IMO the best Wales can hope for is stopping Aus winning 3-0 seeing as they have poor form against SH teams down-under and the FACT that they haven’t beaten Aus in Aus since 1969.

Oh and the BBC still refer to finishing 4th in the RWC as a success!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/18200966

Got to walk before they can run....

a single win for this side would be a massive achievement. Throw out all this ranking stuff, this 4th in the last world cup and 'European' champions.

When was the last time this Wales team won in the SH??? When was the last time this Wales team won at home vs. the 3N sides?

This team has the potential to do great things... but no great team suddenly turns up and becomes world beaters from no where.

As good as this Wales team could become.... I don't think it would be inplausible for them to lose by 20 points in each game... they already have lost their 1st centre pairing... lose one or two key players more and they could implode.

This AUS side is good... they're very good. They're the 3N champions, they're playing at home, have suffered the least number of retirements out of all 3N sides.

Lets see the performances where it counts before the chat begins.

gregortree wrote:"Oxford Town"
Oxford Town, Oxford Town
Ev'rybody's got their hats bowed down
The sun don't shine above the ground
Ain't a-goin' down to Oxford Town.

Brilliant gregor. Just effin' brilliant.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

TycroesOsprey wrote:

Bullsbok wrote:Wales are looking good but isnt it a bit premature to be saying anything but a series win against the worlds 2nd best team would be a disapointment ?

Would a Boks captain who had just won the tri nations in heading off on tour to a team ranked above them talk about hoping to win a test or would he confidently state the boks were targetting the series and anything less would be a dissapointment? We both know its the latter. Why criticise the six nations champions and world cup semifinalists for doing the same? SA didnt win a thing last year, are they only looking for a couple of lucky wins in the tri nations or are they targetting the number one and number two sides in the world and planning to tpopple them?

The simple fact is not winning the series would be very dissapointing. If Wales aspire to be the best team in the world again we have to start beating the top teams home and away we have to target series wins not the odd lucky victory. We have had mediocrity for far too long, we have been satisfied with the odd good showing for far too long. I am delighted with the attitude shown by Sam and the other players. They want a series win thats what they are targetting and good on em. "A mans reach must ever exceed his grasp or whats a heaven for" may have been an englishman who said it but he was right!

at least we beat the All Blacks once last year.

Thank you Portnoy. What an education can be had on these boards.

biltongbek wrote:

TycroesOsprey wrote:

Bullsbok wrote:Wales are looking good but isnt it a bit premature to be saying anything but a series win against the worlds 2nd best team would be a disapointment ?

Would a Boks captain who had just won the tri nations in heading off on tour to a team ranked above them talk about hoping to win a test or would he confidently state the boks were targetting the series and anything less would be a dissapointment? We both know its the latter. Why criticise the six nations champions and world cup semifinalists for doing the same? SA didnt win a thing last year, are they only looking for a couple of lucky wins in the tri nations or are they targetting the number one and number two sides in the world and planning to tpopple them?

The simple fact is not winning the series would be very dissapointing. If Wales aspire to be the best team in the world again we have to start beating the top teams home and away we have to target series wins not the odd lucky victory. We have had mediocrity for far too long, we have been satisfied with the odd good showing for far too long. I am delighted with the attitude shown by Sam and the other players. They want a series win thats what they are targetting and good on em. "A mans reach must ever exceed his grasp or whats a heaven for" may have been an englishman who said it but he was right!

at least we beat the All Blacks once last year.

Of course bilt and you will be aiming to beat them again this year wont you? Im pretty sure Wales will be aiming to put that 60 year ghost to bed this year as well. I dont see anything wrong with that. If you go onto a pitch hoping to win but expecting to lose your gonna get a whoopin. YOu have to go into matches believing you can win and aiming to do that. If Wales werent targetting a series win then we would be condeming ourselves to mediocrity. Im not saying we will win its going to be tough but we have to have confidence in our ability that we are good enough to take on the best and beat them.

So Hersh feels affronted that a Welsh captain feels something other than bleak despair when going up against a top class side. Who could have seen that coming?

Respect is one thing but it should never come above the desire to win. Respecting the opposition to the point where you're not putting every effort you can into beating them would demonstrate a serious lack of self-esteem running through your own team. Warbs is doing what most good skippers would do in urging his troops on and setting a high standard.

There'll come a time when respect comes to the fore but it's not now, it'll be after the series regardless of who wins it. In boxing the two fighters generally rip into each other and come to scuffles and blows before the bout and shake hands and hug afterwards. How is this any different? In the end both sides are aiming to win.

So until then **** respect, this is war!!! Those pesky Aussies better be ready to swallow the bitter pill of being second best this time around

p.s. The BBC also have a Christian Wade article listed above the Warburton interview. I might take a leaf out of Hersh's book and write the thread "Another day another BBC article about England"

TycroesOsprey wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

TycroesOsprey wrote:

Bullsbok wrote:Wales are looking good but isnt it a bit premature to be saying anything but a series win against the worlds 2nd best team would be a disapointment ?

Would a Boks captain who had just won the tri nations in heading off on tour to a team ranked above them talk about hoping to win a test or would he confidently state the boks were targetting the series and anything less would be a dissapointment? We both know its the latter. Why criticise the six nations champions and world cup semifinalists for doing the same? SA didnt win a thing last year, are they only looking for a couple of lucky wins in the tri nations or are they targetting the number one and number two sides in the world and planning to tpopple them?

The simple fact is not winning the series would be very dissapointing. If Wales aspire to be the best team in the world again we have to start beating the top teams home and away we have to target series wins not the odd lucky victory. We have had mediocrity for far too long, we have been satisfied with the odd good showing for far too long. I am delighted with the attitude shown by Sam and the other players. They want a series win thats what they are targetting and good on em. "A mans reach must ever exceed his grasp or whats a heaven for" may have been an englishman who said it but he was right!

at least we beat the All Blacks once last year.

Of course bilt and you will be aiming to beat them again this year wont you? Im pretty sure Wales will be aiming to put that 60 year ghost to bed this year as well. I dont see anything wrong with that. If you go onto a pitch hoping to win but expecting to lose your gonna get a whoopin. YOu have to go into matches believing you can win and aiming to do that. If Wales werent targetting a series win then we would be condeming ourselves to mediocrity. Im not saying we will win its going to be tough but we have to have confidence in our ability that we are good enough to take on the best and beat them.

I'm just teasing you mate.

The BBC tend to always have a little bias towards champions.

HERSH wrote:I think he should have shown a little more respect to Aus.

They are ranked 2nd in the IRB rankings, a position Wales can only dream about.

Sam does too much talking for my likening, I guess that’s what you get when you have an inexperienced captain.

Hersh does too much talking for my liking