Wallabies v Wales match day teams and matchday thread

[munkian]

First topic message reminder :

Captain Sam Warburton returns to lead Wales against Australia

Australia coach Deans makes wholesale changes against Wales


TEAMS



Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW); Cooper Vuna (Melbourne Rebels), Rob Horne (NSW), Pat McCabe (ACT), Digby Ioane (Queensland); Berrick Barnes (NSW), Will Genia (Queensland); Benn Robinson (NSW), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW), Sekope Kepu (NSW), Rob Simmons (Queensland), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland), David Pocock (Western Force, capt), Wycliff Palu (NSW).

Replacements: Stephen Moore (ACT), Ben Alexander (ACT), Dave Dennis (NSW), Michael Hooper (ACT), Nic White (ACT), Anthony Fainga'a (Queensland), Mike Harris (Queensland).




Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), George North (Scarlets); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Blues), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Sam Warburton (Blues, capt), Toby Faletau (Dragons).

Replacements: Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Paul James (Bath), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Blues), James Hook (Perpignan), Ashley Beck (Ospreys).


Scott Williams at 12, ken Owens hooker which is a great call , no Webb on bench though which is a bit gutting, Lloyd was awful against the Baa Baas

Tour Previews
http://www.v2journal.com/wales-summer-tour-preview.html
http://www.v2journal.com/australias-june-tests-preview.html

[Rory_Gallagher]

Australia are doing nothing special here. It's Wales that look undercooked. We don't look prepared for a test match. We need to get a game head and quickly.

Can't agree with that. Australia are looking VERY quick. Genia/Pocock are having great games.

[Guest]

aaaaaah!!!


ball was out, Phillips jumps on it and NO blydi Welsh player goes to support him! stupidity!


Wales showing glimpses though, slowly working our way into this one.

I knew we'd be rusty for the first match, but hope we come out a bit stronger 2nd half.

[mckay1402]

Australia are doing nothing special here. It's Wales that look undercooked. We don't look prepared for a test match. We need to get a game head and quickly.

Totally agree. Wales looking poor so far

[maestegmafia]

Excellent Aussie performance...

[Guest]

Lydiate's tackling style is just incredible. Love it.


Good defence by Wales there. Needed to be.

This first half should have blown the cobwebs out at least!

[anotherworldofpain]

Wales look limited and predictable in attack and fragile in defense. The kick game is too long and some bad options at ruck commitment.

Lucky the scrum still going strong! one area Wales winning.

[offload]

Australia are doing nothing special here. It's Wales that look undercooked. We don't look prepared for a test match. We need to get a game head and quickly.

Can't agree with that. Australia are looking VERY quick. Genia/Pocock are having great games.

Oz paying well yes, but no more than expected. Wales look surprised and they shouldn't be.

[Cadair Idris]

Relieved to be going in at just 10-3 down. From radio commentary sounds like it could have been a lot worse...

[Guest]

only 7 down, could have been a lot worse.....

[Guest]

About what I expected from the first half, although we're being a bit more stupid at the breakdown then I'd like.

First game together since March, firs game in over 2 months for a handful of our best players....yeah this is where I'd thought we'd be. And still just 7 points behind.

Georgie going off is a blow to us though, he was starting to look good, hope he's not too badly hurt

[Rava]

Australia will be kicking themselves for not being further in the lead.
Wales are still well in this and showed up better in the last 15. Just need to protect the ball a bit better and it will come.

[Cymroglan]

Scrappy first half from us we need to be far more clinical in the second half.

[TycroesOsprey]

Wales look limited and predictable in attack and fragile in defense. The kick game is too long and some bad options at ruck commitment.

Lucky the scrum still going strong! one area Wales winning.

Thank god you have given up on your childish broken english grey,

[Knowsit17]

Lucky to only be 7 down, Oz have been running rings around us thus far. Pocock confirming himself as a top class openside and Genia running the show with ball in hand. Unless something changes it'll be a comfortable Aussie win today.

[offload]

Wales look limited and predictable in attack and fragile in defense. The kick game is too long and some bad options at ruck commitment.

Lucky the scrum still going strong! one area Wales winning.

Nice to see your English grammar improving so quickly. Remarkable progress.

[wales606]

Its going to come down to the last 20 minutes. Wales are a very fit team, and Australia will tire playing 2 games in 5 days.

Why can Wales never get a 20pt lead and sit back...it would be much better for my blood pressure.

[doctor_grey]

doctor_grey - he hobbled off.


Can't believe Warbs got pinged there. he released before he competed for it.

Just rewound (rewinded) my DVR - I can't see what happened to North. Was tackled which looked OK. Lookes like he might have distended the knee slightly as he went down. Hopefully, should not keep him out next week. Can't understand the broadcast here in New Jersey since I only have the Welsh language broadcast, so I don;t know if the commentators offered any insight.

[Cadair Idris]

Still feeling confident. Recent history shows we get stronger in the 2nd half.

[Guest]

Edwards will unleash hell in the changing room and we'll come out better. Happens all the time.

[wales606]

Still feeling confident. Recent history shows we get stronger in the 2nd half.

Dan Lydiate - smash Genia please. Thank you.

[wales606]

Edwards will unleash hell in the changing room and we'll come out better. Happens all the time.

Wales have improved since they gave up their kicking strategy. Plan B is working better, though we are going to miss North.

[Cadair Idris]

Sounds like our kicking game is not working too well at the moment - just gifting them counter-attacking opportunities?

[Guest]

Cadair - yes, we're kicking just taht bit too far for our chase to put any pressure on.

It's our fringe defense and protecting the ball at the breakdown that is costing us more though. Need to really really improve on that.

[wales606]

Australia tiring and Wales kicking off the rust hopefully

[Guest]

Not making excuses, well sort of, but to me the Wales boys' legs look 'heavy'. Like they're running in treacle! They look slow and lethargic. They've been there a week for the sole purpose of overcoming jet lag, so I can't imagine what it could be. On the ales las night perhaps???!

[Cymroglan]

Could we please stop giving the likes of AWOP the attention they crave.

We have to be far more direct in the second half we are not testing their defence at the moment.

[mckay1402]

We're missing Roberts in midfield. Thought Williams would add something different but we miss that impact and the way he leads the line. Can't see hook improving things much

[Guest]

Griff - completely agree! Georgie, Foxy and 1/2p have all looked slow and hesitant and just...yeah lethargic is the word.

[Cadair Idris]

Still feeling confident. Recent history shows we get stronger in the 2nd half.

Dan Lydiate - smash Genia please. Thank you.

And Pocock while he's at it

[wales606]

We're missing Roberts in midfield. Thought Williams would add something different but we miss that impact and the way he leads the line. Can't see hook improving things much

I agree, Roberts go forward ball and superb defence is being missed.

[Morgannwg]

Grey made a decent point there though Cymro. Our centre's need to stop jogging with the ball in hand and run onto it at pace. You can tell they haven't played for months. We haven't played well at all in this half.

[wales606]

Still feeling confident. Recent history shows we get stronger in the 2nd half.

Dan Lydiate - smash Genia please. Thank you.

And Pocock while he's at it

Genia is ridiculously good :/ - Him and Ioane are the best in the world in their position by some distance.

[Rory_Gallagher]

You can tell the welsh back line just watched Ireland. Nightmare.

[Guest]

Morg we've shown glimpses.

Some v good angles run by 1/2p and some great link work between Priestland and Scott Williams so there are positives. Just too many errors going with it right now (which was to be expected, or at least I expected it anyways)

[anotherworldofpain]

GENIA!! Brilliant! Wow. Back to his very best.

[Guest]

fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff..............................lipin eck

[Rory_Gallagher]

How good is Genia. Seriously? Unbelievable.

[Guest]

oh that's just embarrassing.


Genia should never, NEVER have scored that.

Great try by him but from us?? Awful.

[GavinDragon]

need to shake off the lethargy (there are no excuses for that!) cut out the errors, start winning the collisions, get priestland flatter and STOP KICKING AIMLESSLY!

[Pal Joey]

Genia!!!!!



what a step... or steps!

[Cadair Idris]

Genia. Oh b*******

[GavinDragon]

cracking try, the difference between the sides - heads up rugby - spots a TH and takes him on

[wales606]

We missed having Halfpenny at FB there - Losing North has cost us.

[Guest]

ah well, pressures off now, just watch us go out and play

[mzan]

Stunning try from Genia. Apparently Phillips is a better scrum-half!?

[2ndtimeround]

Joubert needs to get his arse out the way there, totaly blocked Owens from any attempt at a tackle

[Guest]

we need to score,, and score soon...

[Cadair Idris]

Beck could be on soon I suspect? Need to make something happen, fast.

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

oh that's just embarrassing.


Genia should never, NEVER have scored that.

Great try by him but from us?? Awful.

He did that to the ABs in the 3Ns last year. And to the Crusaders in the Super XV final too. Just too good each time.

[Pal Joey]

Don't forget who we're missing, wales606...

but your right. North is integral to Wales' plan.

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