Belief can fire future success for Wales

Graham Jenkins for ESPN - http://www.espnscrum.com/wales-tour-2012/rugby/story/166091.html
June 23, 2012

Those who claim Wales will return home empty-handed having been narrowly beaten in the third and final Test against Australia are wrong - they will be able to board the long flight home with precious and hard-earned belief.

They have shown in the last three weeks that they can not only compete with one of the world's best side on their own patch but also push them to the brink. They may have been whitewashed 3-0 in the series but they only lost by a combined 11 points over the three games. That level of consistency and stamina underlines the great strides they have taken in recent months and this tour, despite being fruitless, may yet come to be viewed as a key stage in their development.

Sadly their consistency on this tour also stretches to their shortcomings. Rarely will they get the chance to heap woe on the Wallabies on Australian soil and that repeated failure to close out games that were there for the taking may yet come to haunt them as the race for the top four spots in the IRB rankings intensifies ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup draw later in the year.

Given the intense nature of the series and the demands of a long series, Wales could perhaps be forgiven the odd lapse in concentration but in the main their defence was sound. The penalty count was alarming, as was their inability to adjust their game plan to referee Craig Joubert who took a clear disliking to their work at the breakdown, but the most damaging errors arguably came at the re-start when time and time again they gifted the initiative back to the hosts having worked hard for a vital score.

In contrast, Australia were sharp from the first whistle to the last with captain David Pocock at the heart of their quest to complete a hat-trick of victories over the Six Nations Grand Slam champions. Their superior composure was perhaps best illustrated in the closing moments of the game with Wales once again in a prime position to register their first victory over the Wallabies in Australia since 1969.

The tourists opted for the catch and drive but the streetwise Wallabies backed off from the lineout as Wales grouped together in the hope of driving towards the line. As a result, Joubert wasted no time in blowing for a 'truck and trailer' offence that robbed the visitors of the ball. Just two minutes later Berrick Barnes slotted what would be the match-winning penalty. There would be no dramatic turnaround as there was in Melbourne seven days ago with Australia's composure in closing out the game a far cry from Wales' self-induced capitulation at the Docklands Stadium.

Credit must go to the Wallabies for the gutsy way they have rallied since being stunned by Scotland in their season-opener. Coach Robbie Deans' job was seemingly on the line with Europe's finest landed on his shores confident of not only notching a win but claiming the series. Having weathered that storm he has earned himself some breathing space but on the recent evidence his side have some way to go to match the current form of New Zealand and South Africa and Argentina may well be sniffing their first Rugby Championship scalp.

The void between Wales and the Wallabies is no way near as daunting and when the disappointment of their latest setback fades they will see that they have good reason to relish the end of year internationals and the chance to redress the balance.

couple that with vengeance in mind

http://www.espnstar.com/other-sports/news/detail/item819176/Deans:-Wales-could-return-with-vengeance/

I'd love for us to have another crack sooner rather than later

I personnally think this'll do the opposite, this is 5 straight games in 12 months for this young team, they have to win one or they'll be resigned to the odd GS, which is all well and good but we want a WC win!

Personally I thought todays performance was the best of the 5, it's very frustrating that we still didn't get a win, the progress is slower than we'd like but it is in the right direction. Biltong posted earlier that we are desperately disappointed at not winning, when in the not too distant past we'd have been relatively happy with those scorelines!!!

I was talking to a friend earlier who is an England fan who said after so many close matches against SH opposition that wales have failed to win, SA in the RWC, these last two tests, that the situation is a lot like Martin Johnsons England team between 1996 until their final Grandslam in 2003.

No matter how good that team were they just couldnt win the elusive Grandslam, coming up short to one team every year.

These things are major psychological barriers that I think make a team more determined, not psychologically blocked.

There are still plenty of Welsh players in the current squad who have beaten the Australians. I imagine that the entire squad and more want to beat all the SH teams desperately.

This was a great opportunity, we went on tour with a talented squad capable of winning the series 3 - 0. We came up 11 points short in total.

Move on and move upwards, what hurts you only makes you stronger.

As many of us have regularly pointed out on this tour and during the majority of the six nations this Wales team are not playing as we ll as they had previously and for a myriad of reasons.

Really cant wait for the new season now. Certainly feel we are on an up hill climb, rather than falling downhill.

Welcome to Cliché Central, West Platitude.

Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free.

I can see the thrust of your OP maesteg, but I think Wales will be coming back home with more of a sense of doubt than they went with?

I honestly believed they would beat Oz in at least one Test, and that they would really kick on from the summer tour and start realising their full potential.

I'm afraid that that hasn't happened, and although they came close and should have won the last 2 Tests - they didn't, and that is a big hang-up.

If Wales were playing 3 Tests against Oz in the AI's I'd put my mortgage on them winning 2 of the three, if they were to win the first, I'd back them to win the second and then the third by a mile - reversing the "whitewash".

However, Wales will be playing NZ the week before Oz and it may all come to nowt.

It wont make Wales a bad team, they're still the best in the NH as things stand, but it may not help them get over that final hurdle of expecting to win a home game against Oz.

I'm still hoping though.

With 5 defeats in 8 months to AUS I think the void is pretty large... the last 2 were reasonably fortunate but isn't it funny how good teams always seem to have the lady luck follow them around. Bring back O'Connor & Cooper and I think they would have cruised home in all 3.

I think WAL will need to have a long hard look at themselves. Talent has NEVER been a problem for them. They've been a top side on paper for 10 years. When you think Andy Robinson with SCO has a better record vs. the 3N sides than Gatland with WAL you have to think... there is a problem there.

WAL have 4 tough AI matches and all 4 are losable.... I don't think they will but thats not saying they won't be incredibly tough matches. Argentina may just be on a roll come the 1st match and Samoa will always be tough.

I think the forwards have a lot to answer for however. AUS teams in SR have been slapped all over the park this season, SCO made them look worse than Georgia... a couple of changes yes but still they should have done a lot lot better.... and then they came out and slammed the backs for keeping them in all 3 matches.

I recall hearing some IRE guy saying a week ago online that a win vs. NZ was inevitable... it will come and it will come soon. After todays match its as far away as ever and if you can't win in AUS... you have zero chance in SA or NZ... far harder to win matches/series there.
Can this WAL side turn their fortunes around and become a real force... they have the potential but with talent like this continuing to not put their hands up against real opposition I'm not sure if they will... the jury is still out thats for certain.

PJ

I think Gatland and Co are smart enough to always post rationalise in the face of adversity.

Losing streaks turn in to new found form. Problems are over come.

Last February Wales had had an awful run without a win. Since then a couple of jittery but successful performances, then a new lease of life in the Pre RWC and RWC, then another GS.

This tour is a downer, in result. But I can see where the article alludes to being many positives in response to this tours negative out come.

Most likely more questions will be answered in failure than would have been neglected by success..?

Its a fair point you make PJ (opening line)

Some pundits were questioning how this team will respond to a defeat prior to the tour. Well overall they have responded positively, granted not well enough, but quite well.

2 or 3 years ago we would have capitulated in response to the manner of the 2nd test defeat, I really do believe we can kick on from this..... just hope we don't start cold again in the AI's

maestegmafia wrote:PJ

I think Gatland and Co are smart enough to always post rationalise in the face of adversity.

Losing streaks turn in to new found form. Problems are over come.

Last February Wales had had an awful run without a win. Since then a couple of jittery but successful performances, then a new lease of life in the Pre RWC and RWC, then another GS.

This tour is a downer, in result. But I can see where the article alludes to being many positives in response to this tours negative out come.

Most likely more questions will be answered in failure than would have been neglected by success..?

Yeah, I like that. England failed to beat SA in the first 2 Tests, and failed to beat them today in a more convincing style - BUT, there was clearly a step up in learning.

I just hope that England don't think today was in any way a success.

Equally I hope Wales don't think that running Oz close in 3 Tests isn't any cause for complacency in terms of their home fixture in the Autumn, I doubt they will do that as they seem too mature (despite their youth) to allow themselves that level of indulgence.

I've got high hopes for this Wales team, but the mental strength of the team is starting to become a bit of a common thread.

It's just a leap of faith.

I think the length of the season has crippled us a bit. Maybe all of us?

Wales have played 20 international matches in 12 months. That is an outstanding amount of rugby. To see any success in that quantity of fixtures is tough. We made a Semi final of a RWC and won Grandslam in that period.

This tour might, unfortunately have been one hurdle too many for too many.

Lets hope the lads are back and a re-vitalised by the Autumn. With more ambition and more drive, having learnt from their previous mistakes.

Wales have very good three-quarters, but you are only average between 1-10 , which makes it hard to dominate teams. Change that and you could go places.