Howley says he wouldn't do anything different on the Oz tour. Bar the last seconds of the second Test

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Rob Howley felt Wales would have won the series if Wales had of made better choices in the dying minutes of the second test down under.

Simon Thomas writes in the WM

Rob Howley had been looking to take a southern hemisphere scalp
Rob Howley insists he wouldn’t have done anything differently on Wales’ tour of Australia if he had his time again.

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Despite having gone down to a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of the Wallabies, Howley stands by his selection policy during the Test series.

He says it never crossed his mind to drop skipper Sam Warburton and maintains Rhys Priestland is still his number one outside-half.

The only thing he would change about the trip is the final couple of minutes in Melbourne, as he feels Wales would have gone on to win the series if they had held on for victory in that heartbreaking second Test.



While he acknowledges there are lessons to be learned from the tour, he is comfortable with the decisions he made at the helm, having taken over as interim head coach from the injured Warren Gatland.

“I wouldn’t have done anything differently,” he said.

“I wouldn’t change anything – apart from the last 90 seconds of that second Test.”

It was Howley’s same-again selection policy which provoked the most debate during the series, particularly the way he stuck by Priestland at No. 10 ahead of James Hook.

There were also calls in some quarters for captain Warburton to be replaced on the openside flank by Justin Tipuric.

But, having had three weeks to reflect on the trip, Howley remains convinced that he, and his fellow coaches, made the right choices.

He fully accepts and welcomes the fact that Welsh supporters will always have strong opinions on selection.

But he says it’s the job of a coach to make a cool-headed decision based on all the available information.

“When you have victory in your grasp and all of a sudden you lose, emotions run high and people react pretty harshly on the performances of players, coaches and the team,” said the former scrum-half.

“The great thing about Wales that I love, through my playing career as well as my coaching, is everyone has an opinion that is so different from one to the other.

“The reason they have an opinion is they care about the game. I talk to my mates and they argue about the best XV.

“It’s good to have that debate and I try to understand how the public see it.

“But, as a coach, you need to have all the information so you are able to make a fair judgement on selection.

“The process is always a long one because we go through every position.

“We have to look beyond what I call the Scrum V moments.

“From a supporters’ perspective, you see someone making a brilliant break and even though he hasn’t touched the ball for 50-odd minutes, all of a sudden he’s had an outstanding game because everyone remembers that break he’s made.

“Conversely a bad pass, a bad kick or a bad tackle is remembered.

“People watching the game in a pub, or in a relaxed mode at home, remember those highlights and then put a picture in their head.

“We look at everything. That’s hopefully why we are here.

“For example, people criticised Rhys Priestland for not holding on to Sam Warburton’s pass when we had a five-on-two in the first Test.

“But what no-one knew at the time was Rhys had taken a stamp on his elbow and couldn’t straighten his arm. So he couldn’t reach up to catch the ball and why he dropped it.

“They are things that happen in Test match football and these are the kinds of fine details we need to consider as coaches.”

Howley continued: “When you watch a game live, you only remember 38 per cent of it. “That’s what clinical evidence shows.

“We did a really good exercise as coaches out in South Africa in 2008.

“After the first Test, when we got blown away in Bloemfontein, we sat down and marked the players out of 10 for their performances. Then we went and looked at the game, once, twice, we came back and our marks changed so much.

“It was amazing. It was an exercise which we remind ourselves of now.

“As coaches, we have to consider every second of every minute.

“We don’t take selection lightly and I think we are fair.

“I stand by my selection absolutely and I like to think all the other coaches would as well.”

It was Scarlets play-maker Priestland who was the subject of the greatest public clamour for change, but Howley stood firmly by him Down Under and continues to do so now.

“Rhys has played a huge part in what Wales have achieved over the last 12 months,” he said.

“Everyone knows about his performances at the World Cup and he was exceptional in the second half of the Grand Slam game against France in terms of playing territory.

“Rhys knows in certain components of his game he wasn’t at his best in Australia and that overall his play wasn’t to the standard he achieved in the World Cup.

“But he has only been playing at 10 for Wales for 10 months

“You talk to Neil Jenkins about the criticism he had over a decade of playing there.

“Number 10 has always been a big focus in Wales and that will never change.

“Our overriding opinion throughout the Test series was that Rhys was our number one fly-half. And I still believe that to be the case.

“There are always going to be challenges for Rhys moving forward in his game.

“It will be interesting to watch the couple of months in September, October going into the autumn series.

“But, to my mind, he is still our number one fly-half.

“Is it right to be dropped if you play poorly in one game?”

As for Warburton, it’s clear that axing him from the team was never on the agenda Down Under.

“Everyone spoke about Justin Tipuric and how well he played in the Brumbies game, which he did. But no-one back home saw it,” said Howley.

“Justin will play many years for Wales. He is a fantastic player.

“But I never saw that question mark about Sam, regarding whether he should be dropped. I just didn’t see it.

“It didn’t enter my mind. Not at all. I didn’t think about making a change.

“Sam is an excellent captain and we won the Grand Slam with him at the helm.

“All of a sudden, after a couple of performances, people are calling for him to be dropped. I never saw that.

“Sam holds himself as an ultimate professional on and off the field.

“He hadn’t played for about three months going into the first Test.

“Hats off to him for getting through that game having not played for that period of time.”

As for the series as a whole, Howley is left reflecting on what might have been, with Wales having been in a position to win all three Tests.

“The first thing to say is it was an absorbing thrilling, series,” he said.

“It was edge-of-the-seat stuff.

“There were a lot of things we did well and we can take heart from getting close to Australia.

“But, as I said straight after the last Test, we aren’t hiding away from the 3-0 whitewash.

“I think Welsh rugby has hopefully come a long way, so we don’t want taps on the back when we’ve lost.

“We want the win. There were fine margins between the two sides, but huge consequences in terms of the result on the scoreboard.

“Ultimately, areas and components of our game that were strong in the Six Nations let us down.

“Maybe that’s through being away from home or one or two boys just losing their nerve or maybe being really enthusiastic in terms of trying to sort out problems on your own as opposed to as a side.

“At times, it was through our own lack of discipline and our own errors.

“I still believe we need to be more street-wise and more understanding of the referee.

“Above all, it’s about mastering that moment and holding your nerve when you go into the lead in the last 10 minutes of the game.

“You look back on those opportunities and it could have been so different.”

That was never more evident than during the pivotal second Test in Melbourne, where Wales were ahead and in possession with less than two minutes to go, only to lose to a last-second penalty after kicking away possession through Priestland and conceding two penalties.

“There were varying degrees of opinion within the camp about what we should and shouldn’t have done,” said Howley.

“Everyone had an opinion and the more senior you were the more of an opinion you had. The majority of players agreed with what Rhys had done in terms of kicking the ball. It was just what happened after that.

“The ball was 70-odd metres from our try line and all we needed to do was defend, which we had done so gallantly throughout the 80 minutes.

“But we made individual decisions through a lack of discipline which resulted in us giving penalties away.

“Looking back, the emotions are mainly disappointment and frustration at what might have been.

“I’ve never been in a situation where you’re winning when the hooter goes and you end up losing.

“I certainly didn’t think we deserved to lose that game. That was the galling aspect of it.

“It was pretty devastating, but I was proud of the players in the way they reacted and lifted themselves back up off the floor for the final Test, where we probably produced our best performance of the series.”

Looking ahead, Howley concluded: “This team is getting ready for the next World Cup in 2015 and with that in mind we have to learn from the experience in Australia.

“We’ve nailed the close games in the northern hemisphere, now we’ve got to do that against the southern hemisphere sides.

“And I’d like to think that will happen in the autumn series.”



Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2012/07/20/rob-howley-on-australia-tour-i-wouldn-t-have-done-anything-differently-91466-31438808/#ixzz21IIlL1fo

Morgannwg Please ignore his drivel.

Morgannwg wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think what he said was we took our best squad in forty years, challenged well and if it wasn't for two last minute mistake we would have won the tour.

Yet again, no credit given to Australia, who played badly (with many injuries) and still whitewashed their opposition. You don't ever beat Wales they just make more mistakes.

That's rich coming from an England fan who's team were smashed around the pitch by what was basically an Emerging Springbok team. They weren't even playing at 50 per cent either which is even worse news for England. The final test was hilarious. The Boks played so badly that they only managed a draw....which in turn lead to the England team, fans and pundits celebrating it as a win. Comical. Even did a lap of honour at the end!

Concentrate on your own team, you've lost twice on the bounce to the Grand Slammers.

Gareth, do behave!

Remember, draws are better than defeats.

maestegmafia wrote:Morgannwg Please ignore his drivel.

This coming from you My word.

Terrible series for England. Someone needs to look closer to home. At least try and beat Wales before you attempt to take on the mighty Boks. I hope you give it a better shot in the autumn.

Good series for Wales. They punched above their weight against an under-performing and injury-ravaged Aus side. Oh, and they got whitewashed.

Keep trying lads! 6th is the world is excellent for a small 'nation' who prefer football these days.

Morgannwg the mods keep saying that by responding you are only encouraging him to troll more.

This was a decent interesting thread an we do not want to see persistent trolling idiots ruin it. His posts are reported.

Let's hope he is deleted and we can get back to rugby.

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think what he said was we took our best squad in forty years, challenged well and if it wasn't for two last minute mistake we would have won the tour.

Yet again, no credit given to Australia, who played badly (with many injuries) and still whitewashed their opposition. You don't ever beat Wales they just make more mistakes.

SugarNspikes this is not about Australia, this is about Howley being surprisingly transparent and Welsh posters discussing it. No need to take a stab at a decent thread.

sugarNspikes wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think what he said was we took our best squad in forty years, challenged well and if it wasn't for two last minute mistake we would have won the tour.

Yet again, no credit given to Australia, who played badly (with many injuries) and still whitewashed their opposition. You don't ever beat Wales they just make more mistakes.

That's rich coming from an England fan who's team were smashed around the pitch by what was basically an Emerging Springbok team. They weren't even playing at 50 per cent either which is even worse news for England. The final test was hilarious. The Boks played so badly that they only managed a draw....which in turn lead to the England team, fans and pundits celebrating it as a win. Comical. Even did a lap of honour at the end!

Concentrate on your own team, you've lost twice on the bounce to the Grand Slammers.

Gareth, do behave!

Remember, draws are better than defeats.

SugarNspikes, I suggest you step away from this thread, you aren't bringing anything positive to it.

maestegmafia wrote:

samuraidragon wrote:Maes, you seem to be close to saying that coaches can do no wrong, in which case one coach is as good as another. But look at the round ball game, which is decades ahead of rugby in professionalism, statistical analysis,etc. Coaches are fired all the time for poor results. Why pay all that money for a Mourinho (or a Rogers) if is just a question picking the best players?

It's also worth bearing in mind the behaviour of people in organizations and bureaucracies is usually geared towards protecting and maximizing their own interests, not producing the best results.

Therefore it is IMPOSSIBLE for someone in Howley's position to state post-match "that was the best chance we had in forty years to win
a series in Australia but we blew it partly because of my own poor decisions. We should have had Biggar out there, Evans shoulod have featured in the final test, we should have used Tipuric, Webb and Hook more, most of all the kicking to the Oz back 3 tactic was disastrous and we looked much better when we played it through the hands. I take full responsibility and apologize..."

What he is almost certain to say is "My decisions were correct, it was just a question of bad luck, next time it will be better, I wouldn't change a thing blah, blah..."

Samurai

I dont agree with the support of Biggar as a bett alternative. He had a great end of season for the Ospreys and I was proud to see him turn what was formerly awful form into such positive rugby, but he has not done enough to warrant a starting slot for Wales.

Though I do think/hope he will be pushing Priestland and Hook very hard this coming season, hopefully Tovey will too.

Here is Gwyn Jone perspective between the second and Third tests.


THE agonising loss in Melbourne must somehow be turned into motivation for the final Test in Sydney.

Perhaps the narrowness of the defeat will provide some incentive for the two teams to maintain the enthusiasm for this encounter.

I suspect the full house anticipated at the weekend will help create a Test match environment and Wales are desperate not to leave these shores winless.

The last two minutes of the second Test has been scrutinised like no other period. My view was that with some 90 seconds remaining and the ball within kicking distance for the Wallabies, I think it was right to kick the ball deep into Australia territory.

Running down the clock with pick and drives amongst the forwards is harder these days. Referees are wise to the play and often look to penalise teams for sealing off.

With Australia, and David Pocock in particular, going for a turnover I can’t argue with the decision to kick.

Once the ball went back to Rhys Priestland he had two options. Kick deep, as Wales have done the whole season, or kick to touch to waste precious time.

Keeping the ball in hand was not an option as he was too far behind the gain line.

A kick to touch would risk an overcooked effort and a lineout in Wales territory so a deep kick was the percentage choice and it gave Australia the ball 70 metres out with little more than a minute to go.



Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-columnists/2012/06/21/gwyn-jones-i-fear-for-wales-in-final-test-against-australia-91466-31224898/#ixzz21wHPgobA

Maes, that is a valid view of the last few minutes (though not one I agree with - Oz gave us a lesson in how to close out a game in the dying minutes of the 3rd test). But what Howley etc. is saying is "We were bloody unlucky, if not for those last two minutes we woulda won that game and then the series."

I disagree, There any number of crurcial moments during a game on which the result could hinge, but the reality is that Oz were well worth the win in that game and the series. They had the possession, the territory,the mental toughness, the better backplay and the best of the backrow collisions. They were getting stronger and stronger, we were getting weaker and more jittery.

Let's hope plenty has been learnt from the tour ready for the Autumn.

My thought is that we are in a far better place year by year and the coaches and all the organising bodies should be praised for that.

You might not remember welsh rugby in the early nineties but it was not looking as promising as it is now

maestegmafia wrote:Let's hope plenty has been learnt from the tour ready for the Autumn.

My thought is that we are in a far better place year by year and the coaches and all the organising bodies should be praised for that.

You might not remember welsh rugby in the early nineties but it was not looking as promising as it is now

Ohh come on we had Nigel Walker and Gareth Llewelyn!

biltongbek wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think what he said was we took our best squad in forty years, challenged well and if it wasn't for two last minute mistake we would have won the tour.

Yet again, no credit given to Australia, who played badly (with many injuries) and still whitewashed their opposition. You don't ever beat Wales they just make more mistakes.

SugarNspikes this is not about Australia, this is about Howley being surprisingly transparent and Welsh posters discussing it. No need to take a stab at a decent thread.

Well, it is about Australia too, given that the criticism levelled at Howley is for his coaching ability and subsequent comments during the Australia tour.

There seems to be this idea that only one side was playing.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Let's hope plenty has been learnt from the tour ready for the Autumn.

My thought is that we are in a far better place year by year and the coaches and all the organising bodies should be praised for that.

You might not remember welsh rugby in the early nineties but it was not looking as promising as it is now

Ohh come on we had Nigel Walker and Gareth Llewelyn!

Yep..! Ha ha ha you are right we did. And Rupert moon.

And they helped us win the five nations, but that's nothing compared to three Grandslams

Point being that below the first team there was little to remember in welsh rugby. We have so much more happening positively now from grass roots up.

Another point worth making is that the quality of a coach is not decided just by the results he achieves, but the results he achieves given the resources he has. So the manager of Barcelona FC Pepe Guardiola is never going to be considered a great , despite the fact he won many competitions, because he had by far the best club players in the world on his team and, in fact, he should have won much more.

Gatland/Howley have the best player resources Wales have produced since the 70s. In fact, we may never have had a pack as strong as we have now, and we have never fielded a team as physically dominant. That's why expectations are high and why 5 losses in a row against Oz are so disappointing. And why some of us are critical of the coaching. Don't compare with the 90s and be content with talk of "the gap closing." . Compare with Ruddock, who did more with far less.

The difference between welsh rugby in the 90s and in the 50s, 60s and 70s was the strength in depth. Wales was full of good rugby players. When Cardiff beat the All Bkacks it was joked of as not a great achievement as any small village team would have given them a tougher game.

Wales are on there way back towards strength like that by the amount of care going into the game, support of youth rugby, good coaching, encouraging players, looking for fitness instead of beer. Not anywhere near it yet but everyone is working hard to get there.


I think many of us are looking for excuses to why we lost when we expected to win. Howley is not.

Australia are a good team, we played them away from home and we came very close.

As you said, we weren't at our best, we lacked the performance we previously showed, but it was a long year with many games. We'll learn from this tour, we will be better for it. We won't lose five games straight, to the ozzies again.

samuraidragon wrote:Another point worth making is that the quality of a coach is not decided just by the results he achieves, but the results he achieves given the resources he has. So the manager of Barcelona FC Pepe Guardiola is never going to be considered a great , despite the fact he won many competitions, because he had by far the best club players in the world on his team and, in fact, he should have won much more.

Gatland/Howley have the best player resources Wales have produced since the 70s. In fact, we may never have had a pack as strong as we have now, and we have never fielded a team as physically dominant. That's why expectations are high and why 5 losses in a row against Oz are so disappointing. And why some of us are critical of the coaching. Don't compare with the 90s and be content with talk of "the gap closing." . Compare with Ruddock, who did more with far less.

+1

sugarNspikes wrote:Good series for Wales. They punched above their weight against an under-performing and injury-ravaged Aus side. Oh, and they got whitewashed.

Keep trying lads! 6th is the world is excellent for a small 'nation' who prefer football these days.

Twice on the bounce to the GRAND SLAMMERS .

Gareth, we're trying to discuss Wales here.

But Morgannwg is discussing Wales in the same way you are - you're saying Australia won a series against us and Morg is saying we've won against England and won a grand slam - surely if one argument is facious and missing the point then both arguments are...

Smirnoffpriest wrote:But Morgannwg is discussing Wales in the same way you are - you're saying Australia won a series against us and Morg is saying we've won against England and won a grand slam - surely if one argument is facious and missing the point then both arguments are...

Not really. My point is about Australia's impact on the tour results (not just Howley's influence) and Morgannwg is talking about SA v England for some reason.

Yes but the point of the thread is Howleys statement and his decisions while in charge of Wales and his selection process, not Australia or how well or not they did in the summer and before.

The thread isn't really about Wales' results against anyone else except in the way they impact on Howleys overall performance, and by constantly saying Oz whitewashed Wales you are coming across as more of a wum I'm afraid to say

Smirnoff, my point is that Howley's decision-making did not make as big an impact as some are making out. Therefore, he shouldn't be blamed as much as some are claiming. He says he wouldn't do anything much differently, which is fair enough. Wales got their best tour scorelines (if not results) in Aus for a long time (ever?).

Sometimes you've just got to accept that the better side won and not hang the coach out to dry.

I concur with Smirniffpriest, the thread is about the statement Howley made and that only, decisions he has made, mistakes players make or star moments players have that sticks in the memory of supporters.

I am not taking Howley's side here, but I do agree with him, we don't analyse the game with as much detail as they do.

Cheers Bil

Suga - that point might not have come across in your previus posts, but I agree we came withing 2 kicks of a winning tour against one of the top teams in the world and the Tri Nations winners, we've done better against them (away) than we have for a long time.
At the same time it's right for us to feel disappointed and look to do better, but we shouldn't be too reactionary and base decisions on single incidents.

biltongbek wrote:I concur with Smirniffpriest, the thread is about the statement Howley made and that only

Right.

Howley is correct. There's nothing else he could/should have done. He knows more than the armchair posters on here.

sugarNspikes wrote:

biltongbek wrote:I concur with Smirniffpriest, the thread is about the statement Howley made and that only

Right.

Howley is correct. There's nothing else he could/should have done. He knows more than the armchair posters on here.

Speak for yourself.

And yes I went off topic by mentioning England, but it was in a bid to find out if it's the fact you love Wales or are angry that England aren't worldbeaters for the reason you always troll Welsh rugby threads.

Leave squirrel be Morgs. You know that English fans need to try desperate trolling. Let them have their fun. They keep saying they're world beaters, yet if they were they'd be happy wherever they finished in the rankings at the end of the AI's (or rankins if you're Madge), as they've surely got the pedigree to get out of the group.

Most Welsh supporters on here are happy to debate Howley's credentials. If the usual suspects want to stir up an England v Wales debate, then so be it.

Yeah, those good old rankins that madge keeps repeating on every single thread.

'The only thing he would change about the trip is the final couple of minutes in Melbourne, as he feels Wales would have gone on to win the series if they had held on for victory in that heartbreaking second Test.'

I can't get my head around this statement from Rob Howley.

Just how would Howley have achieved changing those last couple of minutes?

Bringing on a sub ?
Communicating with the team not to kick it down the opposition throats like Wales had been doing all game?

Or is he just saying the players let me down in those last couple of minutes & I am beyond criticism in my eyes?

Risca Rev wrote:bate Howley's credentials.

That was what the thread was originally intended to do. As there seems to be a lot of fans calling for Howley's head. Again...!

Communicating with the team not to kick it down the opposition throats like Wales had been doing all game?

Probably some sort of calming message and cry for leadership from his experienced players rather than giving away two penalties in about as many minutes to gift Australia the victory.

Welsh fans put to much pressure on Priestland. Ok, he didn't have that great a series but that kick down field wasn't a bad plan. The Wallabies main strengths originate from the breakdown and turnover ball in the opponents half. Wales were not going to break out of their half and had a few minutes of the game to kill. Big kick down field means that as long as the Welsh remain disciplined they are fine, Edwards has organised one of the best defences in world rugby for you guys. All Wales had to do was stay disciplined and you were fine. However, there was barely any time spent in the Aussie half before a silly penalty was conceded and then the failure to defend a simple rolling maul was just woeful really.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Communicating with the team not to kick it down the opposition throats like Wales had been doing all game?

Probably some sort of calming message and cry for leadership from his experienced players rather than giving away two penalties in about as many minutes to gift Australia the victory.

Welsh fans put to much pressure on Priestland. Ok, he didn't have that great a series but that kick down field wasn't a bad plan. The Wallabies main strengths originate from the breakdown and turnover ball in the opponents half. Wales were not going to break out of their half and had a few minutes of the game to kill. Big kick down field means that as long as the Welsh remain disciplined they are fine, Edwards has organised one of the best defences in world rugby for you guys. All Wales had to do was stay disciplined and you were fine. However, there was barely any time spent in the Aussie half before a silly penalty was conceded and then the failure to defend a simple rolling maul was just woeful really.

+1

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Communicating with the team not to kick it down the opposition throats like Wales had been doing all game?

Probably some sort of calming message and cry for leadership from his experienced players rather than giving away two penalties in about as many minutes to gift Australia the victory.

Welsh fans put to much pressure on Priestland. Ok, he didn't have that great a series but that kick down field wasn't a bad plan. The Wallabies main strengths originate from the breakdown and turnover ball in the opponents half. Wales were not going to break out of their half and had a few minutes of the game to kill. Big kick down field means that as long as the Welsh remain disciplined they are fine, Edwards has organised one of the best defences in world rugby for you guys. All Wales had to do was stay disciplined and you were fine. However, there was barely any time spent in the Aussie half before a silly penalty was conceded and then the failure to defend a simple rolling maul was just woeful really.

+1

Agreed

But I think the larger majority thought that was an opportunity to shove it up the jumper and win.


That aside. Wales need to play there own game, they need intelligent leaders who can read the game as well as the coaches, better even, and they can't rely on what the fans claim is coached tactics.

Good rugby teams use coaches as a tool, poor nations with good coaches use players as the tools.

We are a good team, but a young one, better to learn how to win a tight match now from losing a few and knowing your mistakes rather than when we get to an important play off.

But I think the larger majority thought that was an opportunity to shove it up the jumper and win

If Wales had shoved it up their jumpers and tried that for the few minutes left on the clock I think the Wallabies would have forced a penalty. Pocock is to much of a nightmare at the breakdown for static play like that to work.

I agree with Howley to an extent when I think about it.
He wasnt the ones making simple errors/decisions on the field.

But.

He was a strong part of the selection process, and no doubt had control of the subs. His decisions in these areas could have perhaps made that 5% difference Wales needed. How Tipuric didnt see more time when Warbs so obviously not at his best, really flabergastered me, Tips has been the form 7 in Wales all season.

He was no doubt part of the team-strategy, kicking the ball long is fine as long as theres a decent chase, I havent seen a decent kick chase from Wales since the Ireland game in the 6ns. The Priestland kick at the end was not the worst thing to have happened, but what about most of the kickking before that point in the game? Surely the lack of a chase was obvious and yet all we say was the ball put to boot. Considering wales powerful running game, it was a shame to see it negated by their own tactics.

The losses have to be down to the players in my eyes, whenever a game is that close, its either sides for the taking, but the events that lead up to those tense last few moments could, and perhaps should (in a welsh fans' eyes at least) gone differently, and thats down to the coaches.

Although these results are probably Wales best down under in their professional history, that doesnt mean they're good enough for what is an obviously talented squad and coaching team.

maestegmafia wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Communicating with the team not to kick it down the opposition throats like Wales had been doing all game?

Probably some sort of calming message and cry for leadership from his experienced players rather than giving away two penalties in about as many minutes to gift Australia the victory.

Welsh fans put to much pressure on Priestland. Ok, he didn't have that great a series but that kick down field wasn't a bad plan. The Wallabies main strengths originate from the breakdown and turnover ball in the opponents half. Wales were not going to break out of their half and had a few minutes of the game to kill. Big kick down field means that as long as the Welsh remain disciplined they are fine, Edwards has organised one of the best defences in world rugby for you guys. All Wales had to do was stay disciplined and you were fine. However, there was barely any time spent in the Aussie half before a silly penalty was conceded and then the failure to defend a simple rolling maul was just woeful really.

+1

Agreed

Good rugby teams use coaches as a tool, poor nations with good coaches use players as the tools.

I thought Henson was our tool

No he used to play inside centre.

You must be choking
Jun 29th, 2012 by MarkL

After the Australian tests in June saw another series of near-misses by the Welsh team, following their failure to take their chances against France in the World Cup semi-final, it’s a valid question to ask whether our Wales stars, when it really matters, choke on the big occasion.

In the final game of this year’s Six Nations, it looked like the team had finally learned some lessons, valiantly clinching the Grand Slam with tight, up-the-jumper rugby in the final quarter against France to see out the win. But once again in Australia, missed kicks, poor decision-making and ill discipline arguably cost us an historic series win.

Choking has been defined by sporting academics as an acute performance failure under pressure, and there have been plenty of high-profile moments of choking in recent years across different sports, from Rory McIlroy throwing away a four-hole lead at the Masters, to England football’s penalty shoot-out miseries.

So what causes this breakdown in performance? There are two theories put forward as an explanation. The first is the ‘distraction’ theory, which maintains that, under stressful situations , an athlete’s attention is overloaded by stimuli such as worry and self-doubt. The second is the ‘self-focus’ theory, whereby performance deteriorates through an athlete consciously carrying out a skill that would normally be performed automatically. In other words, the athlete tries too hard.

Whilst, as a fan, it’s impossible to know exactly what was going through the minds of the Welsh players in the dying moments of the Australian tests, this second theory, that Wales are best when they play their ‘natural’ game, is worth considering. After all, despite Gatland’s successes, it’s not so long ago that accusations were made of Wales being ‘overcoached’, with Jeremy Guscott arguing back in 2011, that the team had “stopped trusting their natural Welsh ability”.

Halfpenny commented, after the final defeat in Sydney, that Australia know how to win and “how to close out a game.” After their Grand Slam success, it appeared that Wales did too. Now, it seems, it’s a case of back to the drawing board.

Where can I find that article?

DAVID CAMPESE has insisted Wales must shackle breakdown king David Pocock and unleash their backs if they are to end their misery against Australia this autumn.

Wales have lost five times to the Wallabies in the last 10 months, being whitewashed 3-0 during this summer’s tour Down Under.

And Aussie legend ‘Campo’, one of the greatest players in union history, reckons Warren Gatland’s men only have themselves to blame.

“Wales played a slightly under-strength Aussie side and blew the opportunities in front of them,” claimed the former wing wonder.

“Wales have the players but sometimes lack that cutting edge.

“They failed to deal with Pocock and it ultimately cost them.

“The Welsh need to commit more men to the breakdown to generate quick ball.”

World Cup winner Campese, who touched down a record 64 times in 101 Tests for Australia, stressed Wales must get powerful wingers George North and Alex Cuthbert heavily involved in the action during next December’s rematch with the Wallabies.


“Wales need to give North and Cuthbert more ball. There needs to be less kicking,” said the 1991 World Cup winner.

“The Welsh backs showed plenty of promise. They are a threat and they need to play the Welsh way.

“They need to get players to think for themselves, see space and utilise good skills.”

Australia hope to have absent stars like Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and James Horwill back for the autumn campaign.

And Campese expects the Tri-Nations holders to step up a level during the new Rugby Championship, which will see Argentina join the Wallabies, World Cup winners New Zealand and South Africa in a revamped tournament which kicks off later this month.

“The Aussies will improve after their Championship campaign. That should make for a fantastic autumn series,” he said.

Wales hadn’t beaten the Wallabies on Australian soil since a 19-16 triumph at Sydney Showground 43 years ago but went Down Under as Six Nations Grand Slam victors and heavily touted to dispose of injury-wracked opponents.

But the Wallabies fended off a Welsh fightback in the opener and produced comebacks of their own to snatch the second and third rubbers of a hugely competitive series.

“After losing the first Test convincingly, they should have possibly gone on to win the series,” said Campese.

“The Australians showed, in the third Test, how to close a game down.”

Wales were mugged 25-23 in Melbourne during the second after needlessly being penalised twice and pipped 20-19 in the Sydney finale.

Campese, who is the star attraction at a series of dinners Wales in October, urged Warren Gatland’s team to take a leaf out of New Zealand’s book.

“If you watch the All Blacks play they are always in control. If Wales play that way they will start to win against the southern hemisphere,” he predicted.

“They will earn respect by playing hard.”

Campese, whose blunder when he attempted to run out of defence let Welsh wizard Ieuan Evans in and cost Australia the 1989 series with the Lions, is excited by next year’s match-up.

He expects many of coach Gatland’s Wales aces to make the Lions squad and for it to be a humdinger of a battle.

Australia won a thrilling series against the Graham Henry coached Lions 2-1 in 2001 after losing the opening rubber in Brisbane.

“It should make for a very tight series,” said Campese.

“I expect the majority of the Welsh team will feature in the Lions squad.”

The Welsh player who stood out for him this summer was full-back Leigh Halfpenny.

“He was very solid under the high ball and looks a certainty for the Lions. He’s a great goal-kicker too,” enthused Campese.

No QC, O'Connor,Horwell & Beale & Campo describes them as 'slightly understrength'

Sounds like Campo has lost it again! Or maybe he is buttering up Wales for all those after dinner engagements he has planned.

You know you're in trouble when Campo starts giving you compliments

I smell a rat.

Linebreaker wrote:I smell a rat.

What is your response to the welsh post tour reaction?

I would say it's a little over-reaction and the OP comments from Howley were either designed to distance himself from the end result (selfish at the expense of team morale & performance) and/or 'overcooking' the post series analysis by stating the obvious. He may have thought it would help the Welsh players keep the focus and go that little bit further in the AI's but it also keeps the wounds open in a way - which may or may not be a good thing.

Like Australia in other sports, Wales do have a knack for bigging themselves up before major events and therein lies a weakness in itself.

It's one thing to appear confident and remind everyone of the 6N success but in the grand scheme of things - it could also be said that they 'didn't see the series loss coming' or merely thought it was just a case of turning up and their opposition would not be able to withstand the onslaught.

Both Wales and Australia (at the Olympics) need to take a leaf out of France's or China's books. Keep a low profile, keep their traps shut (or at least have a throw-away line for the media - but keep it short) and perhaps that extra 1% could be used during the actual performances and not in the energy spent trying to justify why this or that didn't happen or why the end results didn't go exactly 'to plan' after the event.

That only draws more attention to the actual failings and really isn't necessary all of the time.

Also, regardless of the achievements of Campo the question needs to be asked: "Are these comments (whether a foil, distraction, wind-up or simply even his own true view on the situation) really going to assist the Wallabies in the AIs and is that the right tactic to prepare for upcoming matches?"

Personally, I think not. Like McGrath's comments in the cricket - Howley and Campo's pre/post match comments are old hat and do not serve a higher purpose. Maybe it's the nature of our 2 countries but I think we could learn a lot more from other countries and be more successful if 'we' were more measured in our comments and analysis. Heads down, hard work... zip it up. That kind of approach. It might not sell newspapers or blog-space but I do believe it's the way to go.

Agree with those comments Linebreaker.

Maybe Gats should set the tone by 'zipping it up' metaphorically speaking with his pre-match comments as well.

Www.planetrugby.com


Interim Wales coach Rob Howley is set to remain at the helm for the opening November Tests while Warren Gatland scouts players for the British and Irish Lions.

With Gatland almost certain to be named Lions coach for the 2013 tour of Australia, Howley has revealed that succession plans are in place that will see him take over full time for the 2013 Six Nations.
After standing in for Gatland during the Welsh tour to Australia in June following the Kiwi's DIY mishap, Howley is now ready to take the reins long-term.
"It was my first opportunity to be head coach and I really enjoyed it. It certainly hasn't put me off," Howley told Wales Online.
"I wouldn't mind continuing in that role in the autumn and then the Six Nations.
"I'm working on the basis that I will be in charge for the Argentina and Samoa Tests in November. Then Warren comes back for New Zealand and Australia.
"England play the Wallabies on the weekend of our Samoan game and Warren will be able to watch that, which will be great for us in terms of our preparation for taking on Australia. Then the plan is I will be in charge again through the Six Nations.

"Hopefully next season will be a chance for me to get some wins under my belt as Wales coach. I'm very competitive and I want to win.
"Ultimately international rugby is about results. Any head coach will tell you that. That's where you will be judged and I'm not hiding away from the 3-0 whitewash in Australia. The challenge now is to learn the lessons from that and put those lessons into practice come the autumn."

Given that Gatland was always a certainty for the Lions have or indeed had Wales any alternative to Howley for the AIs & 6Ns?