Wales Vs Argentina Assessment & Player Changes

First topic message reminder :

First of all let me say that was a fantastic performance from Argentina. They looked the more hungry, fitter and better coached team who have clearly benefited from their previous experiences in the RC and the tutelage of Graham Henry.

The Argentinian back row were far superior, covering the ground well, dynamic ball carrying and causing absoulte mayhem in the tackle and on the ground. I often read the comments on this board from my fellow welshman and shudder at our sometimes unwarranted belief. That is not to say I do not possess those traits when it comes to my country & rugby, but I try to be realistic.

Positives for Wales were few and far between. Only a few players put their hand up for future selection while others obviously looked lacklustre due to the teams overall subdued, clueless and weak performance.

Aaron Jarvis showed up very well in the scrum and in the loose. Faletau tried to impact the game with his ball carrying and the back three also tried to make an impact. That for me is where the positives come to a very abrupt end. If at all I can really call them positives.

Wales went well in the scrum but their forwards made no inroads into the Argie defence, struggling for any front foot ball or to even make an impact in the tackle/tackle area themselves.

Wales seemed to continue with the same old same old gameplan. First hit up down the middle with a centre or wing, forwards loop around, loop around, same way same way until they run out of space. Far too lateral. ABsolutely no go forward. When the ball was forced wide, players failed to straighten the line and it was easy for agentina to usher the wings into touch. There was a clear over reliance on our "POWER" backs.

I wrote an article post Australia tour about the apparent lack of ball carriers Wales have in their forwards. This still stands. There is an overwhelming faith in some players and I almost cried at the somewhat dubious decisions made in selection by the Welsh management team.

People will sight the grandslam as a success of which it is. But the quality of rugby played was poor overall by all teams. The best game of the tournment being Wales vs Ireland where Wales showed the World cup form. But that was it. People will also sight "how close we were to beating OZ". Well, they have just lost 33-6 to France.

Finally, the management. Howley was a "world class" (Note: As a welshman we use this phrase far too easily, but in this circumstance I feel its warranted) player but a terrible backs coach/selector. He lacks the innovative skills to break down defences from set piece.

I hope for Wales sakes we see a change in the set up of the team, management and gameplan. Howley & McBryde should be released and sent to the blues/dragons.

Wales will need to bounce back from this defeat and we will have to see changes and players on form coming in. My team for samoa:

1) Paul James (G Jenkins)
2) Richard Hibbard (M Rees)
3) Aaron Jarvis
4) Luke Charteris (B Davies)
5) Ian Evans
6) A Shingler (Turnball)
7) Justin Tupuric (Warburton)
8) Toby Faletau

9) Mike Phillips
10) Dan Biggar (Priestland/Hook)
11) George North
12) Ashley Beck (Roberts)
13) JD/S Williams
14) Alex cuthbert
15) Leigh Halfpenny

16) K Owens
17) R Bevington
18) G Jenkins
19) B Davies
20) S Warburton

21) T Knoyle
22) S Williams
23) R Preistland

Not that I expect the team to look this way so Wales management changes in brackets. I have drwan a blank in my mind as to whether a 23 man squad would have to have 2 props as shown in mine. If its not the case I would stick Liam Williams on the bench instead of G Jenkins.

oh dear...

bedfordwelsh wrote:I am sure I read some that Bradley Davies was injured as well which is why he wasn't on bench last week.

I suspect you are correct, what idiot would have McCusker as second row cover!

Especially when Shingler was in the squad.

glamorganalun wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:I am sure I read some that Bradley Davies was injured as well which is why he wasn't on bench last week.

I suspect you are correct, what idiot would have McCusker as second row cover!

Alun
I would suspect that no one thought that McC was second row cover (well apart from you) Turnbull was plainly obvious to cover blindside as well as lock, I heard this week that he played with a knee injury from the 5th minute which hindered his performance last weekend.

Saying that its the same old story Howley like Mr Gatland selecting poorly. Your below par performance against the Pumas was more to do with your locks and 8 been lumbering slow around the park in defence, and under intense pressure at the breakdown as a result yet again Ianto and AWJ were penalties "waiting to happen", and Faletau whilst making tackles galore (sorry where!!) rarely stopped the forward momentum of the opposition. Carizza, Cabello arguably not nailed on first choice locks but so much better than Evans and AWJ (Turnbull), whilst yet another opposition 8 revealed really where young Faletau is on the world stage Lobbe utterly destroyed him in all facits of the game

Charteris, Bradley Davies (worried about his form) is the most balanced pairing, Shingler, Tuperic and Ryan Jones have to play

8 Jones
7 Tuperic
6 Shingler
5 Davies
4 Charteris

Evans and Charteris is our best pairing without a shout and if Warburton isn't playing then Ryan Jones will most probably be skipper if so I would rather see him at No6 rather than No8 leave Faletau there.