Priestland personal "torment" after poor autumn.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2012/11/24/wales-star-rhys-priestland-reveals-personal-torment-after-torrid-autumn-91466-32301548/

Now I am starting to feel a bit sorry for Priestland. I feel is has been very poor and not up to international standard, BUT it is not his fault that the WRU management KEEP selecting him. It's baffling and beggars belief that he keeps getting selected when his record hasn't reflected any consistency.

The poor guy isn't playing well but keeps getting thrown to the Lions. It's going to ruin any future spell of form or confidence he had left. It also shows how much we miss Stephen Jones. Wellies had the unfortunate nickname of "Mr Reliable" when it actually meant "Mr British Lions world class outside half does all the basic things very VERY well".

I wonder how much better Wales would have faired yesterday if Jones had been playing along with an on form Dwayne Peel / Gareth Cooper type character.

Jones would have kicked well, passed well, knocked on very little and tackled ferociously. If he had quick ball from his 9 he would have done even better. Our halfbacks were the weak link yesterday and had some part in all of NZ's tries.

I always thought Stephen Jones was bafflingly underrated by Welsh fans.

In Ireland, some fans always feted Ronan O'Gara as 'world class' in his pomp whilst Wales had Jones- very much the better 10- and viewed him with apathy. Its strange.

The reason Jones was unpopular was because he didn't play with much flare, it was only when Jones was not playing that we realised we missed him, saying that he really did bottle it during the world cup, both him and Hook had shockers.

Priestland had an abomination of a game yesterday, missed touch from penalties 2-3 times?

It's political. There are better flyhalves available to Wales, but they won't get picked cause they don't play at Welsh clubs. I only feel sorry for Preistland because he's just not good enough but is stuck there when there's no one else apparently available. Gatland/the WRU need to stop being an arsey about players not playing in Wales and think about winning. Just cause they play outside Wales, they're still Welsh when they pull on that red jersey.

I don't agree that Jones didn't play with flare. He was always making half breaks and offloading in the tackle but he didn't have masses of pace our a demon side step like some previous Welsh outside halves.

I admit to being apathetic towards him early in his career but I really warmed to him from about 2003 onwards.

Priestland will pick himself back up as he is a good player but his confidence has been shot since the world cup. He just has to keep playing and he'll get some form back.

Cari wrote:It's political. There are better flyhalves available to Wales, but they won't get picked cause they don't play at Welsh clubs. I only feel sorry for Preistland because he's just not good enough but is stuck there when there's no one else apparently available. Gatland/the WRU need to stop being an arsey about players not playing in Wales and think about winning. Just cause they play outside Wales, they're still Welsh when they pull on that red jersey.

I don't think it's about players playing in France or Hook wouldn't be on the bench and Charteris/Jenkins/Phillips wouldn't play either.

Gatland obviously thinks Priestland can fill the void left by Stephen Jones. When Hook came in the scene in 2006 we should have really appreciated what the Kiwi's said when comparing him to Dan Carter. Hook has saved our backsides on so many occasions, had a great sidestep and has scored tries for Wales. I want a player like that at 10.

IronMike wrote:The reason Jones was unpopular was because he didn't play with much flare.

I always liked him, but to the casual rugby fan who would watch say 6/7 games a year he wasn’t the guy that they wanted to see when you had let’s say Henson or Hook who were in the media eye and well known.

As stated in this thread, Priestland isn’t picking himself and how do you say no to play for your country? It’s just not done. I do feel sorry for the guy. Playing 10 for Wales is a very tough job.

Playmakers need to be arrogant, chests out napoleons the lot of them. They run the game and you can't have someone who is unsure of himself to be running the game.

In other positions you can work around it but you can't have the guy who is first receiver lacking in confidence about making kicks, passes, gaps etc.... if they are they are more likely to slip up as they're nervous, think to much and miss opportunities.

If you can take the heat get out of the fire. This isn't the public sector, you can't accomodate weaklings in team sport.

Rhys Priestland is the new Charlie Hodgson... but less talented.

How many games will he get before the coaching staff begin to realise this.

RogerLewis wrote:

Cari wrote:It's political. There are better flyhalves available to Wales, but they won't get picked cause they don't play at Welsh clubs. I only feel sorry for Preistland because he's just not good enough but is stuck there when there's no one else apparently available. Gatland/the WRU need to stop being an arsey about players not playing in Wales and think about winning. Just cause they play outside Wales, they're still Welsh when they pull on that red jersey.

I don't think it's about players playing in France or Hook wouldn't be on the bench and Charteris/Jenkins/Phillips wouldn't play either.

Gatland obviously thinks Priestland can fill the void left by Stephen Jones. When Hook came in the scene in 2006 we should have really appreciated what the Kiwi's said when comparing him to Dan Carter. Hook has saved our backsides on so many occasions, had a great sidestep and has scored tries for Wales. I want a player like that at 10.

It wasn't just Hook I was referring to. I think it's the same sort of politics that put Mike Phillips above everyone else at scrumhalf a couple of years ago when Dwayne Peel was better.

What I don't get is that Priestland has had issues for a while now, but has only just enlisted the help of Andy McCann. Having read Warburton's book, he mentions having used McCann for a while, so why hasn't Priestland done this sooner?

In the article, Rhys Priestland says

"I have been pretty down over the last couple of weeks...the poor performances against Samoa and Argentina were a lot to do with me because I have been playing with blinkers on. After Samoa I did not want to leave the flat or see anyone."

He's now seeing a 'sports psychologist'.

There are 21 people listed in the 'Wales Senior Management Team'. Not one of them saw any signs that Priestland may not have been in exactly the right frame of mind to face a brutal and ruthlessly efficient world champion All Black side?

A good psychologist should be able to make him feel much better about himself, at least hes made a whole bunch of smug Englishmen feel happy. Ads the esteemed Mr Borthwick use to say, concentrate on the positive

There are better flyhalves available to Wales, but they won't get picked cause they don't play at Welsh clubs.

Cari,

Who are the better fly halves playing outside Wales not getting picked. The only ones I can think of are Hook and Robinson none fill me with confidence.

On the topic of Wellies like Jinks before him they are only really appreciated when they are no longer available.

Wellies was nothing like as reliable as people are claiming. He was also a poor line-kicker, missed touch at key moments (vs Ireland in 6N decider), threw interceptions (vs Namibia in WC), and bottled out of crucial dropkicks (vs France in dying minutes of WC). The last time he made significant yardage ball in hand was vs. France in 2005.

Yes, RP has been pants, but let's not get dewy-eyed over Wellies, who had many average games for Wales.

I think Jones' worst interception pass was the one vs England in 2010, 10 minutes or so to go and we looked to be coming back into the game, then he throws an interception and its all over.

bedfordwelsh wrote:There are better flyhalves available to Wales, but they won't get picked cause they don't play at Welsh clubs.

Cari,

Who are the better fly halves playing outside Wales not getting picked. The only ones I can think of are Hook and Robinson none fill me with confidence.

On the topic of Wellies like Jinks before him they are only really appreciated when they are no longer available.

Jinks was also an average 10 most of the time, though his place kicking was superb - which is why the Lions stuck him at 15. On the other hand, he had a 9 playing inside himwho really was world-class. What was his name again? Oh yeah, Robert Howley.