Wales vs NZ

First topic message reminder :



Team announced
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon)
14. Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues)
13. Jonathan Davies (Clermont Auvergne)
12. Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro)
11. George North (Northampton Saints)
10. Dan Biggar (Ospreys)
9. Rhys Webb (Ospreys)

1. Paul James (Bath)
2. Richard Hibbard (Gloucester)
3. Samson Lee (Scarlets)
4. Jake Ball (Scarlets)
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys)
6. Dan Lydiate (Unattached)
7. Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, CAPT)
8. Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons)

Replacements:
16. Scott Baldwin (Ospreys)
17. Nicky Smith (Ospreys)
18. Rhodri Jones (Scarlets)
19. Luke Charteris (Racing Metro)
20. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys)
21. Mike Phillips (Racing Metro)
22. James Hook (Gloucester)
23. Liam Williams (Scarlets)

Sounds like loaded dog has a new monocle .

blackcanelion wrote:As you can see I've had far to much time on my hands today....

To honour the 30th game between New Zealand and Wales, here are 30 meaningless statistics/facts.

23. There have been no Welsh born All Blacks.

You've missed a trick there. Think how many more World Cups you could have won!

back at millenium, Barnes as ref...hmmmm..seen that combo before.

Perfect Tman as we're back there next year for a quarter final RWC match (not sure who's the ref). Better to dispel the myth of the MS and acknowledge that was a combination of a heroic French defensive display and a failure to adapt tactics.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

blackcanelion wrote:As you can see I've had far to much time on my hands today....

To honour the 30th game between New Zealand and Wales, here are 30 meaningless statistics/facts.

23. There have been no Welsh born All Blacks.

You've missed a trick there. Think how many more World Cups you could have won!

Truth be known, I was starting to get desperate for ideas by then.

You Kiwis always set such high standards. 30 interesting facts! You did well.

B Moore, over to S4C

Best of luck, Wales!

God im sick of hearing on the BBC, Wales and NZ the two proudest rugby nations on earth....give it a break!!!!

Go easy on that turf with your Haka boys... a lot of money has been spent on it recently.

Eh. Why is Barnes penalising Ritchie??? Didn't he read the memo???

Have Wales not just spent 3 million on that pitch?

Hope they kept the receipt!

GeordieFalcon wrote:God im sick of hearing on the BBC,  Wales and NZ the two proudest rugby nations on earth....give it a break!!!!

It's not the fault of Wales or NZ that the BBC are clueless.

Ah its ok the AB's can cope with playing on a pitch like that...

The Saint wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:God im sick of hearing on the BBC,  Wales and NZ the two proudest rugby nations on earth....give it a break!!!!

It's not the fault of Wales or NZ that the BBC are clueless.

For once we agree...

Barnes spotted a forward pass for once lol.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Have Wales not just spent 3 million on that pitch?

Hope they kept the receipt!

Must be one of those new 1G pitches...

Better bring St George off.

Warburton should have offloaded there

Both teams throwing me into the breakdown and both making errors, hence the 3 - 3 scoreline

Wales need to cut back on the errors and try to exploit the positions they get into

Also, George North is having his worst game in a welsh shirt

Barrett is having an absolute shocker, he ruins every All Black attack.

Gatland said in the week he was expecting Barrett to play,

I think this defensive gameplan has been designed to target Barrett and the AB offloading game, and it is working really well,

Meanwhile NZ are throwing numbers into the breakdown and slowing Welsh ball,

as a result, neither team has had a real try scoring opportunity

Barrett was their best option so guess it's obvious. I did allude to it quite early in the thread, than NZ with all due respect may be in a sort of fly-half crisis.

Wish Wayne Barnes would grow a pair, Wales offside everytime and off feet. Nz off feet and lazy rolling away. And he bottled it big time on that scrum when Wales hit reverse

I knew it wouldn't be long before the offside accusations start. Every single year without fail.

Damn it, just what we didn't want.

Have no idea how NZ got that back though

Not sure what Leigh was thinking there, leave it to the forwards.

woohoo..do not give Savea space.

What the hell was Halfpenny thinking there?

The Saint wrote:Barrett was their best option so guess it's obvious. I did allude to it quite early in the thread, than NZ with all due respect may be in a sort of fly-half crisis.

Barret is there because Hansen was always going to start Cruden v England, Carter v Scotland and Barett v Wales to give all 3 a start.. Barrett continues to prove his best position is not 10.

YEEEESSSSSS!

The Saint wrote:I knew it wouldn't be long before the offside accusations start. Every single year without fail.

Sorry my bad, forgot we're not allowed to criticize Wales!!

NICE!

Taylorman wrote:

The Saint wrote:Barrett was their best option so guess it's obvious. I did allude to it quite early in the thread, than NZ with all due respect may be in a sort of fly-half crisis.

Barret is there because Hansen was always going to start Cruden v England, Carter v Scotland and Barett v Wales to give all 3 a start.. Barrett continues to prove his best position is not 10.

Fair enough, but concentrating on the 3 for now; Carter always injured, Cruden in poor-ish form, Slade below average. Fair or no?

Knackeredknees wrote:

The Saint wrote:I knew it wouldn't be long before the offside accusations start. Every single year without fail.

Sorry my bad, forgot we're not allowed to criticize Wales!!

Even it was 606 legislation not to it would still happen. We hear the offside accusations in every single game, you'd think world rugby would have something about it by now!

Webb is having a stormer, unlucky the penalty went against him then - but his tackle count must be awesome

Handbags.

Wales doing all right so far.

Wales have really got Barrett figured out. But the fact we always get away with 80 minutes of offside play in every game lends a slight helping hand.

The Saint wrote:

Taylorman wrote:

The Saint wrote:Barrett was their best option so guess it's obvious. I did allude to it quite early in the thread, than NZ with all due respect may be in a sort of fly-half crisis.

Barret is there because Hansen was always going to start Cruden v England, Carter v Scotland and Barett v Wales to give all 3 a start.. Barrett continues to prove his best position is not 10.

Fair enough, but concentrating on the 3 for now; Carter always injured, Cruden in poor-ish form, Slade below average. Fair or no?

Cruden has masterminded most of our wins this year. He was good against England and Oz and will be there next year. Forget DC. Slade is actually in top form but hasn't played 10 enough.

The Saint wrote:Wales have really got Barrett figured out. But the fact we always get away with 80 minutes of offside play in every game lends a slight helping hand.

Slade will prob come on for Barrett. I hope.

Taylorman wrote:

The Saint wrote:

Taylorman wrote:

The Saint wrote:Barrett was their best option so guess it's obvious. I did allude to it quite early in the thread, than NZ with all due respect may be in a sort of fly-half crisis.

Barret is there because Hansen was always going to start Cruden v England, Carter v Scotland and Barett v Wales to give all 3 a start.. Barrett continues to prove his best position is not 10.

Fair enough, but concentrating on the 3 for now; Carter always injured, Cruden in poor-ish form, Slade below average. Fair or no?

Cruden has masterminded most of our wins this year. He was good against England  and Oz and will be there next year. Forget DC. Slade is actually in top form but hasn't played 10 enough.

Perhaps unfair on Cruden then, but when I've seen him play he's had a bad day at the boot.

Anyway we're going to lose this now, MP is on.

Well done Webb. Strong showing. And back his mouth up! top effort.

Ball and Lydiate had massive games, not so sure their replacements can keep the intensity as high.

North at fault there. I also thought that was slightly held up.

Well done North only had to stay on his man

Injury is a bit of a blessing in disguise there... Hope st George is okay though. A game to forget for him.

Slade and Barrett figured heavily there. Slade should be goalkicking. Geez I'll be glad when we are back to the one 10.

McCaw was a bit daft there. Roberts is having a stormer in attack and defence.