Wales vs NZ

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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)

bedfordwelsh wrote:Fly,

I agree guess the WRU don't have any principles

The WRU didn't pay, they negotiated.

The WRU have always got on well with the French clubs. They are willing to negotiate and see how important playing for Wales for their players.

maestegmafia wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:Fly,

I agree guess the WRU don't have any principles

The WRU didn't pay, they negotiated.

The WRU have always got on well with the French clubs. They are willing to negotiate and see how important playing for Wales for their players.

I'm sure it still involved a buck or two... The French clubs didn't get rich by giving handouts.

For all the bravery of Wales performance in a massive defensive display what was there game plan.?
They shut down the All Blacks,hustled them,forced errors but what then?they created little and then.

Despite briefly leading lost comprehensively,the sapping effort of 65 minutes defending despite
using the field as a casualty ward.

Was never going to be enough vs this NZ side when they went thru the gears Barrett had an error strewn
game.Then everything he touched turned to gold,his goalkicking was weird the harder kicks straight
in front of the posts he kicked.

Those wide out he missed just as he and Cruden did in the other matches NZ have 5 test class 10`s
3 are when fit/in form outstandinggoalkickers.

This year and especially post RC games once tournament was wrapped up was about trying things,
blooding players,trying combinations.

They now have a squad of say 50 players fighting for 31 places,with one or two players returning
from overseas plus long term injured.

They are planning for worst case scenarios in the RWC.yellow cards,refs decisions against them
injuries.Treating just getting out of the group stage,as important as winning it taking nothing
for granted.

Hansen may be offered a 2 yearextension as coach pre RWC which would help with both RWC
and the inevitable.Decline as the spine retires and new players are fed in.

The Saint wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:Fly,

I agree guess the WRU don't have any principles

The WRU didn't pay, they negotiated.

The WRU have always got on well with the French clubs. They are willing to negotiate and see how important playing for Wales for their players.

I'm sure it still involved a buck or two... The French clubs didn't get rich by giving handouts.

After the fuss Toulon have made of late I can't see them doing nothing fro free.

The Saint wrote:

ebop wrote:ABs v Wales player ratings

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11363508

Love the ratings of our subs, and they're spot on. Roberts was probably 7 or 8 going by that criteria.

7 for Halfpenny seriously, that try he let in was basic school boy error and never let the ball bounce, glad they at least recognise Lydiates contribution and how we lost shape when he went off.

emack2 wrote:For all the bravery of Wales performance in a massive defensive display what was there game plan.?
They shut down the All Blacks,hustled them,forced errors but what then?they created little

Exactly right. We had so much ball and territory in the first half but because we have no cutting edge, we had little to show for it. After all these years with this coaching team, we still don't offer much beyond bish, bash, bosh. Look at how the Springboks have developed under Heyneke Meyer. They're still formidable up front but they can beat you out wide too. I see no such development from Gatland, or should that be Howley.

Although it was encouraging to see Wales defend pretty well for much of the match, it's hard to ignore the facts of the match. We created little, made few yards in attack and lacked a ball carrier. We managed only 2 offloads all match. In the last 10 minutes we tired mentally and the gulf in basic skill was significant. You aren't going to beat the best team in the world losing at least 6 line outs and getting penalised at scrum. 5 try's to 1 is hardly snatching defeat from victory.

Plodding around for 80 minutes during your average dire pro 12 game is hardly preparation for test match rugby.

I hope this week for the SA game we practise line outs and lots and lots of basic skills.

Basic skills seem at a premium these days we have gym monkeys but very few players with rugby brains.

I don't think the All Blacks got out off 2nd gear.

So frustrating that they are still able to blow NH teams away just by turning up.

Well done to both teams. It's interesting how badly Barrett played at 10 (still static) in comparison to how well he played at 15. The kicking strategy was going ok but not great guns in the first half but paid dividends in the second. Maybe it's not a case of NZ's kicking game finally "clicking" rather faith that their attacking strategy would pay off being rewarded.

My first time at the MS. Amazing-got emotional hearing the singing all right. Great that the Angel Hotel is still going-a choir sang there before the game too. Awesome to have a beer where Murdoch smacked that security guard over-it's in NZ rugby folklore.

Webb did well as did Roberts but man Savea was a brute. In a game where Welsh defence stifled well he always made yards. Was touching cloth with 15 to go but the effort Wales put in was starting to tell. You're in a conundrum as a Kiwi though. Part of you wants to panic as time's running out but another part of you knows that this is the time that NZ are unmatched. They might not win the WC next year but they are putting the stepping stones in place that's for sure.

But I don't think the most significant part of the test was mentioned and one that will have repercussions for rugby the world over.

The Hoff.

Got the real MOM for me. Must be about 90 and still going - shame he wasn't allowed to do the singing.

There'll come a time when Dai Hoff does some singing, I expect.

Okay...I'm ready for the Wales v South Africa thread now

Oh it's up. Sorry, carry on