Summer Tours - Wal V Nz / Eng V Aus / Ire V Sa / Fra V Arg / Sco V Jap / Ita V Can, USA

First topic message reminder :

All fun and games coming up.  I'm a bit worried for Wales as their tour to New Zealand actually takes place at the same time as the France Top 14 finishes.  They have a quarter finals meaning the top 8 teams participate.   The Quarter finals are played on the 11th of June, the Semis on the 18th of June, and the final on the 24th of June.  I'm not sure if the French season runs into the international window or the International season starts early.  

The English Aviva Premiership final will be on the 28th of May, one day before the Wales and England game.


Summer tours:

Wales:
29 May / Sunday / England V Wales - Twickenham
11 June / Saturday / New Zealand V Wales - Auckland
14 June / Tuesday / Waikato V Wales - Wellington Hamilton
18 June / Saturday / New Zealand V Wales - Welington
25 June / Saturday / New Zealand V Wales - Dunedin

England:
29 May / Sunday / England V Wales - Twickenham
11 June / Saturday / Australia V England - Brisbane
18 June / Saturday / Australia V England - Melbourne
25 June / Saturday / Australia V England - Sydney

Ireland:
11 June / Saturday / South Africa V Ireland - Cape Town
18 June / Saturday / South Africa V Ireland - Johannesburg
25 June / Saturday / South Africa V Ireland - Port Elizabeth

France:
18 June / Saturday /  Argentina V France
25 June / Saturday / Argentina V France

Italy:
18 June / Saturday / USA V Italy - California
26 June / Sunday / Canada V Italy - Ontario

Scotland:
18 June / Saturday / Japan V Scotland
25 June / Saturday / Japan V Scotland

As usual Wales, Ireland, and England opt to take on tough tours, with three international matches.  Scotland and Italy sticking to their usual Tier B tour, with France also opting for a two match tour of Argentina.

GunsGerms wrote:Well fingers crossed. A win v NZ would be epic.

Absolutely, and I hope they do it. Outside of watching Scotland, that narrow defeat by the ABs suffered by Ireland a couple of seasons ago was one of my most painful rugby watching experiences in recent times. Here's to hoping that Best, Healy and O'Brien can recapture that sort of form for the Lions next year.

GunsGerms wrote:Anyone else think Wales will win one test?

Nope.
Dan Biggar thinks they have a fablous chance though.

GunsGerms wrote:Anyone else think Wales will win one test?

Yes - the first test on 11 June.

The England match will be a handy warm-up. NZ won't have had any games.

New combos, squad.

The perfect, perfect time for Gatland to finally win an away SH match with his own players.

And it'll be a nice psychological blow for when he brings the Lions back the following year.

New Zealand simply don't lose to Wales, it would be their most humiliating result since the 1940's when they lost to Zimbabwe!

funnyExiledScot wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Well fingers crossed. A win v NZ would be epic.

Absolutely, and I hope they do it. Outside of watching Scotland, that narrow defeat by the ABs suffered by Ireland a couple of seasons ago was one of my most painful rugby watching experiences in recent times. Here's to hoping that Best, Healy and O'Brien can recapture that sort of form for the Lions next year.

Painful??? I thought it was sheer majic.

Pot Hale wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Anyone else think Wales will win one test?

Yes - the first test on 11 June.

The England match will be a handy warm-up.   NZ won't have had any games.

New combos, squad.

The perfect, perfect time for Gatland to finally win an away SH match with his own players.  

And it'll be a nice psychological blow for when he brings the Lions back the following year.

I really cannot see Wales beating New Zealand on New Zealand soil.

And using the England game as a "WARM UP" for the first test against New Zealand will imop have no bearing on the way Wales will play in the first test


And Gatand being in charge of the Lions in 2017? That is a big question mark? Every one thou8ght that Wales would beat England in the 6ns based on the fact that Wales beat England in the RWC. It did not happen in this years 6ns as we know. So why you think Wales will beat New Zealand in the first test, is i'm affraid a bit of a pipe dream.

majesticimperialman wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Anyone else think Wales will win one test?

Yes - the first test on 11 June.

The England match will be a handy warm-up.   NZ won't have had any games.

New combos, squad.

The perfect, perfect time for Gatland to finally win an away SH match with his own players.  

And it'll be a nice psychological blow for when he brings the Lions back the following year.

I really cannot see Wales beating New Zealand on New Zealand soil.

And using the England game as a "WARM UP" for the first test against New Zealand will imop have no bearing on the way Wales will play in the first test


And Gatand being in charge of the Lions in 2017? That is a big question mark? Every one thou8ght that Wales would beat England in the 6ns based on the fact that Wales beat England in the RWC. It did not happen in this years 6ns as we know. So why you think Wales will beat New Zealand in the first test, is i'm affraid a bit of a pipe dream.

Well we won't be as bad as no try England when you lot failed in NZ You can have the next few wins against Wales, stuffing you in the World Cup will last a lifetime and linger in history for just as long:)

rainbow-warrior wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Anyone else think Wales will win one test?

Yes - the first test on 11 June.

The England match will be a handy warm-up.   NZ won't have had any games.

New combos, squad.

The perfect, perfect time for Gatland to finally win an away SH match with his own players.  

And it'll be a nice psychological blow for when he brings the Lions back the following year.

I really cannot see Wales beating New Zealand on New Zealand soil.

And using the England game as a "WARM UP" for the first test against New Zealand will imop have no bearing on the way Wales will play in the first test


And Gatand being in charge of the Lions in 2017? That is a big question mark? Every one thou8ght that Wales would beat England in the 6ns based on the fact that Wales beat England in the RWC. It did not happen in this years 6ns as we know. So why you think Wales will beat New Zealand in the first test, is i'm affraid a bit of a pipe dream.

Well we won't be as bad as no try England when you lot failed in NZ  You can have the next few wins against Wales, stuffing you in the World Cup will last a lifetime and linger in history for just as long:)

Well when have you lot ever won a game against New Zealand in New Zealand? eh when?

New Zealand 4.4 million.
Wales 3.06 million

ENGLAND 53 million

You beat NZ four more than Wales but you played them 10 times more than Wales.

Something to be very proud of hahaha

rainbow-warrior wrote:New Zealand 4.4 million.
Wales 3.06 million

ENGLAND 53 million

You beat NZ four more than Wales but you played them 10 times more than Wales.

Something to be very proud of hahaha

At least we have beat them. ( both home and away ) which is more than Wales have done.

And yes i am proud of that. hahahaha

majesticimperialman wrote:

rainbow-warrior wrote:New Zealand 4.4 million.
Wales 3.06 million

ENGLAND 53 million

You beat NZ four more than Wales but you played them 10 times more than Wales.

Something to be very proud of hahaha

At least we have beat them. ( both home and away ) which is more than Wales have done.

And yes i am proud of that. hahahaha

Our low achieving neighbours

rainbow-warrior wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:

rainbow-warrior wrote:New Zealand 4.4 million.
Wales 3.06 million

ENGLAND 53 million

You beat NZ four more than Wales but you played them 10 times more than Wales.

Something to be very proud of hahaha

At least we have beat them. ( both home and away ) which is more than Wales have done.

And yes i am proud of that. hahahaha

Our low achieving neighbours

I think you will fi9nd England have achieved more than Wales have.

Like winning a RUGBY WORLD CUP FOR ONE THING.

Have a day off you pair. It's pathetic.

Shifty wrote:
As usual Wales, Ireland, and England opt to take on tough tours, with three international matches.  Scotland and Italy sticking to their usual Tier B tour, with France also opting for a two match tour of Argentina.

Shifty - I'm sure that Scotland would rather be playing a SANZAR nation than Japan, but Scotland is not a preferred opposition for them.

The SH nations choose whom they want to play. It's not a question of Scotland or Italy "sticking to their usual Tier B tour". Not everyone gets a choice.

And has been pointed out above, you can take a view as to whether England, Ireland and Wales are "braver" or simply elected for greater financial remuneration through increased ticket sales and television rights that comes from playing top 5 sides. I am going to stab wildly in the dark that the latter did factor into their thinking.

If its anything like how the AI games were decided then it's nothing to do with opting to take tough tours.

When Wales were low in the ranking they only played 1 of the big 3 in the Autumn series in the approved window as that's all the rankings warranted and they had to play so called 'lesser' teams.

Who is it that decides who tours which country?

Why do the NH teams have too tour the SH on the summer tour.

And do these tour effect the world ranking points? or are they described as friendleys?.

majesticimperialman wrote:Who is it that decides who tours which country?

Why do the NH teams have too tour the SH on the summer tour.

And do these tour effect the world ranking points? or are they described as friendleys?.

Regardless of spelling, friendlies?? All tours are test matches

rainbow-warrior wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:Who is it that decides who tours which country?

Why do the NH teams have too tour the SH on the summer tour.

And do these tour effect the world ranking points? or are they described as friendleys?.

Regardless of spelling, friendlies??  All tours are test matches

Does that include any international matches ( OUT SIDE OF THE ) international window.

Yes, it includes games outside of the International window. Basically any capped game is a test match.

The only "friendlies" are where at least one team is not fielding a full, cap-earning international team. That happens most often on long tours when a tourist XV will play a local sub-international side, as when teams play the NZ Maori or Emerging Springboks.

majesticimperialman wrote:Who is it that decides who tours which country?

Why do the NH teams have too tour the SH on the summer tour.

And do these tour effect the world ranking points? or are they described as friendleys?.

These tours were decided years in advance, Scotland's were actually organised by Andy Robinson, who felt a mix of touring Tier 1 and Tier 2 countries were better for Scotland. I think they normally go in 8 year sections when they announce the world cup hosting countries.

Cuthbert is ruled out of the Wales tour. I breathed a sigh of relief upon reading it.

mikey_dragon wrote:Cuthbert is ruled out of the Wales tour. I breathed a sigh of relief upon reading it.

Speaking of wingers, I see that Milner-Skudder has a bad shoulder dislocation which will need surgery and render him ineligible for the Wales tour.

As well as a lot of Super Rugby, obviously. Add Nadolo stuggling for fitness and and the wings are looking like Corey Jane and someone like George Osbourne (the latter of which is an animal in his own right).

This could actually be just what Cuthbert needs. He hasn't been on song for ages and a summer off / away from rugby might do him the world of good. He's been criticised so heavily (not without reason) and there are clear weaknesses to his game, but let's not forget he was a Lion not long ago, and scoring tries in big games.

Having said that, if he starts next season poorly and still walks into the side for the AIs...

mikey_dragon wrote:Cuthbert is ruled out of the Wales tour. I breathed a sigh of relief upon reading it.

Just read that Tipuiric is ruled out for the rest of the season. It is a shame i actually like Tipuric.

majesticimperialman wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Cuthbert is ruled out of the Wales tour. I breathed a sigh of relief upon reading it.

Just read that Tipuiric is ruled out for the rest of the season. It is a shame i actually like Tipuric.

I think he's overrated. Moriarty is next in line and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in action.

Injuries will happen and some are a the proverbial blessing in disguise.

Even if not injured then some of the bigger names should be rested given the summer off etc then you could mix a few new faces in with a majority experienced squad.

Like you MD, I really hope Moriarty gets a good run be it at 6 or 8, he brings something different to our backrow that we currently don't have.

Moriarty would probably do well at 7 as well.

mikey_dragon wrote:Moriarty would probably do well at 7 as well.

In place of Warburton you mean?

In place of Tipuric.

mikey_dragon wrote:In place of Tipuric.

I'd go along with that Mikey and would be worth giving it a go at least.

Yeah I agree I thought Moriarty was great against Italy, and the back row looked aggressive and abrasive with Moriarty at 7, and Lydiate at 6, a nice balance.