Wales v The BaBaas! ! !

Just had a look and cannot find it on the tv (sky sports bbc)etc,it maybe on my2p2 or what ever it is called.

But i was just wandering how are Wales and the Welsh pubic viewing this game? are they seeing it as a must win game for Wales, or are they treating it as an another warm up game before the RWC.

Before last weeks game England v the BaBaas i thought it would be the full England team with the odd fringe player being given a go,but when i saw it was mainly the England Saxons and was not even being seen as an international(No caps beiing handed out.)

With England only just loosing to the BaBaas, are Wales seeing this as a must win game?

your thoughts.

Its on BBC2 Wales at 2.00pm... if you can find it. Judging by ticket sales this is how most welsh public are viewing it

Just had a look cannot find it.

It's definitely there Maj, got it booked in. BBC 2 Wales. The programme's called Scrum V Live, 2pm.

Just to add I'm treating this as a trial game. Loads of youngsters and inexperience so not expecting too much. However, the Baa Baas are just thrown together too, but their experience is much greater.

I'm expecting lots of mistakes as players try to get to terms with new set moves and patterns of play in a short space of time. From both sides.

I'm looking for individual performances, e.g. Faletau, Bevington at prop, Phillips to find some form, etc. A win would be great but a loss would not be the end of the world for me.

Griff unless Welsh treat it as a proper test match they will fail.

Nugget v Warbs, Iestyn v Bev. two big battles up front for Gatland to keep his eye on. I'm hoping Iestyn has a stormer. Most under rated Welsh player in the last 10 years. Pure grafter. Hope he makes the WC squad.

Stag, I do think Wales are treating it with the respect it deserves, and I'm sure that the players involved will want to win.

From a supporters point of view (well mine anyway) the result is second on my list of importance. Seeing how individuals/partnerships perform/develop is slightly more important for their potential impact on the forthcoming games.

I also believe that it's going to be difficult to make an assessment of where Wales really are in their preperation for the WC from this one particular game due to the fact the baa baas are a thrown together team as opposed to an established team!

majesticimperialman wrote:Just had a look cannot find it.

991 on sky?
here

I don't know where you're situated Maj, but if you're not getting BBC Two Wales maybe utilize the red button? That's what I'm having to do.

Given the RFU are handing out caps the Welsh public should view it as a full on test. The players should do likewise to make their case for selection in the RWC warm up games

The_Hound_of_Harrow wrote:Given the RFU are handing out caps the Welsh public should view it as a full on test. The players should do likewise to make their case for selection in the RWC warm up games

You mean the WRU?

Anyway, if the players don't take the game seriously well then they shouldn't be in there! Personally, I don't see how it being a capped test should make a difference to their attitude. They should be trying to do the best they can do regardless of caps.

Perhaps I don't agree with the WRU in that caps should be awarded.

Perhaps, if caps weren't awarded then it would be more of a carrott for the players to put their hands up in order to get a cap in a "proper" test? But then that contradicts what I said earlier in that they should be trying their best regardless!

I just don't think the result is the be all and end all of this game.

As a long-time Wales supporter, I can well understand why ticket sales are poor.
But there's a bit more riding on this Barbarians game than usual because it's a world cup year. In particular, we want to see how the back row gels - excellent players as individuals, they need to do it as a unit.
The Henson thing is a side issue, because if he doesn't play well, Wales will just carry on with the options they already have.

I tried getting tickets through the WRU site and it showed that most of the tickets had sold out and the only ones were high up or in the corners ?? . Load of Bollux. In the end I gave up.

Anyway it's going to be hot today so I'll watch it on TV with a cool drink 8)

Im just hoping that the players improve on their form, or refined it.

If the backrow does well, Henson finds some form and Phillips magically transforms into a cross between the 2009 Mike Phillips and the 2005 Dwayne Peel then I will be happy (I know I am being optimistic with the last bit... )

As long as they fight to the end and put in a good performance then I wont mind if the BaaBaas sneak it. (after all they beat England and have had a week more practice since then)

Stag, if Gatland was treating this as a proper test them he'd play the first choice squad, surely? But doing that you'll never find out about squad depth, injury options, etc. He's in a no win situation. Play the first team and people (like me) will complain that we have not looked at other options. What will be do if Adam Jones gets injured, etc. Play a possibles team and people complain that we're cheapening the cap. An A-team is one answer but right now we don't have one so games like this and the Fiji game in the autumn (bad memories) are the only places to experiment.

I'm sure the players are not thinking about losing. We were asked by the OP what we the welsh public thought was the main objective of the game and for me it is about getting answers about the suitability of some promising players to international rugby, possibly filling some vacant WC squad places, etc. For the players they'll be going for a win, obviously.

hopefully you will join in on the chat box during the game.

(it will be turned on after 2pm on the main forum page at the bottom)

Have checked all the channels above.will try red button later.

But i am on vigin media, dont know if red button will work.

majesticimperialman wrote:
But i am on vigin media.

You might have mentioned that earlier

myp2p Wal v BaaBaas

http://www.freefootball.org/rugby.php

Is the roof open? It's just started raining and it's blowing a gale here in Cardiff.

Cari wrote:Is the roof open? It's just started raining and it's blowing a gale here in Cardiff.

Oh oh dear... I just pegged clothes out... aaargggg

OOOOhhhhh, this site translates swear words... oh dear my bum!

ha! I think a few people would've been caught out - it was boiling this morning, sunny with blue sky... 8)

Why don't you watch on the BBC online if you live in Britain? Can you not use it then no? Also it's probably on S4C too.

It's not live on S4C as they are showing Eisteddfod all day.

Majesticimperialman. After 2.00 Try the red button on just normal BBC 1 as sometimes they do show Welsh Rugby although the problem with that is you may get Rick O Shea commentry but it's better than nowt. I live in England was going to have Virgin Media a few months ago but choose Sky as they dont have BBC Wales or S4C. Otherwise like the poster said watch it online on the BBC Rugby site.

I am enjoying the greedy Italian show on bbc2 Wales prior to scrum v. Off to Italy on my holidays tomorrow, two weeks cruising around Sardinia on a bike. Great food loads of wine and plenty of sunshine.

Anyhow...!

What is the Baabaas side, I can't find it?

The welsh team looks great, very exciting.

Barbarians: Isa Nacewa (Leinster and Fiji); Paul Sackey (Toulon and England), Seru Rabeni (La Rochelle and Fiji), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais Paris and France), Doug Howlett (Munster and New Zealand); Brock James (Clermont Auvergne), Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres Olympique and France); Iestyn Thomas (Scarlets and Wales), Sebastien Bruno (Toulon and France), Carl Hayman (Toulon and New Zealand), Iosefa Tekori (Castres Olympique and Samoa), Paul Tito (Cardiff Blues), Joe van Niekerk (Toulon and South Africa), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues and Wales), Sergio Parisse (captain, Stade Francais Paris and Italy).

Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso and Italy), Davit Kubriashvili (Toulon and Georgia), Erik Lund (Biarritz Olympique and Norway), George Smith (Toulon and Australia), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Willie Mason (Toulon), Benoit Baby (Clermont Auvergne and France).

Cari wrote:ha! I think a few people would've been caught out - it was boiling this morning, sunny with blue sky... 8)

Yeah I know, cut the grass before doing the washing! Rain hasn't hit The Valley of Swans and Ospreys yet!

What sort of crowd do you think will be there?
Hope they leave the roof open and the wet weather stays away...

Diolch Cymrogian mate, very good of you, been looking and couldn't find it through the swamp of articles on Henson's recall and Wellies century of caps.

That's a talented baa baas team.

I hope Lloyd Williams gets a good run, he is a fantastic prospect. A very abrasive pack against a very youthful welsh pack.

Really looking forward to a bit of imagination in the backs, let's hope the halfbacks can give them the opportunity.

The trials go on...!