Ospreys vs Blues - pro 12

True Raven wrote:Sorry MaestagMafia but I cannot agree that Biggar doesn't get a back line moving.  I've seen him do it many times for the O's down the years.

The issue lies with a crap gameplan that Gatland and Howley implement for Wales that has players running into contact with no offloading.  Once we change the style of play Biggar will cope just fine.  

And Ben John will never be anything more than a squad filler for he O's.  as soon as Fonotia arrives and Beck is at full fitness, Ben John becomes our fourth choice centre

miaow wrote:It is still Biggar, I agree, but only for now. Shouldn't rely on him until the next World Cup as automatic first choice, as I think Gatland has done time and again with some players, and new players often seem to stumble into the team by accident (perhaps one of his biggest flaws). The succession path has been really poor by Wales: they can't replicate NZ and play around with a few midfield options every few games, because they're not good enough to win, they don't have the talent pool. But the way they do blood youngsters, not throwing them in too deep before getting rid of them for ever, but slowly feeding them in, that's what Wales need to do. It's still sink or swim, if they're not good enough they aren't good enough: but there's a difference between throwing in a 19 year old because of an injury and then discarding him once he doesn't fit straight in, or has a nervy performance, and there's letting them get to the deep end by swimming through the shallow section first.

Ironically, the way in which Biggar understudied Stephen Jones for years (deservedly or not, as Gatland received a lot of criticism for Biggar being a seeming nailed on favourite over the likes of Hook and a few others 10s who were in better form) before being ignored for three years is the best way to do it (without the 3 year absence). Give them a shot starting in the smaller games (without the wholesale pack changes), keep them around the squad environment for a few series, from a young age so they become accustomed to it, and then drip feed them off the bench in the not-too-high-profile-bigger-games (Scotland, or at least historically, Italy, Argentina...again perhaps historically: at the very least not England, France, SANZAR etc). After that, he should be well placed to go toe to toe with Biggar. I see more to Davies' game than I ever have in Biggar, as good and effective as he is at the more pragmatic elements of playing 10 (kicking for territory, goal, not shirking the tackle, safe distribution, even the high contests are, for want of a better word, elbow grease as opposed to the speed of thought of an exciting footballing 10).

wayne wrote:

True Raven wrote:Sorry MaestagMafia but I cannot agree that Biggar doesn't get a back line moving.  I've seen him do it many times for the O's down the years.

The issue lies with a crap gameplan that Gatland and Howley implement for Wales that has players running into contact with no offloading.  Once we change the style of play Biggar will cope just fine.  

And Ben John will never be anything more than a squad filler for he O's.  as soon as Fonotia arrives and Beck is at full fitness, Ben John becomes our fourth choice centre

TR I think that is a bit harsh about Ben John, is he an International in the waiting? NO I don't think so, but he definitely showed me last night and against Ulster last week, he's as good as anyone in either of those teams, rotation is an excellent strategy and he is important to us in that regard

maestegmafia wrote:Watching Leinster vs Langers and neither are as impressive as Ospreys looked last two games.

Stone Motif wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Watching Leinster vs Langers and neither are as impressive as Ospreys looked last two games.

"I don't think we over-rate players in Wales".  That'd be the same Leinster that just annihilated you, yes?

Cardiff Dave wrote:Thoroughly battered after Fish got fingered.
Cardiff couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen it seemed.

Cardiff Dave wrote:Thoroughly battered after Fish got fingered.
Cardiff couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen it seemed.

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:Thoroughly battered after Fish got fingered.
Cardiff couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen it seemed.

Yeh Dan was done over like a kipper.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

wayne wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:Thoroughly battered after Fish got fingered.
Cardiff couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen it seemed.

Yeh Dan was done over like a kipper.

Stop it now or rather, "Fin".

maestegmafia wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:Thoroughly battered after Fish got fingered.
Cardiff couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen it seemed.

Cardiff didn't alter their defence to deal with the Ospreys offloading game.

maestegmafia wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Watching Leinster vs Langers and neither are as impressive as Ospreys looked last two games.

"I don't think we over-rate players in Wales".  That'd be the same Leinster that just annihilated you, yes?

Since when was an eleven point loss away from home at the RDS an annihilation?

Looking forward to reading your superlatives to describe the Dragons vs Scarlets result.

Stone Motif wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Watching Leinster vs Langers and neither are as impressive as Ospreys looked last two games.

"I don't think we over-rate players in Wales".  That'd be the same Leinster that just annihilated you, yes?

Since when was an eleven point loss away from home at the RDS an annihilation?

Looking forward to reading your superlatives to describe the Dragons vs Scarlets result.

Since you were 31-0 down before half time. You were done.

If you can find one superlative I've used regarding the Dragons in my posting history I will join your 'Ben John for Wales' campaign. I'm a realist thanks.

stone motif wrote:Eh? That Swansea midfield will be carved up like a roast dinner if Lee-Lo and Anscombe hit their straps. Shockingly one paced. As for a strong bench it'd have to be with pile of useless excrement of the scale of Baldwin sat on it. Lydiate wouldn't get in that Blues side.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:Thoroughly battered after Fish got fingered.
Cardiff couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen it seemed.

Cardiff didn't alter their defence to deal with the Ospreys offloading game.

Danny Wilson would've had a bird's eye view of Cardiff at tackle time. Needs to trawl through the footage of the game and put it right asap.

maestegmafia wrote:Wilson is a smart coach and I am sure he will put things right this week.

LordDowlais wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Wilson is a smart coach and I am sure he will put things right this week.

Yes. Cardiff will easily finish in the top 6 this season, at the the expense of either Connacht or Munster.

munkian wrote:No remark from PhillBB ?

mikey_dragon wrote:Blues should also start with some locks, rather than two flankers at second row. Saying that it must be a concern for Ospreys that Blues maul was pretty dominant with said extra flankers.

PhilBB wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Blues should also start with some locks, rather than two flankers at second row. Saying that it must be a concern for Ospreys that Blues maul was pretty dominant with said extra flankers.

The best locks - Hoeata and Earle - were not fit enough for the game.

PhilBB wrote:They can't sign new until Hoeata and Ma'afu are sorted. It looks like Hoeata is going to play down his contract at second team level, unfortunately.

The one plus of this performance is that Howley might pick very few Cardiff players for his Team Wales Crossfit Camp.

mikey_dragon wrote:

PhilBB wrote:They can't sign new until Hoeata and Ma'afu are sorted. It looks like Hoeata is going to play down his contract at second team level, unfortunately.

The one plus of this performance is that Howley might pick very few Cardiff players for his Team Wales Crossfit Camp.

Overseas player restrictions? What's the deal with Hoeata? He come over as a seasoned All Black and S15 player and didn't really cement his place - though he wasn't helped by injury and suspension. Ma'afu should have his contract ripped up now - supposedly he's not even fit enough for pub team rugby.