6 NATIONS - WALES V ITALY - 11/03/18

WALES V ITALY

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 11 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT

Coverage: Live on BBC One Wales & S4C, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary.

Wales: L Williams, North, Watkin, Parkes, S Evans; Anscombe, G Davies; Smith, Dee, Francis, Hill, B Davies, Tipuric, J Davies, Faletau (capt).

Replacements: Owens, R Evans, Lee, S Davies, Jenkins, A Davies, Patchell, Halfpenny.

10 changes! really?

Looks like it was down to me to create a match day thread about this important game.

On Mothers day too, how many of you will have to miss this because of that!

Poor Tight. He's a'gonna get bullied.

SecretFly wrote:Poor Tight.  He's a'gonna get bullied.

I think he enjoys it really.

lostinwales wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Poor Tight.  He's a'gonna get bullied.

I think he enjoys it really.

Me too

TightHEAD wrote:Looks like it was down to me to create a match day thread about this important game.

On Mothers day too, how many of you will have to miss this because of that!

The gift to my mum and my wife for mother’s day, is that I’m taking my dad to the wales match giving them peace and quiet

I can’t see why Gats has made these changes. Make at least 3 yes, not wholesale changes as that never works.

No Alun Wyn Jones? Interesting.

mikey_dragon wrote:I can’t see why Gats has made these changes. Make at least 3 yes, not wholesale changes as that never works.

Completely agree. We see time and time again in the AIs that wholesale changes for Wales (it doesn't seem to affect others as much) results in poor performance and very narrow wins or losses to teams the bookies think we should beat more comfortably (being very careful with my words here before the trolls jump on me!).

I've read many comments on the BBC website about Wales being disrespectful. I think that's going a bit far. I do think we've written off this tournament now as there's no way of winning and are looking to the future, i.e. the World Cup. For once we're actually looking like we've got some depth. That's been forced on us because of the injuries going into the tournament. But having the likes of Faletau, Tips, Bradley Davies, etc. waiting in the wings for a chance is a relatively new position for us of late. We used to be so threadbare that we'd have to start out of form players like Roberts and Cuthbert. No we have some players on the bench that you want to see come on!

Anyway, I hope that's the last I post of this thread. Fingers crossed! Difficult not to though. We'll see. Enjoy all

majesticimperialman wrote:No Alun Wyn Jones? Interesting.

There's rumours going round that he's transferring to the England squad for the rest of his career. Eddie Jones approached the WRU and they've given it the green light.

1) Thanks Gats for completely screwing up my Fantasy Rugby Team
2) This number of changes is surely rarely a good idea? Gats has done this before during AIs against weaker teams and the side has struggled to gain any fluency.

All of a sudden this feels like a game that will be a lot closer than the 40 point margin I was previousley expectying.

Eight tries to Wales and a good few penalties.

I'm not sure about the make up of the front 5, but all have been in the 23 so far this 6N, but I think its an exciting team from there back.

Definitely a lightweight back row, which the Italians may target, but lots of ball playing ability and turnovers there.

I would have preferred Patchell and then Owen Williams at 12 with Scott at 13 than those selected, but what an exciting back 3!

I have a feeling this is a car crash waiting to happen, 10 changes is just too many to expect any continuity and to build on the things Wales have done well this term.

If I had paid £60plus a ticket to watch a 2nd string team I'd be a bit fed up, at least the women's game might be worth watching.

Are these optional for this game on Mothering Sunday?

Ten changes on paper, but then you can balance that with things like most people have wanted Williams at 15. North would probably have started this game anyway, as he made a positive impression v Ireland. Scott Williams hasn’t been great this tournament and all season. Anscombe probably deserved to start v Ireland, so could now possibly be considered first choice like North. Dee deserves a chance to start. Francis has been in good form supposedly. Tipuric and Davies both deserve a chance to show what they can do (especially Davies) and Faletau is Faletau and was always going to be back to first choice at the earliest opportunity.

I don’t agree with the balance of the backrow, but I can see why certain things have been done. Tipuric is apparently able to do the dirty work, so it might work

I’ll be there anyway. Can’t turn down a complimentary.

The Oracle wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:No Alun Wyn Jones? Interesting.

There's rumours going round that he's transferring to the England squad for the rest of his career.  Eddie Jones approached the WRU and they've given it the green light.

'rest of his career' could be 5 more minutes

Surprising to see Faletau as captain. I'm not sure that's a great choice; despite being a world class player, I'm don't think he's the man you want talking with the referee. The days of chest thumping captains are becoming a thing of the past, but I still think you need a confident communicator. Hopefully it's a minor, and ultimately incidental, point, but I would have thought Hadleigh Parkes would have made a much better captain - in terms of seniority and how he's qualified, I can see why that hasn't happened.

I think Watkin should be at 12 as that's his position, and where he is best suited. Seems Parkes is first choice 12 now, followed by Scott, and then Watkin. 13 is JD2, Scott, and then Watkin - he's not moving Parkes from the 12 shirt. Quite a statement - can't say he doesn't deserve the shirt though.

Tipuric is surprisingly good at the hard graft in the tight. It is, however, a lightweight back-row. This seems to be as much a 3-way shootout between Jenkins, Tipuric, and James Davies as anything else - if Davies doesn't perform, unforunately I can see him getting discarded, particularly if Jenkins plays well coming off the bench.

Think Patchell is hugely unlucky with the way he's been treated this campaign. That said, it's up to him to leapfrog Anscombe again with his performances on the field.

Can't really argue with any of the changes in and of themselves. The 3/4s look lethal. 10-12-13 needs to function, potential weakness there. No problem with the pack, and the replacements are all good. Not a huge risk, really - a number of first team players are part of these 10 changes. Only weakness is the inside backs for me.

SecretFly wrote:Eight tries to Wales and a good few penalties.

  Maybe if they had not made too many changes..... But i think it will close/er game to be honest.

Looks a very exciting team to me. Can’t wait

Can someone tell me a bit about watkin? Have heard his name mentioned but don't think I have ever seen him play

carpet baboon wrote:Can someone tell me a bit about watkin? Have heard his name mentioned but don't think I have ever seen him play

Very good player, and I haven’t noticed anything particularly bad about his game. I also think he is best suited to 13 as he is similar toJD2, plus everyone is picking the second five-eight at 12 now yeah?

maestegmafia wrote:Looks a very exciting team to me. Can’t wait

That's funny, the Italians said the same thing, only in Italian!

Nugget is right.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43322886

TightHEAD wrote:Nugget is right.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43322886

Total rubbish...

This is now a squad game not a 15 or 23 man game. You have to rotate the team, especially when you have a 6 day turn round before the final weekend.

Its not as if he has put up a "second" string side. Every player bar one has been capped, and they have all played their part in this years 6 Nations Squad. Gats is using his squad, not being disrespectful.

If the Italians see this side as disrespectful, then they are the ones being disrespectful. They are disrespecting Wales strength in depth, which at last we seem to have found.

Think Nugget is just throwing out sound bites, showing the media people he is "here" as he'l; be after a new job soon, with the BBC losing the Pro14.. (which is another story... and a very bad decision IMO )

Not a lot of chat about this game seeing as every Welshmanperson I've talk too this week are really enthusiastic about it.

Tighthead is now the honorary Italian supporter for this thread for the Welsh to shout at!

I don't think we have any Italian supports on this forum do we? I hope to be corrected!

tigertattie wrote:Tighthead is now the honorary Italian supporter for this thread for the Welsh to shout at!

I don't think we have any Italian supports on this forum do we? I hope to be corrected!  

Shout at?

No9 wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:Nugget is right.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43322886

Total rubbish...

Agreed.

That team Gatland's picked isn't particularly weak. With RWC seedings now secured, and the 6Ns title gone with Stockdale's poach at the death, all eyes - at least for the last two games - will be on drumming the mantras of accuracy, skills, fitness etc. into everyone who is likely to be going to Japan in 18 months' time.

I don't think there any loads of positions nailed down - perhaps Rob Evans, Ken Owens, AWJ, Warburton, Faletau and JD2 are guaranteed starters, but there's finally some decent competition in every position, even if it's just coming from one back-up (1, 3, 15 etc.).

I don't think it's disrespectful to Italy; this team hasn't been picked with the intention of saying 'we're going to score four tries against you with our reserves'. Not only are many of those 10 changes first team players, but I think it's a challege to the Welsh playes above all else - forget the bonus point, we want to see how you perform under pressure. Go out and win the game in front of your home crowd however you can.

It's a sink or swim selection. Don't forget how Gatland has discarded older players just before World Cups - Hibbard, Phillips etc. in '15; Martyn Williams in '11. Games like this, and against Georgia in the autumn, seem to have a longer-term bearing on Gatland's thoughts than they may appear to in the short term.

The Oracle wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Tighthead is now the honorary Italian supporter for this thread for the Welsh to shout at!

I don't think we have any Italian supports on this forum do we? I hope to be corrected!  

Shout at?

sorry, I meant type at!

tigertattie wrote:Tighthead is now the honorary Italian supporter for this thread for the Welsh to shout at!

I don't think we have any Italian supports on this forum do we? I hope to be corrected!  

England and Scotland will be Italian supporters on Sunday.

And you'll be supporting Scotland and France, mikey. We all like the maths when this time of year comes around.
So how does it go overall?

Wales, England, France and Scotland will be supporting Scotland
Wales, Ireland and Scotland will be supporting France
England will be supporting England
Ireland will be supporting Ireland

SecretFly wrote:And you'll be supporting Scotland and France, mikey.  We all like the maths when this time of year comes around.
So how does it go overall?

Wales, England, France and Scotland will be supporting Scotland
Wales, Ireland and Scotland will be supporting France
England will be supporting England
Ireland will be supporting Ireland

I won't be supporting Scotland, thank you very much. I will be supporting Ireland. So there!

Ha! Ha! Welcome to the fan club Oracle. It's not a pleasant place to be though. Too much defending, not enough attacking is the usual mantra of the usual supporter.

My other half's Scottish, but I'd probably be supporting Scotland anyway.

That's okay Luckless.  No problemo.  *getting out my little black book of vengeance and putting Luckless Pedestrian's name down in bold*.  No problemo at all.  

I’ll support the ref, in the interests of balance.

Okay Risca.  That's you down for Scotland too then

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:My other half's Scottish, but I'd probably be supporting Scotland anyway.

Everyone apart form the other team (and orcale) usually supports us. It's coz we give folk whisky I'm sure of it!

SecretFly wrote:Okay Risca.  That's you down for Scotland too then  

Fiiiiiiiine

Anybody watching the U20s? Probably going to be pretty similar to tomorrow, I guess. Big Italian pack and Wales trying to keep the ball on field and alive (no scrums etc).

Good to see a game of rugby in Wales on FTA tv though.

RiscaGame wrote:Anybody watching the U20s? Probably going to be pretty similar to tomorrow, I guess. Big Italian pack and Wales trying to keep the ball on field and alive (no scrums etc).

Good to see a game of rugby in Wales on FTA tv though.

No I’m not watching as I refuse to watch anything free. Unless I’m contributing I ain’t watching!

Hopefully Babos will be on in a minute.

This game could be very interesting, Wales ( Need to win) to prove that they are not taking Italy for granted. 

Italy (Need to win) to make a statement that making soooooooo many changes for the Game, may not have been a good idea in the first place.

On paper Wales should win.....But the game is not being played on paper is it.

Christ.

Whoops!

That is a pretty decent under twenties team Italy have there

Wales were terrible though. I’m glad Italy won, as I did think Wales were going to scrape a fortunate win. Some of the things Wales did (like touching the line out jumper in the air) were stupid and gave Italy better field position to use their driving line out.

Wales U20s tried to force it too much. I turned on at 0-8 and it looked like pretty much all wales’ possession from there on in, the last 5 minutes aside. We just went for the miracle offload a bit too much. So many knock ons (I appreciate it was pouring with rain).

My fear for the seniors on Sunday is that they try to do similar and force it too much. Lots of players being told to go out and express themselves and try to put their hands up for the World Cup, plus a lack of familiarity with new combos. That’s what tends to happen in the AIs, stuff doesn’t go smoothly, players get frustrated and flustered, the opposition sense this and this gives them confidence, and then it’s an arm wrestle and backs-to-the-wall rugby and the game plan goes out the window. We’ll need a couple of early scores to settle us. But if Italy get a few early on, and they’re not having any problem scoring tries this tournament, then this could be a very uncomfortable game.

I hope those young and talented under 20s Italians make it through to their full international side