Welsh World Cup Squad...!

First topic message reminder :

Well votes have been cast, debate is still raging but I think everyone has had good opportunity to vote in the polls over who will play where and what the make up of the squad will be...

The Results are as follows.

Front Row Players

Gethin Jenkins
Paul James
Adam Jones
Craig Mitchell
Iestyn Thomas
Matthew Rees (Captain)
Richard Hibbard

Back Five Players

Bradley Davies
Luke Charteris
Alun Wynn Jones
Ryan Jones
Sam Warburton
Daniel Lydiate
Toby Faletau
Martyn Williams
Gareth Delve

Half Backs

Stephen Jones
James Hook
Rhys Priestland
Tavis Knoyle
Mike Phillips
Richie Rees

Outside Backs

Jamie Roberts
Jonathan Davies
Scott Williams
Shane Williams
George North
Leigh Halfpenny
Morgan Stoddard
Lee Byrne


Now the make up of that squad could alternate, more forwards less backs or more backs less forwards. More or less in certain areas.

I presume we will take a large number of back five players and players who have experience in different positions would be taken in preference to ones who have not.

Other Options that were close on the votes are:

Josh Turnbull
Lloyd Burns
Gavin Henson

welshy - I agree that Reggie was a very important cog in the Scarlets back line, however he missed chunks of last season injured and the back line continued to fire well. It is more a confidence (and to a point getting along) with the players in the team as opposed to individual brilliance being required.

Totallybiasedscarlet wrote:That footage proves two things:

1. Take a look at who played fly half in most of those games - Stephen Jones! He certainly did get his back line moving!

Actually watch more carefully and you will see that 90% of it is Rhys Priestland.

Totallybiasedscarlet wrote:2. It's a myth the Scarlets pack were well beaten last season. Leicester and the Ospreys gave us stuffings but apart from that our pack was very competetive and exemplified themselves in the loose.

The Pack was athletic, and when they had a top choice front row they were good, but the Scarlets were running out of props at the vital part of the season and really suffered because of that.

Maesteg - All the tries vrs USAP & Leicester were Stevo at fly half, as was the tries against the Blues (even though Priestland is wearing 10 at teh CCS, he was moved to fullback when Jones came on). That said I am at work so I can't check who was at fly half for the other tries (and my memory aint that good).

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Maesteg - All the tries vrs USAP & Leicester were Stevo at fly half, as was the tries against the Blues (even though Priestland is wearing 10 at teh CCS, he was moved to fullback when Jones came on). That said I am at work so I can't check who was at fly half for the other tries (and my memory aint that good).

Yes they were but if you look carefully they were with Priestland coming into the line at first receiver and adding pace.

Might work well for Wales to have Priestland at fullback???

maestegmafia wrote:

Totallybiasedscarlet wrote:That footage proves two things:

1. Take a look at who played fly half in most of those games - Stephen Jones! He certainly did get his back line moving!

Actually watch more carefully and you will see that 90% of it is Rhys Priestland.

Totallybiasedscarlet wrote:2. It's a myth the Scarlets pack were well beaten last season. Leicester and the Ospreys gave us stuffings but apart from that our pack was very competetive and exemplified themselves in the loose.

The Pack was athletic, and when they had a top choice front row they were good, but the Scarlets were running out of props at the vital part of the season and really suffered because of that.

Sorry Maesteg, it was Stephen wearing 10 in most of those tries (priestland was at fullback a lot) - and a sneaky one for himself at the end there

Agree totally about the point on props but to be fair Gardiner stepped up really well. The low point was Phill John propping on the tight. Just didn't work but there we are. It's not often you get four tightheads injured all around the same time! However lots of people talk as though the Scarlets pack was utterly demolished by everyone. Not true. That's the point I was trying to make. I like the word athletic there Maesteg! I'd say we had the most urgency about getting fast ball of all the four regions last season.

[quote="maestegmafia"]

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Might work well for Wales to have Priestland at fullback???

I think it may work to have a backline of

Knoyle
Jones
Stoddart
Davies
Sc Williams
North
Preistland

However I have a feeling that it is rather unlikely. I would hope that if Priestland does go to the RWC it is as either a bench option or fullback. I am starting to get a bit worried by calls for him at fly half as I have seen him playing enough to know that he is a confidence player and I think the press, and most certainly keyboard-warriors on here, would knock his career back years if he were to slip up at fly half in the RWC.

SS,

Realistically I think Priestland is third choice No10 behind Jones and Hook.

The question is though whether he is second choice XV behind Byrne or third behind Byrne and Stoddard.

whichever he is bedford he needs gametime in all three warm up matches, i have a feeling they may start him at 10 for argentina, as out of the 3 matches it is the least important

welshy,

I agree he needs gametime as does Faletau, Williams and the ones returning from injury.

That said I think they should tinker in the two England games, against the Pumas he needs to play what he sees as his starting XV for the Boks game and give them at least a run out together.

Here's WalesOnline readers' World Cup squad as things stand. It doesn't differ too much from what the 606v2 voters went for!

Hookers:

Matthew Rees, Richard Hibbard, Lloyd Burns

Props:

Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Paul James, Craig Mitchell

Back five:

Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Ryan Jones, Toby Faletau, Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton, Martyn Williams, Gareth Delve, Luke Charteris

Scrum Halfs:

Mike Phillips, Dwayne Peel, Tavis Knoyle

Backs:

Stephen Jones, James Hook, Jonathan Davies, Gavin Henson, Jamie Roberts, George North, Shane Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, Lee Byrne, Morgan Stoddart, Rhys Priestland

be happy enough with either of those squads

Bad news Powell and J Thomes are back in the mix according to BBC Wales news, I posted this on another thread.