I feel much more positive than you guys.
Starting a tough tournament with at least seven first choice players unavailable would be a challenge for any team in the world, with the possible exception of those dastardly All Blacks.
Finishing second in that tournament, by any reckoning, is a good performance.
We have blooded a new generation of players, most of whom blossomed in the most unforgiving tournament in the rugby world.
We unveiled a new style of play - obliterating a good Scotland side and an improving Italy. England away, no easy task, could really have gone either way.
We were somehow still in the game, away, against the best team in the tournament at 75 minutes. We then faced up to s huge resurgent French team and ground out a tight, brutal and close match. All brilliant experiences.
I really do think we are the most demanding fans in the world. I was watching some old matches (from before Garland took over), and the improvement in our game since then is HUGE. He has given our players a belief that was lacking beforehand ....admittedly not against the Wallabies or New Zealand.
I think he has been and continues to be the best coach our national team has had. Sure, he has his idiosyncrasies, he is very thin skinned and he shows loyalty to people who have performed for him in the past.
His results speak for themselves though. Look at our stats pre and post Gatland.
I feel much more positive than you guys.
Starting a tough tournament with at least seven first choice players unavailable would be a challenge for any team in the world, with the possible exception of those dastardly All Blacks.
Ireland and England had more players missing?
Finishing second in that tournament, by any reckoning, is a good performance.
Not really we just had 3 home games
We have blooded a new generation of players, most of whom blossomed in the most unforgiving tournament in the rugby world.
No we havent. we failed to give seb davies a go in 2nd row, the only other new caps were adams and jamie cubby davies both dropped after 60 minutes (davies is 27 not a kid hes waited 6 years for a chance and hes the most effective 7 in the league by miles) Hes failed to develop a back up 8 , a back up tight head and dropped our best blindside for no reason? He also decided to convert jamie roberts from a 15 to a crash ball 12 for a decade which meant the outside welsh backs had less ball than all other top 10 nations. Massive talents like shane williams and George north halfpenny liam williams jon foxy davies all starved of possession thanks to warrenball? madness
We unveiled a new style of play - obliterating a good Scotland side and an improving Italy. England away, no easy task, could really have gone either way.
Yeah great performance then gatland dismantles the team and goes back to mindless warrenball and drops patchell the playmaker etc
We were somehow still in the game, away, against the best team in the tournament at 75 minutes. We then faced up to s huge resurgent French team and ground out a tight, brutal and close match. All brilliant experiences.
Not brilliant and not really learning. Gatland ONLY CAPPED 4 new players in the 18 months after the 2015 world cup? australia capped 29 in the same period?
I really do think we are the most demanding fans in the world. I was watching some old matches (from before Garland took over), and the improvement in our game since then is HUGE. He has given our players a belief that was lacking beforehand ....admittedly not against the Wallabies or New Zealand.
Not demanding at all. Its our national sport we are the best fans with the biggest home gates in the world on average (next to england) we pay a fortune millions pumped in (public money too at the regional stadiums) world class facilities at the vale too and gatland is the highest paid coach in the world. the fact hes been given a decade and 2 years off too is absurd
I think he has been and continues to be the best coach our national team has had. Sure, he has his idiosyncrasies, he is very thin skinned and he shows loyalty to people who have performed for him in the past.
He is NOT the best at all...His win record is way worse than loads of welsh coaches 51% is a very poor return. John Dawes had 75% win record, Ruddock 65%, Clive rowlands 62% Henry 59% Bowring 52% Alan Davies 51% etc
His results speak for themselves though. Look at our stats pre and post Gatland.
Before gatland we beat the aussies a few times and the boks in 99 we won a grand slam 3 years earlier too and ruddock had a 65% win record so its worse under gatland overall. He has lost 13 times in a row to aussie and has learned absolutely nothing, he still refuses to pick a playmaker who creates tries and attacks the line? Sorry hes had 101 goes and still he doesnt learn. Time to say goodbye
