All Blacks 42 v Wales 9 FT. Saturday 19 June 2010 - Dunedin.

[Haysie]

Ed Fairhurst.

 

[Thingimubob]

Morgan Williams?

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Expect an inexperienced Wales side to give NZ a good game. Anything within 10 points will be considered a bonus for Wales. I do think Adam Jones will have the better of Ben Franks come scrum time. If Wales decide to play Jon Thomas at 6 then it will invite the likes of McCaw to steal ball (legally ... see what I did there ) all day long. I think Roberts will have the better Stanley after what I saw last week. Stephen Jones just needs to improve his kicking from hand for Wales to gain any sort of territory otherwise it will be a long day for Wales and Wales will be on the back foot. Be interesting to see how Prydie might cope with the NZ wingers, be an interesting test. Lee Byrne also needs to find his form quickly because the NZ kicking game is quite outstanding.

It will be a tough game for Wales but a game where they can give themselves a good deal of valuable experience.

 

[ranger]

Expect an inexperienced Wales side to give NZ a good game. Anything within 10 points will be considered a bonus for Wales. I do think Adam Jones will have the better of Ben Franks come scrum time. If Wales decide to play Jon Thomas at 6 then it will invite the likes of McCaw to steal ball (legally ... see what I did there ) all day long. I think Roberts will have the better Stanley after what I saw last week. Stephen Jones just needs to improve his kicking from hand for Wales to gain any sort of territory otherwise it will be a long day for Wales and Wales will be on the back foot. Be interesting to see how Prydie might cope with the NZ wingers, be an interesting test. Lee Byrne also needs to find his form quickly because the NZ kicking game is quite outstanding.

It will be a tough game for Wales but a game where they can give themselves a good deal of valuable experience.

The Roberts v Stanley battle should be pretty close. I think last week Ireland just caught Stanley off-guard, he is used to taking down huge straight running polynesians or containing side-stepping Maoris. Last week D'arcy employed neither, he was very unconventional. In the play leading up to the Heaslip incident he got the ball, turned 90 degrees and started running sideways across the field, I don't think Stanley was prepared for Ireland to mix the game up like that.

Roberts plays a more conventional game, i expect him to be running more or less straight at Stanley and that should play to his strengths. Still the advantage of experience and size should go to Roberts.

This should be a sterner test for the Franks brothers than Ireland, In my opinion Jones has the edge over Ben Franks, but Owen Franks should destroy Paul James so things should (in my opinion) sway in NZs favour.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

The Roberts v Stanley battle should be pretty close. I think last week Ireland just caught Stanley off-guard, he is used to taking down huge straight running polynesians or containing side-stepping Maoris. Last week D'arcy employed neither, he was very unconventional. In the play leading up to the Heaslip incident he got the ball, turned 90 degrees and started running sideways across the field, I don't think Stanley was prepared for Ireland to mix the game up like that.

Roberts plays a more conventional game, i expect him to be running more or less straight at Stanley and that should play to his strengths. Still the advantage of experience and size should go to Roberts.

This should be a sterner test for the Franks brothers than Ireland, In my opinion Jones has the edge over Ben Franks, but Owen Franks should destroy Paul James so things should (in my opinion) sway in NZs favour.

Paul James I think will do a sort of job for a short period but after about 20-30 mins in he will just disintegrate, and Owen Franks will just dominate.

 

[ranger]

Paul James I think will do a sort of job for a short period but after about 20-30 mins in he will just disintegrate, and Owen Franks will just dominate.

Yeah thats what i'm expecting. Had Jenkins been in the mix then the scrums would be more interesting. If Hook was around as well then i think the whole game would be a pretty decent contest.
They're not though so i'm not too worried

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Yeah thats what i'm expecting. Had Jenkins been in the mix then the scrums would be more interesting. If Hook was around as well then i think the whole game would be a pretty decent contest.
They're not though so i'm not too worried

Andrew Bishop should not be underestimated at all. He has played well for the Ospreys this season. Does not possess the same skills as Hook but is an able replacement.

 

[ranger]

Andrew Bishop should not be underestimated at all. He has played well for the Ospreys this season.

I have to admit i haven't seen alot of him. But regardless, especially with Jenkins out i don't think the Welsh backs will have much quality ball to work with. That's why the Roberts vs Stanley matchup will be so interesting, if Wales can feed Roberts messy ball and count on him to power his way over the advantage line and recycle it back into go-forward possession, then the Welsh backs will be able to threaten NZ. If Stanley has his number then we could be in for a replay of the NZ v Wales JWC game.

 

[cyRil]

Bishwap is the boy! That's why he makes my signature!
My prediction here is 42-16 to NZ, if it's closer than that I think we'll have done well considering the gyppos we are and the injuries we have.
Halfpenny and Bradley Davies are doubts so I hear, which would be a bummer. I don't really fancy Prydie and Czekaj up against Rokocoko and Jane tbh... But in the second row if Big Brad is out atleast we can play Deiniol ******* Jones!!!!

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Starting line-up for Wales been released yet? Sorry if it's been posted earlier (didn't see it there).

 

[cyRil]

Starting line-up for Wales been released yet? Sorry if it's been posted earlier (didn't see it there).

Team named on Thursday.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Team named on Thursday.

Hows the injuries, is there anyone notable missing? I hope not, because it'd be great to get a really good tough game, which we would've had last weekend if circumstances had been better.

By the way, your sig's a bit too big mate, any chance of reducing it by about 25%? If I don't ask another mod/admin would soon.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Quite a few injuries, most notable are Shane Williams, James Hook and Gethin Jenkins
Martyn Williams is being rested this summer and Andy Powell and Sam Warburton out as well, leaves the backrow a little depleted

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Quite a few injuries, most notable are Shane Williams, James Hook and Gethin Jenkins
Martyn Williams is being rested this summer and Andy Powell and Sam Warburton out as well, leaves the backrow a little depleted

That's going to make it quite a hard ask for then then. Especially Martyn Williams, he's extremely valuable.

 

[Thingimubob]

He needed a rest though, he's had a long season and he's getting on now, and we do want him to last till the world cup!
Injuries are pretty bad tbf :/ Big names would be as Olyy said: Shane Williams, Hook, Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams
But as well as them we've lost a lot of their replacements, and a hell of a lot of the form players in Wales :/ So Andy Powell, Sam Warburton, Joe Bearman, Dan Lydiate, Toby Faletau, Luke Charteris, Aled Brew (was brilliant all season), Martyn Thomas (there were a lot of people saying he;d get called up, but then he had a horrible injury to his ankle), Tom James (though I doubt he'd have been picked after his tantrum). There's also players who used to normally feature for Wales, but have had injuries keeping them out for a while - mainly Mark Jones, Dwayne Peel and Tom Shanklin.

 

[Conal]

iv decided i like ca iverson for not deciding the all blacks are going to destroy the welsh as we are worthless northerners finaly civilised talking
should be a good test prydie i persume to cover for williams
who will be wales outside now hook is out and will mc cuskertake flanker??

 

[Jake Heke]

iv decided i like ca iverson for not deciding the all blacks are going to destroy the welsh as we are worthless northerners finaly civilised talking
should be a good test prydie i persume to cover for williams
who will be wales outside now hook is out and will mc cuskertake flanker??

Sorry bub, yous are getting destroyed, too many injuries, All Blacks will most likely have fixed their second half problems from last saturday.

Feel free to flame me to death if i am proven wrong, come saturday.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

iv decided i like ca iverson for not deciding the all blacks are going to destroy the welsh as we are worthless northerners finaly civilised talking
should be a good test prydie i persume to cover for williams
who will be wales outside now hook is out and will mc cuskertake flanker??

Likely by Andrew Bishop and Gav Thomas at openside.

 

[Conal]

yeah i dont mind if the north get hammerd its just rugby is known as a respectful game (here anyway dont know bout the sh)
its just gloating and peoplegoing that the north are pathetic that gets me to be perfectlyhonest im usaly in awe of the flair and skill we see on tour down there but it doesnt make us crap just not as good as you lot

 

[dullonien]

I'm going to be a little more optamistik than most here and predict the result will be within 15. Physicallity is finally one thing I'm not hugely concerned about, NZ will know they're in a test match. If anything, Gavin Thomas should offer more physicallity than Warberton, whilst Martyn Williams has always struggled against NZ anyway. Gavin Thomas was one of very few players to get the better of Hollah in this years Magners, and I'm really hoping he can continue that form into the international level and be a player who can comete at the breakdown.

Loosing Bradley Davies would be a big blow, and if that happened I'd be inclined to move Jon Thomas forward one before starting Deiniol Jones. I'd prefer not to see Thomas at 6, but this match is possibly a bit too much for McCusker to start, isn't it? Ah screw it, chuck him in Gatland, I think he'll swim...

Without Matfield picking apart our lineout, I can see that going much better this week, which will give us much more possetion and bring Roberts into the game much, much more. Not too worried about scrum time, we'll easily hold our own if Ireland did!!! Breakdown really is the crucial area. it's an area NZ excell in with McCaw always excellent in that area.

In the backs, Steve Jones should start, but unless he's having a great game, I'd give a good 20-30mins to Biggar off the bench. Give him a chance to show what he can do. Bishop has been the form centre in Wales this season imo, and although I'm a little concerned about a lack of creativity, he'll offer some good support running to Roberts. Can't see much coming through the centre channell considering the way Roberts and Bishop tackle! I'm praying Byrne can get his head together.

I'll be really dissapointed if we concede more than 30 and aren't there or thereabouts entering the last quarter.

Team I'd pick:

01 Paul James
02 Mathew Rees
03 Adam Jones
04 Bradley Davies
05 Alun-Wyn Jones
06 Rob McCusker
07 Gavin Thomas
08 Ryan Jones

09 Mike Phillips
10 Stephen Jones
11 Tom Prydie
12 Jamie Roberts
13 Andrew Bishop
14 Leigh Halfpenny
15 Lee Byrne

16 Ken Owens
17 John Yapp
18 Deiniol Jones
19 Jonathan Thomas
20 Richie Rees
21 Dan Biggar
22 Jonathan Davies