EOYT: Wales v Samoa, 16/11/2012

[UilamOsa]

Not sure Howley is all to blame. Gatland would have had his say with one eye on next week. One of the best attacking back lines has gone awol. One of the better ball stealing teams is losing at the breakdown and the scrum fell apart in the last 20mins. Seems the other coaches are as much to blame to me.

I wanted Wales to come out firing, and back on some degree of form with attacking rugby and it was terrible. Great game to watch and all credit to Samoa with the well deserved win.

I think what made it worse for me (when looking at Wales) is that they seriously look run off their feet. The AB's will play at 3 times that speed for possibly 80 minutes if any of those areas are lacking. And a completely with a new team on the field. This Welsh team would've gotten a thumping if they played the RWC Welsh team.

It's weird. As for Samoa - I just wish we had Mahroni playing...

 

[Rhyer]

I'm forever grateful that the All Blacks coach never really rated Kahn over Ellis.

Kahn Foutali'i was always a beast for the Crusaders, same with Ti'i Paulo. It's no surprise they're playing for Samoa. They're amazing players who could have been starting All Blacks.

Edit : I find it odd how people blame the coach. Gatland isn't dead, he's still hanging around, the players also are the ones who play. Where it was lost was not playing what was in front of them. Wales had several overlaps but didn't use them where as Samoa grabbed every opportunity they could. It was the players, not the coach.

 

[Thingimubob]

Kahn Foutali'i was always a beast for the Crusaders, same with Ti'i Paulo. It's no surprise they're playing for Samoa. They're amazing players who could have been starting All Blacks.

Edit : I find it odd how people blame the coach. Gatland isn't dead, he's still hanging around, the players also are the ones who play. Where it was lost was not playing what was in front of them. Wales had several overlaps but didn't use them where as Samoa grabbed every opportunity they could. It was the players, not the coach.

Aye, players like Preistland have been blamed for being utterly useless. He shouldnt have been picked, so that rounds back to the coach in my view.

 

[Jbobo]

Yeah but I didn't wanna just come right out and say it.

How noble of you.

Terrible, terrible result for Wales. Well played Samoa, even if you should have received at least two yellow cards you were still the better team overall.

At least we can look forward to beating Ireland again in the new year

 

[Thingimubob]

How noble of you.

Terrible, terrible result for Wales. Well played Samoa, even if you should have received at least two yellow cards you were still the better team overall.

At least we can look forward to beating Ireland again in the new year

Mate, at this rate, Connacht could beat us, let alone Ireland!

 

[Jbobo]

Yeah i know, but that didn't stop us in 2010. Anyways, i'm just fuming. I'll take any bait and swallow it whole right now.

Just to add that it seemed that intensity was weak again today, as well as a lack of support running, offloading and drawing in the opposition. Just feels as though that infamous Welsh flair which we have been long known for has been drowned out by dull, predictable attacks and we've lost the ability to improvise. Maybe we're starting to realise just how much we miss the one and only Mr Sir Shane Williams? I know i am.

 

[Tribesmen-ce-123]

Great win for Samoa, they've always been capable of a game like this, and are starting to live up to their potential recently. Some fantastic performances today, some truly world class. Here's to hoping Wales bring this kind of form into the 6 nations, and Gatland allows Priestland to start more games

 

[Big Ewis]

they sort their kicking (in desperate need of being sorted out !!!!! ffs) and they play with that same vigor consistently...we've got a Tier 1 side here.

 

[wlshby09]

Well well well.
Yet another extemely flat performance from Wales. The most worrying thing is that nobody seems to want to be there, there is nobody in that team that will front up and say 'Give me the ball' and put their head down and smash in with intent to hurt the opposition. We are getting bullied at the breakdown. The backs need some touch rugby lessons, so maybe they can re learn what they did in school, draw and give. They need to watch the all blacks play. They don't play what is in front of them, sticking to the same patterns again and again, regardless of what is happeining right in front of their eyes.

This is just my opinion , but Wales are now suffering with the effects of the managements pathetic selection policy. Andy Powell would have been perfect for this game, so would Gareth Delve. Maybe Efion Lewis Roberts in the front row? I'll always be a firm believer that Dwayne Peel is and always has been our best option at 9, and why James Hook has been dropped I will never know. If Wales continue to disregard these players just because Gatland and Howley seem to have some personal dislike to them, we'll continue to play like this, becuase I'm sorry but the depth in Wales just isn't that good. New Zealand can afford to leave players out, becuase they have so much depth. We don't.
Hell I would put Henson in next week, at least he has some imagination and flair about him.


Oh and congratulations Samoa, great perfrormance well deserved victory, the scoreline doesn't do the hammering justice!

 

[Maxwell]

Fantastic deserved win for our boys, anything less would have been an injustice with Wales only being close to Samoa's tryline in 68th minute lineout aside from the intercept try.

Kahn had a good game but surely Man of The Match was undoubtedly No.8 - Taiasina Tuifua. Unbelieveable performance from this guy in attack and defence. Laulii salutes you Taiasina.

 

[dullonien]

Congratulations Samoa, thoroughly deserved win.

What the hell has happened? We were bullied to the point of amusement today. Only Jamie Roberts got anywhere close to the physicality the Samoans displayed, and even then he fell off (read got ran over) Fotuali'i (I think) in the build up to Samoa's second try. The breakdown was an absolute mess, couple that with a shambolic scrum and struggling lineout and we had no chance of winning this game, even if Pisi tried his best to give us lifelines by missing countless kicks.

How bad was Ryan Jones? Tipuric blown away, Ian Evans anonymous once again, Jarvis and James missing tackles, Faletau knocking on. We don't have to look at the backs to understand how this game was lost. But Phillips and Priestland managed to compound matters by butchering try scoring opportunities (not that we created them!). We're not creating try scoring opportunities because were getting a pasting in the forwards and in the ruck. How many times did Roberts even touch the ball today?

We are free-fall at the moment. Howley has destroyed this team with a sizeable help from the regions. I feel for the Ospreys because their season is effectively over after losing almost all their big players to some nasty looking injuries. I feel for Hibbard, who was hit high with a shoulder to the face in the first real tackle from Samoa. The incident involving Biggar was disgusting. Rugby is about controlled aggression, and there is a reason why players aren't getting shoulders to the face in every game, even though there is someone in Biggar's position at every ruck. Flying in with a shoulder/arm to the face (even if Biggar is bending forwards) is unacceptable, because it is completely reckless. The choke hold and WWE move on Owens also deserved a yellow, there is no space for it on a rugby pitch. The high tackle on Halfpenny was more unfortunate though, and something which happened from time to time.

I really wish that Samoa would stop with the unnecessarily high shots. They are big enough and powerful enough to hit the player much lower down and still do plenty of damage. They are such a nice team to watch otherwise.

Well done to Halfpenny and Ken Owens. Apart from the slip at the end, which was unfortunate (does he need to look at his studs?) Halfpenny was magnificent. Place kicking was of the highest order (and yet he will be massively disappointed that he missed one from a tight angle) and his high ball takes were superb. He was the only Welsh player to show any kind of cutting edge as well. Ken Owens was the only player to make ground when carrying the ball. Hibbard also showed a lot of heart in his short time on the pitch, despite picking up a shoulder injury straight away he still put in a few good tackles and offered himself as a carrier. Hope his injury isn't too bad.

NZ are going to rape us. Could be a bit of a cripple fight against Aus in two weeks time, in which we'll lose more than likely.

Well well well.

Yet another extemely flat performance from Wales. The most worrying thing is that nobody seems to want to be there, there is nobody in that team that will front up and say 'Give me the ball' and put their head down and smash in with intent to hurt the opposition. We are getting bullied at the breakdown. The backs need some touch rugby lessons, so maybe they can re learn what they did in school, draw and give. They need to watch the all blacks play. They don't play what is in front of them, sticking to the same patterns again and again, regardless of what is happeining right in front of their eyes.

This is just my opinion , but Wales are now suffering with the effects of the managements pathetic selection policy. Andy Powell would have been perfect for this game, so would Gareth Delve. Maybe Efion Lewis Roberts in the front row? I'll always be a firm believer that Dwayne Peel is and always has been our best option at 9, and why James Hook has been dropped I will never know. If Wales continue to disregard these players just because Gatland and Howley seem to have some personal dislike to them, we'll continue to play like this, becuase I'm sorry but the depth in Wales just isn't that good. New Zealand can afford to leave players out, becuase they have so much depth. We don't.
Hell I would put Henson in next week, at least he has some imagination and flair about him.


Oh and congratulations Samoa, great perfrormance well deserved victory, the scoreline doesn't do the hammering justice!

Very well said. Don't think Hook would have made much of a difference, but much better than having Priestland on the bench to butcher opportunities. Introducing Henson now would undo all the work that Lyn Jones and Henson himself has done at LW.

Edit. To think I was looking forward to these AI's? Howley, the players and the regions need to take a good long look at themselves. If the performance isn't much improved next week (not looking for a win, just a performance were I'm not left disgusted) then I may well miss the Aus match entirely (first Wales match I will have missed in my memory). I'm stressed enough with Uni as it is, watching this sh*te isn't helping!

 

[TVH11]

Well Unfortunately/thankfully I missed the match tonight. Read through match report and watched the limited BBC Sport highlight, and from what I gather from reading posts on TRF/here, We were outplayed in every aspect except for kicking at goal! And due to this I cannot comment on specifics in the game, but only reflect on what people are saying.

Completely agree with Keeping away from Henson. Said it last week and say it again this week, Lyn Jones has him playing a reasonable amount of rugby atm, and got him kicking at goal and from hand again, leave him gain momentum towards six nations. Henson actually having successive game-time is like a Premiership striker staying on his feet in the penalty box , a rarity! Leave the Orange one build on his LW Tan, and we all can hope that he develops form that deserves a call up!

Saw the injuries.... little bit naughty, but the exact physicality I expect from Samoa and Pacific Islanders/Southern Hemisphere teams.

The Ospreys' good run of form/positive season seems to look in danger due to the injuries, not a fun xmas period ahead.

Can't blame Howley for players performances really. From what I read on here and online, the "in-form" players were either outplayed or taken out by the opposition.

Congrats to Samoa, brilliant win, next week will be extremely interesting

 

[Sam Owen]

CHEEEHHOOO!!!

Everybody do the dougie.

 

[Superalexmarket]

CHEEEHHOOO!!!

Everybody do the dougie.

Great win!! Party all night long... deserve it!!!

 

[Bluemoon]

I'm going to throw this out there, although I beg that I am not making excuses and Samoa completely deserve their win.

Wales look exhausted, overtrained and over thought. Whatever has been done in Poland this time around seems to have been to much. Where we usually last longer than the opposition and score through endless defence and line attacks. Now, after 60/65 mins we're letting in tries and lack any dominance throughout the game? Coincidence?

The forwards aren't providing any platform to run from. When the backs finally have the ball the game plan doesn't work with the limited amount of possession (i.e kicking the ball away). Wales are losing the big battles up front. Both of Wales's decent 7's can't play well when the front 5 is getting smashed. Sam Warburton has been having the the same problem at the Blues in general. I think he still has the edge over Tipuric, regardless of the difference in 'form,' which after tonight is not so clear cut on the international stage.

 

[ARCM]

Im doing the dougie lol Great Win Samoa! Khan Fotuali'i is something.
Wales pushed up to 8th.... i hope they dont go any higher. i highly doubt it - but again. Congrats Samoa.

 

[ARCM]

i dont think anyone should underestimate the Samoans. Most of their players play overseas which is a REALLY good. They have a really great number 9 +backline

 

[dullonien]

I'm going to throw this out there, although I beg that I am not making excuses and Samoa completely deserve their win.

Wales look exhausted, overtrained and over thought. Whatever has been done in Poland this time around seems to have been to much. Where we usually last longer than the opposition and score through endless defence and line attacks. Now, after 60/65 mins we're letting in tries and lack any dominance throughout the game? Coincidence?

The forwards aren't providing any platform to run from. When the backs finally have the ball the game plan doesn't work with the limited amount of possession (i.e kicking the ball away). Wales are losing the big battles up front. Both of Wales's decent 7's can't play well when the front 5 is getting smashed. Sam Warburton has been having the the same problem at the Blues in general. I think he still has the edge over Tipuric, regardless of the difference in 'form,' which after tonight is not so clear cut on the international stage.

What jackling type of openside can flourish behind a pack that is on the end of a beating? Too much was probably made of Warburton's poor form, including from myself, Richie McCaw would look bad behind the current Wales pack imo.

Maybe Wales were overworked in Poland. But there is a more obvious reason why we are looking tired towards the end of matches, we are playing the entire 80min without the ball! You cannot tire teams out without ball. Defending saps energy, and we are currently defending a lot of the time, and are putting no pressure on the opposition either.

 

[Colombia]

Wales and Samoa are roughly on par. Samoa have two World Cup wins over them and before tonight's Samoan win the last two results were:

Wales 17-10 Samoa (WC)
Wales 17-13 Samoa

so there has been nothing in it really.

 

[rgman]

Welcome Samoa to the Rugby Championship?? anyway, congrats for the victory!