[EOYT] Wales v Tonga 22/11/2013

[Rich Taff]

It's obviously centre in my opinion. The only people who think he is a great 10 are people who select on highlight reels, and who thinks he played his best for Wales at 15?

I think his 'taking out' of Toby vs Argentina showed his 15 prowess.

 

[SelimNiai]

Also known as 'The Tony Clement curse'.

I heard it was called "Henson Syndrome", side effects include turning a violent shade of orange and whoreing yourself on s****y relaity shows

 

[Rich Taff]

I heard it was called "Henson Syndrome", side effects include turning a violent shade of orange and whoreing yourself on s****y relaity shows

Ah, I miss 'relaity' shows. Dyslexia is a much ignored scheduling item.

 

[Jaguares]

I forgot the game!!!! F**K F**K F**K

The Welsh took the field with grey anthem jacket??? Anyone have pictures of that?

 

[Big Ewis]

Ah, I miss 'relaity' shows. Dyslexia is a much ignored scheduling item.

it's funny there's a comedian, I would guess maybe Louis CK but I forget, who says "dyslexia" the word is the most cruel invention because it's complicated as hell and ppl with dyslexia already have trouble with the most simple words lol. "There's, like, an 'x' in there and a 'y'...it's fkn ridiculous ! They'll never be able to pronounce the name of their own fkn condition !"
lool funny shhit.

Oh and if Wales play like they did tonight in the 6N in a few months (!!)......................................





......well they might actually pull off another GS actually...

 

[j'nuh]

It did make a significant difference. Firstly one of the Wales tries stemmed from a scrum on their own put in that they conceded a penalty. Secondly, they had no base to relieve pressure. Their set piece was malfunctioning particularly at lineouts, not helped by their kicker having poor range on his punts. The alternative of running out was also not working as they couldn't go many phases without dropping the ball. So they had no way to work their way up the field.

If they had a set piece then the match would have been different as Tonga would have got the better territory and with that always comes the possibility of penalties being in range, and the score being in range of a try against the run of play. Tonga were not at their best, and if they had been there is a risk where it could have been like the Scotland game last year where they defended for large periods and managed a breakout try against the run of play. Unclinical sides (such as this performance) leave themselves open to upsets such as some of the Scotland big wins of recent times.

I can happily agree with this.

I still don't think that the result would have changed had Tonga been equal to Wales in the set piece, but maybe Wales would have been run closer than they should have been. It was quite disappointing from a Wales perspective, and I'm still certainly against the half-back pairing. Some are praising Hook, but I don't agree. His in-field kicking was directly down the middle of the pitch. Every single time. You don't get away with that against top teams. I still think that he's got all the creativity needed for a good centre, but struggles to control a game like a fly-half, and this game even furthered this belief. As for scrum-halves, Phillips is still the only realistic scrum-half for Wales.

What are your thoughts on Rhodri Jones now btw?

 

[Rich Taff]

I forgot the game!!!! F**K F**K F**K

The Welsh took the field with grey anthem jacket??? Anyone have pictures of that?

Can find most pics on the WRU facebook site. (including Landon living his dream as the mascot(check out the vid when he was told he was going to be the mascot))

 

[Rich Taff]

What are your thoughts on Rhodri Jones now btw?

Played well, but has to remember he's a prop and get out the bloody first receiver position in broken play!

 

[Jaguares]

Can find most pics on the WRU facebook site. (including Landon living his dream as the mascot(check out the vid when he was told he was going to be the mascot))

Yeah but in WRU facebook site are few photos, in Zimbio are more photos but in anywhere I find photos of the Anthem. Can U tell if the Wales team used the grey jacket?

Cheers

 

[psychic duck]

I can happily agree with this.

I still don't think that the result would have changed had Tonga been equal to Wales in the set piece, but maybe Wales would have been run closer than they should have been. It was quite disappointing from a Wales perspective, and I'm still certainly against the half-back pairing. Some are praising Hook, but I don't agree. His in-field kicking was directly down the middle of the pitch. Every single time. You don't get away with that against top teams. I still think that he's got all the creativity needed for a good centre, but struggles to control a game like a fly-half, and this game even furthered this belief. As for scrum-halves, Phillips is still the only realistic scrum-half for Wales.

What are your thoughts on Rhodri Jones now btw?

Kicking down the middle of the pitch is a Wales tactic not the player. Biggar with the Ospreys is very good at finding the corners but with Wales hits it up the middle. I've heard somewhere when Gatland was talking about an Italy game a few years back that the theory behind it is to keep ball in play as much as possible so that Wales' can gain in a fitness advantage late on.

As for Rhodri Jones. He is a very bizarre selection above the guy who is keeping him out of the regional side. Not much to read into the Tonga game as their scrum has been really poor of late and struggled against both Romania and France, so it wasn't going to be a challenge. And I didn't think he was that great in the loose either to be honest in this game, certainly not enough to justify his selection anyway. We'll get a better idea of him the more minutes he gets, as he can barely get a game with the Scarlets just 68 minutes all season.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Duck admit it for once you have been to harsh on a player. Rhodri has justified his selection. He's been solid without being spectacular. He will only grow and improve given time.

 

[Draggs]

Duck admit it for once you have been to harsh on a player. Rhodri has justified his selection. He's been solid without being spectacular. He will only grow and improve given time.

Considering he is 5th choice (possibly 6th if you factor James at TH), he is not bad. As you said, he could grow into the role.
Certainly not the worst TH we have played.

 

[Ospreylian]

Duck admit it for once you have been to harsh on a player. Rhodri has justified his selection. He's been solid without being spectacular. He will only grow and improve given time.

Completely agree. I was skeptical before the Argentina game, and that Samson Lee should be ahead of him. But Jones has completely justified his selection, and has really held his own in the scrum - which is made even more impressive by the fact he is in the process of learning the game at tighthead having converted from loosehead.

The only thing he needs to work on is learning to not get isolated in open play as often as he does. A few times against Tonga he was caught with no support and was turned over. But perhaps this was the fault of his teammates too.

 

[Jaguares]

I love the new grey anthem jacket:

 

[Rich Taff]

Duck admit it for once you have been to harsh on a player. Rhodri has justified his selection. He's been solid without being spectacular. He will only grow and improve given time.

I think he's in because of his age, Gat's is looking for eventual replacements for the props, and so it makes sense to test out the youngsters against a 'modest' scrum.