Wales in this pool

[shazbooger]

"After watching the 1st England vs Wales warm-up match I finally discovered Wales" ................................ played a pre-season match, and fielded such a weakened pack that any analysis of it would be pointless.

 

[gjohn85]

lee byrne should be in over ceri sweeny! will james didnt see much of him against england yet drops sidoli what is gareth jenkins thinking? [/b]

Whats so good about Sidoli? everytime I see him he looses the ball at lineouts, he a second rower who can't do his job.....Then again, the lineouts isn't very good at the moment.

 

[RC]

"After watching the 1st England vs Wales warm-up match I finally discovered Wales" ................................ played a pre-season match, and fielded such a weakened pack that any analysis of it would be pointless.

[/b]

End of argument.
You are spot on there, mate. That match allowed no one to gain any valuable knowledge on their teams. Pathetic.


Master Pain, you are on the feckin money, Sidoli has been dropped for all the right reasons...but i question if Cockbain has been. I mean, he's been replaced by Will James - the man has got some disastrously big boots to fill.

 

[stormmaster1]

I think Fiji Wales could be an interesting match. Both sides play their best when throwing the ball about and attacking out wide. Fiji's main weakness is the pack, but will the Welsh side take advantage of this? I don't think i've seen their pack perform well in 2007 except versus England, so they may have less of an advantage than people expect. Same basis i think a Wales win over Australia is less likely.

 

[shtove]

I think Fiji Wales could be an interesting match. Both sides play their best when throwing the ball about and attacking out wide. Fiji's main weakness is the pack, but will the Welsh side take advantage of this? I don't think i've seen their pack perform well in 2007 except versus England, so they may have less of an advantage than people expect. Same basis i think a Wales win over Australia is less likely. [/b]

I expect Wales are going to front up in the pack. Their front five is steady, and the backrow has everything you need. I wish Wales would take a lesson from the way the Scarlets played in the HEC - throw it around, but first make sure of the set piece and gritty defence around the fringes.

Judging Fiji from the SH summer tests, they're just hopeless up front.

And I agree about Aus, except it's the Millennium and last time there these two teams drew - Wales will at least bring their famous "optimism" (aka "We haven't a clue what we're doing, but we love it").

 

[dullonien]

Wales will at least bring their famous "optimism" (aka "We haven't a clue what we're doing, but we love it").

[/b]

Loving it!

 

[Fushitsusha]

<div class='quotemain'> I think Fiji Wales could be an interesting match. Both sides play their best when throwing the ball about and attacking out wide. Fiji's main weakness is the pack, but will the Welsh side take advantage of this? I don't think i've seen their pack perform well in 2007 except versus England, so they may have less of an advantage than people expect. Same basis i think a Wales win over Australia is less likely. [/b]

I expect Wales are going to front up in the pack. Their front five is steady, and the backrow has everything you need. I wish Wales would take a lesson from the way the Scarlets played in the HEC - throw it around, but first make sure of the set piece and gritty defence around the fringes.

Judging Fiji from the SH summer tests, they're just hopeless up front.

And I agree about Aus, except it's the Millennium and last time there these two teams drew - Wales will at least bring their famous "optimism" (aka "We haven't a clue what we're doing, but we love it").
[/b][/quote]

However, as I mentioned elsewhere -

The last two times Australia played in Wales Mat Rogers played flyhalf, Lote Tuqiri played outside centre, Al Baxter was in the front row, and they were without Dan Vickerman.

These are just the highlights of what has been wrong with the Wallabies on their last two trips.

Anyways, I expect Wales to put up a good fight at home, but Australia should be able to dispose of them easily.

'Should' being the word.

 

[RC]

Anyways, I expect Wales to put up a good fight at home, but Australia should be able to dispose of them easily.

'Should' being the word. [/b]

Erm...no i think the word "Easily" is what you should be more concentrating on.
You will more than likely dispose of us that is true, but i'm willing to stake my weeks wages that you won't get it done easily, my upside down friend.

 

[MFryar]

<div class='quotemain'>
I hope the fijians come second in this pool they have a lot of speed and flair [/b]

Wales 1st
Fiji 2nd ????

Sounds ok by me....
[/b][/quote]

If someone is upset out of the top 2 it will be Wales (though it is highly unlikely). There is no question the Wallabies will come out on top of this pool. 1. Australia 2. Wales 3. Fiji 4. Canada 5. Japan

 

[dullonien]

If someone is upset out of the top 2 it will be Wales (though it is highly unlikely). There is no question the Wallabies will come out on top of this pool. 1. Australia 2. Wales 3. Fiji 4. Canada 5. Japan [/b]

I'll question it! I still think Wales have a chance at topping this pool, playing Austrailia in the Millenium Stadium is key imo. We'll know more after sunday.

 

[gjohn85]

Knowing our luck, we beat the Aussie, but loose to the Fiji in Nantes. Finishing 2nd is our main priority, I don't care how we do it, just as long as we qualify.

 

[Fushitsusha]

<div class='quotemain'> Anyways, I expect Wales to put up a good fight at home, but Australia should be able to dispose of them easily.

'Should' being the word. [/b]

Erm...no i think the word "Easily" is what you should be more concentrating on.
You will more than likely dispose of us that is true, but i'm willing to stake my weeks wages that you won't get it done easily, my upside down friend.
[/b][/quote]

Well, Australia is only one of the two teams to have beaten the All Blacks in the past four years...

If they have the ability to beat the top team in the world, there's no reason why they couldn't put 50 points on Wales who are currently rubbish...

Unfortunately I don't think that would happen...

 

[RC]

I'm just taking this into the context of the upcoming match:

- World Cup Pool Decider
- Played at Millenium Stadium

Those two factors totally throw out the "easily" in your, "Australia should be able to dispose of them easily" sentence.
In an autumn/summer international you could probably do that. But world cup time it just won't happen.

 

[stormmaster1]

A matter of Form. If Wales are at 100% and Oz at 85% Wales will just scrape it. If Wales don't perform hit top form, particularly in the pack then Oz have a better ability to control games and shut Wales out. If Oz hit top form and Wales don't front up at all it could be more one-sided.

that said it is the one match Wales are most likely to perform in. In some ways the Fiji match is more worrying as the Welsh are more likely to underperform, underestimate their opponents and Fiji will be playing out of their skins.

 

[RC]

Good points - well made.

 

[AllezWasps]

Wales have had an awful warm up to the cup, hammered by England to show their back ups cannot handle it.

Held on against a jet lagged, slightly second string Argentina side at home.

And then offered nothing against France.

Then again, they were awful before the 2003 RWC, and did quite well.

 

[RC]

Yup we were also wooden spooners in the lead up to 2003 world cup.
We're one position better than that this year.
You know what that means don't you?

SEMI-FINALS!!!

 

[Karthago]

Yup we were also wooden spooners in the lead up to 2003 world cup.
We're one position better than that this year.
You know what that means don't you?

SEMI-FINALS!!!
[/b]

:lol: i cant stop laughing when irish and welsh fans talk about finals and semi-finals!.. wake up gentelmen be realistic a little bit :wacko:

 

[RC]

I can't stop laughing when the French to prove to us yet again that they are humourless fools.
Guess what, buddy?
The message was kinda tongue in cheek.

:huh:

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotemain'>
Yup we were also wooden spooners in the lead up to 2003 world cup.
We're one position better than that this year.
You know what that means don't you?

SEMI-FINALS!!!
[/b]

:lol: i cant stop laughing when irish and welsh fans talk about finals and semi-finals!.. wake up gentelmen be realistic a little bit :wacko: [/b][/quote]

Disgraceful! Putting the Irish in with the Welsh ....