Wales Squad For AI

[willrobinson]

Hadn't realised the issue about the replacement loosehead for the Australia game. That's either going to be problematic, or we could be about to witness the return of the mighty Duncan Jones to the red shirt. Fingers crossed...[/QUOTE]

saw ospreys on Sunday against Leicester Tigers probably a bigger scrum then many international teams (front row, Mulipola, youngs, cole/castrogiovani) and Ryan Bevington could not cope what so ever and got a yellow card in the first half. they brought on Duncan Jones and he just instantly steadied the ship. in my opinion bearing mind I am a lock (so none experience playing front row) but Front rows get better when they are older. there arent many Young props that are fantastic scrumagers.

I think duncan should have a recall. can he play tighthead? cause to be honest we have enogth looseheads

 

[dullonien]

I think duncan should have a recall. can he play tighthead? cause to be honest we have enogth looseheads

Nope, Duncan cannot play on the tight. A little surprised not to see another Welsh based loosehead in there, and by that I mean Duncan Jones. He's playing relatively well at the moment, and is a very good scrummaging prop. Surely he'd be included from the off if he was going to be considered against Aus? Or maybe Paul James has his release sorted for the game, unlikely knowing PRL.

 

[Draggs]

Rhodri Jones would have been it, if not for his injury.
Sam Hobbs... Oh god, what have I said?

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Still adamant looking at the squad that Rhys Gill is unlucky not to make it.

 

[Draggs]

Still adamant looking at the squad that Rhys Gill is unlucky not to make it.

Rib damage, estimated out for a few weeks.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Rib damage, estimated out for a few weeks.

Really, ********.

 

[Draggs]

Really, ********.

Aye. He posted on Twitter that he had rib fractures and torn muscles.
Another article states rib cartilage damage (two to three weeks), but it might be too early to tell.

I am not a particular fan of Gill. He isn't a great scrummager (I thought Racing had the better of him) and doesn't really make up for it in the loose, as Bevington does. (What would the Blues give for a player like him now, though?)
Granted, with our depth we need to look at every player, so I won't whinge.

 

[Big Ewis]

Some serious results can be attained here.

So you guys start off with ready-to-go Argentina. Then you got Samoa, NZ n the Ozzies.
Besides the AB's - I mean who knows, this may be the time you get them but - besides NZ, what do you Welsh fear about those 3 other teams ?
Scrum shouldn't be a problem, and sure the boys in Gold can run and Argentina has some good speedy athletes, but you've got quite some juice in those young talented legs as well...(that sounds sooooo gay for some reason...)

 

[dullonien]

Some serious results can be attained here.

So you guys start off with ready-to-go Argentina. Then you got Samoa, NZ n the Ozzies.
Besides the AB's - I mean who knows, this may be the time you get them but - besides NZ, what do you Welsh fear about those 3 other teams ?
Scrum shouldn't be a problem, and sure the boys in Gold can run and Argentina has some good speedy athletes, but you've got quite some juice in those young talented legs as well...(that sounds sooooo gay for some reason...)

3 wins is expected from myself. We've got a close to full strength squad, with Lydiate the only first choice player missing. I was very disappointed that they didn't pick up at least one win against Aus in the summer, so at home we really need to beat them this time around. Argentina are always going to be tough but at home we should win. If there are any confidence issues carried through from the struggling regions, we might struggle though, especially as Argentina are fully prepared after the RC. It's difficult to know what to expect from Samoa, limited preparation time and all that. It'll also be interesting to see if any of the fringe players are given some gametime against them.

NZ are not unbeatable, and the players need to believe they can win. I'm not expecting anything more than a close hard fought loss, but we have got the quality to win if we play at our best.

0/1 win = complete disaster
2 wins = disappointment
3 wins = very happy
4 wins = ecstatic

My middle ground where I would be neither overly happy or unhappy would be 2 wins and a draw.

 

[Draggs]

Anything less than three wins is a failure. (I think we will win two, not optimistic, based on past records)
I am still disappointed over the Australian tour. To not win a match shows how we really are.
We need to get into the level of looking for every home match to be a win, if we has aspiration to be a top rugby nation.

 

[dullonien]

So, Samson Lee is called up to cover for Adam Jones who is out of the Argentina match at least.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Adam Jones is a doubt for the first game, because of the knee injury.

Samson Lee has been called up to the squad.

 

[Big Ewis]

3 wins is expected from myself. We've got a close to full strength squad, with Lydiate the only first choice player missing. I was very disappointed that they didn't pick up at least one win against Aus in the summer, so at home we really need to beat them this time around. Argentina are always going to be tough but at home we should win. If there are any confidence issues carried through from the struggling regions, we might struggle though, especially as Argentina are fully prepared after the RC. It's difficult to know what to expect from Samoa, limited preparation time and all that. It'll also be interesting to see if any of the fringe players are given some gametime against them.

NZ are not unbeatable, and the players need to believe they can win. I'm not expecting anything more than a close hard fought loss, but we have got the quality to win if we play at our best.

0/1 win = complete disaster
2 wins = disappointment
3 wins = very happy
4 wins = ecstatic

My middle ground where I would be neither overly happy or unhappy would be 2 wins and a draw.

WELSH PEOPLE !! DONT BE SO HARD ON YOURSELVES !! Reality isn't as simple as that: we won, we lost. You didn't get blown out once during those 3 tests in June, and you easily EASILY could have come out 2-1 out of that tour in AUSTRALIA, the second best nation in the world. The fact that you lost those last two only means your guys lack the confidence, composure at the very last moment that comes to any team, of any country with maturity, experience. You've come close countless times this past year, incl. the RWC, and it's obviously due to your youth. Knowing how to finish a game is a craft, and it isn't taught by another person, but by life and the game itself.
It doesn't mean you were "inferior" that you've lost a given game or two, you were right there but it just so happens you "lost" them, or that the score was in Australia's favor 80min later (lol, not being sarcastic !). It's not like you got smashed in every category of the game but managed a close game somehow.

Anyways: I'd say 2-2 is fine. You've got 3 TRC teams comin over, 2 of which the best teams on Earth. Argentina can beat you at home without tremendous difficulty, NZ most prob. will to be mainstream here, and Australia has the ability of going up in the 30's or 40's on any given day against us NH squads...
I'm sure you're between 2 and 3 Wins. But that the very difference, isn't it: 2 or 3.

What aspects of your team are you happy with, and dissatisfied with btw ?

 

[Surefire]

I see three as a realistic expectation for a fan to have. Winning four test matches straight is difficult against top level competition. The quality of the play is also very important. Every Welsh fan is probably tired of losing close, hard fought games, however if all four test matches are close and Wales wins two, I do not feel that this is a failure. Although I am not a Wales fan, I get the feeling that once this SH hex is off their back, they will turn into world beaters. However until they do so...........

 

[dullonien]

WELSH PEOPLE !! DONT BE SO HARD ON YOURSELVES !! Reality isn't as simple as that: we won, we lost. You didn't get blown out once during those 3 tests in June, and you easily EASILY could have come out 2-1 out of that tour in AUSTRALIA, the second best nation in the world. The fact that you lost those last two only means your guys lack the confidence, composure at the very last moment that comes to any team, of any country with maturity, experience. You've come close countless times this past year, incl. the RWC, and it's obviously due to your youth. Knowing how to finish a game is a craft, and it isn't taught by another person, but by life and the game itself.
It doesn't mean you were "inferior" that you've lost a given game or two, you were right there but it just so happens you "lost" them, or that the score was in Australia's favor 80min later (lol, not being sarcastic !). It's not like you got smashed in every category of the game but managed a close game somehow.

Anyways: I'd say 2-2 is fine. You've got 3 TRC teams comin over, 2 of which the best teams on Earth. Argentina can beat you at home without tremendous difficulty, NZ most prob. will to be mainstream here, and Australia has the ability of going up in the 30's or 40's on any given day against us NH squads...
I'm sure you're between 2 and 3 Wins. But that the very difference, isn't it: 2 or 3.

What aspects of your team are you happy with, and dissatisfied with btw ?

Close isn't good enough any more. This team was good enough to beat an injury ravaged Aus team out there, and the fact they didn't just shows that we're still missing that mental strength to finish teams off. We didn't get blows away, but it was hugely disappointing that we didn't play well at all during the tour.

Hopefully it will be one of those experiences that results in the team improving further, but they have to show that is the case this Autumn.

I don't think Argentina can 'beat us at home without tremendous difficulty'. We are better than them at the moment, and losing to them at home would be a massive step backwards. And if Aus put 30 or 40 on us, that would also be massively disappointing, we are better than that.

I am happy with the quality of the Welsh squad. We have quality players available to us in almost every position, and the depth is improving rapidly. The attitude of the players is another thing to be pleased about.

I am worried about three main things:

1. Rob Howley acting as head coach for the first two matches. He refused to make the decision to start Tipuric over Warburton despite Warburton going into the series with no game time under his belt. He also continued to pick Priestland despite his poor form. He also said afterwards that he wouldn't do anything differently.
2. Priestland. Hopefully Howley and Gats will make the right decision and drop Prieatland from the starting 22. Priestland is severely out of form and if anything is getting worse. His performance against Leinster was appalling, and not just his place kicking. Biggar or Hook needs to start with the other on the bench.
3. The confidence of the players following a nightmare couple of weeks for the regions. This normally doesn't effect the Welsh team, but there's always a chance that it will.

 

[psychic duck]

So, Samson Lee is called up to cover for Adam Jones who is out of the Argentina match at least.

Uh Oh... Unfortunately that means Scott Andrews will likely add to international caps tally.

So the choices are for tighthead for Argentina are James (a loosehead), Jarvis (a player still gaining experience at club level and untried at international), Andrews (barely credible regional prop who has played more at Principality Premiership level this season than regional level), Lee (extremely young for a prop and needs more time, Japan would be a much more sensible place to introduce him to international rugby).

Argentina will field Ayerza and Figallo (who destroyed Tony Buckley last weekend) and the scrum could be a problem. Especially considering Gethin Jenkins is on poor form in France and has been getting destroyed in the scrums. However Argentina still persist with goal kickers not up to standard so Wales could get away with it.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Realistically you would look at Paul James at 3 or Jarvis.

 

[dullonien]

Uh Oh... Unfortunately that means Scott Andrews will likely add to international caps tally.

So the choices are for tighthead for Argentina are James (a loosehead), Jarvis (a player still gaining experience at club level and untried at international), Andrews (barely credible regional prop who has played more at Principality Premiership level this season than regional level), Lee (extremely young for a prop and needs more time, Japan would be a much more sensible place to introduce him to international rugby).

Argentina will field Ayerza and Figallo (who destroyed Tony Buckley last weekend) and the scrum could be a problem. Especially considering Gethin Jenkins is on poor form in France and has been getting destroyed in the scrums. However Argentina still persist with goal kickers not up to standard so Wales could get away with it.

Yup could be a problem. Personally I would start with Gethin and Paul James with Bevington and Jarvis on the bench. I don't want Andrews anywhere close to the starting 22 against a strong scrummaging team like Argentina.

 

[Draggs]

Exactly, well said Dull.
The days of 'plucky loser', 'as long as we beat the English', 'another Grand Slam' are boring and pathetic.
We need to actually beat proper sides if we want to consider ourselves a world class team.

 

[psychic duck]

Exactly, well said Dull.
The days of 'plucky loser', 'as long as we beat the English', 'another Grand Slam' are boring and pathetic.
We need to actually beat proper sides if we want to consider ourselves a world class team.

I agree with you Draggs.

If you're happy at just coming close, not getting thrashed, and being a plucky loser, then you will never progress beyond that.

I'm seeing the same with some Argentine fans. They blew two great opportunities for wins over South Africa (in Mendoza) and Australia (in Gold Coast), and were all too busy praising the side for being competitive, rather than asking why two missed opportunities were thrown away and what needs to be done to rectify them.

Melhor wrote an article somewhere else, asking what changes could be made to win matches, but the comments were just people glad not to be thrashed and how well the Pumas had done.

All teams should be looking at how to improve, even the All Blacks, and Wales are no exception. Even though the defeats to Australia were close, questions needed to be asked as to what went wrong and what needs to change to become a top side.