Wales summer Tour of Australia (and 1 off match against SA)

[AngloScotsHybrid]

The selection of Regan Grace is a new low for Wales.

 

[dirty harry]

Agree on Gareth Davies. He really shouldn't have made the squad given his form this season for Scarlets and Wales and given his age. He's been terrible moat of the time I've seen him play!

Agree with others about Ben Thomas at 10. Personally I think he's a better centre, but Costellow is so bad, it's needs must atm.

Not at all sure about the centres. Grady needs a run of games, but I think he's better suited to 13 than 12, although it makes little difference with the quality of ball currently being provided. Not sure about Grady and James as a combo, I think both need pairing with more of a distributor. Tompkins fulfilled that role well at the WC, but was poor in the 6N. Beetham could offer a rounded option at 12, but he's completely untested in that position.

SR pairing should be Jenkins + Tshiunza imo. We just don't need him at 6, especially with Plumtree looking decent. Carter and Screech did better than I thought on the weekend, with Carter looking more physical than he has in the past, so would be happy with him too.

I'm still not convinced with Gareth Thomas either. He misses a few tackles every game, isn't a brilliant scrummager (although the issue is more on the tighthead side), and doesn't particularly add much in the loose either. Overall, he's just a bit meh. Pickings are slim in the squad, but maybe Domachowski deserves a start to see what he can offer?

So with all that in mind, I'd select the following:

Domachowski, Lake, Lewis
Jenkins, Tshiunza
Plumtree, Wainwright, Reffell

Bevan, Thomas
Tompkins, Grady
Grace, Winnett, Williams

Lloyd, Thomas, Griffin, Carter, Botham, Hardy, Beetham, James

Complete punt on Grace, but **** it, why not?

Tompkins is an odd duck. First 2 seasons he was a headless chicken, he ran around wild playing U14 rugby, ball in hand was dangerous but kept losing his head. Hes developed into a more ball playing option, but that stifles his only strength. I believe with a solid player like William's and Adam's outside him hell be a decent 13.

I also agree 100%, Tsiunza and Jenkins could be a great lock pairing. Christ would need to bulk though, hes hardly a monster of a man.

I feel for Thomas, he seems to be the one left out to dry in defence, the tackle he 'missed' against Van Der Merwe was lack of support inside him. It's a poor pack, and in the tight we are messy. He is easily our best scrummage though, Domachowski needs to kick on IMO.

 

[dirty harry]

The selection of Regan Grace is a new low for Wales.

Who should have been selected ahead of him?
Prosser, Cornbeer, Lane, Hewitt, Nagy?

 

[Welsh Exile]

Who should have been selected ahead of him?
Prosser, Cornbeer, Lane, Hewitt, Nagy?

Is Nagy even qualified and Hewitt is injured so strengthens your point even further.

We've had LRZ waltz off to play a stupid sport, Feyi-Waboso being a turncoat, Cobango (who Gatland heavily implied was going to be picked ahead of Giles before getting injured at the end of the season) Giles and Adams for different reasons all unavailable. Yeah, it's a bit mad putting Grace in there but he was literally like 10th choice.

 

[dirty harry]

Is Nagy even qualified and Hewitt is injured so strengthens your point even further.

We've had LRZ waltz off to play a stupid sport, Feyi-Waboso being a turncoat, Cobango (who Gatland heavily implied was going to be picked ahead of Giles before getting injured at the end of the season) Giles and Adams for different reasons all unavailable. Yeah, it's a bit mad putting Grace in there but he was literally like 10th choice.

I'm not sure, he was at Swansea pre covid wasnt he?

Lane is injured as well I think, he hasnt played much on the back end of the season, otherwise I'd suspect hed be in. Hes a hell of a finisher, if not lightening quick.

Tom Roger's after that?

I would say, I would have taken Llewellyn, as Grady has been playing wing.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I'm not sure, he was at Swansea pre covid wasnt he?

Lane is injured as well I think, he hasnt played much on the back end of the season, otherwise I'd suspect hed be in. Hes a hell of a finisher, if not lightening quick.

Tom Roger's after that?

I would say, I would have taken Llewellyn, as Grady has been playing wing.

I don't think Nagy does qualify you know, I think it's up in the air from a brief search.

Roger's is mainly used as a winger but I've always seen him as a full back but again, is he injured I can't honestly remember.

Either way we're down to the bare bones on the wing and taking a punt on Grace isn't the worst decision in the world.

Having said that I've always liked Conbeer. Isn't he out of a club now or have I got that wrong? Always seemed really promising but yeah, don't know who else.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Nagy started at Swansea Uni in September 2018 and has had a residency in Wales since then. I'm pretty sure he's eligible.

Whether he would accept a Wales call-up though, I don't know. His dream was always to play for Northampton and England.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Nagy started at Swansea Uni in September 2018 and has had a residency in Wales since then. I'm pretty sure he's eligible.

Whether he would accept a Wales call-up though, I don't know. His dream was always to play for Northampton and England.

Uncertainty remains over full-back's Wales eligibility after months of questions

The Ospreys have been waiting for clarity on the full-back's eligibility for at least six months

www.google.com

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Uncertainty remains over full-back's Wales eligibility after months of questions

The Ospreys have been waiting for clarity on the full-back's eligibility for at least six months

www.google.com

Feyi-Waboso being a turncoat

 

[Welsh Exile]

View attachment 20557

I've told you this before. If they turn their back on wales they're a turncoat if they come to wales they've had an epiphany.

 

[dirty harry]

I've told you this before. If they turn their back on wales they're a turncoat if they come to wales they've had an epiphany.

Well its NZ vs the islands type of issue isnt it.

NZ have pillaged the best talent for a century (before losing exclusivity to France) but Kiwis will always argue that more Kiwi born players represent the islands than Islanders NZ.

But when you have access to the greatest athletes, of course the lesser players will return to the islands.

Wales will end up capping far more England failed players than England will cap Welsh players, and with Waboso it's sad to see.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Well its NZ vs the islands type of issue isnt it.

NZ have pillaged the best talent for a century (before losing exclusivity to France) but Kiwis will always argue that more Kiwi born players represent the islands than Islanders NZ.

But when you have access to the greatest athletes, of course the lesser players will return to the islands.

Wales will end up capping far more England failed players than England will cap Welsh players, and with Waboso it's sad to see.

Yep, it's a sad reality but one we have to live with unfortunately.

 

[Which Tyler]

And the "plundering kiwis" trope was thoroughly debunked what? 20? 25 years ago?

Can you name another Welsh born-and-raised player to play for England?

 

[Welsh Exile]

And the "plundering kiwis" trope was thoroughly debunked what? 20? 25 years ago?

Can you name another Welsh born-and-raised player to play for England?

He said:

"Wales will end up capping far more England failed players than England will cap Welsh players"

There's nothing controversial there. We're a tiny, poor country next door to one of the richest counties in the world with a population of over 50 million so of course there's going to be an imbalance and of course you benefit from immigration a lot more than Wales will. It's a sad reality but it's the way of the world. Even with immigrants we have like the Vunipolas you'll end up getting more often than not.

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

Who should have been selected ahead of him?
Prosser, Cornbeer, Lane, Hewitt, Nagy?

Well if Grace is genuinely the next best candidate then that is a low in itself.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Eeehhhhh, it's worth a punt - he's a genuinely spectacular league player

Jason Robinson had only been in a Union environment for three months before making his England debut. Obviously it's a bit different cause he's been out injured but Grace has been around Union for two seasons and played the sport as a kid

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

Eeehhhhh, it's worth a punt - he's a genuinely spectacular league player

Jason Robinson had only been in a Union environment for three months before making his England debut. Obviously it's a bit different cause he's been out injured but Grace has been around Union for two seasons and played the sport as a kid

Actually Jason Robinson played a season for Bath in the 90s before he moved back to Union in the noughties and then got selected for England.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Point still stands, don't be such a misery guts

Who's to say he even plays? Not everyone who tours does, especially on a shortened tour - with a potential generational talent why wouldn't you get them in the systems asap

 

[dirty harry]

And the "plundering kiwis" trope was thoroughly debunked what? 20? 25 years ago?

Can you name another Welsh born-and-raised player to play for England?

25 years ago 'retaining exclusive access ' to island talent was literally in the NZRU 5 year strategic plan lol. I love tho cope on this subject though, like there hasnt been dozens of all blacks representing from scholarship stock, and there hasnt been floods of PI boys in Auckland after being recruited into scholarships then dumped out and left to rot.

And to not play favourites, I'd also condemn Irelands and Scotlands scouting and recruiting methods over the last decade, and very much condemn Englands Pacific island academy, and Frances back door naturalisation through Willis and fortuna.

I'd also slam Wales recruiting foreign policy if they werent so bad at it lol.

there was an article written about 20 years ago, may well have been in the NZ Herald I dont remember, but it made a bold claim, that if PI talent wasnt protected from wealthy nations every tier 1 rugby nation would by 2030 have backline full of generational island talent. Obviously by being protected they meant kept solely for NZ to have, but it was a very astute prediction.

 

[dirty harry]

Point still stands, don't be such a misery guts

Who's to say he even plays? Not everyone who tours does, especially on a shortened tour - with a potential generational talent why wouldn't you get them in the systems asap

Small countries like Wales need to take bigger risks, I mean we havnt set up private schools for SA boys like Scotland, or foreign scouting networks like Ireland.