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Wales v Fiji

smartcooky said:
The "poaching" myth is just that, a myth, generated mostly by the British media. There are in fact just four members of the current touring party (Muliaina, Toeava, Rokocoko and Kaino) who were born in the Islands. All four moved to NZ with their parents (hardly their choice really), three of them when they were infants or preschoolers, and the other as a ten year-old. To suggest that the NZRU "poached" them because of their rugby talent would be to attribute a level of fortune-telling that would make them not out of place in the company of Sally Morgan!!
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Yes, I made that lazy assumption and was put right about it a few years ago. The rest of your post was interesting too. Fair play to New Zealand.
 
Haven't seem this game yet but congrats to fiji.
Really thought Wales should do this but there seems to be something about fiji that messes with the welsh lol
 
What game? We never had a game this weekend. I dunno what match you guys are talking about......








Says he, determined to forget it.
 
Am I the only one that wants proof of the suposid voting down of heping the PI nations? It really seems to be to be the whole NH v SH bs thing again :/

Either way Wales' will field their current full strength team and will likely loose again, to be honest Byrne needs to get back on form but with no-one to go full back without loosing creativity in the centre's there isnt much we can do right now unfortunatly.
 
Shux almost for got to congraulate the brothers.

Way to go Fiji.

Inspirational.
 
Get in! People bit at my 'NZ poaching' remark!!
And I'M an idiot! :p :p :p

Also, Ben Morgan isn't Welsh?!?!
 
Didn't realise Ben Morgan isn't Welsh, he's got a Welsh sounding name. Has he got any kind of Welsh family? He's the kinda player that may well stick with the Scarlets for years to come and decide to play for Wales though.

Still, a backrow consisting of three from: Warburton, Williams, Turnbull, McCusker, Faletau, Lydiate, Powell and Delve looks rather tasty. I think it's about time Gatland started concentrating on playing these players together, so we might actually have a competative back-row in time for the World Cup. Lydiate, Warburton and McCusker have shown they're up to the job, whilst Powell looks back to our best option at 8, and Williams has shown that he's still got a big part to play for us at the WC.
 
Ben Morgan is from Gloucester from what I know and qualifies for Wales just before next autumn internationals!
 
They interviewed his dad during the Munster v Scarlets game tonight. He said that Morgan would be happy to get capped by either really, although he himself was a proud Gloucesterman. Mark Jones also hinted that Morgan considers himself Welsh.
 
dullonien said:
They interviewed his dad during the Munster v Scarlets game tonight. He said that Morgan would be happy to get capped by either really, although he himself was a proud Gloucesterman. Mark Jones also hinted that Morgan considers himself Welsh.
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Interviewed Morgan at the end of the game and said he played for whoever asked first!
 
I imagine it'd be Wales, Englands got quite a few backrowers on their cards in the EPS/Saxons and a couple that flit in and out depending on injuries
 
You can say that again! God now I think of it we've got Hendrie Fourie as an immediate replacement on the openside and James Haskell for number 8 and blindside and then after that you got Andy Saul, Chris Robshaw, Dan Ward-Smith, Jordan Crane, Phil Dowson...christ we practically bleed quality right now.

Still theres a huge difference between having quality and actually using it. Its taken us three years to get this far so god knows what would happen if our first choice back row went missing in a storm :s
 
Not gonna lie im quite jealous of all the options England have at their disposal at the back row!
 
I don't feel the same way about it really. There's no denying the entire squad deserved criticism, including Gatland and the rest of the backroom staff after the Fiji game. This is professional sport, players should be ready to deal with the praise that comes their way when things go well, and to deal with criticism when things don't go well. Whilst Ryan Jones shouldn't be the only one to be blamed, and he hasn't been, as captain it was up to him to sort out the mess on the field. After half time, Wales came out with much more purpose and direction, partly given by Phillips, Jones, Shanklin and Davies coming on, but then Wales slumped again and allowed Fiji back in the game.

Gatland has been too loyal to some of the players, especially Ryan Jones who hasn't been playing well for an age. Gatand saw fit to let the squad know immediately that Rees would skipper the team next week, and the fact that got out to the press so early doesn't really matter imo.

I'm not someone who blames Ryan Jones for the fact we conceded a draw with the final penalty he gave away, as even if we hung on and won by 3 points, it wouldn't have changed the manner of the performance, and tbh would have papered over some cracks.

With my optimistic hat on, we've gotta take some of the positives from this game. Namely that at least this has happened now and not in the WC. We now have almost a year to sort this out, plenty of time judging by the manner in which we completeld the grand slam after the shambles of the '07 WC. There's a few players that should now not feature again in Welsh squads, meaning we should see some more youngsters/players who deserve their places over some of the past it players currently involved.
 
dullonien said:
I don't feel the same way about it really. There's no denying the entire squad deserved criticism, including Gatland and the rest of the backroom staff after the Fiji game. This is professional sport, players should be ready to deal with the praise that comes their way when things go well, and to deal with criticism when things don't go well. Whilst Ryan Jones shouldn't be the only one to be blamed, and he hasn't been, as captain it was up to him to sort out the mess on the field. After half time, Wales came out with much more purpose and direction, partly given by Phillips, Jones, Shanklin and Davies coming on, but then Wales slumped again and allowed Fiji back in the game.

Gatland has been too loyal to some of the players, especially Ryan Jones who hasn't been playing well for an age. Gatand saw fit to let the squad know immediately that Rees would skipper the team next week, and the fact that got out to the press so early doesn't really matter imo.

I'm not someone who blames Ryan Jones for the fact we conceded a draw with the final penalty he gave away, as even if we hung on and won by 3 points, it wouldn't have changed the manner of the performance, and tbh would have papered over some cracks.

With my optimistic hat on, we've gotta take some of the positives from this game. Namely that at least this has happened now and not in the WC. We now have almost a year to sort this out, plenty of time judging by the manner in which we completeld the grand slam after the shambles of the '07 WC. There's a few players that should now not feature again in Welsh squads, meaning we should see some more youngsters/players who deserve their places over some of the past it players currently involved.
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Wales has lacked some direction on the pitch, the tactics are at times wrong and the players selected are wrong, so who does the blame lie with?
 
Yeh, not denying that Cymro. The backroom staff do deserve plenty of criticism for those things tou pointed out. However considering Wales' performance against SA, it appears that this team is capable of decent performances. I have no idea why Gatland picked Bennett and Deiniol Jones to start, whilst most people realised a year ago that Biggar isn't yet up to international level, Gatland is responsible for those stupid selections. However at the same time, who here thought that Gough, Rees, Bishop and Byrne would play quite so poorly, and that Ryan Jones' leadership would be soo poor.

I personally put more blame on the players for the Fiji game, as they simply coughed up the ball too often and didn't stand up physically. However I've been dissapointed with the tactics Gatland has been implementing for the past two years.
 
For me Ryan Jones leadership is there but I think his match fitness is not there or form, he has played to little / few games for the Ospreys after injury and has not had enough games to sort himself out. Think the same with go for Byrne.

The players were to blame for the Fiji game there is no denying that, but to put the sole blame of the game onto Ryan Jones is not fair. The removal of the captaincy in the manner that it was done was unprofessional, I know for fact that Gatland told the media first and Rees second of him being appointed captain for the NZ game. I do feel that Gatland believing that JT is better at 8 than Jones is, is currently crazy, personally id go against NZ 6. Lydiate, 7. Williams and 8. Powell.
 
Is Warburton going to be fit for this game?
With Powell back/on form, Warburton being fit could force JT out of the squad, at last
 
Newport Gwent Dragons flanker Dan Lydiate, who was sidelined from the Springboks clash due to ankle trouble, is in contention to face Fiji, but prop Gethin Jenkins is a confirmed non-starter because of a calf injury.

"Dan is still in with a chance this week," said Davies. "His rehab is progressing well and no decision has yet been made on him. We will know more over the next 24 hours. Gethin has had an initial scan which failed to show the extent of his calf problem. He will not feature this Friday night and will undergo another scan this week which should give us a clearer idea of his situation.

"Sam Warburton (calf) is progressing too, and he should be up and running in time for next week (against New Zealand)."
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Taken from the Irish Times Last Tuesday

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/2010/1116/1224283449293.html
 

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