Wales v Ireland

[Peat]

Its a valid point. Peel shits over Philips at a great height at the moment.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I've no problem with that, if you promise not to break him like every other time he's been near the Wales camp

 

[dullonien]

I've no problem with that, if you promise to break him like every other time he's been near the Wales camp

Not to break him?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That's the ticket

 

[King_D'Arcy]

At his very best, Ryan Jones is a very good player. Granted, this hasn't been seen for a long time, and I can't actually comment on whether its the case at the moment as I haven't been watching them closely but if he's in form he's no weak link. I would still call advantage Heaslip in case I didn't make that clear. If you still take exception, fair enough.

Also, if Healy consistently scrummaged at his top ability, there wouldn't be a lot in it between him and Jenkins.

Nah I would definitely consider Jenkins to be in a different league to Healy. You've reminded me of something I've noticed over the last year or 2 though.
The Welsh (Not unlike the Irish) have a tendency to overrate a lot of their good players. I think Roberts, Williams, Hook and Lydiate are all overrated, as well as others. But you never hear them brag much about Jenkins who, to me, is by a good distance their best player. He's an absolutely quality prop! He'd be the starting loosehead on my world XV.

 

[dullonien]

Nah I would definitely consider Jenkins to be in a different league to Healy. You've reminded me of something I've noticed over the last year or 2 though.
The Welsh (Not unlike the Irish) have a tendency to overrate a lot of their good players. I think Roberts, Williams, Hook and Lydiate are all overrated, as well as others. But you never hear them brag much about Jenkins who, to me, is by a good distance their best player. He's an absolutely quality prop! He'd be the starting loosehead on my world XV.

Don't worry, we rate Jenkins. I think most Welsh supporters would put him as the greatest looshead in the world. I think the main reason he's not talked about quite as much is because Jenkins is clearly a cut above Paul James, but at the same time James is good enough to fill in when Jenkins is injured. There's not really much to talk about there. I agree that we probably overrate Roberts and Hook, but Shane is a prooven world class player, so we should be allowed to rate him very highly, and people are also realistic about Lydiate, great potential, but needs another year or so to really proove he's the real deal.

All supporters overrate a certain number of their players, it's only natural. To be perfectly honest, it's the long standing English members on this board that are most objective about their players. Scottish supporters are realistic aswell. Us Welsh and Irish posters are quite bad on occasion.

 

[profitius]

The Welsh (Not unlike the Irish) have a tendency to overrate a lot of their good players.

I think all fans are like that. Theres a tendency to hype up their favourite players. Look at the Sexton/ROG debate. Leinster fans argue in favour of Sexton and Munster fans argue in favour of ROG.

As for the match, I'm expecting a good game. Both teams are at a similar level and I think both will get better and close the gap on the southern hemisphere teams in the coming years judging by the players coming through.

One area the Welsh have always been miles ahead of us is their skill level. Ireland have got better in recent years in that department but I wouldn't mind having a Hook (James not George ) available for Ireland to offer an extra attacking threat.

 

[TVH11]

To be fair, everyone over rates their own "best" players. But I do believe that the 6 nations has shown how much Wales miss Adam Jones (who I and Many other Welsh fans regard as the best tight head prop in the world - possibly an exaggeration but without a doubt NH). He has lots of credit when he's missing, but sometimes does not get the credit when he's playing.

Also Yes, Shane and Jamie Roberts could be considered to be now "over rated"; that only because in the past 2/3 years their form has not been consistent - Having to follow up World player of the year (in Shane's Case) and man of the tour on the Lions (Roberts) is a hard task. They been good, but haven't excelled week in week out since then. Some of which is their own fault (bad decisions and that), and some of which is being outplayed by opposition.

I still think that Shane (despite being in his final international season) is as deadly as any winger in the World. OK, he hasn't scored as many as Ashton this season, but what he does around the park to create things is priceless within any team (especially one like Wales - lacking in "confidence" etc). He is greatly missed when he is missing (both Wales and Ospreys), and his creative spark sometimes goes under the radar. I'm sure that if you were to convert his tries created into tries scored, You'd have a total of tries close to 3 figures - when combining with current tally (yes its unrealistic to say that, but I am to prove a point). One thing to take into account is that he went into Rugby wilderness for 2 odd years (2002/2003 era) - considered too small. Anyway enough of my "One eyed" approach to Welsh Rugby.

Absolutely gutted that we have to wait a week for this game, these breaks annoy me. Waaaayyyy too much talking and not enough playing.
Bring it on

 

[Peat]

Nah I would definitely consider Jenkins to be in a different league to Healy. You've reminded me of something I've noticed over the last year or 2 though.
The Welsh (Not unlike the Irish) have a tendency to overrate a lot of their good players. I think Roberts, Williams, Hook and Lydiate are all overrated, as well as others. But you never hear them brag much about Jenkins who, to me, is by a good distance their best player. He's an absolutely quality prop! He'd be the starting loosehead on my world XV.

I do rate Jenkins. I would place him as the best in the world.

But he's not a destructive scrummager imo, merely a solid one. His work rate in the loose is obviously just ******* ridiculous. Thats what makes him so good (that, and the lack of looseheads who week in week out give away bugger all in the scrum).

But - and this is on a rather big provisio, that he keeps scrummaging like this - I think Healy at the top of his game is not far off. He's not just a destructive carrier, he's a destructive tackler. Even at international level he routinely knocks people back. His loose game hasn't been that great recently, I certainly know who I'd pick... but Healy on top form is a very good player.

I also think Williams is a top class player hampered by being asked to do too much, Hook has wonderful ball skills but dodgy decision making, Roberts is being stymied by Gatland's tactics and as dullonien says Lydiate is still a work in progress. He has all the raw attributes though.

 

[Draggs]

Nah I would definitely consider Jenkins to be in a different league to Healy. You've reminded me of something I've noticed over the last year or 2 though.
The Welsh (Not unlike the Irish) have a tendency to overrate a lot of their good players. I think Roberts, Williams, Hook and Lydiate are all overrated, as well as others. But you never hear them brag much about Jenkins who, to me, is by a good distance their best player. He's an absolutely quality prop! He'd be the starting loosehead on my world XV.

Says the one proclaiming Gordan D'Arcy king.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Speaking of D'Arcy, dodes it not annoy anyone else that he spends most of his time meaninglessly running sideways?

 

[cyRil]

Yeah he's been crap this 6 Nations.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

D'arcy hasn't been great for a couple of seasons. Once his pace deserted him, his defence at the breakdown was the thing holding his game together. Now that the breakdown is being refereed differently (and for the better IMO), that aspect of D'arcy's game is no longer a strength. At 31 he's not likely to get better. Unlike his centre colleague, he hasn't added different strings to his bow- when O'Driscoll began losing his explosive pace, he learned to offload better and put others through gaps instead.

I'd be inclined to pick Fergus McFadden at 12 for Ireland.

 

[munstermuffin]

Snoop I'd accept that point on McFadden for 12 but I strongly believe a coach can only pick a player who is starting consistently for province at 12 and therefor Wallace and D'Arcy are his only choices. I think it'll stay like that too unless Leinster make change 1st

 

[Peat]

I would love to see Ireland try effective pack-Reddan/Stringer-Sexton-Mincer

I don't think he's a panacea to Ireland's ills, but giving him a go with actual space and quick ball would be interesting. Mindyou, D'Arcy hasn't seen too much of it...

In general, arguing about Ireland's choice of 12 when they might still bring Tomas O'Leary to the party is like debating which engine to put in a car that doesn't have a steering wheel.

 

[TVH11]

OMFG..... Anyone seen the stuff been going on in the Ireland camp??
The "consistently reliable" Western Mail (I use the term loosely of course ) reports that S!!t has hit the fan in the Ireland camp over Twitter posts
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbyn...r-power-problems-with-ireland-91466-28282979/
I guess the twitter and social network ban put out by Gatland at the start of the tournament has payed off slighty...

 

[lynam1104]

Is that real it sounds all a bit off.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

News from nothing,
I saw when Heaslip and Healy and BOD were talking to the guys on twitter
They were getting a load of slack, and they basically just laughed at the guys saying it, and BOD was like retweeting all the comments he was getting

 

[Draggs]

News from nothing

Welcome to the western fail!

They had an article out earlier this week about how Lee Byrne had an injection for swelling, and is not limping.
Rather quiet day at the office, right?

 

[TVH11]

hahahaha yer thought it might have been over exaggerated. The Western Mail is the Welsh equivalent to the Sun when it comes to made up gossip. Was quite fun in the pub earlier to talk about it tho ah well. only a week to go