Wales v New Zealand

[Nate Dizzle]

Sounds about right. I guess it's a question of not getting into that position - sometimes impossible - but if the other side suffer the same then it's OK.

Wales looked good, but no delivery. ABs aren't hugely impressive, but they get the job done.

Maybe we should bring back rucking?. That would stop players deliberately lying in the wrong place on purpose and for those who got stuck they'd never do it again after a good love tap or two. In all seriousness though it never will, a shame really.

On the Powell incident I hope he is cited and suspended, atleast Mealamu didn't act like he was the man after his 'headbutt'. I hate players who think their the **** after some dirty cheap shot. Theres stupid mistakes and going a bit far but acting like your 10 foot tall and bullet proof after you've done it? what a dick.

 

[smartcooky]

On the Powell incident I hope he is cited and suspended, atleast Mealamu didn't act like he was the man after his 'headbutt'. I hate players who think their the **** after some dirty cheap shot. Theres stupid mistakes and going a bit far but acting like your 10 foot tall and bullet proof after you've done it? what a dick.

So do I. That is the sort of BS that belongs in other oval-ball codes.... not ours!!

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Can players be suspended for games, as opposed to weeks?

 

[Sam Owen]

I'd like to see a replay of that clothesline from Powell, I just wanna see what Allan Lewis was looking at. When your running with the ball into a tackle you'd think the reffs got his eye on you. If someone could please provide us with a replay, I tried but couldnt find anything on youtube.

 

[coonor]

Powells hit was dangerous and there was deffinatly intent there. If he is not cited i'll eat my hat. The BOD incident is irrelevant to the case and New Zealanders have the right to moan about a dangerous challenge like powell's was just like the British and Irish had the right to moan about BOD being speared.

 

[nickdnz]

I'd like to see a replay of that clothesline from Powell, I just wanna see what Allan Lewis was looking at. When your running with the ball into a tackle you'd think the reffs got his eye on you. If someone could please provide us with a replay, I tried but couldnt find anything on youtube.

Best I could find, which is just some guy holding a video camera, to their TV on MySky, lol. Doesn't show anything very clearly, but from the looks of it, Allan Lewis was looking in the general direction of the tackle.

 

[Sam Owen]

Best I could find, which is just some guy holding a video camera, to their TV on MySky, lol. Doesn't show anything very clearly, but from the looks of it, Allan Lewis was looking in the general direction of the tackle.

Thanks for the footage.

Yeah it probably happened to fast for Allan Lewis to pick up (like someone before mentioned). I thought Lewis clearly saw it but after reviewing it, maybe not. So Im gonna quit barking up the wrong tree lol.

 

[Bossco]

It's hard to understand how he could have missed that....especially given McCaw and the players reaction. Just such a farcical ending to the game when coupled with the blatant forward pass he overruled as well.

Says alot about McCaws character that he didn't make a huge issue over what was such a deliberate assault.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Ok, pretty decent game by the AB's, Great to see Gear and Mils scoring tries. DC had a bit of an off day but still happy the boys manage to go for a clean sweep.
Henry still has some work to get the team ready for next year as they didn't preform that well as the previous weeks.

 

[ckell]

So do I. That is the sort of BS that belongs in other oval-ball codes.... not ours!![/QUOTE]

This... its not NFL we're watching. Players should have more decency than that, especially considering McCaw was in a vulnerable position when being tackled.

 

[ckell]

So do I. That is the sort of BS that belongs in other oval-ball codes.... not ours!!

This... its not NFL we're watching. Players should have more decency than that, especially considering McCaw was in a vulnerable position when being tackled.

 

[TrueSlawter]

Looking back on that tackle i have to now agree with it being intended tbh, just the way he swang his arm into it.. should get max time out for that.. First time i saw it i was busy with other stuff than the game (doing personal statement for UCAS etc) so only saw it as it happened at the 1st reply where i didnt pick out the swinging arm.. therefore sorry guys for the mini debate kinda thing over him not being a thug and ****..

 

[dullonien]

Could cost Powell too. He's only just re-entered the Welsh squad after the golf buggy incident. Gatland may look at this and decide he doesn't want players like this in his squad, who are capable of moments of madness and stupidity, as it may well cost Wales at some point. If that tackle was picked up by the ref, I would have had no complaints if the ref gave him his marching orders, so if this had happened earler in the game, it could have cost up dearly.

I think Faletau should be given a shot above Powell for the 6 nations, with Ryan Jones as backup.

 

[TVH11]

I know it sounds silly but i cant remember seeing this tackle, i missed the last 7 mins of the game so i presume it was then. With Powell's reputation i'm gonna say it was high and rash, and tbh will probs get a ban if it was dangerous (seems as if it was). With regards to McCaw's hands in the ruck, its called gamesmanship i guess, if u can bend the rules to your teams advantage without being penalised, then fair play. We dont complain when Martin Williams makes a pain of himself in the breakdown (unless ur an ospreys supporter playing the Blues lol). We gotta be realistic, even if the ref had penalised McCaw every time he had hands in the ruck, i think NZ would have scored more tries to compensate for the penalties.
Good effort by our boys tho, just with certain players out injured we really are lacking flair and spark in the backs. fingers crossed for Shane, Halfpenny, Roberts and (cough) Henson will be back for 6 nations otherwise i do (and it really hurts to say this) the england back may run riot against us in opening game.
BRING IT ON

 

[dan the man]

Pretty poor game from the AB's really... the scoreline is pretty flattering, in saying that they took all there opportunities, but they didn't really make any. Wales were pretty solid but i guess it came down to fitness and focus.
Looks like Donald wont wear the black jersey ever again, if so they would've given him more game time throughout the tour.

 

[Larksea]

IMO that was a strange game for one reason. The Ref...

It's refing like that that worries me with the world cup comming, the ref hammered the AB's at the breakdown for not releasing when the welsh players that were forcing the turnovers & penalities were either not releasing the tackled player or going off their feet and just "diving in" and not supporting their weight. I look at how that game was poorly refed and how that kept Wales in the game. Overall it could have been worth a 10+ point shift in the score to the welsh who in the end weren't good enough to turn that into a win because they couldn't stop the AB's scoring 5 great trys.

It was nasty, AB's were getting up from the rucks shruging their sholders and looking around in wonder. Usally when a player wins penalties like that they get a pat on the back from their teamates but in that game the welsh should have just patted the ref on the back.

There were other points of note about the refing too - Brad thorns sholder high tackle that was penalised which wasn't dangerous at all and minimal contact to the neck/head then a huge deliberate swining arm on McCaw's head that got nothing, Brad Thorn get penalised for Holding a player at a ruck then soon after got taken out by a ruck when he wasn't even near the ball and the ref ignored it - which in my view is a huge consistancy issue. Then there is that joke of a yellow card as well.

Echo's of 07 vs. france IMO where the ref didn't award the AB's a single penalty for the entire 2nd half and missed some critical game turning calls. Credit to france they were good enough to stay close enough to the AB's so that if they got the lucky calls from the ref they had a chance for a result. In the end they got a huge hand from the ref and won the game.

During this year and the new law interpritations it has been really clear to me that the refs have been slowley reverting back the the old interpritations or maybe a better way to put it going from giving the advantage to the attacking team to giving the advantage to the defending team. And major issues with how Refs are moderationg the scrums, IMO some sem to know what they are doing while others dont seem to have a clue.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

IMO that was a strange game for one reason. The Ref...

It's refing like that that worries me with the world cup comming, the ref hammered the AB's at the breakdown for not releasing when the welsh players that were forcing the turnovers & penalities were either not releasing the tackled player or going off their feet and just "diving in" and not supporting their weight. I look at how that game was poorly refed and how that kept Wales in the game. Overall it could have been worth a 10+ point shift in the score to the welsh who in the end weren't good enough to turn that into a win because they couldn't stop the AB's scoring 5 great trys.

It was nasty, AB's were getting up from the rucks shruging their sholders and looking around in wonder. Usally when a player wins penalties like that they get a pat on the back from their teamates but in that game the welsh should have just patted the ref on the back.

There were other points of note about the refing too - Brad thorns sholder high tackle that was penalised which wasn't dangerous at all and minimal contact to the neck/head then a huge deliberate swining arm on McCaw's head that got nothing, Brad Thorn get penalised for Holding a player at a ruck then soon after got taken out by a ruck when he wasn't even near the ball and the ref ignored it - which in my view is a huge consistancy issue. Then there is that joke of a yellow card as well.

Echo's of 07 vs. france IMO where the ref didn't award the AB's a single penalty for the entire 2nd half and missed some critical game turning calls. Credit to france they were good enough to stay close enough to the AB's so that if they got the lucky calls from the ref they had a chance for a result. In the end they got a huge hand from the ref and won the game.

During this year and the new law interpritations it has been really clear to me that the refs have been slowley reverting back the the old interpritations or maybe a better way to put it going from giving the advantage to the attacking team to giving the advantage to the defending team. And major issues with how Refs are moderationg the scrums, IMO some sem to know what they are doing while others dont seem to have a clue.

Just remember the ref could have pinged more both ways, not anti-NZ like its being made out.

 

[dullonien]

I personally didn't think the ref was harsh on the AB's atall at ruck time, although another viewing is probably in order, paying special attention to this aspect of the game. For me, the Welsh backrow simply outplayed NZ's ruck time, with Warburton in particular getting to every single ruck first. When he failed to do so (normally when Wales went wide), NZ got plenty of turnovers and penalties. I don't think enough praise is being given to the Welsh starting backrow, they were the ones who were securing Welsh ball and forcing penalties, not the ref.

There were a few inconsistencies from the ref I agree. The yellow card was a little harsh as it looked like a hard position for him to move out of, but I've seen planty like that given. I'll double check the Alun-Wyn Jones incident with Thorn before commenting again on it. However Thorn was penalised for holding Bradley Davies back from getting to a loose ball, blatant penalty. Alun-Wyn didn't stop thorn getting to the ball atall, though he could have been pinged for off the ball (though that happens in every game, and is rarely taken notice of).

Edit. Agree there Cymro. For me NZ were always very slow rolling away after making tackles, many refs would award penalties there. I also thought NZ simply lingered offside after gettign up from a tackle just getting in the way of Phillips etc.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Its not just the hands tho Dull it was going off their feet also, Wales were guilty of this also.

 

[dullonien]

Wales didn't go off their feet as much as NZ, hence all the penalties NZ gave away. One of Warburton's biggest strengths is the position he get's himself in over the ball, much like Pocock and Brussow. He very rarely goes off his feet, and is very hard to move once there. He didn't have a great game in open play, but I thought his work in the tight was excellent. He secured 2-3 clean turnovers and also forced NZ to concede many more penaties from holding on. Very impressed with his two games this series, he's coming along nicely. If he can get a nice injury free run, he along with Lydiate, will form part of a very good backrow imo. Not quite discounting Williams yet, but maybe he'll be used as more of an impact sub when the game opens up a bit in the second half.

Edit. Obvious yet that I'm a bit of a fan? Have been ever since his time as captain of the U20's a few years back. Was one of the few players in the Welsh U20's team that could stand tow to tow physically with the likes of NZ, and also showed a great running game. Unfortunately he was injured for a year or so soon afterwards which halted his progress somewhat, but he's quickly regained form and is really starting to show what he offers now.