Wales v South Africa - 23/11/2024 (17.40)

[ChicagoKid]

Boks very average. Should have been 70.

 

[Jer1cho]

Wales are a rugby team, but... come on!

The big picture.

 

[dirty harry]

I hate to say it, because the playing pool is unbelievably bad, and I 100% blame the WRU for the state of the game in Wales...

But Gatland is defeated, the players have no heart, and aren't playing for him, the 6-2 debacle added to the throwing players under the bus means Gatland has to go.

His position is untenable, Walker, Tierney and every idiot involved on the board (maybe Robert's aside) has to resign and offer a future for the sport!

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Always love seeing Good Guy Kolisi after a game, he's such a dude

Edit: yep, love him

 

[AlRums]

Thank god that's over.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Curiously, the margin of loss was exactly the same in the end as against Australia. Progress of sorts?

Well almost. 33 points versus 32...

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Also, at least no one was sent off this time, which would have embarrassed Wales even more.

 

[dirty harry]

Also, at least no one was sent off this time, which would have embarrassed Wales even more.

I think the lack of cards highlights the lack of competitiveness from the start...

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Based on this, Wales MIGHT scrape a win in Italy, but forget winning any of the other 6N matches.

 

[Jer1cho]

Arendse was my motm. Gets way too little credit under Kolbe shadow. Like Pietersen with Habana back in the day. 53 players we played this year, and have 2 full squads. How times have changed.

 

[dirty harry]

Based on this, Wales MIGHT scrape a win in Italy, but forget winning any of the other 6N matches.

No chance can we compete with Italy!

 

[Tooting Carmen]

No chance can we compete with Italy!

They are playing the All Blacks tonight. It'll be interesting to see how they go.

 

[Geordie]

Wales just have to be patient. They have players with potential...but literally no experience...that's critical at this level. As Kolisi said one of their backs had more caps than the entire Welsh backline. You cant compete with that....

It's going to be a time period of frustration and pain...but the green shoots were there with Morgan, Reffel and Botham etc...not to mention they never gave up...theres a strong mindset...

Tough year coming up but it might set the foundations for another good side....

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Meanwhile: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/crez4xv4j40o

 

[mdaclarke]

Wales just have to be patient. They have players with potential...but literally no experience...that's critical at this level. As Kolisi said one of their backs had more caps than the entire Welsh backline. You cant compete with that....

It's going to be a time period of frustration and pain...but the green shoots were there with Morgan, Reffel and Botham etc...not to mention they never gave up...theres a strong mindset...

Tough year coming up but it might set the foundations for another good side....

Just look at where the Boks were in 2016/2017. Shows it can be done.

 

[Yulia]

not to mention they never gave up...theres a strong mindset...

And that's the most important! They'll have better games and better years in the future, just should learn from every hard situation and defeat

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Wales just have to be patient. They have players with potential...but literally no experience...that's critical at this level. As Kolisi said one of their backs had more caps than the entire Welsh backline. You cant compete with that....

It's going to be a time period of frustration and pain...but the green shoots were there with Morgan, Reffel and Botham etc...not to mention they never gave up...theres a strong mindset...

Tough year coming up but it might set the foundations for another good side....

During Gatland's first era, there were plenty of highly experienced Welsh sides that still lost or only narrowly beat other less experienced sides (including South Africa, such as in the 2018 and 2022 Summer victories). So that is a half-excuse at most. In fact, one problem has been not enough new players being slowly brought into the senior side for several years, so with all these retirements Wales have not really properly prepared.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Just look at where the Boks were in 2016/2017. Shows it can be done.

Yeah but SA's player depth (and average height and muscle) has always been on a different level to Wales even during their worst times.

 

[Geordie]

Just look at where the Boks were in 2016/2017. Shows it can be done.

Exactly...Wales just have to play these lads and build experience.

 

[BPM]

Wales just have to be patient. They have players with potential...but literally no experience...that's critical at this level. As Kolisi said one of their backs had more caps than the entire Welsh backline. You cant compete with that....

It's going to be a time period of frustration and pain...but the green shoots were there with Morgan, Reffel and Botham etc...not to mention they never gave up...theres a strong mindset...

Tough year coming up but it might set the foundations for another good side....

I get the sentiment and I don't want to kick Wales when they're down but it's going to take a lot longer than a year to get back to he standard of past Welsh teams, if they can even manage that.

They have some promising players but often they come in the same positions - for example, Morse looks great but are you going to drop Wainwright (often Wales best player and missed today) to give him game time?

Wales' age grade sides and the domestic game definition don't point to a bright future any time soon.