No place for Manu, assume that he’s still not right then. Think Daly might get taught a lesson at full back this weekend. Just as well his opposite number is pants.....oh.
It we finish the game within 15, I think we’ll have done well. I just don’t see where our tries are going to come from given that we appear to have no cutting edge in attack or even a game plan.
we appear to have no cutting edge in attack or even a game plan.
Or a consistent selection policy.......oh......hang on..........this sounds like exactly where we were before the 2015 RWC!
While i hope to be pleasantly surprised on Saturday, I just cant see much past a schooling by the ABs.
Youngs is too slow (Care always ups the pace dramatically) and kicks too much possession away, I think we'll miss Nowell's work rate/strength and defense from the off (would have started him then unleashed Ashton in the second half), we need a fullback that IS a fullback (Daly to wing or centre for me) and i still cannot fathom why Armand isnt in with a sniff.The bloke is a machine.
<b>Wales:</b> Leigh Halfpenny; George North, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Josh Adams; Gareth Anscombe, Gareth Davies; Nicky Smith, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Ross Moriarty
<i>Replacements: </i>Elliot Dee, Rob Evans, Dillon Lewis, Cory Hill, Ellis Jenkins, Tomos Williams, Dan Biggar, Liam Williams
<b>Australia: </b>Dane Haylett-Petty; Israel Folau, Samu Kerevi, Kurtley Beale, Sefa Naivalu; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Scott Sio, Tolu Latu, Allan Alaalatoa, Izack Rodda, Adam Coleman, Jack Dempsey, Michael Hooper (capt), David Pocock
<i>Replacements: </i>Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sekope Kepu, Taniela Tupou, Rob Simmons, Ned Hanigan, Nick Phipps, Matt To'omua, Jack Maddocks.
Wales have a reasonably strong bench for once, surprised Rob Evans isnt starting though.
Oh and dropping Nowell for Gashton is plain ****ing weird!
The toonbola rolls again
15. Stuart Hogg VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 62 caps
14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) – 44 caps
13. Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors) – 29 caps
12. Pete Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 36 caps
11. Sean Maitland (Saracens) – 34 caps
10. Finn Russell (Racing 92) – 37 caps
9. Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Clermont Auvergne) – 63 caps
1. Allan Dell (Edinburgh) – 14 caps
2. Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors) – 35 caps
3. Willem Nel (Edinburgh) – 23 caps
4. Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – uncapped
5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 26 caps
6. Ryan Wilson VICE CAPTAIN (Glasgow Warriors) – 38 caps
7. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) – 3 caps8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 2 caps
Substitutes:
16. Stuart McInally (Edinburgh) – 19 caps
17. Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors) – 5 caps
18. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 11 caps
19. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) – 44 caps
20. Josh Strauss (Sale Sharks) – 14 caps
21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) – 3 caps
22. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 4 caps
23. Chris Harris (Newcastle Falcons) – 4 caps
Laidlaw Russell and Hogg adds a great deal off experience and skill. A few players rested, some suprise picks. Same old same old from Toonie.
Wales have a reasonably strong bench for once, surprised Rob Evans isnt starting though.
Just back from injury and I'd imagine Gatland and co would relish the chance to have his quality coming on with fresh legs when thinking about the narrow losses at the end of matches against Australia
Is this fo' real? 🙂
Not a bad backline but Maitland is a bit meh ok even good at club but....
I hope to be proven wrong.
’d imagine Gatland and co would relish the chance to have his quality coming on with fresh legs when thinking about the narrow losses at the end of matches against Australia
Yeah him and the young tight head should make an impact as will Ellis Jenkins
I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s games. Anyone have an idea of how the games will go?
I presume the Italy v Georgia, Wales v Australia and France v South Africa games might go either way?
Scotland at home should be a comfortable win against Fiji?
NZ and Ireland clear favourites for their games?
Fiji are not the pushovers they used to be and they have some players who would grace any team in the world.
Scotland should win but fiji will fancy the game as well so its by no means a foregone conclusion
Wales found that out in 2007..
Wales found that out in 2007..
2007 was a long time ago though and it was away at the World Cup. Scotland are at home at Murrayfield, where they can, and are expected to win against any team. They have Hogg, Russell & Laidlaw playing. Their only worry might be that Gray is on the bench (is that because of his couple of mistakes last week?). Scotland by 20+ points.
Brad Shields . . . anybody want a swap ? He must have some positives that I just can't see (apart from the beard obviously).
Italy v Georgia is the biggie there
Italy lose, and calls for them to drop out of the 6N
Georgia win, and calls for them to be 'promoted' to the 6N
Might Italy field a weakened team? "Well, of course we lost..."
Who knows, but a big game in the world scheme of things.
Time for the RFU to call for a two-tiered 6N surely. Great idea I think. Games between England, Italy and Georgia could be crackers.
Fiji are not the pushovers they used to be and they have some players who would grace any team in the world.
Scotland should win but fiji will fancy the game as well so its by no means a foregone conclusion
It’s less than a year to the World Cup. Fiji are one place above Japan in the World rankings. Ireland will likely win all their games, which means Scotland v Japan is crucial. Japan being the home nation, have a clear advantage - if Scotland don’t win on Saturday I fear for their chances next year.
Brad Shields . . . anybody want a swap ? He must have some positives that I just can’t see (apart from the beard obviously).
Like a lot of SH players, he looked awesome playing down there but it doesn’t translate to playing in the NH. Somebody I know in the Ospreys set-up said that Fonotia had been talking about how there is so little time or space in the Pro14 compared to Super rugby.
Part of the issue with Shields is that the press heralded him as the next saviour of English rugby despite having not played for Wasps.
He's had little time to settle into Wasps who are pretty dire this season. He should have had to prove himself before being selected - he may well turn out to be a very good player but he needs to settle into NH rugby first. There was a video from him on the RFU FB page the other day and he was talking about how strong some the backs are in terms of what they bench and squat compared to him - which I'm sure is part of the problem with English rugby. They need to be working on skills not lifting weights.
Scotland are at home at Murrayfield, where they can, and are expected to win against any team
Rubbish.
Wales v Australia and France v South Africa games might go either way?
The results of the last 13 Wales Aus games suggest just one thing!
Time for the RFU to call for a two-tiered 6N surely. Great idea I think. Games between England, Italy and Georgia could be crackers.
No bites, what a shame!!
Scotland are at home at Murrayfield, where they can, and are expected to win against any team
Rubbish.
Well, admittedly I don’t know that much about how technically the game works - I just enjoy watching (mainly) the internationals. However, I hear all the time at work and on here about how special, exciting and promising Scotland are. I’d love to see them do well.
DD
iLaffed
No bites, what a shame!!
I was on the verge, but decided to treat it with the contempt it deserves... 😉
Watching the Red Roses vs USA. Brutal beating, the US lost a prop to a harsh red card, and are on a yellow. 33-0 at half time.. I feel sorry for the American side.
Please please please can we beat Australia this time.
Fun start to the Scotland v Fiji game!
Always said Ashton should have been picked...
13-0 !!
So England doing the business today!!
Wonder how long the intensity will last here
15-0 :-0
Let's not get too carried away.....15-10 now and given a few centimetres of space the NZ backline is running rings around us.
Yep, threw that away at the end there, need to come out and sort that out into the second half
Huge effort by england can they go the full 80?
Well this is exciting!
Really need another score in the 1st 10 mins for England. Needs the same intensity. They've gone off the boil at the end of the half - do that second half and NZ will put tries on us
40 mins, 2 trys and intense pressure and we could do this. Anything less - they are too good in the last 20.
Great work from simmons and sinckler really putting themselves up for the team.
Can they keep up the intensity in the second half? They’ve given New Zealand a foot hold on the game now and that’s all they need.
Guess TJ is purring given that Scotland are doing a number on Fiji.
Best 30 odd minutes we’ve played for a very long time. Not sure we can hang on given they’ve scored 10 points in 2 minutes.
I'd have liked 3 points there....
Omfg.
Arse, was a good finish by the Ospreylian hobbit
In my mind, that England team won the day. Poor decision over the Simmons try, but we played well with current standard of the team.
Shame about the score, but to be within 1pt with the best team in the world isnt a disgrace at all.
Kryton - are you welsh? 🙂 Moral victory?
