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No - the ref is sole arbiter of fact.
Philips is a card waiting to happen. He is petulant and arrogant - a bad mix.
Glitchy bumpy
I think Phillips has improved in recent matches and no doubt whatever was going on at the Ospreys killed his appetite for the game a bit.
Phillips is solid if not spectacular... a bit in the Stephen Jones mould. So long as Wales have one 9 or 10 that can make things happen then it's not so bad (e.g. Phillips and Hook together).
Tavis Knowle will wind up players and referees far more than Phillips! The only Welsh scrum half with more 'chat' is Martin Roberts
Phillips will never get a snappy pass out though! Stop. Bend down. Leisurely attempt to find the ball. Stand. Look around for a bit. Pass. I guess being a big guy he will always struggle to have the smooth fluid motion of getting a ball out of the ruck like smaller, more traditional build of scrum half though...
Id rather have any one of the tops 4 Scottish scrum halves thats for sure 🙂
Always wondered why the Welsh stuck with Phillips. A couple of years back they has a mouth watering back line supplied by possibly the slowest service in world rugby. Sure he offers other options but as a scrum half he does the basics pretty poorly.
On recent form even the other options are not that great.
Agree with TJ - Blair, Cusiter, Lawson & Laidlaw would all get the nod before him
Blair, Cusiter, Lawson & Laidlaw would all get the nod before him
The last Lions coaches didnt choose any of them ahead of him and wont next time either I'll wager.
Wales pick him because he draws defenders, he lets them get away with not loading up the rucks because he he handles players coming through, he is invaluable in defence where he plays like an extra backrower and he deals with shit ball himself rather than passing it on. Giving a backlinetime isnt about just a fast pass, if it was Roberts would be the welsh 9.
Nicky Walker out! Just as well we have as many spare wingers as we do 9's. A-A....Phillips is gash, has been for ages. Lawson, Cusiter, hell possibly even Blair are better. There are better teams that Bayonne in France,actually there are better teams than Bayonne in Newcastle and Exeter,none of them were interested.
Who would have thought it? Welsh rugby player starts dating a singer and game goes to pot, lightening DOES strike twice. 😯
Your worried about Walker being injured and have the cheek to say Phillips the 50 cap British Lions test scrum half is gash. Righto 😆
A-A i like Philips, abrasive running 9, but he, as TJ says is a card waiting to happen. Example; did he not spend 10 minutes in the bin last weekend? Still don't understand why Peel is so overlooked.
Cusiter still my favourite even though i taught Blair.
did he not spend 10 minutes in the bin last weekend?
For a ruck infringement that the ref got wrong, however it shows a lack of rugby knowledge if you thing a team so dominated in terms of possesion and territory arent going to have players binned. Phillips used to be a card waiting to happen due to his temper but that has improved massively in the last few years, teams spend a lot of effort trying to wind up with no effect these days.
Blair and Cussitor are hugely overated.
Peel doesnt get chances for Wales because he plays for Sale and they never release him for training.
Newcastle and Exeter
so when are these teams announcing signings of the calibre of:
Rockcoko
Lauki
Teealata
Phillips
Chisholm
Haymans
I guess Exeter are happy with Mitchel, I'm sure that would see them finish 7th in the top 14!
So what you are saying is that Philips is off to France to boost his pension?
Phillips is a professional sportsman and has always taken the coin, hard to blame him for it.
intrestingly most of that list are under 30.
anagallis_arvensis - MemberPeel doesnt get chances for Wales because he plays for Sale and they never release him for training.
Plus he's pretty crap these days.
Not a young player anymore, he doesn't have the physical attack that Phillips has, his pass isn't particularly quick or sharp AND he makes more tactical mistakes than any of the other Welsh scrum halves. Why pass to the O/Half when you can make a poor box kick and give possession straight back to the other team? Ask Peel because he does it all the time.
Tavis Knoyle had a very good game against the Pumas. He needs more game time, and probably ultimately to move away from the Scarlets where he'll be worshipped as a god soon, but he's becoming very capable. Much more rounded than Phillips or Peel.
Anyway, TJ's arguments aside, Wales is in a good position with regards to 9s - Phillips, Peel, Rees, Knoyle, Lloyd Williams, plus there are a handful who are developing.
I'd prefer to take Peel with Phillips and Knoyle or Rees but Rees and Peel aint options open to us which is a shame.
squads announced soon are they not?
Rees is injured, is he?
Scotchish Squad announced already..
Scotland squad in full:Backs: Joe Ansbro (London Irish), Mike Blair (Edinburgh), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Castres), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Lamont (Toulon), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh).
Forwards: John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Richie Gray, Dougie Hall (both Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Nathan Hines (Clermont Auvergne), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (captain, Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester), Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks).
Bennett, Bevington, Burns, Charteris, Davies, Faletau, James, Jenkins, Jones, Jones, Jones, Lydiate, Mitchell, Owens, Powell.
Brew, Byrne, Davies, Halfpenny, Hook, Jones, Knoyle, North, Phillips, Priestland, Roberts, Williams, Williams, Williams.
no martyn williams
We took both Cusiter and Murray.Tell you what A-A, we will swap a prop for a centre,how about it? He is really good,but doesn't play on a Sunday.
you can have Scott Williams, we'll have Murray but I'll have to check the dyas the matches are on!!
[url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/14614058.stm ]Shame, would have been nice for him to have gone home for a while[/url]
😈
Reckon Cross will be first choice at tight head for Scotland
Murray was an awesome prop but I think he has lost it a bit recently. That said he made a huge difference when he came on on Saturday. With potentially a number of key games on Sunday I think he cannot be first choice prop.
Martin Williams not going??? I guess he is getting on but he was best open side from the UK in the last decade (at least).
Hape going and Flutey staying? 😯
I am hoping Murray has the hunger again, he looked the part when he came on against a useful Italian scrum, but agree with the two group matches on the Sabbath, he will be second choice.
Congrats to Warburton in being the youngest wales ever captain. An old head on young shoulders, I look forward to see his career progress.
Probably the only wales player I wish was english. Or kiwi, maori, Saffa. Doesn't seem to matter really.
Not really RWC news but Tom Rees is out for the majority of next season this time with ruptured knee ligaments. V sad news for him as he was a great player a few years ago. Only 26 though so hope he can get back again.
duckman - Member
Hape going and Flutey staying?
Brilliant! Worst centre in world rugby goes to the World Cup! 🙂
I think Tindalls going too........ 🙁
CFH, take your pick. Banahan is going too!
TJ's excellent term "trundlemuppets" so perfectly sums up the England midfield!
Sadly I agree CFH. No amount of spin could describe the current crop of English centres in a positive fashion. Shame as I think the rest of the team deserves better.
Come on, we need to know about Charlie. Is Charlie going?
Wrecker, not sure that is true, it is just those in consideration (bar Tuilagi). Allen, JSD, Barritt, Jordan Turner Hall, Waldouck, Billy Twelvetrees are all very talented and should (if fit) have been looked at in more closely in my view. They just don't seem to fit Jonno's ideas.
They just don't seem to fit Jonno's ideas
He has some?
I rather feel sorry for him. Foisted in to the role on reputation as a player rather than any ability as a coach/manager.
Tim, I should have phrased that better. There are far superior alternatives than those who are consistently selected (regardless of form). You are quite correct although I'm not convinced jonno has any ideas when it comes to backs. It would be nice to take a single centre capable of a bit of flair or imagination.
I think he is after all round players rather than someone like JTH who has a weakness (kicking) but is a hard running linebreaker who can tackle. It means Eng end up with centres who are not outstanding in any particular department, but adequate in all. It will be fine against lesser quality teams but in tight games there is no game breaker in the midfield.
TimP - Member
Wrecker, not sure that is true, it is just those in consideration (bar Tuilagi). Allen, JSD, Barritt, Jordan Turner Hall, Waldouck, Billy Twelvetrees are all very talented and should (if fit) have been looked at in more closely in my view. They just don't seem to fit Jonno's ideas.
As a generalisation, the English club sides play a game which doesn't require any sort of midfield creativity or skill other than running straight with the ball until tackled and presenting the ball back. Repeat until hopefully a gap opens. Very few of the players mentioned would get into a Welsh, Irish, French team, and I'd suggest that the Italian backs are almost as creative as any of the English club midfield players.
And of course, if the club game doesn't need any creativity, then it's not going to appear in the international team, especially with Wilkinson running the show. A great positional player but hardly one to get a great midfield moving.
Amusingly though, England can win the RWC with almost the weakest set of backs of any of the home nations.
the only wales player I wish was english
your funny, very funny, well done.
England can win the RWC with almost the weakest set of backs of any of the home nations.
English backs are much better than scotland, they wont win the world cup though.
English backs are much better than scotland, they wont win the world cup though.
That's why I said [u]almost[/u]!
your funny, very funny, well done.
What's your problem?
What's your problem?
Hape, Tindall, Banahan I could go on
IdleJon, the players mentioned are mostly young and need to be exposed to higher level rugby than GP, then judge them on whether they would make it or not. 1/2p got into the Wales squad very early in his career and proved he could cut it and has become a regular, but before he was picked for Wales no-one had really heard of him or would have said he was good enough. Of those mentioned only JSD has had a chance to really play at international level and has missed out as he is constantly injured
Forum glitchy
I think you already have.
the players mentioned are mostly young and need to be exposed to higher level rugby than GP, then judge them on whether they would make it or not.
They have all been around for long enough for me to recognise them, and I don't follow the GP avidly.
I'm not sure what you mean by the rest. Like most nations, these players have the opportunity of playing in their national league, U21 teams and Heineken Cup teams. There is nothing more, so if they haven't proved themselves at those levels why would anyone choose them for RWC squads?
but before he was picked for Wales no-one had really heard of him or would have said he was good enough.
Of course people had heard of him. Regular rugby watchers would have seen his good performances for Cardiff and the U21 team. The fact that he wasn't around for seasons before getting capped is irrelevant.
And anyway that has nothing to do with my original point - midfield play in England doesn't encourage creativity.
CaptainFlashheart - MemberTJ's excellent term "trundlemuppets" so perfectly sums up the England midfield!
Stolen from a post a couple of pages back
The only England backs that are true international class are Foden and Ashton - and they have weaknesses. Wilko if you are content to play a slow limited game.