Ally Price has 27 caps for scotland – hardly inexperienced He was first capped 4 years ago. He was first choice for a while then his form dipped then he came back to top form to cement his place as number 1

Whom is first choice 9 for Wales if all are fit? I always think that Gareth Davies looks the best.

Its all a bit up in the air whichever of the three is available. Tomos is the younger improving player, Webb most reliable, Davies is limited in a number of areas but is an attacking threat.

Hayward out https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/breaking-wales-coach-hayward-leaves-19243620

Not exactly great timing but the defence has been shit!

Another question TJ….whom are the 10’s at the Scottish domestic sides?

I forgot Nathan Chamberlain at Edinburgh. He is the backup 10. In his forst pro year having come out of the under 20 setup

Ireland to play Wales on friday

Ireland: Stockdale; Keenan, Farrell, Henshaw, Lowe; Sexton, Gibson-Park; Healy, Kelleher, Porter; Henderson, Ryan; O’Mahony, van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Heffernan, E Byrne, Bealham, Roux, Connors, Murray, Burns, Earls.

I might be busy that evening. 😟😟😟😟

I’m waiting for the England announcement, Eddie rumoured to be trying out the 9 forwards approach.

I’m waiting for the England announcement, Eddie rumoured to be trying out the 9 forwards approach.

What, like the Italian experiment of playing Bergamasco at 9?

What, like the Italian experiment of playing Bergamasco at 9?

Sounds awesome!!

Oh god!!! Didn’t he say one of the Curry twins could be a 9? (They can’t, as a Sale fan I’ve seen them both play countless times!)

An Ireland team without CJ or Murray.
And Stockdale still at 15, Wales might just try a few kicks…
Kelleher is interesting pick, if he sorts his throwing he could be hooker for next ten years. Was better form last year though.

Stockdale at 15 is the obvious target, dont think Wales are currently good enough to exploit it

That Ireland team has 11 Leinster starters, and that’s without injured

J Larmour
G Ringrose
T Furlong
D Leavy
J Conan

And the kids coming through like Penny, Frawley, and Byrne are doing alright too. Away wins at ospreys and Glasgow

What, like the Italian experiment of playing Bergamasco at 9?

Current Rumours are Ben Earl coming in off the bench at Centre and Ollie Thorley deputising at Flanker if for some strange reason the Kamikaze Kids are needed on the wing in attack.

I’m sure its just a distraction with Jones’s Running Back philosophy being de-restrcted from No 8.   I think this strategy is of a pop up from 8 in an attacking scrum/maul with Thorley / Nowell standing at 9 to crash it up.

But who knows.

WALES TEAM TO PLAY IRELAND

1. Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues (10 Caps)

2. Ryan Elias (Scarlets) (15 Caps)

3. Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) (49 Caps)

4. Will Rowlands (Wasps) (2 Caps)

5. Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) (140 Caps) (CAPT)

6. Shane Lewis-Hughes (Cardiff Blues) (1 Cap)

7. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) (77 Caps)

8. Taulupe Faletau (Bath) (78 Caps)

9. Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (55 Caps)

10. Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints) (85 Caps)

11. Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues) (26 Caps)

12. Owen Watkin (Ospreys) (23 Caps)

13. Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) (83 Caps)

14. Liam Williams (Scarlets) (64 Caps)

15. Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) (91 Caps)

REPLACEMENTS:

16. Elliot Dee (Dragons) (29 Caps)

17. Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (26 Caps)

18. Samson Lee (Scarlets) (42 Caps)

19. Jake Ball (Scarlets) (46 Caps)

20. Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (23 Caps)

21. Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues) (28 Caps)

22. Callum Sheedy (Bristol) (*Uncapped)

23. George North (Ospreys) (96 Caps)

5,7,8,9,10,11,13,14
Probable Lions next summer
And that’s without Cory Hill

Loum – probable with Gatland coaching but on merit? Hardly any of them 🙂

AWJ is too old and too slow – he shouldn’t even have gone last time. The only probable on merit would be loopy liam and maybe Biggar

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/liam-williams-only-wales-player-19233142

Edit – mind you that article has Youngs at 9 so obviously talking out of his hat 🙂

he shouldn’t even have gone last time

If you picked your targets a bit better more people might listen

Shall we call Friday night the start of the 2020-2021 LIONS season thread

AA – he was carrying an injury and out of form. I’m not denying he is a good player but taking players carrying injuries was a high risk strategy

Just accept it
Johnny Gray wasn’t good enough

Ickle Jonny had lost form by lions time so did not merit selection. anyway he is dead to me now. My mancrush now is Darcy Graham!

How effective was AWJ against Scotland? penalty magnet and not the influential player he once was

AA – he was carrying an injury and out of form. I

Yet still picked up 3 test caps to add to the other 6 in a historic drawn series in NZ,…you can bitch and whine easily about some players not deserving lions test caps but not AWJ, you really are barking up the wrong tree with that one.

Shall we call Friday night the start of the 2020-2021 LIONS season thread

Sounds like a plan

How effective was AWJ against Scotland? penalty magnet and not the influential player he once was

He was shit, like the rest of the team, but it has nothing to do with you moaning about his Lions caps.

Sutherland
McInally
Fagerson
Cummings
Gray
Ritchie
Watson
Blade

Price
Weir
VdM
Johnson
Harris
Graham
Hogg

Scotland squad

A few ( should be) lions in there 🙂

There seems to be talk of the Ireland v Wales game as being a ‘must-win’ game for Wales, but that seems unreasonable to me. I can rarely remember going to Ireland confident of winning, occasionally slight favourites perhaps. Nor, can I see Wales realistically beating England and they cannot be expected to. So that leaves the game against Georgia, which surely despite their problems they will win. Perhaps playing with cohesion and some signs of a new style will be enough? Should they lose to Georgia all hell will break loose.

Ickle Jonny had lost form by lions time so did not merit selection. anyway he is dead to me now. My mancrush now is Darcy Graham!

Darcy Graham is a good player, but I think there are several ahead of him at the moment – I cannot see him getting selected for the Lions.

If he continues his form in the Autumn and 6 N he could force his way on the plane but with all the good wings aroundright now only an outside chance. too small for Gatland

Mark my words tho – I bet he and Duhan are the top scoring wings between now and the end of the 6N

There seems to be talk of the Ireland v Wales game as being a ‘must-win’ game for Wales, but that seems unreasonable to me

I agree but they must look like the have played together at least!!

France v Fiji off.

Murphy leaves Leicester.

Quiet day so far!

Ireland by about 20 later, by the way.

Ireland by about 20 later, by the way.

If it’s only by 20 I’d consider that a win for Wales. They have been utter mince since Pivac has taken charge. I cant understand how the same group of players have gone from Grand Slam Champions and top 4 finish in the World Cup to something that resembles the 2007 World Cup Squad.

I cant understand how the same group of players have gone from Grand Slam Champions and top 4 finish in the World Cup to something that resembles the 2007 World Cup Squad.

I know, its almost like Gatland is a quality coach.

20 to Ireland points is possible, but it would be a poor result for Wales imho. When they last met in Ireland, Ireland were deserved winners; but there wasn’t that much in it iirc. 20pts would be grim.

Be lucky to lose by 20 on current play!

Be lucky to lose by 20 on current play!

I know, I think I spoke too early.

This is horrific!!

Carre, Elias, Rowlands off at half time please. Id include Jiffy Junior too butvthat would mean North at 13, mind you he couldnt be much worse.

1down

Can’t understand carre being ahead of Wyn Jones.
Sure I’ve seen something like that before.

Can’t understand carre being ahead of Wyn Jones.

Makes no sense at all.