The 2 bench props 2

Not Shingler?

Hard to see James Davies going!!!

Jesus this the very definition of a scrum getting hosed!

Not Shingler?

Two games in 18 months both shit!

Patchel
Tomos
Ball
Navidi
Wainwright
R Evans
Amos
Beard
S Williams

Can go the rest can go home!!

The face on that little lad that presented Carty the mom award haha

Good to see Patchell play so well for Wales again.
Wales now #4 in World rankings, whereas if Elliot Dee had scored a converted try Wales would have been extended their lead, looked like Ireland were going to finish top for a lot of the game – not much at all in the top 6 places.

Cory Hill added to the injured list 😬 I wouldn’t fancy Brad Davies (or maybe Shingler selected as second row cover) making much impact in the RWC if Hill didn’t travel.

Tj- what score will you be happy with?

A win and scoring a few tries 😉

NO injuries which was good. Darcy Graham has to be on the plane now Fagerson Junior looked good as well

Tj- what score will you be happy with?

A win and scoring a few tries 😉

NO injuries which was good. Darcy Graham has to be on the plane now Fagerson Junior looked good as well

Good result, not seen the game yet.

Just saw this, doesnt look that bad to me but is it any different to what the french lad got band for?

https://mobile.twitter.com/GLove39/status/1167895559169957888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnugwlad.freeforums.net%2Fthread%2F11840%2Fweekend-citings%3Fpage%3D3

The official Wales World Cup squad

Forwards: Jake Ball, Adam Beard, Rhys Carre, James Davies, Elliot Dee, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones, Wyn Jones, Dillon Lewis, Ross Moriarty, Josh Navidi, Ken Owens, Aaron Shingler, Nicky Smith, Justin Tipuric, Aaron Wainwright.

Backs: Josh Adams, Hallam Amos, Dan Biggar, Aled Davies, Gareth Davies, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny, George North, Hadleigh Parkes, Rhys Patchell, Owen Watkin, Liam Williams, Tomos Williams

Very surprised that Rob Evans hasnt gone as well as Scott Williams, thought Owen Watkin was shit yesterday whilst Williams was ok. Surprised that both James Davies and Shingler are going too.

Gatland:

“When we decided to go with the five props, one of the big discussions was how durable they are.

Rob hasn’t trained a lot. He came in with a shoulder injury, then a neck injury and a few back issues.

“Samson has missed a few campaigns, had a hamstring issue during the campaign.

“Someone like Rhys Carre has made incredible progress. He’s dropped 10 kgs, he’s a big man.

Apart from one day, he hasn’t missed a training session.

“All the other props are also pretty durable.

“That was some of the consideration that we had.

“With Cory Hill not being available until the second game, Shingler covers us and we decided to go with the six loose forwards”

Seems fair I suppose. I guess we will just have to shut our eyes and pray at scrum time.

Wow! I thought that James Davies was awful yesterday, don’t rate Elliot Dee either and really can’t believe that Rob Evans isn’t going either!

I thought that Scott Williams looked rusty first half but was better second half yesterday.

don’t rate Elliot Dee

Dee is a very good hooker, Elias was the one that started yesterday. I agree with regards to Scott Williams but I think the fitness and injury prone nature of some has really counted against them.
With Shingler likely to cover lock an extra backrow was needed and with Faletau and Ellis Jenkins both broken and Tom Young for some reason having a face that doesnt fit I guess him and James Davies go.
I would have taken Seb Davies as lock/backrow cover but he might be injured not sure

I thought that Scott Williams looked rusty first half but was better second half yesterday.

They all looked better once they had a decent scrum-half, and a fly half who knew what to do. But the root cause is that Aled Davies is sooooo sloowwwwww.

Well, as the RWC approaches, I want to register my support for all the Home Nations. Whilst completely an England fan, I shall be supporting all the 6N teams against anybody else. Good luck all!

I’m hoping for a corker…..so many teams evenly matched.

What are we thinking in terms of favourites?

NZ, Wales, SA, Eng, Ire, Aus?

I just hope we don’t end up with the usual northern hemisphere teams choking against the southern hemisphere and NZ Aus SA all in the semis

SA and Aus have strengthened due to recalling/changing eligibility rules.

There’s probably 8/9 teams who can beat(most of) each other on the day. As to winners, I can’t see past the 6 above.

Pool winners Ire, NZ Eng, Wal
R/u. Sco, SA, Arg, Aus

So QF:
Ire/SA -SA
NZ/Sco. – NZ
Eng/Aus – Eng
Wal/Arg – Wal

SF:
Eng/NZ – NZ
SA/Wal – Wal

Final NZ/Wal – NZ winners.

No way are Argentina getting out of the group! France runners up I reckon.

I really fancy Japan to beat Scotland too!

dantsw13 pretty much has the most probable outcomes, but the teams are close enough that I don’t think there’s a strong favorite. Even if NZ are 3-1 favorites against SA, that’s still a very good chance of SA getting an easier QF and NZ getting knocked out by Ireland. Likewise, still very good chance of England facing Wales in QF, etc. I would say that NZ, Wales, Ireland, and England are equal favorites, with Australia and SA a little bit behind. Just going to depend on who has a good day and who has a bad day.

Toner doesn’t make the Irish squad! Not sure why we are bringing Best if he doesn’t have Toner to aim at!

Another real shock with Toner missing out, same as Rob Evans.

Toner has had a fair run of injuries this year but still surprised to see him left out. Specially for some big Boer fresh off the high veldt.

Can’t see McGrath over Marmion either. Makes no sense.

Maybe Schmidt was a plant by the NZRU all along…….

What are we thinking in terms of favourites?

I reckon it’ll be two sides from the same pool to meet again in the final. Like 2007 and 2011.

NZ and SA are the two best teams I’ve seen this year. They’ll account for Sco/Ire in the quarters and then Eng and Wal/Aus in the semis.

that’s still a very good chance of SA getting an easier QF and NZ getting knocked out by Ireland…… I would say that NZ, Wales, Ireland, and England are equal favorites,

You missed the bit where a virtually first choice Ireland got totally hammered by England then? Along with the Boks winning the Rugby Championship?

Along with the Boks winning the Rugby Championship?

Rugby Championship winners have never gone on to win the WC. NZ looked a different team in the second Bledisloe game, but all the teams seem to have been up and down this year. Last time, Japan beat SA and England didn’t make the QFs, so Ireland knocking NZ out would be far from the biggest upset.

I would say that NZ, Wales, Ireland, and England are equal favorites,

I’ll have a double dose of whatever you had please. Wales have no real chance. NZ, SA, Eng and Ireland in that order.

SA added back in a lot of exiles including Faf de Klerk & Willie Le Roux have improved out of sight.

Don’t make the mistake of judging SA/Aus in recent autumn internationals.

Rugby Championship winners have never gone on to win the WC

Yeah, that’s true, but it’s indicative that SA have got it together and they look the biggest threat to NZ.

Hey! I’d love to see a semi final lineup of Eng/Sco/Ire/Wal but history tells us that the SANZAR teams excel at the RWC.

Wales have been consistent and did incredibly well to win the grand slam but they hardly scored any tries plus they’ve lost Faletau and Anscombe. England can be good but totally lack leadership when the going gets tough. Ireland peaked 12-18 months early and are a pale shadow of their former selves plus neither of their flyhalves have been seen in the build up so far.

AA – out of interest, what was your prediction on here for Wales’ chances in the 6 nations this yr?

Ha Wales are definitely in a better position than Ireland!

Bookies have:

1. NZ
2=. SA and Eng
4=. Wal and Ire
6. Aus
7. Fra
8. ARG
9. Scot ( 😂 )

All Blacks are well above the rest. This nonsense with them being overtaken at the top of the work rankings by teams that haven’t beaten them is mad.
They’ve been testing combos for squad make up and cover. When results matter, they’ll win. Not shown their full hand yet imo, SA first up will be big, then they’ll still have Retallic to come back in to improve.
SA will still qualify cos Italy are carp.

Ireland/Scotland group is most open. Japan and Samoa could both cause an upset and get through. Great for the tournament if it’s the hosts but would also love it if a Pacific I team got something after getting shafted last time out. But whoever comes second goes home next round anyway.

France and Wales are both top world cups teams and know how to put it together to peak when it matters. Don’t see Argentina having anywhere near enough firepower to challenge England, but Fiji might just have a puncher’s chance against Oz.

would also love it if a Pacific I team got something after getting shafted last time out for decades

AA – out of interest, what was your prediction on here for Wales’ chances in the 6 nations this yr?

Cant remember, but the six nations is Wales level. If things go well they can win it. The world cup is another story. A few injuries and we are ****.

the six nations is Wales level

By that logic, the teams that Wales beat in the Six Nations must be a level below that, so why even bother turning up to the WC, clearly none of them have any chance. It would save a whole lot of money and time if NZ were just awarded it in perpetuity and everyone else just found something else to do.

France and Wales are both top world cups teams and know how to put it together to peak when it matters.

Are they? Wales have made the semis twice – is it? Granted France have made two finals but they’re generally capable of only one great performance in a row – usually against NZ.

When France made the final in 2011 they were a total shower of shite. Thrashed by NZ in the pool and beaten by Tonga who would have qualified had they not, inexplicably, lost to Canada. A player revolt followed and they luckily met the dwarf tossing ferry jumpers in the quarters and beat the Wharburton-less Wales in the semis before producing a great performance in the final where they were beaten by a 16 man NZ (if you include Craig Joubert).

2015 they were just a shower of shite. As they will be in 2019.

If you want a top RWC team who put it together when it matters – try Australia.

Hols2
We get this fake pessimism and bluster before every tournament on here. The flip side is the lions tours when we get told every Welsh player is the best in the world and so is their coach.
Oh, and they’re the fitest in the world.
Don’t worry about it, it’s immune to facts or logic.

“We don’t want a general election but…”
It helps to read the comments in Boris Johnsons accent then you can smell it.

Wales have made the semis twice – is it?

History doesn’t really matter a lot when it comes to World Cup tournaments. It’s the coaches and players in the current team that matter, not the ones from years ago. Japan’s performance last time round is the best example of that. They have no realistic chance of winning the WC, but they are now good enough that nobody will write them off as the joke that they used to be. When you have knockout tournaments, it’s really just a matter of who has a good day and who has a bad day. If Wales have a good day, they are capable of beating any other team that has a bad day. Same goes for France. NZ seem the most likely team to string together a series of good days, but it will only take one bad game and they’ll be out. England’s debacle last time round is the perfect example of that.

History doesn’t really matter a lot when it comes to World Cup tournaments

No you’re right but I was merely refuting the point that Wales and FRance were good RWC teams. What history does show us is that the SANZAR teams tend to perform at RWCs and Australia, in particular, seem to raise their game.

England’s debacle last time round was not just “one bad game”. It was the culmination of muddled tactics, inconsistent selection and a divided squad which resulted in two “bad games” which were really just what you’d expect given the lead up.

France just don’t look capable of having a good day. They really don’t.