STW 2014/15 Rugby Thread

Wales have to utterly dominate ever facet of a game against the SH sides to scrape a win

Given how few these wins are I’m not sure how you worked this out 🙁

Wales coach Robin McBryde on the Haskell interview above.

Wales forwards coach Robin McBryde has brushed off England flanker James Haskell’s comments that Warren Gatland’s team are training too hard ahead of the two teams’ meeting in the Six Nations opener next Friday.
Haskell said on TalkSPORT that he was amazed at the amount of fitness work Wales were doing when told about it by an unnamed member of the Welsh squad and that the strategy is risky.
McBryde responded by saying the tough fitness regime was a plan designed to bring success at this autumn’s World Cup – when England and Wales will again meet in the group stages at Twickenham – and that Gatland had decided to take a “different approach” to previous Six Nations tournaments.
“Warren has made everyone aware of where our focus is and that the World Cup is the bigger picture,” McBryde said. “It was the approach we took into the autumn and we have plotted our course going into the Six Nations.
“The Six Nations stands alone as a tournament and we are not taking it lightly, just taking a bit of a different approach. It paid dividends in the autumn, although we had four games then back-to-back, and the Six Nations is over a longer period. Warren has experience of managing players, when and when not to train and its intensity.
“He has a big advantage over a lot of coaches and we are not far away from that balance. Time will tell, but there is deeper thinking behind our approach to the Six Nations than it seems on the surface.”
McBryde insists England have plenty of strength in the forwards and says French referee Jerome Garces will have a “big role to play” in controlling the battle up front.
“All their players are used to a highly competitive set-piece game every week in the Premiership and in Europe,” McBryde said. “You only have to talk to our players who are based in England and they tell you how much scrummaging driving mauls they do. They will be tough to crack at the set-piece and the man in the middle will have a big role to play.
“In the last two games we have fallen on the wrong side of one referee but not the other. We have regular contact with the head of the referees in the northern hemisphere, and looking at Jerome Garces’ recent performances, he knows what he is looking for and we have clarity of what he looks for in the scrum. We have to make sure we are as legal as we can be and effective as we can.”

Given how few these wins are I’m not sure how you worked this out 🙁

Ha ha 🙂 Good catch, lets call it what is required for a hypothetical win 😳

What I meant is that if you think back to the games from the last RWC onwards, Wales have started extremely strongly in almost all games against the SH sides and in a lot of cases have had 60-70% territory and possession for the first 30-40 minutes, i.e. been pretty dominant. In this time the scores were level or maybe Wales a few points ahead but as soon as even the slightest errors creep in or the game inevitably gets more 50-50 Wales don’t look close to winning.

I guess the main point is that the big 3 are more than capable of absorbing the pressure of Gatlandball without conceding many points. I don’t mean to completely discredit the recent SA victory but it was a strange one in that SA had a bit of an off day and I don’t think we can keep praying for off days… or can we? 😐

Also, this could be mind games. Given all we know England will likely play a strong forward orientated game. Wales might want England to think that they are trying to match them there, when in reality they may well move the ball away as quickly as possible and test our much discussed centres / back 3.

Also the comments involving the ref my be a deliberate plot to get into his head. We all know England tend to have a poor reputation for forward infringement, Haskell – in the past – being quite a target for pings. It’d suit Wales to force the ref to Watch England hard and nullify that edge to our game.

In my mind Engalnd need to play the game in the Welsh half if not the 22 to nullify the Welsh centres penetration, which will rely on Ford/Cipriani clearing and kicking intelligently. This the ideal game to put that particurly piece into practice, so,etching which we’ve been weak at with Farrell IMO.

Whoever England pick they will have a strong set piece a well organized defence and a good maul. Wales will play away from the set piece but they wont just chuck it wide they will try and batter england through the centres and look to dominate the england ball carriers with their blitz defence. As said england will look to kick to the corners which is a good tactic v wales as 1/2p is usually on his own at the back as the welsh wingers defend up in the line rather than dropping back and because the welsh lineout is poor due to no real middle jumping lock or good options in the back row.

Just been overtaken on my ride in Bath a little close for my liking… by a Ferrari… and I noticed the number plate was p1rop. So it there a successful private investigator with the initials ROP or is there a Bath prop who thinks he’s number 1 hooning around? 😀 Paul James? David Wilson? Can’t see any of them driving a Ferrari and I like the idea of it being someone like Jason Leonard (no Bath connection) or Samson Lee (but he’d probably drive a blacked out German saloon)…. yes my mind did wander a little during today’s ride 😆

seem to remember Victor Ubogu had a Ferrari, or he did when I played cricket against him….

Bear – Member
seem to remember Victor Ubogu had a Ferrari, or he did when I played cricket against him…

😉

Now that is a good fit for the p1rop number plate!

Well it wasnt Adam thats for sure.

The few times I’ve seen Adam have been mostly when he’s being dragged around John Lewis in Cardiff- not quite the same lifestyle as Ferrari man 😀

Was there a hooker alongside him in the car?

Wales team as expected, Baldwin and Jarvis on the bench are major weaknesses.

Wilson confirmed out

15-Leigh Halfpenny, 14-Alex Cuthbert, 13-Jonathan Davies, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-George North, 10-Dan Biggar, 9-Rhys Webb; 8-Toby Faletau, 7-Sam Warburton, 6-Dan Lydiate, 5-Alun-Wyn Jones, 4-Jake Ball, 3-Sampson Lee, 2-Richard Hibbard, 1-Gethin Jenkins.

16-Scott Baldwin, 17-Paul James, 18-Aaron Jarvis, 19-Luke Charteris, 20-Justin Tipuric, 21-Mike Phillips, 22-Rhys Priestland, 23-Liam Williams.

Baldwin and Jarvis on the bench are major weaknesses.

Still managed to beat SA somehow with only 2/6 front rowers you’d trust to get the job done- and Bladwin started. It makes the rare SH victory even more of a mystery. Did Ken Owens play in the end last week?

Still not sure what to think of Webb but I guess he is the best option for the moment.

England also reportedly training with loudspeakers to try and recreate the Millennium Stadium experience 😕

I have been critical of Webb in the past but he has been very good this year. I still worry that a btainfart will come soon. G Davies at scarlets is a good player but has been injured a lot. Phillips is a good bench option imo.

That is a fair assessment. It is the brainfart bit that bothers me too!

Two tackles, one kick
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/31073339

Jenkins form has been wayward the last few times that I’ve seen him. Webb is a bit untested at this level, Biggar meh I’m not a fan but he’s better than Priestland that’s for sure. Other than that, it’s an incredibly talented and settled starting XV for Wales…..bench looks very weak though!! If England can stay close for 60 minutes then even with our injuries I’d hope that we’ll be bringing the stronger subs….Wilson out is a huge blow imo though 🙁

Two tackles, one kick

England’s midfield?

Right you are, ladies and gents, here it is!

A little worried that “Hartley cheats” is a 3 drink penalty. Another NHS Crisis looms, surely! 😀

Oh, and Adam coming out of retirement and Will Carling ones are ace!

Whats the likely England 23?

Brown
Watson
Joseph
Burrel
May
Ford
Care/Youngs
Marler
Hartley
Cole/Brooks
Attwood
Kruis
Haskel
Vunipola
Robshaw

Corbs
Youngs
Brooks/Cole
A N Other lock
A N Other Backrow
Youngs/Care
Cipriani
Goode

Thats not at all bad other than the locks and Tuilagi the missing players arent much better

Last I hear Burrell was injured. JJ/36? I’d like to see Slade and JJ.
I think Cole will start, not sure about 9.

I think that teams close aa, but suspect it’s actually 12t being creative shit in the English midfield.

I think that teams close aa, but suspect it’s actually 12t being creative shit in the English midfield.

My predication is that 12t becomes temporarily possessed by a combination of an angry Samoan in defense and Quade Cooper in attack to almost single handedly win the game for England. Now how many drinks is that in the 2015 drinking game? 😀

At least Wales know:

a) Their best XV
b) How they’re going to play

England don’t really know the answers to either question.

Lolz at 1 drink for Brian Moore speaks latin 😆

a) Their best XV
b) How they’re going to play

a) All the biggest players they can find.
b) Hulk smash!

Not much of a game plan.

I’m royally pessimistic about England this year.

Prediction-

Ireland
Wales
France
England/Scotland
Italy

I think England will go well, Wales have missed their chance to kick on from a few years ago IMO. Ireland look strong, France god knows and Scotchland could improve too

I think this years tournament is the hardest to call in years. I don’t see a GS or wooden spoon.

I don’t see Italy winning a game this year, although I suppose there’s always the chance that they beat France!

I expect a much more competitive showing from Scotchland, and whilst I’d have Ireland as favourites, it really could go any way….should be a cracking 6N’s.

Telegraphs’ England “probable” (they never seem to get it wrong….)
Mike Brown; Jonny May, Jonathan Joseph, Luther Burrell, Anthony Watson; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole, Dave Attwood, George Kruis, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola.

Not a bad side by any means. Should be a close game. Its going to be brutally physical too.

I’d like to see that team play. Put in Youngs for kiwi biter, and of course those locks are not first choice, but other than that, I’m reasonably happy. I don’t even think Tuilagi should be in ahead of those centres, not until he’s back playing like he did anyway.

Ireland as favourites

They’re still available at bigger odds , 9/4, than England at 2/1.
So England are slight favourites.

Wales third favourites for the title, but weirdly, looking at their fixtures it’s almost certain that they’ll start each individual game as match favourites, like this week.
TBH, they’ve got ideal fixtures for a Slam with home advantage against the two higher ranked teams, England and Ireland, and the theoretically “easier” games away. Slam or bust, maybe?

Wales third favourites for the title,

Worth a punt maybe *shivers* that felt dirty 😀

Its going to be brutally physical too.

That’s what I thought. Reckon Dylan and Lee will manage to stay on the field?

That’s what I thought. Reckon Dylan and Lee will manage to stay on the field?

Two most likely to get cards for sure.

Not a bad side by any means. Should be a close game. Its going to be brutally physical too.

You can see – according to the telegraph – that our forwards are going to be running at Wales. A lot. Its going to be a war of attrition, and any balls that go to the Welsh backs I hope England will get up fast with Brown, Youngs & May sweeping for the kick over from 1/2p.

I think the England game is obvious, they are going to carry into and set piece Wales to death. Burrell’s there to mark Desparate Dan in defense, although actually Joseph from Ford and Burrell could be a very good pair of attacking centres*, I wonder if in attack they might revert to thier club positions.

*oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please

England squad to face Wales:

Forwards: Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, captain), Henry Thomas (Bath Rugby) Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

So Croft or Easter to bench cover lock? Maybe croft will start? Has he played much recently. Cole has had no game time has he? Cipriani on bench with Nowell and 36?