Who Should Start At Full Back For Wales In The RWC ?

After today's poor performance from Lee Byrne it's clear that Lee has still not recaptured his 08/09 form. Some people will point towards injury and lack of game time but let’s be completely honest about this. Lee Byrne has been off form for the past 2 years. He has had little or no competition for his place and as a result has become complacent. Only lately has Warren Gatland started looking at alternatives when in actual fact he should have looked at alternatives a year ago. It’s obvious that Byrne has lost form and confidence but are we all happy to stick with Byrne for the World Cup or should we seriously consider playing Preistland or Halfpenny there? One thing is sure if Byrne starts against the South Africans playing like he did today our back line is going to come under an awful amount of pressure and that might be too big a risk to take. So who would you start at 15 in the RWC ?

Did you spell the other 2 correctly, you obviously do not like LEE BYRNE at least have the decency to spell his name correctly. For your information I would start LEE BYRNE against South Africa, perhaps not if Morgan Stoddart was available but as he is not, IMO LEE BYRNE is the besy positional, tackling, kicking full back available to Wales.

Did you spell the other 2 correctly, you obviously do not like LEE BYRNE at least have the decency to spell his name correctly. For your information I would start LEE BYRNE against South Africa, perhaps not if Morgan Stoddart was available but as he is not, IMO LEE BYRNE is the besy positional, tackling, kicking full back available to Wales.

WAYNE i'm really sorry for spelling BYRNE wrong. I got one eye on the Tv and another eye on here so i'm sorry for that.

Oh by the way I never said I dont like Lee Bryne it's just he's off form and hasn't been the same player since the Lions tour.

It's like you say LEE BYRNE is the besy positional, tackling, kicking full back available to Wales..

Well that is a kick in the teeth for me BESY, and I agree he is not playing as well as at the time of the Lions tour but in my opinion he is still the best available.

Priestland for me - good game awareness, decent boot and an intelligent player

The problem with Byrne is that he always tries up-and-unders when he counterattacks.

With the rule changes, a counterattacking fullback is needed (rather than an excellent kicker).

Byrne kicks too often and too badly, it is a liability, giving away our little possesion.

For me the best option is Preistland as he is an excellent attacking threat and has shown he has a good boot and good vision.

Halfpenny hasnt played FB for years and doesnt really have the stature for it, especially playing against the Steyns'.

Mmmm - lots of chatter here today about how badly Lee Byrne played today. i just watched the match for a second time, and whilst he wasnt outstanding, he had an OK game.

Those saying he was disastrous obviously were watching a different game.

one thing is about byrne is although he did make many mistakes he was solid in defence- that is where i half question the others in comparison

ML wrote:Mmmm - lots of chatter here today about how badly Lee Byrne played today. i just watched the match for a second time, and whilst he wasnt outstanding, he had an OK game.

Those saying he was disastrous obviously were watching a different game.

I think we were watching a different game ML because the Lee Byrne I saw was a player low on form and confidence. Inaccurate kicking, sloppy. Hardly contributed anything in attack, passing was poor, decision making was equally as bad. Lee Byrne is a shadow of a player that we saw back in 2008/2009 when he was one of the best attacking full backs in the world. I don't need to watch the game again to know that either. It was bad enough the first time around. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course but when people say "he's still our best option" sorry but I just don’t get that.

It's a shame that Jones did'nt start at Twickers as Preistland is untested at 15. I don't think Bryne did enough to start against the Bocks, however he'll be back he needs to play. I think the WC is too soon for him.

I chose Priestland, beacuse he is match fit, which Byrne any 1/2p are not. But I think that if Jones is fit Galtland will play Hook at 15 against SA.

I've gone for priestland as he has more gametime throughout the season.

I would put Halfpenny on the bench though.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/14605224.stm

Londonwelsh wrote:

ML wrote:Mmmm - lots of chatter here today about how badly Lee Byrne played today. i just watched the match for a second time, and whilst he wasnt outstanding, he had an OK game.

Those saying he was disastrous obviously were watching a different game.

I think we were watching a different game ML because the Lee Byrne I saw was a player low on form and confidence. Inaccurate kicking, sloppy. Hardly contributed anything in attack, passing was poor, decision making was equally as bad. Lee Byrne is a shadow of a player that we saw back in 2008/2009 when he was one of the best attacking full backs in the world. I don't need to watch the game again to know that either. It was bad enough the first time around. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course but when people say "he's still our best option" sorry but I just don’t get that.

All the above is true. Yet Byrne still put in some good tackles and looked solid under the high-ball - which is a weakness of part-time full-backs like Hook and (against England) Priestland. The reality is that we don't have options in this position. Halfpenny for me is too small and badly short of gametime in this position. I don't like the idea of big islanders running straight at him. Hook is badly needed elsewhere. Priestland is the only credible option to Byrne.

Londonwelsh wrote:

ML wrote:Mmmm - lots of chatter here today about how badly Lee Byrne played today. i just watched the match for a second time, and whilst he wasnt outstanding, he had an OK game.

Those saying he was disastrous obviously were watching a different game.

I think we were watching a different game ML because the Lee Byrne I saw was a player low on form and confidence. Inaccurate kicking, sloppy. Hardly contributed anything in attack, passing was poor, decision making was equally as bad. Lee Byrne is a shadow of a player that we saw back in 2008/2009 when he was one of the best attacking full backs in the world. I don't need to watch the game again to know that either. It was bad enough the first time around. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course but when people say "he's still our best option" sorry but I just don’t get that.

Two bad kicks (one of which should have gone wide) - but on the plus side he tackled very well (putting his man down each time rather than slowing him down and waiting for help - something that happened too often with other players during the game), turned the Argies over once in our 22, put in a great miss pass to JD2 to begin a counter attack, put Halfpenny on the outside of his man with another pass, wasnt caught out positionally.

OK he wasnt BRILLIANT, but he did his job - which is all you can ask of a man who has hardly played any rugby for months. He certainly didnt have the shocker some are claiming.

Halfpenny did OK too - but he didnt have much defending to do because the Argentinians were beaten by the time he dropped into the FB position.

I just dont get why some Welsh fans are ready to write off a player coming back after injury when he is already as competent as the other players vying for the fb shirt and if he gets back to his best is a country mile ahead of the others. He just seems to be unpopular with the Welsh fans at the moment. And just because Jonathon Davies says in commentary that rumours are that Halfpenny will be starting at FB, people have been jumping on the bandwaggon in the hours after the game. Halfpenny is NOT a natural fullback - ask anyone at the Blues. He is competent cover, as is Priestland, but neither are natural fullbacks.

Halfpenny at full back? I'm not sure at test level if that's very wise. He isn't good enough in the air for one, he isn't a viable option.

I'm a big believer in playing people in their natural position. Byrne should be 15. He didn't have a shocker yesterday, but he didn't look match ready - particularly in taking poor options in attack. So on balance, i'd start Priestland against SA.

[quote="ML
I just dont get why some Welsh fans are ready to write off a player coming back after injury when he is already as competent as the other players vying for the fb shirt[/quote]

With all due respect I think your missing the point here. I'm not judging Lee Byrne purely on that performance. Yes he's had injuries to deal with which is part and parcel of the game but the fact is Lee Byrne has been playing poorly for TWO YEARS and he doesn’t seem to be any closer to rediscovering his 08/09 form. I just wish that Jones had not got injured at Twickenham so Preistland had a chance to show us what he could do at 15. Whenever I have seen him at 15 for the Scarlets he's been very good.