2 easy obvious permanent Wales squad changes

Think youth, think future. It's worked so far.

OUT:

S JONES
HOOK

IN:

BIGGAR
TOVEY

Priestland is the first choice 10, Hook is used at center and full back.

Gatland has said he will not pick players in the next 6 nations squad who will not make the next world cup so Stephen Jones career is over.

Hook played very well tonight for Perpignan

Hook is doing well at Perpignan at the moment

For the 6Ns,

1st choice - Priestland
2nd choice - Hook
3rd choice - Tovey

(unless Nicky Robinson gets a look in)

There should never be "permanant" changes made to an international team.

wales606 wrote:Hook is doing well at Perpignan at the moment

For the 6Ns,

1st choice - Priestland
2nd choice - Hook
3rd choice - Tovey

(unless Nicky Robinson gets a look in)

Nicky Who...?

maestegmafia wrote:Hook played very well tonight for Perpignan

I was there and he did not play very well.

maestegmafia wrote:Hook played very well tonight for Perpignan

Not quite sure what game you watched maesteg - i thought James Hook like his team, played poorly considering their reputations

Hook would not get into the Dragons side at the moment, so forget about playing for Wales.

He was poor on Thursday night, when he breaks he never knows when to pass and ends up in blind alleys. When at 10, he was constantly out of position, his scrum half had a nightmare trying to find him. He was pushed out to centre, with an experienced 10 coming on and at last Perpingnan began to look like a team.

Jones is clearly also off form at present, not sure if he has recovered fully from his calf injury. Even off form he is a far better 10 than Hook. Tovey is playing well (but still misses too many easy kicks) and Biggar is kicking well but looks a bit one paced even at club level.

Gatlands comment about only picking players who will be around for the next World Cup made me laugh, because in his next breath he said Shane was playing and it would be his last game. Mind games or what?

Seagultaf wrote:

Gatlands comment about only picking players who will be around for the next World Cup made me laugh, because in his next breath he said Shane was playing and it would be his last game. Mind games or what?

He said in the new year.

Seagultaf wrote:

Gatlands comment about only picking players who will be around for the next World Cup made me laugh, because in his next breath he said Shane was playing and it would be his last game. Mind games or what?

Can you explain the mind games. The two things seem not to be linked to me.

Watching the Dragons game on Thurs and I thought Tovey was brilliant - not a maverick but a great executioner of the game plan, very much like the way Priestland plays. In addition to that he has a superb out-of-hand kicking game. Be keen to get him into the squad to have a look.

Biggar has been playing well as well to be honest. It bodes well to have Tovey/Priestland/Biggar competing for the shirt for the next few years as Hook as a wild card.

maestegmafia wrote:

Seagultaf wrote:

Gatlands comment about only picking players who will be around for the next World Cup made me laugh, because in his next breath he said Shane was playing and it would be his last game. Mind games or what?

Can you explain the mind games. The two things seem not to be linked to me.

For the 6N

Hook was way off form in the game. the replacement 10 was a class above. some posters said hook played well, lets say he played !! mostly out of position, not within sight of any cohesion and direction that perp were crying out for.

looked like he didnt know where he was tbh. hanging off a few rucks, contribution nil. very disappointing, thought he was going to show his doubters he's the man at 10, not today .

Yes I was one of the posters who thought Hook played reasonably "well" as I thought he attemped to be a team player not an individual talent almost "conservatively" ............ but I have to say I kinda said that as I thought if I really was analytical about him, then I would be accused of character assassination again.

I had another look at the match this evening and I have to agree with luckless, dragon999, seagultaf etc. Hooky had some very talented players around him, he cannot bring a backline into play and he certainly cannot link the forward and back play, his positioning at halfback is one of the poorest I have seen, although I have to say he defended much better. its quite true when he was replaced his team was transformed

Hook is a genuine fellow but I think if he plays in a structured way at 10 he is well down the pecking order, and if he plays his flairy way, he is a potential loose cannon

Priestland, Biggar, Tovey, Robinson, Wellies, Matthew Morgan, Newton are all playing better

There I said it .................... Help mummy!!

Gethin Jenkins and Mathew Rees are 31, Adam Jones is 30. They will be 34 or 35 at the next World cup, certainly with Gethin's and Adam's injury record they are extremely unlikely to be around for the next World cup. So will Gatland drop them to find the next young front row for 2015? Of course not, as I said its mind games! He will only drop the aging stars when there are better young replacements available.

Saying that Ryan Giggs is 38 next week! A year older than Stephen Jones will be at the next World Cup!

fhf , I always re -watch a game i've recorded ( running on the stagnant bits!) sad person that i am, and unfortunately for hook the camera followed him around in this game. the player at 9 looked so frustrated trying to find hook in a decent position.
going to the title of this thread, yes jones and hook could well be out. jones because he wont be around for the long haul and hook ,well his contract doesnt allow him any freedom for international training, and I think the perps will quickly try to play him as utility to get their moneys worth, not good for hook or international selection.

Seagultaf wrote:Gethin Jenkins and Mathew Rees are 31, Adam Jones is 30. They will be 34 or 35 at the next World cup, certainly with Gethin's and Adam's injury record they are extremely unlikely to be around for the next World cup. So will Gatland drop them to find the next young front row for 2015? Of course not, as I said its mind games! He will only drop the aging stars when there are better young replacements available.

Saying that Ryan Giggs is 38 next week! A year older than Stephen Jones will be at the next World Cup!

Gethin and Adam could easily be around for the next WC - 34 is young for a prop. There injury record means they are likely to last longer in the game, not shorter.

wales606 wrote:

Seagultaf wrote:Gethin Jenkins and Mathew Rees are 31, Adam Jones is 30. They will be 34 or 35 at the next World cup, certainly with Gethin's and Adam's injury record they are extremely unlikely to be around for the next World cup. So will Gatland drop them to find the next young front row for 2015? Of course not, as I said its mind games! He will only drop the aging stars when there are better young replacements available.

Saying that Ryan Giggs is 38 next week! A year older than Stephen Jones will be at the next World Cup!

Gethin and Adam could easily be around for the next WC - 34 is young for a prop. There injury record means they are likely to last longer in the game, not shorter.

Surely Gethin's strength is his mobility around the park that won't be there in 4 years time & your view on their injuries is dependent very much on the type of injuries sustained & generally the older you get the harder it is to come back

Of course Gethin could still be playing by the next World Cup, so could Adam, Smiler and even Wellies. Probably though, given their age and the physical demands of the game, they will not. Given that fact, does Gatland follow up with statement that he will not pick them from now on?..................As I said mind games!

Agree.

"Of course Gethin could still be playing by the next World Cup, so could Adam, Smiler and even Wellies. Probably though, given their age and the physical demands of the game, they will not." -- Adam and Gethin will be 34/35 at next WC. The Argentinian props and other props at WCs have been that age and older. Gething is a tremednous athlete and, barrinbg injury, should mae it. And they are both reported as wanting to be in the next WC.

There is a dire shortage of quality tightheads in Wales and generally. Adam has to be kept on for that reason alone.