Advantage of height and youth?

Wales players seem to be getting taller and younger. This is funny because they were one of the last teams to start acting professional. In recent history Wales players were quite small, non aggresive, average squad age around 30 and they had the drinking habits of a trucker.

Things have changed very quickly and Gatland has managed to build a competitive outfit of very young players. This means he can eventually find his best XV and keep the majority of them together for a very long time. Competition for places is bigger than ever before. I have never seen so many potential options at 10. It won't be long before George North loses his place to an even bigger younger kid. That is the kind of competition that we need.

I just want to compare the average height and age of Wales and Ireland.

HALFPENNY - 5'10 - 23
NORTH - 6'4 - 19
DAVIES - 6'1 - 23
ROBERTS - 6'4 - 25
CUTHBERT - 6'6 - 21
PRIESTLAND - 6'1 - 25
PHILLIPS - 6'3 - 29

AVERAGE HEIGHT OF WELSH BACKS - 6'2.5"
AVERAGE AGE OF WELSH BACKS - 23.5

FALETAU - 6'2 - 21
WARBURTON - 6'2 - 23
JONES - 6'5 - 30
EVANS - 6'8 - 27
DAVIES - 6'6 - 25
JONES - 6'0 - 30
BENNETT - 6'0 - 28
GILL - 6'0 - 25

AVERAGE HEIGHT OF WELSH FORWARDS - 6'3"
AVERAGE AGE OF WELSH FORWARDS - 26

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KEARNEY - 6'1 - 25
BOWE - 6'3 - 27
MCFADDEN - 5'11 - 25
D'ARCY - 5'11 - 31
TRIMBLE - 6'2 - 27
SEXTON - 6'2.5 - 26
MURRAY -6'1 - 22

AVERAGE HEIGHT OF IRISH BACKS - 6'1"
AVERAGE AGE OF IRISH BACKS - 26

HEASLIP - 6'3 - 28
O'BRIEN - 6'2 - 24
FERRIS - 6'4 - 26
O'CONNELL - 6'6 - 32
O'CALLAGHAN - 6'6 - 32
ROSS - 6'2 - 32
BEST - 5'11 - 29
HEALY - 6'0 - 25

AVERAGE HEIGHT OF IRISH FORWARDS - 6'3"
AVERAGE AGE OF IRISH FORWARDS - 28.5

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AVERAGE HEIGHT OF WELSH TEAM - 6'3"
AVERAGE AGE OF WELSH TEAM - 25


AVERAGE HEIGHT OF IRISH TEAM - 6'2"
AVERAGE AGE OF IRISH TEAM - 27

So the Welsh team are a bit younger and a bit bigger. What they lack compared to the Irish is experience, so they need to make the most their physical and youthful advantage.

Wondering if the Irish will have a set strategy this time around. Last time, though I'm not sure if it was out of desperation, overconfidence or nerves, they wanted the front foot and we let them have it. But the defence was magnificent, we diffused their attack very effectively and looked far more dangerous with ball in hand despite lacking as much possession.

The dangermen in the backs from last time are all still there for Wales with Cuthbert the exception. Not sure how Ireland will be able to nullify them better than in October, especially with Priestland there to throw flat passes to the power runners and create angles. Roberts was making ground against four or five men, some of them forwards, at one point.

I always thought it was advantage of height and girth.

I want to see Roberts sucking in as many defenders as possible, but we really need Phillips to get quick service out to our back 3 and take advantage of this.

I think someone as big as Cuthbert or North could run a 2nd wave of attack after Roberts and then there would be even less defenders out wide for Halfpenny or North to capitalise on.

Could it be a cultural thing. Im guessing in Wales everyone wants to be in the backs and you get these big tall guys who play all their youth rugby in the backline. Its no coincidence that France and Wales both have big massive backs.

Whereas in Ireland your told at age 13 "your a backrow" because your a bit of a nutter and are stuck there permanently.

I'm not as worried about Roberts and Priestland as in the RWC. They had a good few games to build a run of form into that tournament. This is both players first game back after injury.

I think it's just a result of professionalism where the kids are grabbed aged 14/15 stuck in the gym, fed all sorts of things to beef them up, but also given lots of running and sprinting training - which therefore means they're not only bigger but faster as well.

It's scary - especially when you think it can't really go on as eventually the players bodies will just start to give - travelling that speed with too much weight on their frames, smashing into some massive 18st guy - it's not pretty. (North is already testiment to this, handful of regional and int games and needs shoulder surgery)

Gatland has gone for size but its nothing without talent. Some of the best wingers in the world include Corey Jane, Vicent Clerc, Shane williams etc. Not massive men but they're intelligent and have very good skills.

But North is a very good winger - and Cuthbert is very promising, JD2 is very skillful, as is Halfpenny (although obviously he hasn't gone for size there) as is Priestland.

profitius wrote:Gatland has gone for size but its nothing without talent. Some of the best wingers in the world include Corey Jane, Vicent Clerc, Shane williams etc. Not massive men but they're intelligent and have very good skills.

You think he's aiming specifically for size over talent? All the players in the backline deserve to be there and have shown what they can do, they're not just there because they're the biggest around. We've seen what 6 of the 7 are capable of in NZ and Cuthbert has been very clinical at the Blues.

I remember talking to a coach in 1996 or so and he said the Welsh school system rules has changed to practically negate competitveness in the set piece so all the coaches are sticking their big boys in the backs now, to make ground. Maybe this is the end result. Those boys would of been about 8 at the time so it is this generation of players as adults.

If those stats on the forwards are right then Wales could really struggle in the lineout in the future,only 2 jumping forwards over 6 foot means it's pretty easy to figure out where the ball is going.I know we consider SoB to be a weakness in the lineout because he's a bit too short.

In the backs you have some monsters,we know how good Roberts is but you're two wingers are huge,I don't know if that'll overly worry us as our wingers are both extremely strong men it's in the centre where we have to worry.

Someone asked how we'll defend better than October and here I think Sexton is the key,he can be second man in to help D'Arcy stop the ball carrier in a way RoG just couldn't do and his pace off the mark means our defence will be a lot further up the pitch when making their tackles.(at least that's what I'm hoping happens)

The temperature this weekend could work in Wales favour if it stays very cold until Sunday, because of Wales deep freeze training in Poland.

gnollbeast wrote:The temperature this weekend could work in Wales favour if it stays very cold until Sunday, because of Wales deep freeze training in Poland.

Ireland is actually going to be much warmer than the other home nations over the weekend. Not that the Poland training is actually anything to do with being able to play in a cold environment anyway. It is pretty bad for picking up calf strains apparently.

Knowsit17 wrote:

profitius wrote:Gatland has gone for size but its nothing without talent. Some of the best wingers in the world include Corey Jane, Vicent Clerc, Shane williams etc. Not massive men but they're intelligent and have very good skills.

You think he's aiming specifically for size over talent? All the players in the backline deserve to be there and have shown what they can do, they're not just there because they're the biggest around. We've seen what 6 of the 7 are capable of in NZ and Cuthbert has been very clinical at the Blues.

Yeah I think Gatland has gone for size first, or to be more accurate he has gone for physicality. I can see why he has done it and take the point about them being the best backs but I can see potential flaws in picking all big backs. In general big backs are slower to turn and change direction and have lower workrate. They're also slower at changing pace. Look at how Shane Williams played. He used footwork and a turn of pace to ghost around defenders because he was smaller with a lower center of gravity. If Irelands backs play it smartly there could be gaps there to exploit.

its just a cyclical thing and wales happen to have big backs at the moment but looking at the figures op has i thought gap would be bigger. irelands backs are big but centres average. gatland has just inherited a few big youngsters and i wouldnt read anything into it as all teams are given the same protiens etc.

Well it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. Tomorrow we'll see the Irish Wolfhound at his ferocious best!

SurreyBlue wrote:Well it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. Tomorrow we'll see the Irish Wolfhound at his ferocious best!

Si Signor. Its about talent and brains. Always.