Gutless Wales management make The Obvious Selection

The welsh management have today made significant changes to the Wales squad for Fridays encounter with Samoa. This was the obvious selection for many of us for Autumn Match 1 vs Argentina. I am now a damn sight more confident bearing in mind these have been the form players in Wales, England and France.

The Team reads:

1)Paul James (form player)
2)Richard Hibbard (form player)
3)Aaron Jarvis (form and obvious choice)
4)B Davies (needs a huge game)
5)Ian Evans (cut the penalty count)
6)Ryan Jones (form player- Captain)
7)Justin Tupuric (form player)
8)Toby Faletau (form and obvious choice)

9)Mike Phillips (needs a big game)
10)Dan Biggar (form player)
11)Cuthbert (form)
12)Roberts (needs a big game)
13)Beck (unlucky williams)
14)North (form)
15)Halfpenny (form)

Bench: Jenkins (lucky) Andrews (why?) Owens (Supersub) Charteris, Warburton, Knoyle, Priestland (lucky) & Williams (unlucky).

And here brings me to the title!

The welsh management are Gutless. Why you ask, when so many changes we all called for have happened? Its simple;
1) Shaun Edwards basically declared that the subs made no impact against Argentina and that they were not up to the level of the starting players.
2) Howley has made the changes and today proclaimed that changes were always going to be made due to a 6 day turnaround.

Now, correct me if i'm wrong. These two seperate points either point to some disrespectful, arrogant behaviour from the welsh management or some really really poor man management or taking the stance of "I was always going to make these changes" rather than telling it how it is...i.e. "I got the selection wrong last week, the players selected were picked on reputation" or he even could of said "the players who started the game on saturday have been dropped due to a poor performance".

But...NO!

Arrogant Behaviour: If the players now starting this week are so bad. Then why the hell did you always have the plan to start them against Samoa? Samoa are a tough tough team. We would need our form, first 15 anyway!

Poor Man Management: Edwards is a thick man who proclaims intelligence. We havent been a defensive force for some time and his comments were insulting to those who came off the bench and actually did more in 10 minutes than the starters they replaced. Exemption for mediocre at best McCusker!.

Howley also sends the message that the form players starting this week were always going to start this week as he wanted to rest those who played against Argentina. Not that they deserved their chance in the first place!

We need a clear out of these overpaid idiots! Poor excuses, poor game plan and poor coaching! Get rid of howley, edwards and mcbryde and give Gatland some new faces with real rugby nouse!

wow. this is what frustrates me so much about being a wales supporter. Virtually all the changes that have been called for have been made but still there are some who want the world to burn just because of the reason given. Get over it and get behind the team. stop being such flaming divas about everything and let the management get on with what they do. Howley has taken control of a handful of games and if he is trying to implement something then it will take time. Admittedly it doesn't look great so far but for gods sake shut up will you!!!

PS. I am guessing you can't remember 96-0 against SA and other humpings. Maybe if you could you might not be so down on the team now..

No no Mckay you misunderstand. Its not the changes so much I elude to.

Its the poor man management and poor gameplan! There is no truth in the way Howley has conducted himself nor Edwards!

Like I said its not the selection too much. Its just poor that there seems to be no blaming/taking blame? You chose the team admit the truth and say I got it wrong.

I have also said that our defence has been poor and our back play shocking considering who we have. Of which Edwards and Howley are responsible for. The forwards have been average.

I am also a welsh supporter who was not too impressed by the Wales Grand Slam and cite a poor tournament across the board!
Ps. I just about remember!

Last set of AIs (2010) gatland made 10 changes from the SA game to the Fiji game (including leaving out Rees the captain) a week later against NZ most of the changes were reversed.


the same seems to be happening here. These changes probably were planned - and the players told in advance. After what was a poor pefrformance the new guys have every incentive to play well and secure their place on the team (worked well for Wales in 2003 when Hansen selected his second team to play NZ)

Tiger....fair enough mate. Its just that maybe we wouldnt have lost last week if these form players were selected then! Thats all im trying to get across!

Maybe - but recent form over proven class is a debate we will always have - especially if the team loses. There probably were selection mistakes last week. Priestland - (is he an average player who had a good 6 months, or a good player having a blip) and Matthew Rees (been off-form for a long while) stand out for me.

I still have the feeling that Gatland has a big input to selection - and he is desperate for Warburton to find form as he wants him for the Lions coach.

I agree that this should have been the starting the starting line up last week but there would have been changes anyway for this game.

I doubt if anyone would have started all four games.

Unless Biggar puts in a huge performance and makes himself undroppable, Priestland will be back for the next two games.

I dont understand how the likes of Gethin Jenkins, Sam Warburton, and Rys Priestland who all had a terrible game last week end are still in the squad. And have not been dropped altogether.

Surely they ( the Welsh management) is not expecting them too regain their form by putting them on the bench.

[quote="samuraidragon"]Unless Biggar puts in a huge performance and makes himself undroppable, Priestland will be back for the next two games.[/quote

Samurai,

Unfortunately I agree with you likewise Tipuric, Warburton will start next week I have no doubt about that. In fact I would go so far as to say that with the exception of A N Other in for AWJ, R Jones in for Turnbull and hopefully JD in then it will be the same starting line up as next week.

The management is gutless I agree. To use my Mad Marc example again, someone who was nowhere near gutless, he dropped players and named-shamed them. France got better because of it.

i mentioned edwards comments about the subs etc , which i found really bad form on his part, and i believe it was bluesmancometh who said something like all coaches say that sort of thing ..........

well, both edwards , howley, mcbride ( look at hookers long term lineout issues) need to be shown the door.

it will be said no doubt by one or the other that this was the team for this week anyway. ( where's hook ? i doubt they intended dropping him for any of the games, being the utility coverall back mmmm)

I've heard Edward, Howley and McBryde mentioned, but surely Neil Jenkins's role as skills coach has to be questioned too.

Permian1988 wrote:Tiger....fair enough mate. Its just that maybe we wouldnt have lost last week if these form players were selected then! Thats all im trying to get across!

Some of your "form" players perhaps are form in your eyes only, it could be argued that Samson Lee is a form player but he is nowhere near the first 15. Some of the "form" players (Hibbard. Tuperic etc) did come on in the second half of the match and the margin of loss widened when they came on, hence Edwards words they made no significant impact and they really had the opportunity to bring their form into the match and didnt. However some like Biggar didnt have the chance, whilst some like Charteris are not even starting!!

Your game was lost in the second row performance of Evans and AWJ (Turnbull), and the quality of the Pumas 8 Lobbe, who all but destroyed the spine of your side and you losing Roberts and bringing the ineffective Hook into midfield. The better option (if Howley had a pair of balls) was to bring on Liam Williams into FB slot, 1/2p into the wing slot, North into outside centre that would have brought strength courage and speed into the FB area, Brutality, strength, speed and vision into the centre partnership, whilst still retaining 1/2p services as a try machine and superb dead ball specialist. Instead he took the easy option and brought Hook yet again into the centre role.

Hence game over

Problem is talking about 'spine' is that there was none. One of the best characteristics of the welsh side of the last few years is that it has found ways in which to come back and win games at the death. From the short spell I managed to see last Saturday there was no evidence of that kind of character. The players had given up on the win long before the end of the match

no-one is prepared to take an on field decision to DO SOMETHING to change the way the game is going.

they'd rather carry out orders and so be it.