Wales v Australia

Only 55,000 tickets sold so far.

Let's hope these ridiculous November friendlies that are saturating the game are finally dying.

I also think the recent battle between Regions and the Union have affected peoples view of things and left a lot very meh about the whole thing.

Weird, i've heard this is the best sell out of tickets for all 4 games in a decade. Even the Fiji game is selling well apparently.
I'm sure it will be near a full house tomorrow anyway. It's going to be a good game though

Seems strange they are playing the 'lesser' game on a Saturday this year as it's normally a Friday night game.

I am guessing Cardiff are home on the Friday maybe?

A lot of the games tend to pick up late passing trade or a bit of a mad dash for tickets, I will watching from home tomorrow saving the trip back to Wales for the ABs game.

Wales win I reckon.

Jhamer25 wrote:
I'm sure it will be near a full house tomorrow anyway.

Considering one lower tier is closed behind the posts, I think you're being optimistic.

Why is it closed and does any one know if the MS pitch has been upgraded to the Desso Grassmaster system yet?

GunsGerms wrote:Why is it closed

Because they've only sold 55,000 tickets.

and does any one know if the MS pitch has been upgraded to the Desso Grassmaster system yet?

Yes it has.

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:
I'm sure it will be near a full house tomorrow anyway.

Considering one lower tier is closed behind the posts, I think you're being optimistic.

I don't know myself i'm just going by what iv'e read and heard. Where does is say we have sold 55,000 tickets, i can't find a link. Anyway we always have a good crowd vs the big 3 so i'm not worried. All i'm worried about is a win

Chunky Norwich wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Why is it closed

Because they've only sold 55,000 tickets.

and does any one know if the MS pitch has been upgraded to the Desso Grassmaster system yet?

Yes it has.

Very surprising they have only sold 55k tickets. Thought that would be a guarenteed sell out.

That is good. new pitch is going to make a big difference. Look forward to seeing how it holds up.

Wales are going to win I think.

Jhamer25 wrote:

I don't know myself i'm just going by what iv'e read and heard. Where does is say we have sold 55,000 tickets, i can't find a link. Anyway we always have a good crowd vs the big 3 so i'm not worried. All i'm worried about is a win

Being quoted by journos. Admiral insurance have started giving freebies away. I've just been offerred 2 x tickets for £60. Welsh rugby is dying.

Dafydd Pritchard ‏@DafPritchard
Around 55,000 tickets have been sold for Wales v Australia tomorrow, hence the Welsh flag covering some of the Millennium Stadium seats.

Robin Davey ‏@robindavey01 38m38 minutes ago

So only about 55,000 tickets sold for W v A-no surprise, been saying for while 4 games in 4 weeks is overkill and too expensive for fans

Ospreys doing buy one get one free now. Jesus. The game is on it's arse.

Ospreys ‏@ospreys 51 seconds ago
*** BOGOF on Wales v Aus Tickets ***
2 tickets for £60 (Cash Only)
Available from The Gnoll from 4pm

How many tickets sold for the other 3 games?

The Saint wrote:How many tickets sold for the other 3 games?

NZ will always be a sell out, There are thousands left for the South Africa game. Fiji too I think.

SA will be a sell out too, got to consider all the saffa expats in the UK. And given the world cup is not too far away I'd say a few less ticket sales were to be expected. You've a unique way of looking at things chunky.

The Saint wrote:SA will be a sell out too, got to consider all the saffa expats in the UK. And given the world cup is not too far away I'd say a few less ticket sales were to be expected. You've a unique way of looking at things chunky.

I've got a unique way of looking at things when clubs across the land are selling £60 tickets for half price and £80 tickets are being given away free?

Righto.

Would you rather go and watch Wales get smashed vs NZ for say £50 a ticket or go watch Wales compete with AUS for a win for the same price? I know what I'd rather go and watch if I were a home fan.

Interesting thing though

NZ do seem to be a draw for tickets but when looking at the RWC site the other day on ticket resales for 2015.

They have 3 NZ matches still unsold (1 SA, 2 AUS) and both potential NZ QFs are still up for grabs.

I wonder why that is?

With the new pitch at the MS, will the roof be closed? And will it make any difference to the game if it is?

perhaps like me , the Welsh public fed up watching Australian players celebrating in the end after a last minute try

bedfordwelsh wrote:I also think the recent battle between Regions and the Union have affected peoples view of things and left a lot very meh about the whole thing.

I think its more to do with finances the only tickets I know that are available are £60 and that is alot of money for people so close to christmas especially when we play aus so regularly

jimmyinthewell68 wrote: perhaps like me  , the Welsh public fed up watching Australian players  celebrating in the end after a last minute try

Its like playing the lottery. If you pick the same numbers you don't dare miss a week in case it finally comes home the time you just say, ah its no point, the odds are so small. Got to keep on going.

Wales perhaps should have bartered to get NZ first and then use it as a training game to put in a genuine charge vs. AUS a week later. Got to target your best chance of victory... AUS up first will always be difficult. Need a game to get up and running which AUS already have.

Out of the 3 big sides if i could choose which one to win against it be Australia only to stop the ten nil score . Obviously most people pick new Zealand but they might as well use the other two wishes , super model and lottery win

BOGOFs and Freebies galore then. Brings back memories.
Another thing,
Simonrug on twitter; "This is the first time Gatland has had the players since June."
So I was wondering what Gatland actually does between June and November.

Cardiff Dave wrote:BOGOFs and Freebies galore then. Brings back memories.
Another thing,
Simonrug on twitter; "This is the first time Gatland has had the players since June."
So I was wondering what Gatland actually does between June and November.

I often wondered what he did when he had to take a full year off before the Lions tour in preparation.

Cardiff Dave wrote:BOGOFs and Freebies galore then. Brings back memories.
Another thing,
Simonrug on twitter; "This is the first time Gatland has had the players since June."
So I was wondering what Gatland actually does between June and November.

become embroiled in internal politics
watch players

Is this true and if so could someone explain?

Robin Davey;
"It's pretty obvious a number of clubs have been caught with surplus W v A tickets they've had to pay for and can't sell. That means trouble"

I guess it's a mixture of a lot of things such as resentment over the recent dispute, the prices they charge, Xmas round the corner and 4 games in 4 weeks.

Maybe if they set the prices lower from the off rather than dropping them later when they realise they are not selling then they wouldn't be in this position.

It's a fact that people can't afford 4 games in 4 weeks what with travel and eating/drinking added on top some will pick and choose what games they can go to.

Saw this on Jamie Roberts twitter- embarrassing slip-up on the name of a Welsh second row

Welsh team list:

GavinDragon wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:BOGOFs and Freebies galore then. Brings back memories.
Another thing,
Simonrug on twitter; "This is the first time Gatland has had the players since June."
So I was wondering what Gatland actually does between June and November.

become embroiled in internal politics
watch players

Obviously he needs to be watching every game the Welsh regions play, analysing them in detail, and I would imagine he would be watching the teams that Wales will be playing and maybe tracking the form of their key players as well. So there's a lot of rugby watching and a lot of note taking!

He does the same as every other International coach I guess, watch games, analyse players, and opposition alike.

I bought four tickets but no can't go myself so I having my seat away. Shame too as we had great seats.

Blwdi troublesome manager at work has meant I have to turn a shift today...!

Just read the JJ Williams article on Dan Biggar on BBC.

"I think outside-half has been the Achilles' heel for Welsh rugby for the last few years since Stephen Jones retired," JJ Williams

He is right but this has been the same after any longstanding flyhalf has retired.

I am still not convinced Biggar has the ability to step up from being a great club player to a world class international. In fact I have doubted that he would ever succeed at this level.

But he has deserved his chance today, and I am sure we all hope he takes it.

He's the best we have at the moment and his Regional form more than warrants the chance. Lets be honet though even the likes of Jones and Jenks had more than their fair share of criticism.

Some in Wales still have the vision of dazzling fleet of foot jinking No10s and won't be happy until we have one there.

We ve been using reliable 10s for the last ten years or so . When we had players like Hansen and hook we tend to pick the Stephen Jones type . Biggar is in the same category

bedfordwelsh wrote:He's the best we have at the moment and his Regional form more than warrants the chance.  Lets be honet though even the likes of Jones and Jenks had more than their fair share of criticism.

Some in Wales still have the vision of dazzling fleet of foot jinking No10s and won't be happy until we have one there.

The Big 3 southern hemisphere will go into the World Cup with 10s who have guile and can run with the ball and, yes, even jink when required. In fact NZ will have 3 of them. It's possible that Scotland and Ireland will be in the same case and also even England, if Farrell gets deposed by the some of the up-and-coming talents.

Jenks was an average 10 , which is why the Lions had him at 15 in the series winning game. Jones was inconsistent. Biggar could and should be better than those in the same mould, but let's see.

I love the welsh public.  Biggar lacks flair, Priest lacks control.  Same has been said for ages about about the two front men for the ten shirt.  Surely having to opposites mean which ever one comes off the bench will be able to totally shake up the game plan?  Why would you want a sub that is just a poor replica of the player that is starting?

ScarletSpiderman wrote:I love the welsh public.  Biggar lacks flair, Priest lacks control.  Same has been said for ages about about the two front men for the ten shirt.  Surely having to opposites mean which ever one comes off the bench will be able to totally shake up the game plan?  Why would you want a sub that is just a poor replica of the player that is starting?

SS,

I agree and a Priestland in top form offers something differentt to Biggar so its good to have that option, likewise Phillips compared to Webb.  I always said that we shouldn't have had Phillips starting with Knoyle as the other option as they were to similar in style.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:I love the welsh public.  Biggar lacks flair, Priest lacks control.  Same has been said for ages about about the two front men for the ten shirt.  Surely having to opposites mean which ever one comes off the bench will be able to totally shake up the game plan?  Why would you want a sub that is just a poor replica of the player that is starting?

Not when Priestland can single-handedly lose you the game.

Good luck today Wales. I hope you win today and I'm looking forward to watching the game - admittedly it won't be live as I am watching the England game - but I'm hoping I can watch it without being told the result.

Good luck Wales. Break that monkey.

Yep as the two above, good luck Wales!! hammer the shackle draggers!

Defence from both teams is awful

We now know what Jonathan Davies' sex noise is.

Highest scoring first half at the millennium for more than a decade apparently.

They continue to try to give me a heart attack.

Injuries going to hurt. No Biggar, no Halfpenny = no decent kicker.

Biggar was organising well too, big loss.

Time for Priestland to prove some people wrong

Same goes for Phillips

Now before all the Wales-haters start pouring in, you can clearly see that Slipper a) drove early. b) began to bore in; right before we were awarded the penalty try.

Oz really really need to fix their scrum issues

Wales lose thanks to Joubert's one rule for Aus and different rules for Wales at the breakdown again. No NH team will beat a SH team when Joubert is the official.