Wales 6 Nations Squad

First topic message reminder :

Forwards:
Rob Evans (Scarlets), Paul James (Ospreys), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Racing 92), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Dominic Day (Bath Rugby), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Blues), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester Rugby), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (CAPT) (Cardiff Blues).
Backs:
Aled Davies (Scarlets) *, Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues) Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Priestland (Bath Rugby), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Clermont Auvergne), Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins), Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Tom James (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Matthew Morgan (Bristol Rugby), Liam Williams (Scarlets).

mikey_dragon wrote:

True Raven wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

True Raven wrote:If he's not deemed fit enough by the physios then he shouldn't be anywhere near the team.

Liam Williams started against Connacht on the weekend and looked anything but not fit. Not having him on the bench will bite us.

Yet Gatland who has been with him all week thinks his conditioning isnt right for a test match hence hes not in the team at all.....and as SS said, Priestland will cover fullback if need be where he played quite well in his last cameo there (against England at Twickenham)

Somehow Warburton is deemed fit, and Williams who looked fit on the weekend, isn't. Strange.

Not really, it was all explained in the press earlier this week. Warburton was deemed to not need to be released last weekend, Williams and Amos were due to the fact that through experience they know when Warburton needs and does not need game time.

Maybe Howley said "who are you gonna lump on the bench" and he just misunderstood, could be a cultural difference thing

RubyGuby wrote:Maybe Howley said "who are you gonna lump on the bench" and he just misunderstood, could be a cultural difference thing

listening to their presser it makes some sense, experience counts for something i guess and best to get liam right before chucking hi back in and getting him crocked again.

And would you want Morgan being peppered by Sexton every minute?

So really, option is a solid peg and a playmaker with the ability to hit the line and pass.

Likewise Warbs or lydiate but not both just yet.

Tips often doesnt have the same game when he starts because he finds the tight harder to work in so i hope this means we are going to find another gear early doors.

maestegmafia wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:

True Raven wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

True Raven wrote:If he's not deemed fit enough by the physios then he shouldn't be anywhere near the team.

Liam Williams started against Connacht on the weekend and looked anything but not fit. Not having him on the bench will bite us.

Yet Gatland who has been with him all week thinks his conditioning isnt right for a test match hence hes not in the team at all.....and as SS said, Priestland will cover fullback if need be where he played quite well in his last cameo there (against England at Twickenham)

Somehow Warburton is deemed fit, and Williams who looked fit on the weekend, isn't. Strange.

Not really, it was all explained in the press earlier this week. Warburton was deemed to not need to be released last weekend, Williams and Amos were due to the fact that through experience they know when Warburton needs and does not need game time.

They're picking and choosing again, as they usually do. So maybe you're right it isn't strange in that sense. Are you the new PR guy btw? I preferred Shaun Edwards.

Sean O'Brien is a possible absentee...! Irish Team named Friday. Their back up, the young Connacht openside Ultan Dillane would be a decent replacement.

True Raven wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

True Raven wrote:If he's not deemed fit enough by the physios then he shouldn't be anywhere near the team.

Liam Williams started against Connacht on the weekend and looked anything but not fit. Not having him on the bench will bite us.

Yet Gatland who has been with him all week thinks his conditioning isnt right for a test match hence hes not in the team at all.....and as SS said, Priestland will cover fullback if need be where he played quite well in his last cameo there (against England at Twickenham)

Mikey, Priestland played at 10 when he came on against England in the World Cup and did very well. Biggar moved to 15 and gave the pass that put Lloyd Williams away on the wing leading to Gareth Davies try.

I am sure that if Liam was fit he would be starting, maybe he will come in against Scotland.

maestegmafia wrote:Sean O'Brien is a possible absentee...! Irish Team named Friday. Their back up, the young Connacht openside Ultan Dillane would be a decent replacement.

Dillane is a second row Maesteg, I'm hoping he sneaks onto the bench ahead of either Ryan or McCarthy as he offers more than both.

If SOB is out it is likely both CJ Stander or double agent Ruddock join Heaslip in the back row.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think the philosophy he was talking about was "earning the space out wide".

And this mantra is what sees us ignore space we've created if we've done it earlier (phase wise) than we were expecting to. Instead of going wide, we give it to a forward up the middle again, giving time for the opposition defence to reorganise, and the space out wide is gone.

We seem to think that we have to truck it up a set number of times regardless of where the space is.

This earning the space out wide stuff is such BS. I get the logic but the reality is that you go wide when you can, not necessarily having driven it up phase after phase. Because that is the only way you 'earn' it, by sucking in defenders.

Look up, play what you see. We need to become less proscriptive and more creative.

Shane used to run from anywhere, using instinct, now we just have lumps who run straight or in the case of North, run until they tip over and fall not heir face. We can't win down under like that so we need Morgan and more like him to be brought on.

I dont think Morgan is as good as Shane but he is simply electric given some space so lets just give him the 15 shirt against Italy and Scotland and go form there.

Cuthbert, a player who hasn't had a decent game of rugby for longer than anyone can remember finally gets dropped - TO THE BENCH!

Unbelievable.

.....and the other outside back that can come on and change the game is.......Priestland.

These coaches are so much smarter than me.  I can't begin to understand them.

offload wrote:Cuthbert, a player who hasn't had a decent game of rugby for longer than anyone can remember finally gets dropped - TO THE BENCH!

Unbelievable.

.....and the other outside back that can come on and change the game is.......Priestland.

These coaches are so much smarter than me.  I can't begin to understand them.

I've just read quotes from Cement Head, saying he sees Amos as a 15. So it makes his decision not to pick him on the bench even dafter in my opinion. I am sure Priestland could cover 15, but why run the risk of leaving yourself short, say injuries happen to Anscombe and/or Biggar?

RiscaGame wrote:

offload wrote:Cuthbert, a player who hasn't had a decent game of rugby for longer than anyone can remember finally gets dropped - TO THE BENCH!

Unbelievable.

.....and the other outside back that can come on and change the game is.......Priestland.

These coaches are so much smarter than me.  I can't begin to understand them.

I've just read quotes from Cement Head, saying he sees Amos as a 15. So it makes his decision not to pick him on the bench even dafter in my opinion. I am sure Priestland could cover 15, but why run the risk of leaving yourself short, say injuries happen to Anscombe and/or Biggar?

Then I guess Roberts would go to 15 andNorth to centre.

Marshes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Sean O'Brien is a possible absentee...! Irish Team named Friday. Their back up, the young Connacht openside Ultan Dillane would be a decent replacement.

Dillane is a second row Maesteg, I'm hoping he sneaks onto the bench ahead of either Ryan or McCarthy as he offers more than both.  

Maes showing how much rugby he watches again eh

maestegmafia wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:

offload wrote:Cuthbert, a player who hasn't had a decent game of rugby for longer than anyone can remember finally gets dropped - TO THE BENCH!

Unbelievable.

.....and the other outside back that can come on and change the game is.......Priestland.

These coaches are so much smarter than me.  I can't begin to understand them.

I've just read quotes from Cement Head, saying he sees Amos as a 15. So it makes his decision not to pick him on the bench even dafter in my opinion. I am sure Priestland could cover 15, but why run the risk of leaving yourself short, say injuries happen to Anscombe and/or Biggar?

Then I guess Roberts would go to 15 andNorth to centre.

Yes but what if we get injuries to Biggar, Annscome and Roberts/North?

Gatlands comments about Tom James improving and maturing when he decided to leave Wales and play for Exeter and Tom James saying the coaches at Exeter improved his game should be a wake up call for the quality of coaching at all levels in Wales. We're trying to keep our best young talents in Wales but even Gatland admits it's best for some individuals to ply their trade outside of Wales.

If James improved that much then why wasn't he more of a regular at Exeter? He seemed to slip down the pecking order after some opening good games. It might just be me but I don't believe 'his game' to have altered that much since before the move either. You are right that the coaching quality across Wales is in need of a vast improvement though.

The truth is that there it's slim pickings for quality wings in Wales, so he didn't have to improve much to get in.

To be fair though Luckless, I do agree with you about slim pickings but he is on form at the moment and for once I'm happy to see some form players picked to represent Wales for once as usually it's just been Gatlands favourites no matter how they have been playing for their regions/clubs.

He's a bit too Forrest Gump for my liking.

I,ve just put on another thread Why do the Welsh think that there starting back row against Ireland will produce any miracles its the same back row that played against Australia in the world cup and did nothing against a 13 man Australian side.

I haven't seen anyone saying they'll produce miracles. A lot of posters have called for Warbs and Tips to start together in the past, and are now happy that their wish has come true. But miracles???

irnbrew wrote:I,ve just put on another thread Why do the Welsh think that there starting back row against Ireland will produce any miracles its the same back row that played against Australia in the world cup and did nothing against a 13 man Australian side.

And not sure how the back row was to blame for not scoring tries ?

The back row, however, will win penalties and Biggar will more than likely kick them for points or for touch - and the Irish are down several line out operators.

The back row have also had the better of their Irish 1st choice counterparts many a time too.

But my point is Griff it is only 2 games ago that they did play together and produced nothing to shout about or even call for them to be united in the back row again as the Welsh supporters on here seem to clamour for.Having said that i too think Tips is an outstanding player and got man of the match playing against Ireland in the summer playing along side Lyds What does that tell you

irnbrew wrote:But my point is Griff it is only 2 games ago that they did play together and produced nothing to shout about or even call for them to be united in the back row again as the Welsh supporters on here seem to clamour for.Having said that i too think Tips is an outstanding player and got man of the match playing against Ireland in the summer playing along side Lyds What does that tell you

It tells me you really don'y know what you are babbling about and are just on the wind up.

That it was one game. Warburton's had several great games alongside Lydiate too. Warburton and Tupric together destroyed an England team going for a grand slam. you cant judge them based on a single game.... the fact is though Ireland have no one that is even close to the quality of Hooper and Pocock

True Raven wrote:That it was one game.  Warburton's had several great games alongside Lydiate too.  Warburton and Tupric together destroyed an England team going for a grand slam.  you cant judge them based on a single game.... the fact is though Ireland have no one that is even close to the quality of Hooper and Pocock

Lydiate and Warburton also knocked Ireland out of the 2011 RWC.

I get what inbrew is saying. Although I believe Tips is in form right now I find him to be quite overhyped, especially since that game... I've seen it across other forums, people thinking that Warbs and Tips starting together will work miracles on a weekly basis when the reality is that Lydiate, Warbs and Faletau is still our best option. Hopefully Tipuric comes into his own in this tournament should he get more game time.