Wales Summer Tour

First topic message reminder :

Original opening post answered, changed to tour thread...:

So Welsh summer squad has been anounced as :-

Wales squad

Forwards: Rob Evans (Scarlets) (25 Caps), Nicky Smith (Ospreys) (18 Caps), Elliot Dee (Dragons) (7 Caps), Ryan Elias (Scarlets) (2 Caps), Rhodri Jones (Ospreys) (16 Caps), Samson Lee (Scarlets) (38 Caps), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) (2 Caps), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) (31 Caps), Adam Beard (Ospreys) (2 Caps), Bradley Davies (Ospreys) (62 Caps), Seb Davies (Cardiff Blues) (4 Caps), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (*uncapped), Cory Hill (Dragons) (15 Caps), James Davies (Scarlets) (1 Cap), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Blues) (6 Caps), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester) (20 Caps), Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Blues) (8 Caps).

Backs: Aled Davies (Scarlets) (8 Caps),  Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (32 Caps), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) (*uncapped), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues) (15 Caps), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) (8 Caps), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) (6 Caps), Owen Watkin (Ospreys) (4 Caps), Scott Williams (Scarlets) (55 Caps), Josh Adams (Worcester Warriors) (2 Caps), Hallam Amos (Dragons) (15 Caps), George North (Ospreys) (73 Caps), Tom Prydie (Scarlets) (5 Caps).

Red indicated "call-up".

Withdrawn from Original Named Squad or replaced due to injury:  Luke Charteris (Bath) (74 Caps), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) (11 Caps), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets) (17 Caps), Steff Evans (Scarlets) (9 Caps), Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (8 Caps).


2018 summer tour schedule
Saturday, 2 June KO 2200hrs BST [1700hrs local]

South Africa 20 - 22 Wales (Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, USA)

Team details:

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Saturday, 9 June KO 2040hrs BST [1640hrs local]

Argentina 10 - 23 Wales (San Juan del Bicentenario Stadium, San Juan)

Team details:

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Saturday, 16 June KO 2040hrs BST [1640hrs local]

Argentina 12 - 30 Wales (Estadio Brigadier López, Santa Fe)

Team details:

TV Coverage reported by WOL to be Channel 4, in their first outing into Rugby coverage before they take on some European coverage next season.

So... thread open for discussion on the Wales Summer tour 2018.


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So 3 out of 3. Great Summer Tour, have we learned anything, are Wales and England "Poles apart"...

Awesome try wales! Hallam Amos after some lovely interplay. Great team try.

Have to say, anyone who still thinks Warrenball/Gatlandball is alive and well is light years behind the times. I think the last 6 nations and this summer tour have shown how far we’ve moved on from that. There were signs of it in the AIs too, but it was very rusty/new and I guess unfamiliar. But now it’s all offloads and players from 1-15 being comfortable with ball in hand. Contrast that to proper Warrenball where it was so stodgy and relied on Jamie Roberts trucking it up and then another wave of trucking it up from 2nd phase, and the same from 3rd phase and then run out of ideas and/or get turned over. Or, Mike Phillips would truck it up from first phase! This is much better on the eye.

I wonder if Argentina’s issue is that this is essentially their club side (the Jaguares) and therefore they are playing at a club-standard level which is a step down from international. Whereas most international teams take the best players from their club sides to put together a team stronger than the clubs individually, Argentina is basically a club side and therefore a step down from international level? Dunno. Hard to put into words, but they just don’t seem to be up to international speed in terms of action or thought.

Can't see what the benefit of playing Argentina is, apart from an easy win.

Someone give Eddie and the RFU a call.

It wasn’t meant to be easy TightHEAD! Was expecting much more from Argentina this tour. Pretty sure they were favourites before the tour too.

Tomos Williams adding much more zipp at 9 than Aled Davies.

They are normally solid in the forwards and will always give you a work out in that area but this current lot are dire.

The Argie medic just punched Moriarty, I’m sure of it!

Was the medic dishing it out?

Water boy needs to cop a ban there.

Argie Bargy

Red Card in injury time! Madness!

Sanction the fecking medic too ffs

Should have just ended the game when Wales had the penalty.

The touch judge watched the medic make contact with the face and said nothing so did the TMO. Joke

I think they need to look at what led Moriarty to react. It was a two handed kinda-punch in the face on Moriaty as he was on the floor by Sanchez. Might be one for the citing commissioner.

Stupid Wales play. Got greedy and went for the extra score in injury time but backfired and ended up conceding on 84 mins. Need to learn from that.

Nice way to finish the day off.

Let this day forever be known as 'poor officiating day'

Nice embrace by Mortiarty and Sanchez after the whistle, very rugby-like sportsmanship after their scrap.

For wales, we need to learn from that. What if it was a World Cup quarter or semi final and that led to a stoppage time loss? Close the game out and move on.

The Oracle wrote:Nice embrace by Mortiarty and Sanchez after the whistle, very rugby-like sportsmanship.

For wales, we need to learn from that. What if it was a World Cup quarter or semi final and that led to a stoppage time loss? Close the game out and move on.

Sanchez is a tetchy little fecker. For some reason he charged at Tadhg Furlong last november after Ireland scored a try against them.

The Oracle wrote:I think they need to look at what led Moriarty to react. It was a two handed kinda-punch in the face on Moriaty as he was on the floor by Sanchez. Might be one for the citing commissioner.

I impressed with Ross. He could’ve knocked Sanchez into next week, but just subdued him. He got the red he deserved, and will get banned, but less with the mitigation of the cheapshot off the ball and the slap to the chops on the deck.

Silly from Moriarty. He swings, Argie player goes for a punch/grab. Moriarty then grabs him around the neck and lifts him up and looks like he is choking him rather than just holding him.

AR tells him to stop. Medic could say he was choking him and was trying to stop it. Something happened to kick it off but stupid by Moriarty. Once he ignores the AR a few times he had to go.

Yeah, it was a bit wierd looking from Moriarty too! Like some sort of alleyway strangler! Thought he was going to bite his neck like a vampire at one point!

He will get a few weeks and not be allowed to play on his holidays

Will it not carry over into next season? I.e. the next time he plays? If so, Dragons will be a bit p*ssed.

Definitely not what you want to see on the pitch. But given how his dad was, it’s definitely an improvement.

The Oracle wrote:Will it not carry over into next season? I.e. the next time he plays? If so, Dragons will be a bit p*ssed.

I’m guessing it’ll be a few months, seeing as he picked up a ban for nasty stuff in the under twenties. So regardless of when it starts I’d assume he’s going to miss the start of next season.

No complaints from me but better teams than Argentina will take advantage of Wales' kicking game and their choice of keeping the ball in play instead of finding touch.Thought the Amos try was AB standard but not convinced on Amos at 15 and Anscombe at 9.Would like to see Patchell throw less 'floaters' and Ellis J stop giving away multiple consecutive penalties.Peyper very tolerant of chopsing by various Welsh players.Had no choice with Moriarty's red mist moment but failed dismally to yellow card Sanchez and red card the Medic and Kremer.

As the Pumas haven't beaten a Tier 1 country for ages we'll have to see how Scotland get on with the Pumas next week and how Wales get on in the Autumn with full strength Aus and SA sides before I go all Martyn Williams in his praise of the Wales team and its selectors.He doesn't have to pay for his tickets after all.

Another one of many occasions where we’ve been let down by ref’s and TMOs this year. How the Argie players and their medic didn’t get sanctioned I don’t know. Yet another crap ref from the SH.

Argentina’s skills have looked particularly poor over this series. They were put under pressure and beaten up by mostly young guys with little experience. They haven’t been good since losing their vintage from 2007. Gatland was right about them probably feeling embarrassed by that, and the embarrassment must be ten fold this weekend. Only way is up for Wales. We have fresh players and some momentum. Good signs for the future but the real tests are coming in the autumn.

Yes Wales should definitely have just tapped the pen and kicked it out. Then this mess wouldn't have happened and they also scored a try too. A fourth try wouldn't have made any more of a statement, so it was daft.

Can't see Moriarty getting banned into next season. He was stupid, but then there could've been two yellows for the Argentinians involved. I'm not sure how you can sanction the medic during the game. Moriarty also didn't really choke the guy, or I think Sanchez would've been in a lot more stress than he was.

Some lovely tries though and winning three games on tour has way exceeded my expectations. I get that we didn't play SA at full strength and Argentina were poor, but a lot of Argentina's poorness was down to our defence I think.

Well done Wales. I can see some of your expirenced lads who stayed at home for this tour getting a bit nervous now.

If this is the only pro team in Argentina and the Pumas have to be home based, who do they play?

Old Ross has form. Should be banned for a year for that disgraceful behaviour
https://youtu.be/NAyA53Lk7Ik

A year . Don't be so wet.

Don't worry about Geen, he's the Irish Cyril. O'Cyril. Just out for nibbles.

Dontheman2 wrote:If this is the only pro team in Argentina and the Pumas have to be home based, who do they play?

In front of a mirror?

Why do you ask such difficult questions? Stop being obtuse this instant!

The Oracle wrote:Don't worry about Geen, he's the Irish Cyril.  O'Cyril.  Just out for nibbles.

Geen is as smart as a sack of snakes...and more dangerous.

Which of course leaves the question 'How the hell did they get themselves trapped in a sack?'

I'll work on that. But don't expect any quick answers.

The faux outrage on twitter is fantastic - lifetimes bans are being called for, even had Cardiff fans claiming Moriarty bit him

I guess after 80 mins he was technically a Dragon again so their piss boiled over.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:Old Ross has form. Should be banned for a year for that disgraceful behaviour
https://youtu.be/NAyA53Lk7Ik

He looks pretty in White.

SecretFly wrote:

The Oracle wrote:Don't worry about Geen, he's the Irish Cyril.  O'Cyril.  Just out for nibbles.

Geen is as smart as a sack of snakes...and more dangerous.

Which of course leaves the question 'How the hell did they get themselves trapped in a sack?'

I'll work on that.  But don't expect any quick answers.

Female snakes. To lure them in. Impossible to resist the temptation, no matter how smart, such are the wicked and devious ways of the female form.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:Old Ross has form. Should be banned for a year for that disgraceful behaviour
https://youtu.be/NAyA53Lk7Ik

The only thing wrong with Ross's technique there is he is wearing white .

Should not have been a Red, not even worth a penalty. You can clearly see the Irish player twisting and performing a pirouette with the intention of getting a Red card for Ross.. .....

...tbh, his father and uncle (especially Uncle) performed worst tackles than that EVERY game

Back to the rugby.

Sam Warburton, Dan Biggar and co. are going to find it hard to get their places back now. Ellis Jenkins, James Davies, Cory Hill, Rhys Patchell, Owen Watkin to name a few all looked excellent on this tour.

Come on LD it was great the boys did well but let’s face it the Argies were poor. And the Boks a second string. Don’t think Warbs and Biggar etc are quaking in their boots. They know the score.

I reckon Warbs would struggle to get back into the Blues side. Also, with Biggar jumping ship, he might not be 1st choice anymore.

Dontheman2 wrote:Come on LD it was great the boys did well but let’s face it the Argies were poor. And the Boks a second string. Don’t think Warbs and Biggar etc are quaking in their boots. They know the score.

Rubbish.

The Welsh side that faced SA was 2nd/3rd string itself as was the side that won convincingly away to Argentina.

Patchell is my Welsh 10 atm and I don't see the Saints igniting any attacking flair in Biggar.

Our backrow strength is mental considering the size of our player pool - Warbs will struggle to be starting 7 at Cardiff let alone in the national team.

Also, to say the Argies were poor is a massive disservice the the players on tour. They can only play what is infront of them, and those players showed up well in the S14. The boys on tour have done themselves proud. To say anything else is a distinct lack of respect.

We will see how weak Argentina are on Saturday. The Scots, who lost to the USA, are playing them. If Scotland win the yes they are poor, if not then maybe there should be praise heaped on our lads.

When you consider the players not taken due to resting or injury, I’m very happy with the way we performed (feel free to add or fill in the gaps). These are or have been first choice in the very recent past:

1.
2. Ken Owens
3.
4. Alun Wyn Jones
5. Jake Ball
6. Aaron Shingler
7. Sam Warburton/Justin Tipuric
8. Toby Faletau
9. Rhys Webb
10. Dan Biggar
11. Liam Williams
12.
13. JD2
14. Steff Evans (ok, he went on tour but lasted a few minutes only)
15. Leigh Halfpenny

3 Samson Lee (didn’t feature)

And just for the Fail type audiences
1 Gethin Jenkins
12 Jamie Roberts / Gavin Henson

ScarletSpiderman wrote:3 Samson Lee (didn’t feature)

And just for the Fail type audiences
1 Gethin Jenkins
12 Jamie Roberts / Gavin Henson

Ah yes, they’re convinced those boys will be back to their best. Any time soon!