good news for welsh fans?

http://www.wru.co.uk/26892.php

just seen this article about Priestland getting one to one tuition from Jenkins and Howley, hopefully this means he will start at least one of the games for the warm up matches to at least offer another otpion at fly half, espicially when we the the "ancient" jones who people are now saying is past it and the "unreliable" hook.

Its all good news

Clearly he is being lined up to take over from Stephen Jones at Llanelli next season and it appears he is being lined up by Wales too! Though I think Tovey might be worth a look also.

It's a shame Tovey is injured at the moment, because it would have been great to see both him and Priestland in the warm up matches to see how they compare. Hope Tovey recovers to get at least a little bit of game time.

rugbydreamer wrote:It's a shame Tovey is injured at the moment, because it would have been great to see both him and Priestland in the warm up matches to see how they compare. Hope Tovey recovers to get at least a little bit of game time.

Well... Wales will need a full back soon!
We could have both in the Wales team

ha true that we could, both are competent FB's as well so we could just interchange them. Would be nice for Wales to have more options in those two positions anyway!

I hope the coaches will encourage him to play his normal game and enjoy himself as per the Dragons coaching this year!

I hope they are not coaching him to kick the ball away as his experienced team mate has done over the last 3 years.

The problem with considering Tovey as a XV for Wales is that he will play all his Regional games at 10.

Despite being injured I don't think he would have been involved much with the warm up games.

Hopefully he can have a good pre-season start for us on fire and push himself forward come the 6 Nations.

Bedfordwelsh:

Wales have 3 hard/physical games coming up as well as training, I suspect we will lose up to 5 or more players due to injuries before and during the WC, I suspect the players most likely to play in the WC are the ones on the fringe of the squad replacing injured players. The likes of Tovey, Yapp, Birnes, Brew, I Evans, Harries have a chance of getting there. Lions tours are an example of my comments.

A source tells me that Tovey's back isn't too bad. I still wouldn't expect him to get much of a shot in the three tests though.

If his time doesn't come now, his form has been so good that it will come soon enough. He's a young bloke.

Bad news. Why you ask?

Rob Howley...

Nottins:

Agreed , Howley and Jenkins hardly the sharpest tools in the box to advise Preistland, yes they were good players in their time but coaches!

Good luck to Priestland, confuse the coaches and surprise the opposition and don't play left to the touch line and then go right to the other touch line (typewriter style), pass the ball to expose the opposion weakness.

I think he'll learn all he needs to at the Scarlets. When it comes to defensive organisation, tackling style, etc.. only then should he maybe seek advice elsewhere.

I'm sure he will bring a different dimension should he be given the oppurtunity, his pace allows him to keep defenses guessing as to whether he'll run or pass - we've unfortunately seen Flood do this to good effect as you can plan for it but reading it and preventing it is a lot harder to do for opposition defenses.

One thing that did boil my urine was the old 'we're not far off it, just little things and hopefully they'll click' statement that seems to be the mantra of all Welsh squad players that are interviewed - they must be taught this or the interviews are orchestrated to get this 'revelation' to press - this isn't aimed at the individual but the collective really - I'm all for the power of positive thinking but sometimes it's better to be thought the fool than to open your mouth and confirm everyones suspicions......................

Howley !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The last guy we want coaching the outside half, come to think of it any of the backs.

glam,

I agree about injuries but the way I reckon Gatland sees it is Tovey is currently behind Jones Hook and Priestland as No10 amd Byrne Stoddard and possibly Priestland for the XV shirt.

Of course as a Dragons fan I hope I am wrong and he gets good game time in the warm up games and goes to the WC.

to be fair though priestland says Howley is a very good coach and he and jenkins haev good vision

When I saw the title I thought perhaps Henson had announced his retirement from the game.

welshy824 wrote:to be fair though priestland says Howley is a very good coach and he and jenkins haev good vision

Just saying the only thing he can say though, isn't he. He can't say anything else.

Anyone else have a feeling that Preistland is probably going to be played at fullback as opposed to fly half? Also I hope that the coaching is a case of showing how to rain in his attacking style and play more concervative.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Anyone else have a feeling that Preistland is probably going to be played at fullback as opposed to fly half? Also I hope that the coaching is a case of showing how to rain in his attacking style and play more concervative.

When he is at fullback for the scarlets he often steps up to first receiver and takes play in a different way to SJ. I think that could work well for Wales too.

maestegmafia wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Anyone else have a feeling that Preistland is probably going to be played at fullback as opposed to fly half? Also I hope that the coaching is a case of showing how to rain in his attacking style and play more concervative.

When he is at fullback for the scarlets he often steps up to first receiver and takes play in a different way to SJ. I think that could work well for Wales too.

But only if he doesn't get it coached out of him by the Wales Management, and like ScarletSpiderman says they could just be coaching all the independant thought out of him and telling him if you don't play side-to-side, robot like then your out of the team (and squad) and we'll play Bennett as fly half instead of you.

I think you guys put far too much emphasis on the culpability of the coaches and a lack of it with the players.

I dont think any coach in the world tells a team to crab in attack but you regularly see it from youth rugby up when a team cant get the quick ball and momentum forward.

We need fast phase ball, and we need halfback management that demonstrates more patience and guile than Phillips and Jones have been showing over the last few years.

maestegmafia wrote:I think you guys put far too much emphasis on the culpability of the coaches and a lack of it with the players.

I dont think any coach in the world tells a team to crab in attack but you regularly see it from youth rugby up when a team cant get the quick ball and momentum forward.

We need fast phase ball, and we need halfback management that demonstrates more patience and guile than Phillips and Jones have been showing over the last few years.

Agree. Where I would hold out blame for coaching ticket is lack of prepared first phase attacks.

red_stag wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think you guys put far too much emphasis on the culpability of the coaches and a lack of it with the players.

I dont think any coach in the world tells a team to crab in attack but you regularly see it from youth rugby up when a team cant get the quick ball and momentum forward.

We need fast phase ball, and we need halfback management that demonstrates more patience and guile than Phillips and Jones have been showing over the last few years.

Agree. Where I would hold out blame for coaching ticket is lack of prepared first phase attacks.

That is true, i think much of Gatlands regime, and those previous to him back to Graham Henry, have been set off winning good first phase ball at a set piece. This does seem to have fallen apart.

Though with an improving line out and a solid scrum Wales do have the foothold to dominate a team when in attack and to trouble them in defence.

But it still comes back to decision making, which is not coached. It can only be advised.

A coach can only tell a halfback pairing what to look for as a weakness in an opposition he cant tell them what to do in a situation that can not be perceived in advance.

In which case, returning to the link in the OP, Rhys Priestland may well be a better option than Steven Jones at ten, he likes fast ball a lot and created some wonderful plays with little phase dominance at the Scarlets this year.

I am not blaming the coaches as such. However there does seem to be issues with players not taking regional form or style into the international arena. I am not convinced that it is down to players being in awe when it comes to international rugby, although I appreciate it is a far harder to play against NZ than against Aironi.

If you take Stephen Jones as an example (and he is not alone there are many players that change whent he welsh jersey is pulled on), he gets slated alot of his lack of ability to play running rugby on the international stage, however when he has a Scarlets jersey on he is good attacking option. On youtube (and other places on the web) there is a video of the best Scarlets tries of 2010/2011 season, and Stevo is involved in a far few of them. This is why I do think that the coaching team must take some blame for the lack of attacking rugby and the style that we play.

Don't let Howley anywhere near Tovey. We like our FH to have vision and good attacking play!

ScarletSpiderman wrote:I am not blaming the coaches as such. However there does seem to be issues with players not taking regional form or style into the international arena. I am not convinced that it is down to players being in awe when it comes to international rugby, although I appreciate it is a far harder to play against NZ than against Aironi.

If you take Stephen Jones as an example (and he is not alone there are many players that change whent he welsh jersey is pulled on), he gets slated alot of his lack of ability to play running rugby on the international stage, however when he has a Scarlets jersey on he is good attacking option. On youtube (and other places on the web) there is a video of the best Scarlets tries of 2010/2011 season, and Stevo is involved in a far few of them. This is why I do think that the coaching team must take some blame for the lack of attacking rugby and the style that we play.

Hang on... the Ospreys and Blues were garbage at the end of last season, they took their form into the Welsh team surely?
Few of them showed any kind of form after christmas!

nottins_jones wrote:Bad news. Why you ask?

Rob Howley...

Yesssssss,ermmmmm Rob Howley using a (TENNIS RACKET)to sharpen up reactions?

Surely he would be better using a (RUGBY BALL) after all that is the ball we play with, right.

majesticimperialman wrote:

nottins_jones wrote:Bad news. Why you ask?

Rob Howley...

Yesssssss,ermmmmm Rob Howley using a (TENNIS RACKET)to sharpen up reactions?

Surely he would be better using a (RUGBY BALL) after all that is the ball we play with, right.

Dear me, you haven't got any sharper in your absence. What are you on about? Why have you put tennis racket and rugby ball in brackets?

I don't know if you're trying to wum here, but if you are you need to do it so you don't look daft. I'll explain it in simple terms to give you a chance of understanding.

We have been doing extra skills sessions with Rob after training and one in particular, where he hurls a tennis ball at you at great speed to improve your reaction skills, is proving popular," said Priestland.

"The players have to jump on a mat one at a time and Rob belts the ball in your general direction and you've got to get your hands on it. Obviously, we do the same thing with a rugby ball, but the tennis ball is much harder and it does fine tune your reactions."

You see the clue is in the last line. (TENNIS BALL) is small thus harder to catch, (RUGBY BALL) is bigger, so after improving your reactions trying to catch a (TENNIS BALL), it's easier to catch.

Rev
I also wondered why madge said that and I still don't know what he's getting at. Weren't going to reply but you pointing him out again did make me laugh.

AlynDavies wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:I am not blaming the coaches as such. However there does seem to be issues with players not taking regional form or style into the international arena. I am not convinced that it is down to players being in awe when it comes to international rugby, although I appreciate it is a far harder to play against NZ than against Aironi.

If you take Stephen Jones as an example (and he is not alone there are many players that change whent he welsh jersey is pulled on), he gets slated alot of his lack of ability to play running rugby on the international stage, however when he has a Scarlets jersey on he is good attacking option. On youtube (and other places on the web) there is a video of the best Scarlets tries of 2010/2011 season, and Stevo is involved in a far few of them. This is why I do think that the coaching team must take some blame for the lack of attacking rugby and the style that we play.

Hang on... the Ospreys and Blues were garbage at the end of last season, they took their form into the Welsh team surely?
Few of them showed any kind of form after christmas!

Ospreys won the league last season and Blues won the amlin

majesticimperialman wrote:

nottins_jones wrote:Bad news. Why you ask?

Rob Howley...

Yesssssss,ermmmmm Rob Howley using a (TENNIS RACKET)to sharpen up reactions?

Surely he would be better using a (RUGBY BALL) after all that is the ball we play with, right.

read the article before you comment, else you will keep getting it out of context.

maestegmafia wrote:Ospreys won the league last season and Blues won the amlin

Nope Munster won the league last season.
Ospreys won it the season before that

AlynDavies wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Ospreys won the league last season and Blues won the amlin

Nope Munster won the league last season.
Ospreys won it the season before that

I thought Munster won the league this season and was wondering who might win it next season? Hopefully the Ospreys like last season...!

maestegmafia wrote:I thought Munster won the league this season and was wondering who might win it next season? Hopefully the Ospreys like last season...!

But this season has finushed, so it's last season now

For what it's worth, I agree with Alyn.

Alyn - I think you quoted the wrong post by me too. I don't mind who Gatland feilds whether it is an all Ospreys 22, or an equal split, or even 22 Dragons, as long as they are the best 22 players who are welsh, and that they have the form and passion to perform for their welsh jersey. Personally at the moment I think that going on form it should be a fairly even split, with possibly a few extra scarlets in the squad at the cost of one or two blues/ospreys.


Also i agree Ospreys won the league season before last and Munster won it last season. But if you asked a month ago i would have said Ospreys last season, and Munster this season.