Wales today, Wales next week!

People who are giving Biggar stick for his performance today want to open there bloody eyes. Yes he had a kick charged down but for his first start in any match of real consequence (tournament) and to play for 73 minutes as he did, i thought he was excellent.

Jonathan Davies called for his head at half time over a charge down. I can pinpoint several more experienced players who were much worse in that first half.

North took 35 minutes to touch the ball.
Gethin Jenkins penalised at scrum time and made little to no impact around the field.
Ian Evans, an experienced yet ring rusty 2nd row running into contact higher than the statue of liberty. Ball turned over.
Warburton anomynous for large periods.
Jonathan davies throwing the ball into touch (once is a mistake but twice is careless).
Cuthberts defence for the Zebo try was awful.

Also the criticism of Phillips is nigh on pathetic. He had absolutely no platform until the 2nd half and then bossed the game well. Pressurising Ireland and really putting himself about.

And before someone starts talking about slow ball, Ireland did a job on us there. Not Phillips' fault.

This is not aimed at anyone in particular but the usual fluff post match is annoying.

Players who really stood up for Wales today in the end for me were:

Tupuric, offers more in attack than any of the starting players bar Faletau. Cleaned out rucks well.
Faletau an absolute ball carrying monster. Much more solid today.
Coombes was outstanding. He lost the ball in contact once or twice in the first half but really put himself about.
Rees suprised me. Excellent at the set piece.
Biggar
Phillips
Cuthbert apart from that defensive frailty.

My team for next week would be:

1.Paul James (if we start jenkins we will get hammered scrum time)
2.Mathew Rees
3.Adam Jones
4.Coombes
5.Evans
6.Warburton
7.Tupuric
8. Faletau
9.Phillips
10.Biggar
11.Cuthbert
12.Roberts
13.JD2
14.Halfpenny
15.Byrne

16. Hibbard (hopefully)
17. Jenkins
18. Mitchel
19. R Jones
20. Kohn
21. Ll Williams
22. Hook
23. North

Hopefully a team like this would give us a solid start and good impact from the bench..





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I see a little pattern emerging in terms of Wales flyhalves and their criticism.

Hook - can't perform under pressure.
Priestland - can't perform under pressure.
Biggar - can't perform under pressure.

Firstly... give Biggar a chance.

Secondly.... perhaps just perhaps the flyhalf is a little under pressure from having a disguised backrow forward for a scrum half.

Phillips was very poor in his pass and his game management today. He's just not a test quality scrumhalf. He's a good player with the ball in hand sure but his responsibility is far bigger than just that.

Its all good having "another" backrow forward... but if he can't unleash his backline then he's more costly then he's worth.

The backline bar Halfpenny are full of Ivan Drago's... all robotic beasts who have one skill... they're big and they can't do route one. When that fails.... they're out of ideas. And for big guys... they're very poor tacklers.

Put Phillips into the centers instead of Roberts? just an idea...

And after all that I thought the most glaring mistakes were Davies ridiculous passes to the sideline. No idea where the ball was going or who he was passing to. Just slung them wide and hard at nobody, both times killing the momentum created.

Centres who can pass are in short supply in Wales sadly.