posted Feb 11, 2007

"Scotland are the most limited, talentless side in this year's 6 Nations and we have just lost to them -" this is a ridiculous comment considering wales lost the match... Scotland wasted wales up fron if if it wasnt for the lack of finishing, the score would have been much higher..... i did not expect scotland to win but on the day they deserved it. Scotland re hardly world beating side but what they lack in skill is made up with energetic passion..

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posted Feb 12, 2007

I wanted to post here on Saturday afternoon, but had better things to do. I was so angry at the performance. I don't know what Gareth Jenkins is trying to do for Wales, but he is obviously stifling the obvious talent we have. I feel sorry for the likes of Dwayne Peel, Martyn Williams Alex Popham and Kevin Morgan, because they were the only ones who turned up for Wales on Saturday. They deserve to be playing in a winning side. I know we're missing Shane Williams, and a fit and healthy Henson from a couple of years back, but that's no excuse.

Saturday's performance was the worst performance I have seen from a welsh side since the bleak days in the 90s.

Whatever happened with the Mike Ruddock situation, the WRU should apologise and bring him back. He took Wales to great heights, but we've been falling ever since. Gareth Jenkins is tactically naive and should not be in the job. Apart from the Australia match in the autumn, I haven't seen a good performance from Wales since he took over. EVen then, we should have beaten the aussies. Mike Ruddocks team would have torn them apart.

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posted Feb 12, 2007

I think that Mike Hall had a point when he said that Stephen Jones should be dropped from his captainsey for Wales. I think the job has put alot of weight across Stephen Jones's shoulders. I think he's the right player for WAles to play in that 10 position, but I think the captainsey has given him alot more reponsiblity and pressure. But to be honest, appart from Garath Thomas (Who's suspended), or maybe Martyn Williams or Duncan Jones, there is no one really who can take that role of Wales captain. But I think either Martyn Williams or Duncan Jones should take on that responsibility against France. It would take a hell of a lot of pressure off Stephen Jones, and Stephen Jones whould be able to play the game the way he knows best.
Elsewhere I think Wales really need Shane Williams back on that leftwing. Wales play with alot more comfort with him wearing 11 instead of Chris Czekaj. I think Shane Williams will be fit and well to play France in 2 weeks time.

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posted Feb 12, 2007

Forgot to mention Chris Czekaj. He's been rubbish in the first two matches. He's too lightwieght and scared to get his jersey dirty. He admitted he found the step up to international level quite a big step. Well, with Shane back, hopefully that'll be the last we see of him. Whatever happened little rhys williams on the wing from the grand slam season?

James Hook has a lot to learn yet as well. He's a little light in the tackle, and is too slow lining up his clearane kicks, nearly getting charged down too often for my liking.

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posted Feb 12, 2007

I'm a welshman in the U.S working for a French company and I struggled to watch the match on the BBC streaming feed. I'm just glad I didn't pay 10 bucks for some other streaming feeds available. Hopefully, we can improve before the French match or my life won't be worth living.

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posted Feb 12, 2007

Reading some of your comments I can't help but take offence! Losing to us at Murrayfield can't be such an affront for supporters of a team like Wales! Who do you think you are, the All Blacks!? Check the IRB rankings guys and you'll find we're now ahead of you.

No wonder they always say the Wales coaching job is a poisoned chalice with inflated expectations such as these!

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posted Feb 13, 2007

I think Jonnie, that we the Welsh are simply annoyed that Wales didn't play anywhere near to potential and Saturday felt like a big step backwards.
We looked incompetant, completely lost, you surely agree?
It's our national game and we invest a lot of cash into it, we expect players and staff to do a job and do it well. They didn't.
Wales doesn't have a problem losing to Scotland, and if we played well and still lost, we would be a lot happier.

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posted Feb 13, 2007

The reason why ruddock was chucked out on his ear? simple - he wanted to turn the team into a highly professional side. This however did not sit well with the team, some more than others (not mentioning any names) who would much rather spend his time chuffing down pint after pint of SA brains. You take a walk around any of the major welsh towns on a fri/sat/sun night and invariably you'll bump into at least 4 internationals. Of course im not talking about the entire team, but those whose fitness levels never ever semm to improve! Mike Ruddock managed to squeeze the best out of the side during the '05 season, but then being so nackered by the experience they couldnt face to go through it year after year? The solution? get rid of him. You cannot produce a team of world beaters who frequently enjoy a 'good session' down the local.

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posted Feb 13, 2007

jonnie Main. You deserve every congrats for you outthought us and your committment was exceptional. However, take it from a Welshman who sees inflations of ability in his own national setup all the time, if you think, as a rugby man, that the Scottish team is good then you will set yourself up for a massive fall. You have good back row on their day and your pack show comittment but you really lack any attacking ability behind the scrum. Wales were terrible on the day but you didnt cross the line with 70% possession and 10 mins against 14 men. Wales is our problem, we can rant about our woes as underachievers but Scotland are also weak and need to build, quickly on there limited successes. This is not the time for national tit for tat,Its time for both countries to have a massive reality check.If you ask one of your players before the game whether they thought it would be that easy and I think they would have said they expected to be up against it

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posted Feb 13, 2007

Not suggesting for one minute that Scotland are anything other than a decent side with the potential to upset the applecart against the big 2 of the NH now and again. Much as it pains me, I can't see us ever getting above that level given the resources available to choose from.

My point was, in my lifetime anyway, we have always enjoyed healthy competition with Wales and Ireland. I see it as cyclical. Ireland are clearly going through a purple patch at the moment and have a side to compete with anyone on their day, but you would stop short of calling them a rugby superpower. At the moment I don't see Wales having significantly better players than us to warrant such high expectations.

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