posted Sep 30, 2007

My view is that Wales started to play brilliantly in the second half and should have won. What let us down was very basic indeed i.e. place kicks. Stephen Jones hitting the post 3 times and James Hook missing an absolute sitter. If one of those missed kicks had gone over, any one of them, I'm sure Wales would have won. And why did Martyn Williams veer away from the posts rather than towards them when he scored his try ? It seemed as though the extra points didn't matter when they most certainly did. Had he veered right, instead of left, and then grounded the ball, I'm sure Stephen Jones would have converted. What Wales lacked most of all was leadership. If we had a Martin Johnson in the team i.e. someone who knows how to rally the players and keep them doing the right things ( and keep them focused ) we might be savouring a quarter final match with S.A. now.

We never seem to learn from our mistakes. We've got the players ( Shane Williams - a gem of a try ), we've got the commitment. What we don't have is an authority figure on the field. I don't think Gareth Thomas nor Stephen Jones are up the that job. I think the new coach's first job will be to try to mould a team around a captain. It's so important at the top level.

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posted Sep 30, 2007

I think that Wales believed all those lies and hype that preceded the RWC and thought that they had a good team and would get to the quarter finals at least. Judging by all the postings made by Welsh fans that the defeats by Australia before the RWC were because the Welsh sent their NO 3 team to play and Australia would be easy pickings at the Welsh home ground. Well all did not happen as the Welsh had planned and I hope that the Welsh that bought tickets for the quarter finalsnow have to watch Fiji play SA or they can return home.
Welsh team;crouching caterpillarand hidden corgi.

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posted Sep 30, 2007

There is no-one in the British Isles and Ireland that is up to the standard required for the role of Head Coach for Wales. We must look overseas for our new head coach, skills/attack/defence coach, fitness/conditioning coach and director of elite performance. I read recently that Scott Johnson, Steve Hansen and Andrew Hore are interested in returning to Wales. I also believe that England will be looking to change their structure in the not too distant future, both country's have gone backwards since the amazing 2003 World cup win and Wales winning the 2005 European championship, strategy and vision is needed. WRU & RFU get your acts together.!!

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posted Sep 30, 2007

wales need to bounce back, the only way is through new combinations, letting go of certain players and new couches. Ian Evans needs to be starting in second row every game, drop gareth thomas from the team, we need new younger talent from the likes of gavin evans and other youngsters.

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posted Oct 1, 2007

we need someone from overseas to take over
with no preference / loyalty to a particular region
hansen would be a good choice if Ruddock could not be enticed back
we need to look at the backround staff as well someone with a league backround perhaps to work on the defence which was appauling on saturday
also we need someone to sort out the lineout
how is it the irish and scots are strong in this area but we fall short time after time
the whole structure needs to be looked at
why not pick a welsh A team to play in the churchill cup and use this to bring on fringe players and younger players who do not get enough experience at club level?
we must look to the future four eight years time
the young lads playing in the u19 and u21 at the moment are the future of the game
the regions bringing in overseas players for a season or two is so short sighted
good for now but it will take even longer for homegrown talent to break through and develop

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posted Oct 1, 2007

As an English born Wales fan (blame my Father) I sat in sheer disbelief at Wales' performance against the Fijians. Never mind about the coaching staff, surely heads have got to roll at senior level at the WRU. This is a bunch of complete amatuers trying to manage a profesional game and over the last few years have shown a level of ineptitude which would be unacceptable even by the standards displayed by the old duffers at the RFU. The WRU, coaches, players and fans alike have got to stop living in the past (which seems to be a bt of a Welsh trait anyway) and wake up to the fact that unless a complete reorganisation takes place in Wales (and now) Wales wil never again be a force in world rugby. Get rid of all this divisive regional nonsense and go back to prope club rugby. Invest some real money in the youth game and most of all, stop this navel-gazing, hoping for a return to the glory, glory days of the 60s and 70s. Also, read the riot act to the squad of 30, letting them know in no uncertain terms that if they wish to don the red jersey ever again, they had better start getting their act together. After all, it is they who are supposed to be playing the rugby... I guess the only consolation that can be drawn is the the boys will be spared the humiliation of being torn to pieces by SA in the quarters. It has pained me greatly to post this, as it looks like yet another Englishman taking the opportunity to take a cheap shot at the Welsh. Maybe the WRU should be made to stand on the banks of the Severn and contemplate why England have been so successful (RWC 2007 excepted, of course). And then take some positive remedial action. Not sure if anyone will actually want the coaching job, though. However, there has to some mug somewhere who is prepares to suffer the sling and arrows of an over-expectant press/public for a meaty enough salary.....

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posted Oct 1, 2007

In response to the statements made by the WRU it should look back to when Wales started to become a settled squad where everyone knew what was expected of them and, in my opinion, ask Steve Hansen to resume as coach. As to those who think Mike Ruddock should return just remember he inherited a squad of players and backroom staff who were well versed in what it takes for Wales to be successful.
However it would be unlikely Hansen would leave the All Blacks so we should look to other southern hemisphere coaches and allow them to choose their own team of coaches and backroom staff to put Wales where they should be.
As for Phil Davies I think it is probably a couple of years too soon.
However I think the main problem needed to be sorted out is the WRU themselves.It is high time they accepted some responsibility for the situation and take a long hard look at themselves and be prepared to make sweeping changes in the way rugby is run in Wales.
The emphasis should be on the development of the rugby youth in Wales to carry us forward to the next world cup. So come on WRU get real get it right and let Wales enjoy the success they deserve

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posted Oct 2, 2007

dirty dangerous incompetent ref ? typical welsh blinkers, that is why the wru have never developed as much as the talent and history has suggested they shud in the pro era

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posted Oct 7, 2007

Well where do i start..... There was loads of hype and expectation before the World Cup started for Wales. But why? The team didn't perform well at all in the six nations, the summer tour to australia and the warm up games leading up to the world cup. This is down to Gareth Jenkins and his in - experienced coaching team and also the players on the pitch. There seemed to be no leadership in the game against fiji what so ever! the lads were thinking of South Africa instead of concentrating on the task in front of them.

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