The Silver Fern

@GibbonRib said in RWC Week 3: Wales v Australia:

@Rancid-Schnitzel

I don't think that was an unreasonable decision. At the time Folau gave RA assurances that he would abide by the code of conduct and wouldn't repeat his dickishness. She accepted his word, and was happy to give him another chance. Seems reasonable to me - maybe the value of the contract was too high, but that's pretty standard for ex-league wingers going to the Wallabies

That's an incredibly generous assessment. Completely disagree. It was a dumb thing to do and they got burnt badly. That's on her.

Robert Kitson in the Observer today:
“It was against the run of play, then, when the ball was moved wide right to Rees-Zammit who chipped ahead and regathered smoothly to put Wales on the board after nine minutes. The winger cheekily marked the moment with a Cristiano Ronaldo-style celebration which, predictably, did not go down terribly well with everyone present.”

Eventually got through the replay. Had about 8 goes at it over the week.

Upshot is I'm not completely pissed off at Carley.

I do think his errors favoured Wales, but don't think it was Paddy O'Brien / Wayne Barnes level fuck ups.

But they were fuck ups, and influenced the result.

Still struggling with his cards or lack thereof, and Quick Draw McGraw on the Fiji one. If it was worth a tallow it was worth a PT.

Couldn't find @MiketheSnow's knock on in that scrum that was penalised.

Upshot is I think Fiji can feel aggrieved.

@SidBarret said in RWC warmup - Wales v Springboks -:

@MiketheSnow would have a knock on in goal so a goal line kick off (based the SA v NZ game with the knock on call on Kolbe)

(The ref was playing advantage to SA in this instance so the question is academic)

Cheers

@Machpants said in RWC warmup - England v Wales:

The previous panel were fucking incompetent, it was always a shoulder charge, not tackle. Therefore no mitigation allowed, useless Ozzie fluffybunnies

Agreed. It seems to me that as a matter of consequence the three witless muppets constituting the panel should never be involved in rugby judicial processes again. Clearly couldn't understand what everyone else could read and understand regarding the law and process flowchart, and see with their own eyes when watching the footage. To have been hoodwinked into rescinding the card demonstrates they aren't fit for the role. Utterly, incomprehensibly, fucking useless.

Almost as bad is the appeal panel tying themselves in knots to let Farrell the Fuckstick an avenue into the RWC. Amateurs running (and ruining) a professional game.

@MiketheSnow

Looking at it short term, I sort of agree with you, in that if we made the SF it would be above immediate expectations. However, in truth, with our resources, a SF place should be a minimum. We have so much going for us, numbers, funding, support, but we seem to have this handbrake applied about 80% of the time and an acceptance that this is ok and “the done thing” 90% of the time. It ceased to be amusing some years ago.

@MiketheSnow

I'm not sure how feasible individual insurance would be for these guys. Going back to my days working in risk the issues with income replacement would be the work undertaken - ie how likely is an injury going to be and what are the potential consequences of an injury. For a rugby player the answers would be high and high. Add to that the payout would be linked to immediate pre-injury earnings and dictated by the length of contract, then for someone like Hawkins there would be no real safety net. Group risk - ie employer sponsored for the squad as a whole is much more feasible as the risk is spread - not everyone is going to get a career threatening injury. However this would again be limited to paying out the contract. A short term contract or no contract at all represents a huge risk for the individual. Less so for the club/region.

Wales best game of the tournament, but not enough to beat a strong and confident French team. N'tamack was sublime. Is he the world's best 1st Five ? Russell can be brillant but is rocks and diamonds. You rarely see N'tamack make blunders.

@MiketheSnow But where to now for Wales, Mike? Ok get players contracts/pay sorted, but after that? Coaches have already been swapped out. Some older players need to be dropped but not all. Wales is a proud rugby country. Need a new direction/thought pattern and fast.

@MiketheSnow said in Scotland v Wales 6N:

@pooler-fan said in Scotland v Wales 6N:

@Catogrande not seen anything of Jenkins but Costelow at the Scarlets also has serious potential at 10.
Not sure what position Bristol player Ioan Lloyd or his brother Jac will end up playing but are also very talented.
Wales haven't blooded enough new talent since the last RWC & it's now coming back to bite us.

Costelow is this year’s Colin Stephens

Now THAT is a brutal insult.

@Bovidae said in Wales v Ireland 6N:

@mariner4life said in Wales v Ireland 6N:

Garlands old men were fucking average too. AWJ, Tipuric and Faletau were liabilities, too slow of foot. They also aren't fit enough

I'd include Owens and North as well. But are the next tier any good? The Welsh scrum is still a liability.

Gatland's biggest mistake of this selection was not having Tompkins inloved

@booboo said in Wales v Georgia:

@Catogrande said in Wales v Georgia:

@Kiwiwomble

Just what is wrong with having the traditional colours with ONE back up change?

England have gone from white unless a clash, in which case black, to all the colours of the fucking rainbow including purple FFS and for no real reason at all, save for trying to milk a few quid. If ever there was an example of the law of diminishing returns better than that, I’d, well I’d cheer on Wales!

Why would England's change strip not be red? Or maybe blue?

Why would it?

Traditionally it was always black, though hardly ever used. Not sure why black but there you are, it is what it is. Until the marketing fluffybunnies get involved.

@MiketheSnow said in Wales v Argentina 12 Nov 22:

I must have been watching a different match

When the stadium announcer said ‘and today’s MOTM is…’

Everyone around me said Tomos Williams

He is everything wrong with Welsh rugby

Faletau put a tremendous shift in

But Tompkins MOTM for me

Without him we don’t look like scoring

North must be pound for pound the weakest player in the Welsh team

Dyer went well again

LRZ looked very comfortable at 15

Terrible coaching putting Rowlands back on

Or maybe gunshy from all the head knocks ?

@Nepia said in All Blacks vs Wales:

Dagg showing that maybe the standard of education at fancy pants private schools isn't that great. 😉

Well this is triggering cc: @Magpie_in_aus

The first 15 minutes were pretty crazy. Welsh tackle count ? and penalty count? It was pretty impressive from the Boks. The guys left a few tries out there but still won pretty comfortably after their week off. Thought Carley was decent but the turf at CT stadium needs sorting asap. Trevor N and PTSD still need gametime imo. Hope the guys enjoyed sinking a few together afterwards because it really was a tense tight series and I think that next year‘s World Cup is lining up to be a pretty tight affair as well where small margins are going to make a big difference. The Welsh Irish French Scots and Argies will all be looking to get their names engraved for the first time with arguably more justifiable hope than ever before. Love it.
Lastly…Quick off topic shout out to Chile for beating USA 👌🏻

@Billy-Webb said in Springboks v Wales 2nd Test:

Congrats to Wales. Enjoy @MiketheSnow

2 comments:

Most undeserved YC I've ever seen. Hard luck to AWJ. I can only imagine how spitting mad any Welshman must have been.

Not a terrible outing for the Boks. In the final reckoning, the inexperience and at times lack of combination time showed. But the players will be better for it. Some of them will have advanced their claims, while others are clearly still work in progress.

Looking forward to the series decider this weekend. I'll be there and expect / hope for a good one.

Cheers

Agreed on both counts

Enjoy

@gibbon-rib worked for Barnes.

@profitius said in 6N 2022 : Wales v Italy:

It's not a great time for Welsh rugby. They've an aging team, their u20s only beat a rabble of a Scottish side and all their regions look like missing out on the top 8 of the URC. Meanwhile the WRU have just built a hotel. Priorities!

If five of our best performers this 6N had been selected to start - Francis, Rowlands, Basham, Cuthbert, Liam Williams - the result would have been very different

And Scott Williams should have been brought in at 12 from the start

Colin Charvis speaking on BBC Wales Scrum V was correct

You don’t become a shit team overnight

A better game plan with the players we have and we get different results

For that reason, the first to go is Pivac

NOW

Shit selections
No real, modern game plan

Then Jones
Unless he’s toeing the Pivac line

And the new hotel is magnificent and a far better return on investment than Pivac

I think this game suggests you can gas the big French forwards. Biggar's kicking game was superb and turned around the big munters at times.