What a Weekend

Wow - so far i have to be honest, it has been an average tournament but the tiny flame that has dared to flicker over the first couple of weekends truly ignited on saturday. It was a great day of rugby, truly a 'super saturday'!

Let me start with the first game of day. Scotland vs Italy. Even as i write this i am still bemused. What were Scotland doing? They self destructed! Thinking back to it still makes me chuckle as i truly dont know why Scotland were trying to play a game which they can't. It was suicide. Trying a chip over the top, from within your own twenty two, in the first minute. Then throwing huge looping miss passes. Did they think they were playing sevens or did they think suddenly they were the All Blacks. God knows but it was very very strange.

Now, lets move onto Croke Park. I am becoming a huge fan of this place. I was there when France won in the last minute and i was so impressed with the atmosphere that i can only imagine how intense it must have been late on Saturday when the national anthems of both sides echoed around the ground. You could feel the emotion and could see it in the players. Seeing big John Hayes' eyes water up with passion made you realise how much this meant to the Irish. And their play was majestic. They were powerful, comitted and rampant. The phrase has been used a lot already but they completely outclassed England. Obviously there is a lot of talk about Farrell and Bumface out of everyone has seemed to get it right. (What is the world coming to!!) Farrell is too slow. No two ways about it. But he shouldnt be held responsible for the loss. Colectively, England were poor.

Now Wales. Finally i am slightly happier about talking about a Welsh performance! Wales showed confidence. From being a team struggling to attack and not having scored a try in two games, to go and scored three away from home in Paris is a sign of improvement. They seemed to have confidence and more clarity. They scored three tries, two of them well worked and the changes Jenkins had made seemed to bring more understanding to the team. However, lets not ignore it, there are still issues that need to be addressed.
Wales need to win more ball. 37% possession is no where near enough at this level and as a result Wales had to make twice as many tackles as the French. Although all in all there was improvement and the future looks...........well.....brighter.
A note on game timings - sort out these late games! How is anyone meant to have a glass of wine after a game which finishes close to midnight!

One final ramble from me - Cardiff, Millenium Stadium, Sunday, Carling Cup Final.
Footballers, don't fight, your not good enough at it!

The Onus is on you Ireland

With the game of the tournament days away, England's number 2, George Chuter has come out and said that England must be focused and not be distracted by the atmosphere at a historical Croke Park, potentially packed with 83,000.

Although, i would say he has got it the wrong way round. I think that Ireland are the ones who need to be detached. They need to concentrate on the performance and not the occasion if they are to be succesfull. Last time against France, i feel they let their emotions get to them and if they do that this weekend then England may sneak it, which would be one hell of a blow for Irish Rugby. A loss in the first match against the English in Croke Park? Not something i think they would take easily!!!

Gareth Jenkins rolls the dice

Well here we go again. Another weekend of games and another chance to see whether Gareth Jenkins can get either a win, a try or a performance or whether he is in for another week of criticism. In a fashion which we have become to associate with France’s ‘mad professor,’ Bernard Laporte, we see he has made seven changes for the game this weekend.
And I have to say that looking at the teamsheet, Im smiling. It looks like a more rounded team and I finally think we have a team which can pose a threat. With Shane Williams and Mark Jones on the wings and a pack which can provide the backs with some ball, I think we may finally cross the white line after 160 minutes of trying. Who says persistence doesn’t pay off!!!!
Not only do we have the fliers on the outside by thankfully we have some solidity in midfield with the large figure of Shanklin helping out Hook. Yes it is a risk to play him, seeing though he has had no game time recently but it is a risk that needs to be taken. He provides physicality and most of all experience and after watching Wale’s so called performance against the Scots, that is something we lacked. We looked lost and confused and while Bumface will be quick to point out that that is the way all Welsh people look, its not something we as a nation expect from our Rugby team.
In regards to Gareth Jenkins, well I feel for him. I don’t deny that he has not shown the greatest management skills however it is hard for him with the lack of depth in his squad to pick a team to challenge for the championship. He has enough players literally, but in terms of form and fitness, theres not a lot to choose from. If one of the back three were to get injured, the only fit cover is Cjeka, who lets face it, has been less than good!!! Jones is not performing but if he were to be replaced by Hook, that would mean that there would be need for a centre and Henson is no where near fit or on form.
But hopefully Wales will put in a performance this weekend. That is what I want to see. A performance to be proud of. France will let us play and I hope we take that opportunity and put them under pressure. Wales has one of the best records out of anyone in Paris over the last few years with 3 wins out of 4. I just hope that statistic gives the boyos more inspiration than they had that dreadful day in Murrayfield two weekends ago.

unfair

Awful and pretty abject performance from Wales against the Scots on the weekend, but I must say a slightly hysterical response in the media and from the public, to a couple of the Welsh players having a drink afterwards. Hey guys they were not abusing it, as they were all training the following day at 8.30 AM at a recovery session, plus the majority of them are not likely to play this weekend for their regional teams. They probably did not touch a drop after the Ireland game.(perhaps they should have!) Hands up, after a bad day at the office and lets face it, this was, who hasn't had a quick drink to get rid of a few pressures.I have been in this situation myself after a game and these guys are far more professional these days.

Any Given Sunday

Any Given Sunday

It has happened to me before. Many a time have I headed up north to Scotland full of confidence, only to head back down to the valleys with my tail between my legs. So I know how the boys feel after this weekend. But with that said, it was a poor performance. We looked confused and that could be seen in our body language. No-one really looked as if they knew what they were doing. We looked unsure throughout the whole game and most worryingly, we were uncompetitive. Now that just cant happen. In international rugby or in any rugby for that fact, you can’t hope to achieve anything if you don’t compete. But take nothing away from Scotland. They DID compete and out muscled us and grabbed the win.

But there are some problems in the welsh camp. The most alarming is the fact that as a team, we like to play expansive, wide rugby at a high pace but after two games, we have scored no tries. Not looking good! But I am ever the optimist and maybe things will click when we face the big boys in France although I think it may be a little too late.
On the subject of the French, what a game against the Irish! I was fortunate enough to be at Croke park and I have to say the atmosphere was second to none. It nearly brought a tear to my eye……nearly. But you must wonder how the Irish must be feeling. To have victory snatched from you like that. It was clean robbery! But what it does mean, is that the next game against the English is going to be even more incredible and I look forward to it!

And that leaves me with my last point. This tournament so far is nearly exactly what you want as a spectator. It is still open ( although closed for Wales) and makes for an exciting finish. Each game is unpredictable and as the say across the pond, On Any Given Sunday, anything can happen.

The Weekend Ahead

Well another weekend of international rugby is upon us and hopefully we will see Wales get back on track. The tournament is still wide open!!!! Or so I am hoping!!

Seriously though, the game up at Murrayfield is going to be huge for both sides. Losing the first game of the tournament is a huge blow and its so important to bounce back if you want to mount any sort of challenge. In my opinion, which is far better than Wills, it will be a try fest. Saying that, ive probably gone and given it the kiss of death and it will be 9-3 but I really can see tries being run in from everywhere,even from just outside Berwick!. Both sides have poor defenses. Wales will play the usual open game which they are used to. Scotland will try and play and open game, seeing though the picked the more offensive Godman at Fly Half. Both sides have pace, especially wales with Mark Jones back in the side.

With all that said, as yes I admit that is a lot, I am going to be unbiased and back !!!)Wales to win by 8. I think Scotland will prove very hard to beat infront of their home fans but eventually the class of Wales will tell.Does that sound convincing enough!!!!??And before I go, ive just been told that the Welsh squad are stuck at Cardiff airport due to snow. They apparently have been there for quite a while and its safe to say that most of the bars in the lounges are dry. Maybe Scotland already have already been handed the advantage!!

Finishing power

Punctuality is not my strong point, but then again as bum chin would say, what is? Apologies for not bloggin sooner. I do have a valid excuse though, I have been to see a surgeon about the need to remove about a pound or so of metal from my ankle, courtesy of an old injury.
To business and Wales over the weekend could have, should have won. Not enough finishing power one of the reasons. They want to play at pace but because of guys not available did'nt have enough pace,Ireland knew that and were relatively comfortable in defence and savvy enough to take the steam out of Welsh attacks. But Ireland were rattled, Popham and Ryan Jones got amonst them and O'Gara for one, was not comfortable on the back foot out there. The Irish tight five were subdued and will need to raise their game against France on the weekend. Wales showed more of an understanding as to what they were trying to do than over the autumn games, but have to capitalise more on their build up and be as clinical as Ireland were.

p.s If You want to see my article on the Eng/Sco game go to the link above.