The UAFC

rumncoke wrote:Spiff

Never Never refer to a Welsh back line as unintelligent. The welsh wrote the manual for attacking back play along time before many others . Their current problems are an inexperienced 9 and a predictable 10 . I would not consider !/2p to a full back close to world class other than the fact he is a points machine as you correctly state.

. I am talking about the current Wales threequarters, not the clever players of the past.
. Webb may be inexperienced at 9, but he's very good, has a lot of spark, scores tries and miles ahead of Phillips.
. Biggar has a very sound, if unspectacular game, a good temperament and is tough nut. The main problems are not 9 + 10.
. Halfpenny is world class, if given rein to show his stuff. He's playing like a robot in attack in Gatball rugby.

Wales need a footballing centre and a more expansive/imaginative game plan.

While the welsh are big neither North or Cuthbert are out and out boshers both have pace and a side step or two and Davies is not a Bosher the only real Bosher is Roberts who like many other 12s is there as a gain line breaker rather than
a play maker.

BR wrote:Agree a lot with Baggy here. The England 3/4s scare the carp out of me. I can only hope that multitude of riches, dazzles Lancaster and he is unable to decide on a consistent approach.

They scare the blind mullet out of me.

rumncoke wrote:While the welsh are big neither North or Cuthbert are out and out boshers both have pace and a side step or two and Davies is not a Bosher the only real Bosher is Roberts who like many other 12s is there as a gain line breaker rather than
a play maker.

Not boshers. Asked to play bosh rugby

bazzaj wrote:Kind of thinking the winner of that Wales England opener would go on to win it Bagster.
I don't see anyone living with that front 5 in particular.
If we struggle against Italy there then we are bang in trouble against them.

For the world cup England are too one deminsial to win it.
Think every side who has won it to date and they would have at least 5 players who would be short listed on an all time list.
Look at this England team and I don't think any would be short listed even on an all time England list especially since they persist in overlooking their one class act.
Possibly Brown at a push but there is no real x factor on their team that is traditionally required to be the worlds best.
You may a sleep easy with that knowledge.

Whilst I accept they are an entire different kettle of budgies, Ireland with DJChurch, Rory, Heaslip & O'Brien rumoured to be returning this coming weekend will also be a considerably more formidable pack than that callow set of boyos out there in Rome. Furthermore on our own field I expect a tough tough game with les rosbifs but I suspect it will again be tighter than a duck's gary glitter with less that a converted try either way.

Could be almost as big a forward battle this coming weekend, the surrender monkeys appear to feel they have no other realistic way to play but its hard to see Herr Schmidt not making a complete surrender monkey out of Phil St.Andy the lamest coach in all of coachland, Doakie*** possibly aside .


*** I call Doakie "lame" only because I don't foresee him telling D4 that we'd quite like to play two of our best players in their best positions. Mind you , I'd love to eat those words.

Spiffsson wrote:

rumncoke wrote:Spiff

Never Never refer to a Welsh back line as unintelligent. The welsh wrote the manual for attacking back play along time before many others . Their current problems are an inexperienced 9 and a predictable 10 . I would not consider !/2p to a full back close to world class other than the fact he is a points machine as you correctly state.

. I am talking about the current Wales threequarters, not the clever players of the past.
. Webb may be inexperienced at 9, but he's very good, has a lot of spark, scores tries and miles ahead of Phillips.
. Biggar has a very sound, if unspectacular game, a good temperament and is tough nut. The main problems are not 9 + 10.
. Halfpenny is world class, if given rein to show his stuff. He's playing like a robot in attack in Gatball rugby.

Wales need a footballing centre and a more expansive/imaginative game plan.

Rum'n you are spectacularly wrong on these Welsh half-backs, Spiffer is much closer to the truth, Webb is already brilliant and will get better, did you notice we was the top try scorer in the PRO12 last year? That isn't often achieved from 9. I'm not saying he is the second coming of Gareth ..........yet, but he is going to be a great player if he avoids a pile of injuries.

Biggar is a tough nut as Spiffer says and has a very solid game that often hides a good deal of skill whilst he plays Warrenball.

However Wales do have a very talented 13, it's just that he hasn't found his form since going to Clermont for a few, ok a lot of dollars more. How he is supposed to get a game when Rougerie is fit I do not know, it's a case of deja vu again since the same fate befell another ex-Scarlet, Regan King more often than not.

England did for that backline when they got the better of a slightly dodgy tight five. Hibbard's never had the greatest darts, Jenkins' never been that great a scrummager and is declining, and Samson Lee ain't no Adam Jones yet. From there the Welsh backline just never received a good supply in the right area of the field. Pretty easy to come out on top of the backline when you win up front.

The tendency of certain elements of the rugby world to treat every good English performance like the second coming of Wilkinson is quite exasperating.

NS is spot on with all of that.
As is Gatlands inability to identify that he needs plan b when plan a isn`t working as jiffy always bangs on about.
Tipuric and Hook not getting a look in is strange as both offer completely different things from Lydiate/Warbuton or Biggar/ Priestland.
Similarly Cipriani or Armitage don`t get a look for England, I think modern NH coaches prefer the do a job and carry out game plan options rather than any maverick or individualism.
Sad really as those are the players that the people love to watch.

bazzaj wrote:NS is spot on with all of that.
As is Gatlands inability to identify that he needs plan b when plan a isn`t working as jiffy always bangs on about.
Tipuric and Hook not getting a look in is strange as both offer completely different things from Lydiate/Warbuton or Biggar/ Priestland.
Similarly Cipriani or Armitage don`t get a look for England, I think modern NH coaches prefer the do a job and carry out game plan options rather than any maverick or individualism.
Sad really as those are the players that the people love to watch.

I'd start Tipuric at 7 on any Welsh team, whether the overrated Warburton's fit or not. Hook is a different kettle of fish. When he first appeared on the scene he was an exciting young attacking FH who promised great things. If he had stayed at 10, things might have been different, and he might have realized his potential. As it is, he's been shunted from 10/12/15 and now just runs around the field with the same old plays and offers little. I think he has missed the boat. Anscome is probably the player to turn to now for something different, at least until Cement Head has the sense to include future great Rhys Patchell in the squad. ( That said, I think Bigger is a very sound, underrated FH who happens to be playing in a poorly coached team.) Lydiate is a one trick pony who does his one trick well (he did not invent low tackling BTW) but that's not enough to nail down a spot on an international team.

Baggy Try scoring is one thing ,Scrum half is another I didn't say he was bad ,just inexperienced and against England his kicking let him down and made things harder for his forwards. My point was and is the Welsh backs have talent as well as size but how it performs depends upon its half backs and Bigger is basically a sound Pro 12 standard out half he is not world class or near it .

Bosh ball has at it roots either poor service from the base ( 5/8s) or the run return into contact to retain possession rather opt for a high risk pass without cover at the back virtually every team will opt for that game unless they have a two score lead ( 12 points ) against a team playing catch up . Only school boys play open high risk rugby without a good lead on the score board. ( exclude Campbell, Inst and MCB in that statement )

rumncoke wrote:Baggy Try scoring is one thing ,Scrum half is another I didn't say he was bad ,just inexperienced and against England his kicking let him down and made things harder for his forwards. My point was and is the Welsh backs have talent as well as size but how it performs depends upon its half backs and Bigger is basically a sound Pro 12 standard out half he is not world class or near it .

Bosh ball has at it roots either poor service from the base ( 5/8s) or the run return into contact to retain possession rather opt for a high risk pass without cover at the back virtually every team will opt for that game unless they have a two score lead ( 12 points ) against a team playing catch up . Only school boys play open high risk rugby without a good lead on the score board. ( exclude Campbell, Inst and MCB in that statement )

How does he rank in the Falls Road concrete league?

If asked Bigger or Jackson who would you choose ?


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rumncoke wrote:If asked Bigger or Jackson who would you choose ?


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Biggar

BR wrote:Agree a lot with Baggy here. The England 3/4s scare the carp out of me. I can only hope that multitude of riches, dazzles Lancaster and he is unable to decide on a consistent approach.

Bath have the most creative 10, 12, 13 combo in the NH.
Whether Lancaster has the balls to pick Kyle (even on the bench over 12Trees) is doubtful.

Burrell is big lump who doesnt have the footwork, handling or intelligence of Eastmond.
12Trees is a versatile bench option.
Barrett is all about defence.
Manu can also play on the wing.
Farrell is hard, unflappable and a more consistent goalkicker than Ford.

lw7 wrote:

BR wrote:Agree a lot with Baggy here. The England 3/4s scare the carp out of me. I can only hope that multitude of riches, dazzles Lancaster and he is unable to decide on a consistent approach.

Bath have the most creative 10, 12, 13 combo in the NH.
Whether Lancaster has the balls to pick Kyle (even on the bench over 12Trees) is doubtful.

Burrell is big lump who doesnt have the footwork, handling or intelligence of Eastmond.
12Trees is a versatile bench option.
Barrett is all about defence.
Manu can also play on the wing.
Farrell is hard, unflappable and a more consistent goalkicker than Ford.

Farrell is very far from unflappable, he regularly loses the plot if ruffled up