Wales in 'not actually that great' shocker!!

[rocky]

+1

[BaggyTrousers]

Barritt, on the basis of one international performance??? Defending at 12 is not just about making big tackles, it's about making every single tackle, and also slowing ball down - all of those names you mention are more inclined to look for big hits, and I've seen them all miss the odd tackle as a result - D'Arcy, along with BOD, basically wrote the book on defenive centre partnerships, and over the course of the last decade, I think D'Arcy has missed one tackle...

In any event, whether or not he's 'the best' is irrelevant to the question, the point is he's very good defensively, and our failure against Wales was a system failure, not a personnel failure

Absolutely agree DL. Think Darcy gets way too much criticism these days from people and not enough credit for all his contributions over the years. Excellent player at his best and still the best 12 in Ireland in my humble opinion.

Correct gents the major problem is the 2 best 12s in the country are both well past the 30 mark & centre is one of several areas where the guys coming through remind me of the scrum half situation were there are several contenders but nearly all limited and not a star player in plain sight.

Ireland's problem is that the stars are aging and the pretenders not yet if they ever will be, fit to lace their boots. I believe we have some seasons of mediocrity ahead which will force all current commentators to look back fondly on the last 12 years. A looming period when the cynics who disparage a triple crown will be happier than Larry to witness one.

Its not that we don't have decent numbers of potentially good players, its simply that 15 good players are not enough at international level to do more than give a decent number of good performances, the more strident who feel only Grand Slams are good enough won't see that without the emergence of great players to add into the mix. You know its true.

[darkside lightside]

very poor game there, and once again Wales look profoundly ordinary, against awful opposition.. Priestland was poor, their back row very ordinary, Cuthbert is basically Banahan in a red shirt - but we let them come to our back yard, we handed them a victory and they're the only team that can win a slam, for the 4th time in a decade. I am quite sure that the likes of BOD, ROG, POC et al are sick to their stomach when they think of the appalling waste of their collective talents under EOS and DK...

[AndyB]

Can't agree. Cuthbert is a much much better player than Banahan.

[gannonman]

Cuthbert was brilliant. So strong and hungry for the ball.

[darkside lightside]

North is a very fine player - but over all of the Wales matches to date, I think Cuthbert has been cack. Today he wasn't quite as poor, and in fairness in comparing him to Banahan I was setting the bar particularly low but he's average at best IMO

[breakdown]

Everytime I see Wales they seem more and more average. At this rate the France and Wales game will be dire. Italy certainly deserved more from that game.

Can't believe people are saying Cuthburt is like Banahan. Yes they have the similar builds but Cuthburt is a far better player imo. Looked for the ball day.

Priestland isn't all he's made out to be either, he's low on confidence and Wales' worst player the past two games. He had a few good games at the WC and now suddenly is the saviour of Wales rugby. Hook should be 10.

Faletau yet again very good. Solid work rate, carried well, all round class player. Fez, Warburton and Toby should have the 6,7 & 8 shirts nailed done for the lions next year imo

[againstthehead]

Wales are a grand side. They've had their injuries and still look comfortably the best side. Preistland was duff today which hurt them IMHO. To pick up wins in Ireland and England is pretty impressive. Fingers crossed they make the slam.

[Jackie Brown]

Wales not that great by still better than the rest.

Banahan is in the Chabal league of uselessness.

[Bart S]

Wales are a grand side. They've had their injuries and still look comfortably the best side. Preistland was duff today which hurt them IMHO. To pick up wins in Ireland and England is pretty impressive. Fingers crossed they make the slam.

Don't necessarily agree with the last sentence but otherwise totally agree!

They weren't great today but never looked like losing. Every team has games like that. No-one ever said that they were world beaters but they are slightly ahead of the home nations at this time. Wins at Twickenham and Dublin are generally not going to be that easy, so they've done well to win both.

[darkside lightside]

I was thinking over the weekend, how many Wales players would get into Ulster's first team? Here's what I would pick:

1. Jenkins
2. Best
3. Afoa
4. Mueller
5. Tuohy
6. Ferris
7. Warburton
8. Wannenberg
9. Pienaar
10. Priestland
11. North
12. Wallace
13. Roberts
14. Trimble
15. Halfpenny

Closest to breaking in would be Jones at 5, Phillips at 9 (in which case I'd play Pienaar at 10), and Roberts-Davies in the centre. Even making all those changes, just over half the team, and I don't think there'd be much debate about the rest. The point remains, they're definitely a good team, but not an exceptional one - they have ridden their luck big-time against Ireland and England, but Gatland in the last year or so has them playing as more than the sum of their parts.

[Bart S]

I doubt Tuohy would be 1st choice for Wales, Faletau would be ahead of Pedrie at 8 and Wallace wouldn't get a look in as 1st choice centre.

I'd therefore maybe pick 6 Ulster players max in a combined XV, but 3 of these would be non Irish qualified.

I'm sure welshmen could argue for each of Rees, Lydiate and Cuthbert against Best, Ferris and Trimble though!

[darkside lightside]

I doubt Tuohy would be 1st choice for Wales, Faletau would be ahead of Pedrie at 8 and Wallace wouldn't get a look in as 1st choice centre.

I'd therefore maybe pick 6 Ulster players max in a combined XV, but 3 of these would be non Irish qualified.

I'm sure welshmen could argue for each of Rees, Lydiate and Cuthbert against Best, Ferris and Trimble though!

Something like this is always going to be subjective, I don't think the Welsh second rows are that great, even AW Jones seems to have slowed down a bit. I think Tuohy would have a great chance.

I personally would pick Paddy, I accept most people would go with Roberts at 12 - for me that opens the question as to Davies or Cave at 13, I would go with Cave.

I'd have Wannenberg (or Henry for that matter) over Faletau any day of the week - talk about over-hyped... he's not a great ball carrier, knocks on quite a bit, he does a good bit of graft but that's it.

My point is simply that we shouldn't be too quick to buy into the inevitable hype that will accompany their championship/Slam next weekend. They're a good side, but not that special - Ireland are better, and should have beaten them both at the WC and at home, but Gatland played Kidney both times like a fiddle.

[bazzaj]

Just on the subject of Faletau,he topped the tackling stats in the WC by a mile.
Unbelievably he made 83 tackles in the tournament with none missed.
I agree with DLs point that the difference between the 2 sides at international level is the coaching set ups.
We have the more talent but cannot harness it the way they do.
Personally I think that Leinster would beat Wales for what its worth.

[BaggyTrousers]

A real 'if your granny had balls' of a thread. Still there appears to some enjoying it.