Oz to have a shock or Wales to go back to normal?

Will Australia have a shock today after playing against a very very poor Barbarians side or Will Wales go back to normal, lose all their own lineouts and crab sideways?

Without Phillips, Adam Jones & JD2 I worry Wales will be without some key form players from the World cup. However it does give some more of the youngsters a chance to shine and show why they are in the Wales squad.

I think Oz will outscore Wales 2 tries to 1 today and they will scrape a win.

Wales 19 - 23 Australia

Wales 9-24 Australia

Don't know if I can bring myself to watch the second half!!

Judging by the first half Wales have slipped back to pre WC form.

Oz looking more threatening & could have had try given it wa 50/50 & benefit should go to attacking team.

Biggest non-shock is Kaplan destroying the game - the idiot

Why did Wales have to try that stupid lineout so close to the line in the end of the first half.

TYPICAL!

God that first half was boring.

Lucky for Kaplin Oz scored a try in open play after a certain penalty try ignored.
He really is a plank!

21 points in less than 10 minutes!

Most disastrous sin bin I've ever seen!

Duty281 wrote:Wales 9-24 Australia

should have put a bet on!

Nice try Priestland.

It's a shame the game is petering out like it is for Williams, he's trying so hard but everything he touches turns to merde the mo'
Plenty of time for a last gasp winner for him to complete the script tho'

i dont fink so

Cuthbert hat trick to win it.

Back to what we saw earlier this year so v disappointing. Pity we couldn't be more aggressive this afternoon but then JK wouldnt like it.


All the connivance and clever stuff from oz and usual Kraplan refereeing for a friendly.


grr

Flat performance by Wales shame for Shane but Oz have best winger on pitch in Iaone

F U CK ME

BRILLIANT

Ha ha

wahey!! nice ending to a fairly awful game!!

game was terrible but all I wanted to see was a try from my boy and my did he deliver on cue

Shane scored against Aus today
Against Aus in the 3/4th
Against Ireland in the 1/4s
Against Samoa in the pools

And he is retiring? - He could have beaten Campese by the end of the 6Ns at that rate.

60 International tries - Legend

Wales were outplayed today but i still think that the yellow card is debatable. To me, Halfpenny goes for an intuitive tackle, JOC feels it, spreads his arms looking for the penalty as the ball bounces off his thigh. A millisecond later we would be saying that it was a brilliant defensiv tackle.

Well dont to SW for ending his career with a good try, not a given but a very well taken try

eirebilly wrote:Wales were outplayed today but i still think that the yellow card is debatable. To me, Halfpenny goes for an intuitive tackle, JOC feels it, spreads his arms looking for the penalty as the ball bounces off his thigh. A millisecond later we would be saying that it was a brilliant defensiv tackle.

Well dont to SW for ending his career with a good try, not a given but a very well taken try

Yeah, from behind it looked like the ball had bounced up into JOCs hand - Bit harsh to consider it cynical play.

Still Aus were the better team - although they only scored against 14 men. Wales looked a bit undercooked, perhaps with one eye on the HC games next week - it certainly looked like that in the 2nd half.

Ah well, at least Shane got his try.

Only negative I'll say about Aus is their lineout. Sorry, I don't begrudge them the win for it was thoroughly deserved but so many unstraight throws that Kaplan failed to notice.

Like going back in time as far as Wales are concerned, reverting straight back to the lack of inspiration and recklessness that gripped them before the WC. We only started playing when there was nothing left to play for. Can't blame Halfpenny, the defence should not have been so soft as to allow situations like that. Crying shame that Shane must go out on such a dismal team performance.

Still can't not feel happy for Shane, couldn't have been a more classic sidestep at the close. Might have been a losing start and finish to his career but almost everything in between has been magical. What a player!

Dreadful game.

Aus did enough when they needed to and then slackened off.

Good ending for the little chap but, apart from a knock-on, he barely got involved. Definitely time for him to go.

Does this game confirm why Wales are 8th in the Rugby World Rankins, or is their still an injustice and Wales should be higher?

Great day out, the game wasn't great. But a great finish and a worthy tribute to Shane Williams at the end by both Australia, Wales and the BBC at the end of the match.

If anyone's interested: my Match report

Player missed the most JD2

Pack: Ian evans did ok and proved a worthy replacement

Kaplan missed so many offsides, luckily for Wales though as Roberts lived offside in midfield - but it killed decent back Line moves hence the first half being so dull.

Scrums - Australia shoved early everytime and Wales got penalised on numerous occasions

When you have 10000 people in unison shouting "not straight" at the lineout the odds are it probably wasn't.

Wales were sloppy and looked to go wide too soon. When Ryan came on they went up the middle a bit more and looked better for it.

Welsh mistakes cost them, Australia were Jammy but had the skill to make the most of it.

Missed tackles were key. This was disappointing.

Overall - 10 mins of sloppiness killed the game.

slartibartfast wrote:If anyone's interested: my Match report

Player missed the most JD2

Pack: Ian evans did ok and proved a worthy replacement

Kaplan missed so many offsides, luckily for Wales though as Roberts lived offside in midfield - but it killed decent back Line moves hence the first half being so dull.

Scrums - Australia shoved early everytime and Wales got penalised on numerous occasions

When you have 10000 people in unison shouting "not straight" at the lineout the odds are it probably wasn't.

Wales were sloppy and looked to go wide too soon. When Ryan came on they went up the middle a bit more and looked better for it.

Welsh mistakes cost them, Australia were Jammy but had the skill to make the most of it.

Missed tackles were key. This was disappointing.

Overall - 10 mins of sloppiness killed the game.

File under one-eyed match reports

File under one-eyed match reports

Do you think the Aussie throws were straight?? Either you're talking from the stinker or you didn't watch the game, both sound equally plausible to me...

As Brian Moore pointed out one or two scrum-feeds by Australia were also clearly crooked. Add to that the early shoves at the start of the game and Aus got away with quite a lot at the set piece overall.

Though that's not what lost Wales the game, as in the past we looked stiffened and in awe while we were in with a realistic chance and only played with determination once Aus had pulled away by 18.

Knowsit, you seem to assume that only Wales were badly done to by the ref. If anything Wales were lucky not to concede more penalties and further yellow cards (eg Warburton).

Crooked scrum feeds and line-outs are commonplace by all teams. Welsh binding in the scrum was suspect too and yet Aus got pinged for it.

Still, fans do get carried away and see things in a certain manner.

I agree with you, however, that it wasn't the ref who lost Wales the game. They weren't good enough on the day and lack the mental edge. You could say that Wales came back into it or that Aus slackened off. I guess it depends whether you're a supporter of one side or not.

I agree with you, however, that it wasn't the ref who lost Wales the game.

I know, hence why I said "Though that's not what lost Wales the game...".

I don't see how Australia were jammy at all. They were better in virtually every facet of the game.

Good to see Shane score at the death. Good lad.

The match was terrible as was the atmosphere in the MS. Very flat performance by Wales and it felt more like a testimonial for Shane than a test match.

The game lacked intensity and I really thought that Wales went significantly backwards. We peaked against Ireland and haven't played well in the last three matches.

Im going to show my age now and go into my "grumpy old git" mode. Why is it that so many of the so called "rugby fans" can't keep still for 40 minutes? There's a constant procession of people getting drinks or needing a urine all the way through the match. No wonder there's no atmosphere. I wouldn't dream of leaving my seat for a second of play. Rugby fans?? Most of the people sitting near me didn't give a crap about the rugby. Does my head in.

To borrow a phrase from Clarkson, the guy with the microphone should be taken out and shot. Mistakes all afternoon and then he gets the captains name wrong at the end. Unforgivable.

There - rant over. Congrats Australia, much the better team.

Offload
I've only really noticed This habit of people trotting up and down the stands,in need of food,a drink or a leak over the last couple of years and I find it blud ee distracting.
grumpy old gits unite.

Williams at scrum half was poor and Knoyle that replaced him was much worse he can't seem to pass above the knees. Ian Evans and Gethin had good games as did Ryan, shame he did not start, Rees also made a big impact and was very good in loose play.

Wales biggest problem as always is at tighthead when Adam does not play, Andrews is not up to pro 12 standard and has struggled for the blues.

Missed Phillips and Adam Jones massively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJckbgyoQBU

As a lifelong (well, post 2005) critic of Ryan Jones - I'll concede he was very impressive when he came on - remains a significantly more competent test player than either Faletau or Lydiate at this level.

Agree about those 'fans' that run up and down the steps on their way to and from John Lewis or wherever they go.

But what can you do? It's a professional era and the WRU have to sell tickets to any spazz that wants one.

Shane Williams! Have to say I had a wee tear in my eye a few times watching that today, especially the try at the end.

He's been the thorn in Irelands side a few times but I'm going to genuinely miss watching him play for wales. It's the end of an era .

What a player!

Need, badly, to own the 6N before going on to bigger SH fish.

As an aside.....you could tell in the post match interview that Williams is a guy who's lived, slept, ate and dumped rugby....good on him. Nice to see him retiring at the top, with a decent try against a good side......For what it's worth, I thought Warburton, the number 5 (don't know his name), and Jenkins played really well...........whole game had the feel of a sort of pre-season friendly though.

glad for shane, had a tear in my eye, what a legend- aussies were clinical and deserved the win, dodgey decisions but both ways. ian evans did well, ryan jones is a good impact player.

scrums were poorly reffereed but ah well.
also i think that the strip tackle needs to be looked at as refs keep on missing it and if they were classed as stripped rather than knocked on wales would have had two tries (not deserved) but likewise wales had some lucky things

halfpenny tackle would be harsh from halfpenny's view, all he would see is the ball bouncing up and JOC's hands low down but ah well- aussies clinical and deserved to win but a good send off to shane

Dontheman wrote:Need, badly, to own the 6N before going on to bigger SH fish.

IRB WORLD RANKINGS
what will the rankings look like when we beat Aus on Dec 3 and we will
by Dontheman
on Sat Oct 22, 2011 9:21 pm
 
Oops - one step at a time Don......

Awful game. Kaplin killed any chance of a spectacle but Oz deserved their win.

Positives and negatives for Wales.


In the pack Ian Evans showed he is getting back to his best and was good winning ilneout ball and tackling in the loose. Bradley had an indifferent game imo. Scott Andrews isnt good enough at scrummaging, regardless of the Aussie tricks at scrumtime he wasnt coping at all. Mitchell and Jones to come back in for the six nations. Back row went well.

Halfbacks showed some inexperience today which is hardly suprising. Lloyd has a wonderful pass but needs to vary his game more to keep the opposition backrow honest. Priestland did well again apart from the charge down and these two could grow into a really special partnership. Phillips will be back in contention in february though.

threequarters didnt really have a chance to shine today but halfpennys yellow certainly cost us and it was exploited ruthlessly by the australians.

Tycores,

Think both Phillips and JD will start come Feb all going well. WHo gets Shane slot is now open for the lads to compete for.

Agree Evans ahd very good game and with rumours AWJ and Luke possibly out then he will be well in contention, Davies for me as done nothing of note for a while and bieng dropped for Evans might give him the gee up he needs.

If everyone we expect to be ready for the six nations then I think Our team and squad will loook somthing like this (cant see charteris back but AWJ should be). I think the foreign contingent will bring back some experience which was lacking today.

1.Gethin/James/Bevvington
2. Smiler/Bennett/Hibbard
3. Adam/Mitchell
4. Ian Evans/Bradley
5. AWJ/ Ryan Jones
6.Lydiate/McCusker
7. Warburton/Tipuric
8. Faletau/Morgan
9. Phillips/Lloyd/Tavis
10. Priestland/Hook/Biggar
11. Cuthbert/Brew
12. Roberts/Henson
13. JD/Sc Williams
14. North/ Stoddart
15. Halpenny. L Williams

Happy with that cant comment on Liam Williams as not seen lot but reports suggest Byrne playing well at mo.

When does Morgan qualify?

just before the six nations i believe.