Wales team to face Australia

First topic message reminder :

I don't think anyone put their hands up today except Hook and O Williams
Several were dismal and if i see L Williams on the bench i will be very disappointed. Glad Charteris has gone back as he is off form.


Gethin
Hibbard - player of the autumn for me
Rhodri Jones
AWJ
Ryan Jones - I think Evans will be picked but I think Ryan offers more in the loose and was one of few players who looked like he wanted to play today
Lydiate - needs to up his game as he has been quiet this autumn
Warburton - personally would like to see Tips start and Warbs at 6 but expect tho selection
Faletau - has had a fine autumn
Philipps - superb last week, could be his opportunity to get a club!
Biggar - for his kicking game and is less prone to getting isolated and turned over, i may have picked hook if available as i thought he was good today
North - A quiet autumn and ordinary v Tonga. Time to step up
S Williams - excellent footballer, his big opportunity and I am looking forward to him staking a real claim
O Williams - only real bonus from the Tonga game, looked solid
L Williams - is he fit…who else is there.
Halfpenny - involved in both tries, expect the POTY finalist to have a huge game

Owens
Lee
A Prop
Coombes - in reality i think tho swill be Ryan as i expect Gats to select Evans
Tipuric pref for him to start
R Williams
Priestland - I would def pick Hook if available
Beck - barely but who else is there

Bullsbok wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:

Bullsbok wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:Ooooh a bit of tension by the seems

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/australia-star-genia-furious-comments-6355068

Maybe Genia should have just kept quite about it. I mean I he need to be worry about his own game at the moment, he has gone from hero to lets just say mediocre in the past year.
He was amazing last yer but this year has been ok at best. He doesn't really scare me, but if i was him and the Aus pack, they should be very wary of Hibbard; he is the in form player in our pack and i can't wait to see him bash about an average pack. We clearly have the best of them up front, but that hasn't worked for the past 8 games, so hope hope we don't try and pay the same game.
Aus have 3 main threats and that's Folau, Cooper and Hooper. If we can keep them at bay then we can win, however these three players are great and i'm sure will be at their bests tomorrow.
We have to win but i just have that feeling that the Aussies will steel it once again in the final quarters. I pray i'm wrong because if we do loose then overall this will have been yet another poor Autumn.

The problem with saying things like Genia doesnt really scare you , is Genia is the type to dominate a game for 80 minutes out of the blue. He always has at least one game a season when he's unplayable. If Wales are unlucky that game will come tomorrow . As for an average pack. People have been saying that about the Aussies for years yet they're the 3rd best ranked team in the world. Talk is cheap

Ok yes they have been the 3rd ranked team in the world for the past few years but you can't say that's down to their pack.
A very weak scrum
A stable lineout (no real threat from Horwill or Simmons)
And no real go froward power

The reason Australia have been one for the best is because of the likes of Cooper, Genia (on form), Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley Cooper, Beale, O'Conner, Folau and Gitau. Not Horwill, Mowen, Fardy, Kepu or Simmons
To me the Aussies have only had 3 world class players int he past few years which is Pocock, Hooper and Moore
My talk might be cheap but it's the truth

And yes, knowing our luck Genia will be amazing tomorrow but i hope he just plays like the way he has been all year  

For a team with only 3 world class players in the last few years (your words not mine ) they've done remarkably well especially against the Welsh . Seriously though i dno if you're trolling or not but 3 world class players ? Pocock when he plays is the best openside in the world but he's injured 50% of the time . Hooper only showed up this year and Moore is very injury prone . You very easily overlook newboy Folau , Genia , Cooper ,the evergreen AAC , Digby Ioane , JOC , Beale. If they aren;t world class these last few years you dont know the meaning of the term

Agree with you my man

This guy is probably the best attacking FB in test rugby at the moment, certainly best under the high ball, and no mean defender, he certainly is world class

BBC wrote:Israel Folau is two tries away from overhauling Lote Tuqiri's record of 10 tries scored for Australia in a calendar year.

Bullsbok wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:

Bullsbok wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:Ooooh a bit of tension by the seems

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/australia-star-genia-furious-comments-6355068

Maybe Genia should have just kept quite about it. I mean I he need to be worry about his own game at the moment, he has gone from hero to lets just say mediocre in the past year.
He was amazing last yer but this year has been ok at best. He doesn't really scare me, but if i was him and the Aus pack, they should be very wary of Hibbard; he is the in form player in our pack and i can't wait to see him bash about an average pack. We clearly have the best of them up front, but that hasn't worked for the past 8 games, so hope hope we don't try and pay the same game.
Aus have 3 main threats and that's Folau, Cooper and Hooper. If we can keep them at bay then we can win, however these three players are great and i'm sure will be at their bests tomorrow.
We have to win but i just have that feeling that the Aussies will steel it once again in the final quarters. I pray i'm wrong because if we do loose then overall this will have been yet another poor Autumn.

The problem with saying things like Genia doesnt really scare you , is Genia is the type to dominate a game for 80 minutes out of the blue. He always has at least one game a season when he's unplayable. If Wales are unlucky that game will come tomorrow . As for an average pack. People have been saying that about the Aussies for years yet they're the 3rd best ranked team in the world. Talk is cheap

Ok yes they have been the 3rd ranked team in the world for the past few years but you can't say that's down to their pack.
A very weak scrum
A stable lineout (no real threat from Horwill or Simmons)
And no real go froward power

The reason Australia have been one for the best is because of the likes of Cooper, Genia (on form), Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley Cooper, Beale, O'Conner, Folau and Gitau. Not Horwill, Mowen, Fardy, Kepu or Simmons
To me the Aussies have only had 3 world class players int he past few years which is Pocock, Hooper and Moore
My talk might be cheap but it's the truth

And yes, knowing our luck Genia will be amazing tomorrow but i hope he just plays like the way he has been all year  

For a team with only 3 world class players in the last few years (your words not mine ) they've done remarkably well especially against the Welsh . Seriously though i dno if you're trolling or not but 3 world class players ? Pocock when he plays is the best openside in the world but he's injured 50% of the time . Hooper only showed up this year and Moore is very injury prone . You very easily overlook newboy Folau , Genia , Cooper ,the evergreen AAC , Digby Ioane , JOC , Beale. If they aren;t world class these last few years you dont know the meaning of the term

  Sorry guys I meant to say ' In the pack in the past few years' not just ' in the past few years'. My mistake
Pocock as out said when he plays IS the best flanker in world rugby, an outstanding player.
Hoope ris again one hell of an opensides, one of the best at the moment
Moore is a work horse and always gives 100%
Apart from that i can't see nay other person in their pack that stands out

Was my mistake, the Aussies have plenty of world class in the backs you just have to look at Folau and Cooper to see that. Im not a troll, im nothing like that, i just like to make my point but i see how you saw it like that

flyhalffactory wrote:

Bullsbok wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:

Bullsbok wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:Ooooh a bit of tension by the seems

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/australia-star-genia-furious-comments-6355068

Maybe Genia should have just kept quite about it. I mean I he need to be worry about his own game at the moment, he has gone from hero to lets just say mediocre in the past year.
He was amazing last yer but this year has been ok at best. He doesn't really scare me, but if i was him and the Aus pack, they should be very wary of Hibbard; he is the in form player in our pack and i can't wait to see him bash about an average pack. We clearly have the best of them up front, but that hasn't worked for the past 8 games, so hope hope we don't try and pay the same game.
Aus have 3 main threats and that's Folau, Cooper and Hooper. If we can keep them at bay then we can win, however these three players are great and i'm sure will be at their bests tomorrow.
We have to win but i just have that feeling that the Aussies will steel it once again in the final quarters. I pray i'm wrong because if we do loose then overall this will have been yet another poor Autumn.

The problem with saying things like Genia doesnt really scare you , is Genia is the type to dominate a game for 80 minutes out of the blue. He always has at least one game a season when he's unplayable. If Wales are unlucky that game will come tomorrow . As for an average pack. People have been saying that about the Aussies for years yet they're the 3rd best ranked team in the world. Talk is cheap

Ok yes they have been the 3rd ranked team in the world for the past few years but you can't say that's down to their pack.
A very weak scrum
A stable lineout (no real threat from Horwill or Simmons)
And no real go froward power

The reason Australia have been one for the best is because of the likes of Cooper, Genia (on form), Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley Cooper, Beale, O'Conner, Folau and Gitau. Not Horwill, Mowen, Fardy, Kepu or Simmons
To me the Aussies have only had 3 world class players int he past few years which is Pocock, Hooper and Moore
My talk might be cheap but it's the truth

And yes, knowing our luck Genia will be amazing tomorrow but i hope he just plays like the way he has been all year  

For a team with only 3 world class players in the last few years (your words not mine ) they've done remarkably well especially against the Welsh . Seriously though i dno if you're trolling or not but 3 world class players ? Pocock when he plays is the best openside in the world but he's injured 50% of the time . Hooper only showed up this year and Moore is very injury prone . You very easily overlook newboy Folau , Genia , Cooper ,the evergreen AAC , Digby Ioane , JOC , Beale. If they aren;t world class these last few years you dont know the meaning of the term

Agree with you my man

This guy is probably the best attacking FB in test rugby at the moment, certainly best under the high ball, and no mean defender, he certainly is world class

BBC wrote:Israel Folau is two tries away from overhauling Lote Tuqiri's record of 10 tries scored for Australia in a calendar year.

I for one hope those two tries don't come tomorrow

glamorganalun wrote:Expect a change for Evans tomorrow Coombes on the bench.

Evans out?

Jhamer25 wrote:Ooooh a bit of tension by the seems

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/australia-star-genia-furious-comments-6355068

Maybe Genia should have just kept quite about it. I mean I he need to be worry about his own game at the moment, he has gone from hero to lets just say mediocre in the past year.
He was amazing last yer but this year has been ok at best. He doesn't really scare me, but if i was him and the Aus pack, they should be very wary of Hibbard; he is the in form player in our pack and i can't wait to see him bash about an average pack. We clearly have the best of them up front, but that hasn't worked for the past 8 games, so hope hope we don't try and pay the same game.
Aus have 3 main threats and that's Folau, Cooper and Hooper. If we can keep them at bay then we can win, however these three players are great and i'm sure will be at their bests tomorrow.
We have to win but i just have that feeling that the Aussies will steel it once again in the final quarters. I pray i'm wrong because if we do loose then overall this will have been yet another poor Autumn.

So, the Welsh paper says: "The scrum-half genius revealed the Wallaby pack was furious with comments made by the hooker this week and was determined to ram them down his throat during the Millennium Stadium showdown."

While the Aussie one says: "But it was hooker Richard Hibbard's comments about ''battering'' Australia into submission that caught the Wallabies' attention. ''He is definitely adding fuel to the fire with everything he is saying,'' Genia said." (http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/wallabies-spring-tour-ewen-mckenzie-wants-controlled-aggression-from-team-20131129-2ygw7.html#ixzz2m60ZlFHM).

Seems about right.

Will Genia wrote:What more motivation do you need than someone coming out and saying those sorts of things?

Good work, Hibbard.

Will Genia wrote:I’ve always gone into games against Wales confident, because of the recent history and recent success.

The first time I played them was in 2009 and we haven’t lost to them since.

Which is why this talk is all the more embarrassing. Results-wise, we're all mouth, no trousers.

Steffan wrote:At the end of the day Wales have beaten Australia twice on they're own patch this year so at home its understandable why the fans would be confident

A doesn't do it justice.

maestegmafia wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Expect a change for Evans tomorrow Coombes on the bench.

Evans out?

Anyone got anymore news on this, guessing R Jones to 2nd row if that case. Coombs was carrying knock himself.

bedfordwelsh wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Expect a change for Evans tomorrow Coombes on the bench.

Evans out?

Anyone got anymore news on this, guessing R Jones to 2nd row if that case.  Coombs was carrying knock himself.

Evans wife is due to give birth so apparently Coombes has been put on standby. No change yet.

wales606 wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Expect a change for Evans tomorrow Coombes on the bench.

Evans out?

Anyone got anymore news on this, guessing R Jones to 2nd row if that case.  Coombs was carrying knock himself.

Evans wife is due to give birth so apparently Coombes has been put on standby. No change yet.

Well good luck to the Evans family...!

Let's hope we can smash the Aussies today and make it a momentous occasion for everyone.

Andrew Coombes wrote:

wales606 wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Expect a change for Evans tomorrow Coombes on the bench.

Evans out?

Anyone got anymore news on this, guessing R Jones to 2nd row if that case.  Coombs was carrying knock himself.

Evans wife is due to give birth so apparently Coombes has been put on standby. No change yet.

Well good luck to the Evans family...!

Let's hope we can smash the Aussies today and make it a momentous occasion for everyone.

Fair enough, Coombesy, but try not to get too far ahead of yourself, mate.  

Linebreaker wrote:

Andrew Coombes wrote:

wales606 wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Expect a change for Evans tomorrow Coombes on the bench.

Evans out?

Anyone got anymore news on this, guessing R Jones to 2nd row if that case.  Coombs was carrying knock himself.

Evans wife is due to give birth so apparently Coombes has been put on standby. No change yet.

Well good luck to the Evans family...!

Let's hope we can smash the Aussies today and make it a momentous occasion for everyone.

Fair enough, Coombesy, but try not to get too far ahead of yourself, mate.  

Any further news on Ian Evans...?

What a selfish couple! They should have timed it due for a month when there's no internationals scheduled. I'd have thought it commonplace policy in the Welsh camp that players be restricted to certain months where conception would be least likely to result in the birth clashing with any time Wales are playing  

Well, I'm off out now but will be watching the recorded Wales match about an hour delay behind. Good luck to the Welsh team and fans. Hope you lay the ghost of past disappointments and push on from here to show your real potential against the SH teams. GO WALES!!

It's a beautiful sunny day in Wales. A bit cold, but very sunny. I expect the roof will be shut though as it will be dark at kick off and I expect they hang lights from the roof or something.

I also have a free ticket for the game. That never happens to me.

Sunny, free ticket, off out for an early beer from 1.30 - it's feeling like a positive sort of day! Fingers crossed. 

Let's just hope the pitch can hold up with all the powerful scrummaging and blistering footwork expected to be on show.

Griff wrote:It's a beautiful sunny day in Wales. A bit cold, but very sunny. I expect the roof will be shut though as it will be dark at kick off and I expect they hang lights from the roof or something.

I also have a free ticket for the game. That never happens to me.

Sunny, free ticket, off out for an early beer from 1.30 - it's feeling like a positive sort of day! Fingers crossed. 

Funnily enough Griff I was offered a pair of free tickets at the Os game last night, I turned them down, also late yesterday you could buy tickets for todays game through the Ospreys site.

Knowsit17 wrote:What a selfish couple! They should have timed it due for a month when there's no internationals scheduled. I'd have thought it commonplace policy in the Welsh camp that players be restricted to certain months where conception would be least likely to result in the birth clashing with any time Wales are playing  

The end of the six nations is almost exactly nine months before the last AI match...!

I am sure we can all figure out what happened.

Great atmosphere on the streets...

Well hope the union lads play as well as their league counterparts. A comprehensive win for them in the final against the kiwis. So go you Wallabies, do the same!!

OzT wrote:Well hope the union lads play as well as their league counterparts. A comprehensive win for them in the final against the kiwis. So go you Wallabies, do the same!!

If only the wobblies could be as clinical as the roos.

Looks like Ian Evans is warming up so I guess he's playing

There is a distinct lack of Canary Yellow Aussie shirts in the crowd...!

Golden wattle you mean!  
We have less singers in the crowd too.

Good man Bilt!

just wet self a bit

Old bucket hands North scores a soft opportunist try.  
No need for the Wallabies to panic, early days.

Bloody Wallabies embarrasing the SH since 06  What the hell was that from AAC

What a try!

incredible try. did i really hear booing?

I've seen some good tries this afternoon that was brilliant to.

anyone for tennis?

Not many welsh rugby fans clapped that try, remember guys this is a friendly

quinsforever wrote:anyone for tennis?

at least we might be able to retain a tennis ball by putting it in our pockets ffs

Scratch wrote:

quinsforever wrote:anyone for tennis?

at least we might be able to retain a tennis ball by putting it in our pockets ffs

competitive it certainly is, but a lot of kicking and a lot of turnovers and penalties. bit frantic so far both sides.

like watching 7s with 30 players!

How often have Australia bust the gain line this half? They should be well ahead but are making soft mistakes.

australia looking lethal. never seen q cooper play better in an intl game. wales need to hold strong and kick less

Please god let it be halftime already.

Wales have barely had possession, partly because our lineout is shambolic. The defence is creaking to say the least.

Wow cracking game. Can't believe how many chances Australia have squandered! Definitely the better team ATM but Wales are somehow still ahead - good on em.

Watching this, makes me think Robbie Deans was a fool. Cooper's natural ability is stunning

finally, after all those bombed tries.

Great tackling from Wales but the inevitable try comes

Argggg,

were doomed.

Wales need to hold possession of the next 10 minutes.

Folau is immense

No scrums and a defense full of holes. I wonder if Barnes has forgotten scrummaging is central to our game

Folau is a monster !! And those where massive hits from Hibbard and north

If Australia cut out the basic errors in this match they would be out of sight. Folau demonstrating what being a world class player actually means. A class apart.

Excellent game, Cooper is unplayable today. Did I see Phillips having a little stamp on him about 5mins ago? Some huge tackles coming in from the Welsh - especially those two there!