Six Nations Campaign Report Card: Wales

Verdict: could do *much* better!

Could've, Should've...didn't.  Could've beaten France (26-20 with Wales scoring a try in the dying minute and giving away two tries).  Should've beaten England (30-17 with Wales giving away another try at Twickenham). They were lucky to beat Scotland and thank god they returned to form against Italy.  Thank God because Wales has a testing 9 months ahead with 3 tests against the All Blacks, two tests against South Africa home and away, and tests against Fiji and Australia. 

When I looked at the final table one thing jumped out at me: Wales scored the most points in the six nations, bar first-placed France; and conceded the most bar last-placed Italy.  A prolific attack held back by a pourous defence. In the their day they can beat almost anyone, and so certainly shouldn't have finished 4th behind England!

What potential though.  There's no debate that Wales has one of the best back lines in international rugby - peppered with British Lions and living Welsh Legends: Lee Byrne, Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Shanklin and James Hook with two great scrum halves to chose from: Mike Philips and Dwayne Peel.  This championship Full Back Stepehen Jones surpassed Neil Jenkins as the greatest Welsh point scorer and Shane Williams moved past Gareth Edwards as the leading Welsh Try Scorer.  Today's Welsh players are superceding the great players of the Seventies. 

Previous Welsh sides have traditionally been strong in the backs but weak up front.  Today there is a sensational pack as well: Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Ryan Jones and the veteran Martyn Williams.  (In fact, as my father astutely pointed out, the return of Mike Philips and Gethin Jenkins was palpable in the boost it brought.) The new forwards - Warburton, Charteris and Dradley Davies - are extremely promising as well.  The coaching team remain strong: Warren Gatland is a miracle-worker with a grand Slam in his first 3 months in the job in 2008, supported by Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley and of course Neil Jenkins himself as kicking coach.  No one can deny its a quality outfit.

So why aren't they performing? Fitness and attitude has to be the question mark, not talent.  The 2007 World Cup saw Wales fail to come out and play in any of the first halves of their games, turning on their magic only when it was already too late - notably against Australia and fatally Fiji.  This tournament was very reminiscent of that.  The match against Italy was the only one in which Wales led in the first half.  You just can't succeed at this level if you only play for 40 minutes.

So come on Wales, pull your finger out!

What is sad is that with the exception of France, all four home nations were woefully below par and really need to raise their game if any of them expect to make it to even the last eight in New Zealand next year.  With only just over a year to go, British Rugby needs to raise its game significantly!

Upvote Upvoted 0
3 responses
Astute son too! The other notable point was that they not only leaked defensively, but actively encouraged the opposition to score. Look where you're passing, and stay within the laws. There are two points that need highlighting, and Brian Moore seems the only one noticing - perhaps because if you haven't been there you neither know or care - is that referees are often simply incompetent when it comes to policing the set scrum. Time and again the ball goes from scrum half direct to the feet of the second row entirely without sanction, whilst collapsing scrums are often penalised without understanding why the incident happened, and to whose advantage. I'd hate to blame Antipodian referees for lax policing of these issues, it has crept north, but it is time they were more firmly and "astutely" dealt with.
— Brian llewellyn
Good point Dad, and as a player for over 40 years, you'll understand the pack nuances much better than I. The dark happenings inside the scrum are often a mystery even to the referee it seems, let alone the crowd! Brian Moore has always been a critic of Antipodean refereeing - it is a different rugby culture down favouring a faster-paced game.

Another area where Wales is being punished is their dangerous passing right at the gain line that led to three interceptions - two by France and one by England - that is an occupational hazard of playing the kind of aggressive and dynamic game that they do. I think there has been plenty of learnings for Mr Gatland this season, hopefully far fewer mistakes will be made in the tours later this year:)

— Gareth Llewellyn
Don't exaggerate, it was only 36 years! Two things: first you are right about passing to the opposition, to which I alluded in my opening comment. Secondly, regarding scrummaging: I recall when a ruck meant that the players stayed on their feet to play the ball with them, and the New Zealanders, in particular, were adept at punishing offenders who lay over the ball or tried to handle. Nowadays we get, not a ruck, but a pile up, and with it slow ball and predictable play, each side cancelling the other out. A driving ruck was an awsome thing to defend against, and I recall us spending ages practising stopping a pack coming forward with the ball at its feet! Going back even earlier, the Irish foot rush was a thing to be feared, and we also had to practise dribbling a rugby ball.
— Brian llewellyn