The positivity thread

[Sandydragon]

This ought be too soon, but given that yesterday was always a write off, I thought it might be mood improving to consider where we have seen some decent performances/ green shoots etc.

For me:

Dan Edwards has had three good games as fly half. Whilst against the bokke he looked rattled at times, I can understand that when your pack has just been marmalades in front of your eyes. But across the series, he has been always steady and often very good on his distribution, kicking and ability to break the line.

Cracknell. We missed him yesterday. Hard hitting player who adds physicality to our back row. Surely has to feature moving forward?

Asserati. Got pummelled yesterday but not alone there. Otherwise has scrummaged well and worked well around the park. He’s had the odd flash before but has been consistent this series in the first three games.

LRZ back. Class player.

Try scoring. Ignoring yesterday, we put at least three tries against our opposition and includes four each against Argentina and the All blacks. Our attack is looking better when we can get and recycle the ball.

Anything else?

[paddy no 11]

Age profile in comparison to Ireland who are in denial

Scarlets excellent win the November highlight probably

[Graigwen]

This ought be too soon, but given that yesterday was always a write off, I thought it might be mood improving to consider where we have seen some decent performances/ green shoots etc.

For me:

Dan Edwards has had three good games as fly half. Whilst against the bokke he looked rattled at times, I can understand that when your pack has just been marmalades in front of your eyes. But across the series, he has been always steady and often very good on his distribution, kicking and ability to break the line.

Cracknell. We missed him yesterday. Hard hitting player who adds physicality to our back row. Surely has to feature moving forward?

Asserati. Got pummelled yesterday but not alone there. Otherwise has scrummaged well and worked well around the park. He’s had the odd flash before but has been consistent this series in the first three games.

LRZ back. Class player.

I agree with these comments.

Asserati at least sort of survived when he had to come back unexpectedly for Coleman. Mann has learned a lot and shows promise, he also did a lot at the lineout. Mee was not ready for international rugby but might learn from that experience. Our locks were very underpowered, maybe we need Ball back?

[Sandydragon]

This ought be too soon, but given that yesterday was always a write off, I thought it might be mood improving to consider where we have seen some decent performances/ green shoots etc.

For me:

Dan Edwards has had three good games as fly half. Whilst against the bokke he looked rattled at times, I can understand that when your pack has just been marmalades in front of your eyes. But across the series, he has been always steady and often very good on his distribution, kicking and ability to break the line.

Cracknell. We missed him yesterday. Hard hitting player who adds physicality to our back row. Surely has to feature moving forward?

Asserati. Got pummelled yesterday but not alone there. Otherwise has scrummaged well and worked well around the park. He’s had the odd flash before but has been consistent this series in the first three games.

LRZ back. Class player.

I agree with these comments.

Asserati at least sort of survived when he had to come back unexpectedly for Coleman. Mann has learned a lot and shows promise, he also did a lot at the lineout. Mee was not ready for international rugby but might learn from that experience. Our locks were very underpowered, maybe we need Ball back?

Excellent point about Mann. Very dynamic and hard working. I’d like him to bulk out a bit more to be really effective at blindside, I don’t thinks he’s really a 7.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Rogers I would say has claimed the wing opposite LRZ. Mee also looked good yesterday. There is a decent case for trying a LRZ, Mee and Rogers (FB) back three, since we've seen Murray's limitations. Aside: Nagy looked good with the high ball yesterday, although that was just Edinburgh.

Llewellyn has claimed the 13 shirt IMO and Hawkins has looked promising (although still not quite there defensively). So maybe we have a centre pairing going forward.

So, along with the Williams/Edwards half back pairing, we are in a much clearer place re the backs.

Re the forwards . . . tricky just after that last match where although tackle success was decent at 88% they were pushed back way too much. So the end it didn't matter if the tackle was 'a success' because after a series of them they were over our tryline. For what it's worth Mann got the most tackles (21) but missed 2. Carter was probably the best, completing 17, missing 0. But the question is how many metres did we lose on each tackle?

I'd say our best back three is Cracknell, Morgan and Wainwright. Mann is a good generalist and very busy. Plumtree is too risky, too many mistakes. And I'd like to see Ratti and Rhys Davies involved so we have some really big options for 6 and 8 going forward.

2nd row: Jenkins and Beard look good and we have a number of okay back-ups.

Front row, jury's still out on Carre but he wasn't a liability. Smith is solid, Assiratti too although neither is the sort of titan we'd like to field (but what can we do?).

[Sandydragon]

15. Mee
14. Rodgers
13. Llewelyn
12. Hawkins
11. LRZ
10 Edwards
9. Williams
1. Carre
2. Lake
3. Asserati
4. Jenkins
5. Beard
6. Cracknell
7. Morgan
8. Wainwright

On paper, thats not a bad team, if they are all fit and available. There's also no shortage of size there, so what can we do better in defence to stop other teams on the gain line and try to recover the ball?

Theres a few players there with working, Im still not convinced by Rodgers defence, but he deserves his spot and the opportunity to improve.

Our problem of course is a lack of any depth and we will be very lucky to get a first choice XV out.

[Sandydragon]

Just to bring myself down a few notches, that’s almost the same team that got well beaten by the All Black seconds, although we did gift some really easy tries in that game (Plumtree looking at you).

We need more aggression and better defence in the pack.

[Sandydragon]

Age profile in comparison to Ireland who are in denial

Scarlets excellent win the November highlight probably

You have some decent youngsters coming through though so I think you won’t fall as hard and fast as we have.

[UKHamlet]

All Wales matches now free as major twist ends TV paywall

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... r-32985935

Wales matches 'to be shown on free-to-air TV' as TNT gazumped
ITV is reportedly on the brink of securing every match of next year’s inaugural Nations Championship in a stunning broadcasting coup worth more than £80m, a move that would place Wales’ entire 2026 schedule on free-to-air TV.

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According to The Telegraph, the broadcaster has dramatically outbid TNT Sports for the rights to the new global competition, which brings together the Six Nations sides and their southern hemisphere rivals.

The bid is described as “unprecedented” for a new tournament and exceeds the £63m ITV and the BBC recently paid for a three-year Six Nations deal.

Sources quoted in the report described ITV’s bid as “major money” that guarantees mass exposure for international rugby at a time when many major sports continue shifting behind paywalls.

Crucially for Welsh fans, it means Steve Tandy’s side will be available to watch without subscription when they face Fiji, Argentina, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand and Australia across July and November.

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In fact, every top level Test match involving the home nations will be free-to-air in 2026, with the Six Nations shown on ITV and the BBC.

The Nations Championship will see Wales open their campaign away to Fiji before travelling to Argentina and South Africa. They then host Japan, New Zealand and Australia in Cardiff during a packed autumn window, all before a new finals weekend that pairs nations based on their rankings.

The Telegraph add that separate deals with terrestrial broadcasters in France and Ireland are also expected, meaning nearly the entire competition will be free-to-air across Europe.

The reported ITV deal would cover the first two tournaments in 2026 and 2028, dovetailing with the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which ITV also holds the rights to.