Team vs Wales

[septic 9]

Thats a week wales team compared to a few years ago, ok they have some real class in the backs Williams, Davies, Adams and some class in the forwards in Tuperic and Faleteau but im struggling to think of a wales team in the last 10 years (not 2007) that wouldnt have eaten that team alive

the team that beat us a Murrayfield last season was
Williams, North, Davies Parkes, Adams Anscombe Davies Evans Owens Francis AWJ Beard Tiperic Navidi Moriarty

Halfpenny for Williams at 15, not much in that
North has been dropped a she has been very poor from before that game last season, Williams on the wing a big improvement
Davies - same
Parkes - Watkins - a step down but not to a bad or weak player
Adams - same
Anscombe - Bigger. In the likely conditions, Bigger every time
Davies - same
Carre - was Evans. Step down in the set piece, not a huge own. Potentially a massive ball carrier for another one. Both have defensive issues
AWJ - same
Beard - Rowlands an improvement
Tiperic - same
Falatau - for Navidi. an all time great for a really top player
Moriarty - Lewis-Hughes. New to many, but Moriarty is not up to standard (capped on the back of one season for Worcs which has not been replicated once), this is an improvement

So on paper I'm not seeing an obviously significantly weaker team. There are questions over some who have survived - as in is Falatau the player he was? And whether their new coaches have changed their set up structurally in defence.

[Numbers]

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny; Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Owen Watkin, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Rhys Carre, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis; Will Rowlands, Alun Wyn Jones (C); Shane Lewis-Hughes, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.

Reps: Sam Parry, Wyn Jones, Dillon Lewis, Cory Hill, James Davies, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Patchell, Nick Tompkins.

On the face of it it's not a dissimilar team to the one that has continually beat us for the past decade. Of the backline only Watkin isn't either very experienced or nailed on first choice, and he should improve their midfield defence over an out of position Tompkins. Rowlands should also give the pack a bit more heft so we're not going to bully them.

I don't think that I've seen their blindside play before. Anyone? Am surprised Wainwright was dropped completely.

Front row may be the only area where we might get an edge. But I don't see us going for 80 minutes of scrums and that'd be far too much of a lottery anyways.

Shane Lewis-Hughes, he's the business.

[General Zod]

Haven’t seen anything on the SRU site, but the 6 nations app has Hastings starting at 10!

Actually, it also has maitland in the team, so presumably it’s from earlier in the year.

This update was brought to you by several cans of tyskie last night.

[whatisthejava]

Team out


Sutherland - Good
Brown - Good
Fagerson - OK Toonie going good
Cummkings - Good shout Toonie , im liking this
J Gray - No brainer
Richie - Yes - this is it
Watson - No mental surprises there
Blade - Hmm ok , a wee curve ball but ok


15 Hogg -- YES
14 Graham - YES

This is the best team from toonie ever

13 Harris - Yup , deserves to keep his shirt
12 Lang - WTF ...
11 - Kinghorn - Oh FFS
10 Russel
9 Price

Ok not so bad

Subs
mcInally - Makes sense
Kebble - Ok yup
Berghan - Ok
Toolis - Yup good operator
CDP - again - WTF
Scott Steele - WHAT
Hastings
D VDM

[General Zod]

Russell starts! Would post a photo, but I’m struggling today.

[General Zod]

Is skinner injured? Or is this a team with squad rotation in mind? Lang? On you go son, prove me wrong.

Not sure about that bench either, although if we’re in it after 60, it will be good to open up a tin of Irn Du once spaces appear...

[whatisthejava]

I just dont get why you have Georgia last week and dont at least try out Steele then

Happy to go with the benefit of the doubt with Lang but im kinda sick of the toonie - constantly rebuilding rather than play the strongest team you have

[Soapy]

I just dont get why you have Georgia last week and dont at least try out Steele then

Happy to go with the benefit of the doubt with Lang but im kinda sick of the toonie - constantly rebuilding rather than play the strongest team you have

This was my point last week. Why not give Steele time vs Georgia and see how he went at a level below Tier 1 international opponents? There was nothing new to be learnt by playing Price and Horne. It's different if Horne is injured but I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere.

I'm ok with Lang given the lack of fit options. I look forward to see how Lang does outside Russell instead of Hastings - Russell gives his 12 and 13 opportunity to play in a way that Hastings just doesn't. Ideally I'd have picked Johnson but he's only had one game in 7 months so it's too early to be starting against Wales.

Tandy clearly sees Harris as the key defender was always going to be selected at 13. I'd have liked to see Jones on the bench, with Duhan starting and Kinghorn out the 23.

Kinghorn is a lucky boy to be involved this week. He really needs to deliver.

Upfront I'd have preferred Nel to Berghen on the bench. I think we can get the upper hand on the Welsh front row and would want the option to bring on our best scrummaging tighthead. Fagerson and Berghan do get on the wrongside of the ref and if the scrum goes awry it is really hard to manage where we are playing the game - a Townsend focus now.

[Mikey Brown]

Hmm. Pretty okay with that. Not sure it will terrify Wales but there you go.

Typically GT selection really. Sort of fine in isolation but as a bigger picture (and given selection last week) seems a little off. Happy to see Thomson and Steele get a run, but yeah why weren't they worth a run out vs Georgia?

Positive interpretations would be that Skinner just played 80 in a Premiership final, and may have had more than a few tinnies in addition to any bumps and bruises from the last few weeks. Lang is a bit uninspiring but I'm not sure anyone could have reached a conclusion about him based on last week, let's see him in a proper test match. Kinghorn did not look great overall, but I think he's been better on the wing for Scotland than at 15 and hopefully this selection gives him a bit of confidence. Steele is something a bit different from the bench. VDM I would have started but hey, we have an actual running threat we can introduce having seen how the game is playing out. CDP must be coming off the bench knowing he doesn't have many chances left to show something at this level.

[whatisthejava]

Kinghorn is a lucky boy to be involved this week. He really needs to deliver.

Couldnt agree more, just dont get people who rate him, he makes way to many mistakes that come from his unwillingness to pass

Mind you his football skills were nice last week

Upfront I'd have preferred Nel to Berghen on the bench. I think we can get the upper hand on the Welsh front row and would want the option to bring on our best scrummaging tighthead. Fagerson and Berghan do get on the wrongside of the ref and if the scrum goes awry it is really hard to manage where we are playing the game - a Townsend focus now.

Me to, Simon Berghan is a top bloke, but he is a big lad and i think he struggles to dominate in the scrum, I like Carre, great in the loose but will be interesting to see if either gets an upper hand on that side of the scrum, could well come down to ref interpretation

On the other side of the scrum Sutherland really needs to cause Francis trouble if he wants to stay in lions contetion

[Mikey Brown]

[Numbers]

It's nice to see Darcy Graham get a start again, he's great to watch ball in hand. I think I would have had that big Saffa on the other wing tho.

[septic 9]

team picked with one eye on the weather. If anything its going to be worse than the Calcutta Cup this year
Kinghorn better in the air and can kick the ball. DVDM can run over players given space and...............the occasional risky offload. Hopefully Toonie has told Kinghorn to limit his!

[switchskier]

Interested to see Thompson as I've never really been sold on him but Toonie had evidently been desperate to have him involved. I do find it distressing that we can't find four home grown players in the backrow of all places.

Lang is still a bit of a strange one but I guess that we are down quite a few players in the centres. Be surprised if Johnson isn't back soon though

[Big D]

Nel is very close to being done. He is definitely tailing off.

Duhan would start every game for me at the moment.

Centres are what they are. Harris is better than Grigg but Lang over SJ is still strange given Lang has aged a lot at 13 lately.

We are as well seeing what Steele has against a proper team than Georgia who aren't very good.

Toolis didn't deserve to be dropped completely and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Skinner is a but banged up after last week.

[Big D]

Interested to see Thompson as I've never really been sold on him but Toonie had evidently been desperate to have him involved. I do find it distressing that we can't find four home grown players in the backrow of all places.

8 has been a weird one really. In theory Beattie should have been in the shirt then Ashe but it wasn't to be.

Beattie peaked too young and Ashe can't last without injury.

[Cameo]

I'm okay with that team I think. Don't quite know how we've ended up with Lang and Harris as our starting centres but presume Johnson wasn't seen as ready.

I would have liked to keep DVDM and see him storm onto the international scene but Kinghorn has always been good for us on the wing.

Thompson at 8 is similar. Not seen him do much special but the choices were a bit restricted after Fagerson's injury.

[stevedog1980]

Interested to see Thompson as I've never really been sold on him but Toonie had evidently been desperate to have him involved. I do find it distressing that we can't find four home grown players in the backrow of all places.

8 has been a weird one really. In theory Beattie should have been in the shirt then Ashe but it wasn't to be.

Beattie peaked too young and Ashe can't last without injury.

I think if it wasn't for injury it would be Denton at 8

[Big D]

Interested to see Thompson as I've never really been sold on him but Toonie had evidently been desperate to have him involved. I do find it distressing that we can't find four home grown players in the backrow of all places.

8 has been a weird one really. In theory Beattie should have been in the shirt then Ashe but it wasn't to be.

Beattie peaked too young and Ashe can't last without injury.

I think if it wasn't for injury it would be Denton at 8

He is another one that peaked too young too. If he had developed handling skills he would have been a real asset. In hindsight, Edinburgh did well to get a fee for him!

[stevedog1980]

He is another one that peaked too young too. If he had developed handling skills he would have been a real asset. In hindsight, Edinburgh did well to get a fee for him!

Very single minded in his approach but a solid player. Like most here, I wanted to see Bradbury have an impact on the international stage but he's been far too inconsistent. At his best he would be my choice for starting 8 though

[Big D]

Very single minded in his approach but a solid player. Like most here, I wanted to see Bradbury have an impact on the international stage but he's been far too inconsistent. At his best he would be my choice for starting 8 though

Agreed on MB being too inconsistent. I thought England away may have been a turning point but it wasn't to be. He was excellent all that game, tackled well, ran well and two key no.8 pick ups where he made good ground, but hasn't been consistent enough.

Of course easy to forget McInally was on the No.8 radar at one point. His 1st part of his career was spent there and he was very decent too. Has turned out ok at hooker.

[Cameo]

Very single minded in his approach but a solid player. Like most here, I wanted to see Bradbury have an impact on the international stage but he's been far too inconsistent. At his best he would be my choice for starting 8 though

Agreed on MB being too inconsistent. I thought England away may have been a turning point but it wasn't to be. He was excellent all that game, tackled well, ran well and two key no.8 pick ups where he made good ground, but hasn't been consistent enough.

Of course easy to forget McInally was on the No.8 radar at one point. His 1st part of his career was spent there and he was very decent too. Has turned out ok at hooker.

Yeah, that game he looked powerful and quick. Quite a few games he just looks big and strong but doesn't have that explosiveness. Dunno if it is a mentality thing or what

[paddy no 11]

Hope Russell has a stormer and ye win, Welsh defence is not what it was which gives Scotland a chance

[switchskier]

Can we start a petition to drop Davies? I'll happily see Nicol or Hastings dropped instead. That drop was all about Harris, nothing to do with his favourite son Biggar

[Big D]

Sorry but Brown is 100% at fault for that. He is a vice captain and a senior player. He should know to cancel that call no matter who is responsible for calling the line out.

Daft play.