Team for Fiji

[Sandydragon]

At last. Nice try by Cuthbert.


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[Buggaluggs]

If all the other teams played with 13 men, we'd stand a hell of chance at the next world cup

[Sandydragon]

In Christ we trust. On he comes


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[Sandydragon]

Rowlands off. Hopefully the knock he has taken isn’t serious as he has really grown into a test lock over the autumn


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[Sandydragon]

Just unde ten minutes to go and Fiji back to 14. Still in the balance


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[Sandydragon]

Incredible pace by LRZ


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[Sandydragon]

Great try


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[Zhivago]

Incredible pace by LRZ


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Now I can breathe a bit

[Sandydragon]

I really don’t like this new law where it’s a drop out of held up. That’s unfair on the attacking team


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[Sandydragon]

Try by Liam Williams to make it look comfortable. But in reality anything but


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[Zhivago]

We would have lost if not for that red. Lots of stuff to fix.

[WaspInWales]

We would have lost if not for that red. Lots of stuff to fix.

Dunno about the red affecting the result but Fijian discipline was shocking. Think Wales would've won if the ref stuck with a yellow

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[Sandydragon]

We would have lost if not for that red. Lots of stuff to fix.

Dunno about the red affecting the result but Fijian discipline was shocking. Think Wales would've won if the ref stuck with a yellow

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It’s their Achilles heel. Let’s call it over enthusiasm. There’s so much good about their game if they can fix that they really are RWC semi finalists at least.


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[Spiffy]

I really don’t like this new law where it’s a drop out of held up. That’s unfair on the attacking team


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I always felt the opposite to the old law, where an attacking team was awarded a 5 metre scrum after
being held up. Why should they get a second chance if they failed to ground? Instead, reward the defenders for holding them up. I felt the defence should have had the put in. The new law is more along that line of thought. If you cannot take your chance to ground the ball and score, the defence gets to clear the ball.

[Sandydragon]

Early reporting on the Fail is far from flattering. But it’s hard to argue that we look in a strange place. We apparently wanted to play a more adventurous style but all we do is throw the ball wide for a single player to get turned over. Our defence is not what it was and our pick has gone backwards.

We will see on the new year where this team really is against the rest of the six nations. Opposition illdiscipline helped us hugely last year. If we continue to play against 15 then we have to find a way to score tries and keep hold of the ball.


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[normanski]

Early reporting on the Fail is far from flattering. But it’s hard to argue that we look in a strange place. We apparently wanted to play a more adventurous style but all we do is throw the ball wide for a single player to get turned over. Our defence is not what it was and our pick has gone backwards.

We will see on the new year where this team really is against the rest of the six nations. Opposition illdiscipline helped us hugely last year. If we continue to play against 15 then we have to find a way to score tries and keep hold of the ball.


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You have to credit Fiji but also Wales. We’ve lost so many first choice players that we’re blooding loads of new faces or having to rely on third and fourth choice players. I thought Elias (standing in for the Sheriff) did pretty well and took his two tries aggressively.

[Sourdust]

Fiji really didn't deserve that final score; 31-23 was about fair. But then, I suppose, how many times have the Big Boys done exactly that to us? So it goes...

A painfully shapeless performance, rescued by moments of individual brilliance. Best try of the lot disallowed by that daft new law change (or is it just a change of interpretation? Bollocks to it, anyway).

The good news is that Australia are pretty rubbish. The bad news is, they'll need to be.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Flattering scoreline for a match we could easily have lost, especially if the ref had gone for the cop-out yellow he was leaning towards instead of the red.

It's nice to know you have the fastest guy on the pitch: seeing LRZ outrun the Fijians was something else, for both of his tries (even if he didn't get to keep one of them).

We survived and will have learned a few things about some of the players. Tompkins took his chance well with Adams out. Christ avoided disaster on his first cap. Cuthbert was slow but took his try extremely well. It's handy to have one big back-rower for clear-outs, we suffered without this.

[Sandydragon]

Flattering scoreline for a match we could easily have lost, especially if the ref had gone for the cop-out yellow he was leaning towards instead of the red.

It's nice to know you have the fastest guy on the pitch: seeing LRZ outrun the Fijians was something else, for both of his tries (even if he didn't get to keep one of them).

We survived and will have learned a few things about some of the players. Tompkins took his chance well with Adams out. Christ avoided disaster on his first cap. Cuthbert was slow but took his try extremely well. It's handy to have one big back-rower for clear-outs, we suffered without this.

LRZ has looked on occasions as if he is trying too hard. But he is such a talent and he’s one player in our team who is capable of scoring tries for fun.

Tompkins was alright and offers good distribution. We need a hard runner in midfield to counterbalance him I feel. Halaholo needs to be in the squad.

Adams is a good winger and I hope he’s fit for next weekend. Cuthbert grew into the match but doesn’t have the speed he used to.

Liam Williams did well. He’s still my preference at full back.

Tomos Williams is by far our best scrum half. I’d have Davies on the bench as he offers something else.

I thought Sheedy did alright when he came on.
Biggar didn’t have his best game today but he must be our starter next week.

We desperately need Wainwright back in the back row. Today was badly unbalanced. I’m not sure that Jenkins and Basham work together brilliantly but both have had a great autumn.

Second row has been ok. Neither was brilliant today but both have done well so far and should continue.

Elias keeps the jersey but we could do with Ken or Dee back for the six nations.

Carre is mobile but needs work on his scrummaging. He’ll be fine against the Aussies but I’m less happy at him starting in the six national. Francis seems to be stuck on a plateau but remains our best right head. Will Griff wasn’t on long today but was responsible for a penalty against us anyway.

Dillon Lewis is not an international tighthead.

We are missing North for gainline bosh in the backs. We definitely miss Tipuric and Moriarty and Navidi. Particularly Navidi. I think Wainwright is doing well in the absence of Faletau, but Navidi alongside him would be a massive benefit.

Seb Davies is not an international back row player.


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[normanski]

Flattering scoreline for a match we could easily have lost, especially if the ref had gone for the cop-out yellow he was leaning towards instead of the red.

It's nice to know you have the fastest guy on the pitch: seeing LRZ outrun the Fijians was something else, for both of his tries (even if he didn't get to keep one of them).

We survived and will have learned a few things about some of the players. Tompkins took his chance well with Adams out. Christ avoided disaster on his first cap. Cuthbert was slow but took his try extremely well. It's handy to have one big back-rower for clear-outs, we suffered without this.

LRZ has looked on occasions as if he is trying too hard. But he is such a talent and he’s one player in our team who is capable of scoring tries for fun.

Tompkins was alright and offers good distribution. We need a hard runner in midfield to counterbalance him I feel. Halaholo needs to be in the squad.

Adams is a good winger and I hope he’s fit for next weekend. Cuthbert grew into the match but doesn’t have the speed he used to.

Liam Williams did well. He’s still my preference at full back.

Tomos Williams is by far our best scrum half. I’d have Davies on the bench as he offers something else.

I thought Sheedy did alright when he came on.
Biggar didn’t have his best game today but he must be our starter next week.

We desperately need Wainwright back in the back row. Today was badly unbalanced. I’m not sure that Jenkins and Basham work together brilliantly but both have had a great autumn.

Second row has been ok. Neither was brilliant today but both have done well so far and should continue.

Elias keeps the jersey but we could do with Ken or Dee back for the six nations.

Carre is mobile but needs work on his scrummaging. He’ll be fine against the Aussies but I’m less happy at him starting in the six national. Francis seems to be stuck on a plateau but remains our best right head. Will Griff wasn’t on long today but was responsible for a penalty against us anyway.

Dillon Lewis is not an international tighthead.

We are missing North for gainline bosh in the backs. We definitely miss Tipuric and Moriarty and Navidi. Particularly Navidi. I think Wainwright is doing well in the absence of Faletau, but Navidi alongside him would be a massive benefit.

Seb Davies is not an international back row player.


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Good summary. I hope we can get some first choice players back like Wainwright and Adams for next week.

[Sourdust]

There really were some postives amongst the dross. Cuthbert looked like an international winger again. Elias finally had a conspicuously good game. Tomkins is getting better. LRZ is unreal.

But almost everything good we did today - apart from those mauls - was improvised by individuals. There was hardly any sense of structure. We seemed determined to always attack the side of the breakdown that had more defenders. Some of the constant movement behind the ruck MIGHT have been clever distraction moves, but it looked a hell of a lot like headless chickens...

[Sandydragon]

I actually think that the players are stepping up. There are a few problem positions but on the whole is the game plan that’s causing us issues. We keep throwing the ball wide with single runners which leads to turnovers and our pack has gone backwards. I’m trying to see what else we are looking to achieve except be scrappy as on the Bokke game.


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[whatisthejava]

As an external
Positives
You won
LW
Biggar/Sheedy
Jenkins (no 6 I think) was very good
Beard - what an utter prick to play against at the maul
Hooker gave u a solid platform

Negatives
Score line flattered
Back row was beaten by fijji
attack patterns - do they exist
Considering you played 13 for 20 mins
Very much a team built around individual brilliance and the old defence structures
The weirdest thing is I don’t think you look even more likely to score playing 13-14-15.


So glad for cuthbert that he got his try

[Sandydragon]

As an external
Positives
You won
LW
Biggar/Sheedy
Jenkins (no 6 I think) was very good
Beard - what an utter prick to play against at the maul
Hooker gave u a solid platform

Negatives
Score line flattered
Back row was beaten by fijji
attack patterns - do they exist
Considering you played 13 for 20 mins
Very much a team built around individual brilliance and the old defence structures
The weirdest thing is I don’t think you look even more likely to score playing 13-14-15.


So glad for cuthbert that he got his try

That’s about it. We don’t look like a cohesive team but one that seems stuck between two stools. I get that there’s a lot of new faces and covid has slowed down the transition from the Gatland era, but we should be further forward now. At very least, there should be a recognisable style.

I’m not sure I agree about Biggar being a positive yesterday. In general I have a lot of time for him but I felt yesterday he was winding the ref up too much.


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[normanski]

As an external
Positives
You won
LW
Biggar/Sheedy
Jenkins (no 6 I think) was very good
Beard - what an utter prick to play against at the maul
Hooker gave u a solid platform

Negatives
Score line flattered
Back row was beaten by fijji
attack patterns - do they exist
Considering you played 13 for 20 mins
Very much a team built around individual brilliance and the old defence structures
The weirdest thing is I don’t think you look even more likely to score playing 13-14-15.


So glad for cuthbert that he got his try

That’s about it. We don’t look like a cohesive team but one that seems stuck between two stools. I get that there’s a lot of new faces and covid has slowed down the transition from the Gatland era, but we should be further forward now. At very least, there should be a recognisable style.

I’m not sure I agree about Biggar being a positive yesterday. In general I have a lot of time for him but I felt yesterday he was winding the ref up too much.


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This was always going to be a difficult game to win given the injuries and positional changes we had to make. The Fijians are not a side to be taken lightly and would have given all the home nations a run for their money.

Pivac seems to use the autumn to experiment and blood new, younger players without worrying overly about the consequences.

This worked well last year with the dire autumn results more than offset by a great 6N. Pivac and his team and the regions should now concentrate on getting as many of the walking wounded back into match fitness and battle ready.