So that’s the 6 Nations over with. I’ll take a look at the torunament as a whole later in the week but it was good to see us actually win a game, and deserve to as well.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, it is only Italy after all, and quite frankly they were pretty low class opposition – nothing like the spirited side that beat Scotland and ran England so close earlier in the tournament. So we shouldn’t fool ourselves into think that this is some massive turning point.
But that being said there were a number of positives – including reminding ourselves just how good Mike Phillips and Gethin jenkins are. We have seen that below them we don’t have cover of the quality needed. Dwayne Peel may be a fine player (though desperately needs some form) but he doesn’t suit the Welsh game plan. Cooper looked poor yet again and Richie Rees did well enough, far better than i expected him to, but is a long way from being Phillips. The problem with basing out game plan around having a big, strong 9 able to take on backrowers in an arm wrestle is that we only actually have one of them – so we are proper fucked if he gets injured.
Gethin was immense yet again, everywhere in the loose. I would have him up as not just one the best props in the world but one of the best players. By himself he doubles the effectiveness of our breakdown, and when coupled with Phillips returning it was like an entirely different team when it came to rucking.
There were a few other positives… not least the ‘arrival’ of Sam Warburton on the International scene. Now let us not get ahead of ourselves (as some on teh rugby message boards seem to be doing) and write Martyn Williams off based on Warburton having one excellent game – but Warburton certainly showed a lot of class out there. He carried very well, was everywhere in defence and rucked very effeciently… actually getting beyond the ball which is something I haven’t seen a Welsh player do all that often in a long time.
Warburton’s class allowed JT to have his best game in a Welsh shirt for awhile. His work at the break down and in support was far better than it has been and he had a good game, which suggests a more destructive 7 is what the team needs to balance the backrow – though I personally would like to see a Warburton 7, Ryan 6 and Delve 8 back row tried on tour, as I think that has a lot fo destructive and carrying potential.
Other than that some decent performances – our lineout worked well with a combination of Rees being back at hooker and us keeping it simple. Our scrum, one slip from Adam aside, looked very solid. Byrne looked to slowly start getting towards form. Hook showed the best and worst of his game, as he tends to every game at the moment. Stephen ran the line very well (though not sure why he got man of the match when the likes of Phillips and Gethin were so immense) and Roberts did well.
Prydie was interesting as a newcomer to the International stage, and certainly didn’t look out of place. He did everything that has been asked of him defensively and looked sharp the few times eh touched the ball. His work rate was good, looking for action rather than just waiting for it. Certainly justivied Gatland’s decision to bring him in.
This win in no way covers up for the problems we have suffered from all tournament, and the coaches need to start looking at themselves and what they are trying to do. God only knows we have been lacking a decent plan B for a long, long time now – although it seems to have fallen back to the ‘give it to Shane’ plan B we have had before. But it is good to see that with some of our ‘marquee’ players back we look a half way decent side.
But give our repeated failings this tournament that is not good enough.
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