I am not calling for his head but I have to say Warren Gatland, and the rest of the Welsh Rugby coaching staff, is really starting to worry me. Yes they have brought an intensity to the Welsh team that we haven’t seen for years. They have brought us a Grand Slam (thank you so, so much) and a belief we should win games. But they are making a lot of mistakes as well.
More worringly than them making mistakes, they don’t seem to be learning from them.
Mistakes
In my precition for the Welsh game it seems I overestimated how much trust we should put in the coaches. The problems before hand were there for all to see, and in fact most people said it, including me.
Let us see…
- there is playing Dan Lydiate ahead of Jonathon Thomas – was always going to be a mistake considering it was vs Rocky Elsom, and having an 8 in Powell who wouldnt know a ruck if you hit him with it.
- There is our woeful lack of creativity
- There is the very odd decision of picking Andrew Bishop on the bench when it turns out Shanks was fit
- There is playing James Hook at full back rather than center and not having a 15 in the squad
- Powell at 6, a mistake until the decision was taken out of his hands
- and most of all there is our complete lack of plan B
The same mistakes have been happening since 2008, it is time for the coaching team to admit they made a lot of faults in tactics and especially selections. This was a winnable game and, whilst the Aussies played very well, we let them play. Not good enough, not even close.
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I agree they’ve made mistakes but not sure they are the same ones you refer to. In response to your points:
1) Did you know that Jonathan Thomas now has 50 caps? I mean how the hell did that happen? JT is a half-decent squad player – granted – but the coaches decided to take a punt on Lydiate and you’ve got to blood these guys sooner or later. JT was lucky not to be banned for the whole Autumn the idiot, and its hardly like he’s first choice in any position for his region… Close call – 20:20 hindsight etc etc
2) So I agree with you on the creativity thing. First, I’d like them to get the simple things right. Look at the Dragons for pity’s sake. Rugby is a simple game… That’s what the x2 Grand Slams were built on.
3) I thought Bishop did OK; certainly looked more dynamic than Jamie Roberts. Shanks is not back on form, and he’s not getting any quicker.
4) Similarly I think James Hook played very well at 15. We’d have been dead and buried against the Aussies after 20 mins (OK, so we pretty much were I suppose) if he wasn’t as sharp as he was
5) Agree – Powell needs a lie down. A good 6 though.
6) We didn’t even have a Plan A by the looks of it
My biggest beefs were the tighthead debacle (I feel nothing but pity for Paul James, but let’s be honest he won’t be wearing a 3 on his back for a very long while – at least not for Wales anyway), the appalling, misguided and insistent employment of ‘the box kick’ (a great way of giving away possession in exchange for 5 yards gained) and the telegraphed use of the aforementioned Jamie Roberts.
Roberts needs to know how to use his size more. He isn’t blessed with skills, and should be less complacent about the whole 17st, 6′ 5” issue.
1) I think JT is a superb blindside flanker and should be starting there constantly. the only reason he doesn’t at teh ospreys is Jerry Collins, which is a pretty formidable reason. The only 6 Wales has better than JT is Ryan jones who is also our best 8. Lydiate should never be blooded against the best 6 in the world with an 8 backing him up who cant ruck.
2) Simple things right? Scrummaging was always going to be onto a loser (we really need a backup TH), but our lineout was good. our breakdown needed more numbers (another fault that Gats seems unwilling to look at, especially when we lack AJ and phillips). But I would say creating tries wasn’t the fault of the basics but us being nothing but basic.
3) Bishop did better than expected but is nowhere near an international class center.
4) Hook was awful at 15 vs the Aussies. He was caught out of position again and again. If we had byrne there, or even just an established 15, their positional play would have been far better. not hooks fault, he simply isnt an experienced full back and should never have been in that position. yes he can counter attack but if we wanted an attacking 1 who cant defend we could have picked stoddart in the squad from the start. Also your point re blooding players in point 1) – why was no FB blooded?
5) Please tell me you dont think Powell is a good 6. He should never play in that position for Wales. Never. Never. Never.
6) True
I dont think we can blame roberts, he was regularly given slow ball with 3 defenders in front of him. Really there is only 2 options there, hit them or kick.
Powell is good going forward – a hell of a lot better than he is defensively anyway. Shit I don’t know do I… that’s what these coaches are getting paid to do.
Josh Turnbull – now there’s another 6 with brains
Reminded me of James Griffiths’ first cap when he got binned 10 seconds after coming on as sub for lamping some Samoan.
I suppose you are right about Powell. Nuggett and Ryan Jones have got it going on upstairs. I think Warburton has got he head screwed on; maybe/I hope they saw the same with Lydiate. Not sure about JT; he was very promising at one time; like James Hook he needs to have one position he plays in every week.
If only Geraint Lewis’ knees were as good as his hands…