Squad for Wales

[Scrumhead]

Yeah - I don’t believe it either. Just putting it out into the universe …

[Slater582]

Jones era had two distinct periods. Period 1 2015-2019 First class. Period 2 2020-2022 Shite.

Its really that simple.

Results weren't bad in 2020.

[Banquo]

I agree in part. Although, the most recent captain (Lawes) was unavailable at the time which I would assume played a part in the decision. He might have also wanted the continuity of someone having done the role before? Lastly Farrell was in good form for Saracens going into the 6N. That doesn’t mean I’d have picked him to play, let alone as skipper, but it’s not true to say he was ‘poorly performing’ when selected as captain.

I’d like to think Borthwick has the ‘cojones to cut him adrift’, but I’m not sure? He has a reputation for being pretty brutal, but leaving Farrell out would be a big statement and I’m not sure he’s brave enough to make it …

OTOH, if we lose (as expected) the final 2 games and Farrell is individually poor, there is a decent reason to do it …

Trouble is we are then even fewer games from the world cup. I suppose realistically we probably haven't much hope there anyway. And Faz was doing what he has always done for Sarries- albeit in a team with a bit more ambition,( despite having two terrible scrum halves by high standards)- he's always looked a good club 10.

Yeah - I’m putting all my hopes on the unlikely possibility of Farrell being dropped, but here’s my logic …

As a new head coach, dropping Farrell would have generated a huge amount of heat. More heat that Borthwick might have been prepared to handle (particularly knowing that the squad was in a bad place).

Dropping Farrell after a 6 Nations campaign where he’s performed notably poorly and the media are no longer completely blind to his faults would a very different proposition.

Smith might still be finding his feet at test level, but he’s not a rookie anymore. I expect him to fight for his place and with a fit again Ford, the case for picking Farrell (at 10 anyway) becomes weaker and weaker.

I was meaning drop him now, before its too late!!

[Scrumhead]

And I thought I was being optimistic … Dropping him now is never, ever going to happen.

[Banquo]

And I thought I was being optimistic … Dropping him now is never, ever going to happen.

sadly so. But it should be a possibility, and better now then after the 6N

[Banquo]

Jones era had two distinct periods. Period 1 2015-2019 First class. Period 2 2020-2022 Shite.

Its really that simple.

Results weren't bad in 2020.

indeed- think in calendar 2020 we won the 6N and all the autumn cup games....only lost one game.

[Mellsblue]

Jones era had two distinct periods. Period 1 2015-2019 First class. Period 2 2020-2022 Shite.

Its really that simple.

Results weren't bad in 2020.

indeed- think in calendar 2020 we won the 6N and all the autumn cup games....only lost one game.

Results weren’t bad but the autumn cup was a disaster. We played like turd, it was little different to how Wales played last weekend, and wasted a golden opportunity to blood some youngsters, which the now top two teams in the world did…

[Banquo]

Results weren't bad in 2020.

indeed- think in calendar 2020 we won the 6N and all the autumn cup games....only lost one game.

Results weren’t bad but the autumn cup was a disaster. We played like turd, it was little different to how Wales played last weekend, and wasted a golden opportunity to blood some youngsters, which the now top two teams in the world did…

Results were very good tbh but I forgot to say our performances were poor, but then again autumn cup was during Covid so a tad of mitigation. Mind even in calendar 2021 we managed to beat Oz and SA somehow.

[Mikey Brown]

Yep, it was the wasted chance for a reset, and at least having a glimpse of some of the non-Saracens core while many were playing poorly or not at all, that was most disappointing.

For whatever reason I can’t accept that Nations Cup finale against France B as anything but a loss. They were absolutely robbed.

[Mellsblue]

For whatever reason I can’t accept that Nations Cup finale against France B as anything but a loss. They were absolutely robbed.

The pyrrhic rugby victory to end all pyrrhic rugby victories.

[Mikey Brown]

Yes. Exactly. I didn’t even need to look that word up or anything.

[Banquo]

Yep, it was the wasted chance for a reset, and at least having a glimpse of some of the non-Saracens core while many were playing poorly or not at all, that was most disappointing.

For whatever reason I can’t accept that Nations Cup finale against France B as anything but a loss. They were absolutely robbed.

From memory it was quite difficult to even get a team together at that point, there was something or other going on at the time- plus the final round of the 6N was played at the same time. We also did give debuts to the likes of Will Stuart, Max Malins and Jack Willis. So I'd cut a bit of slack.