Team v Japan Second test

[pompey-zebra]

Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake (c), Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Chris Coleman, James Ratti, Taine Plumtree, Tommy Reffell, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keelan Giles.

[pompey-zebra]

A few talking points here. Faletau and Assiratti miss out through injury, Thomas and Griffin come in & they've stuck with the same hookers and centres. Edwards replaces Costellow, & Plumtree, Coleman, RM-W and Giles (who might finally get a cap) come onto the bench.

So looks like they've made changes to address some of last week's problems, but stuck with the same players in other areas.

[Tuco Ramirez]

another quirky selection from Sherrat.

[Son of Mathonwy]

That doesn't look good. He's keeping several of the problem selections from last week (Belcher, Mann, arguably Johnny Williams at 13) and lost his best player, Faletau. Edwards might be an improvement over Costelow though. Hope Giles finally gets his cap.

We could win. It was close last week, however hopeless the last 25 minutes were. But we'll need some luck.

More important would be getting our set-piece working, though.

[Sandydragon]

That doesn't look good. He's keeping several of the problem selections from last week (Belcher, Mann, arguably Johnny Williams at 13) and lost his best player, Faletau. Edwards might be an improvement over Costelow though. Hope Giles finally gets his cap.

We could win. It was close last week, however hopeless the last 25 minutes were. But we'll need some luck.

More important would be getting our set-piece working, though.

Totally agree on set piece.

N the Fail, Sherratt admitted that he didn’t know much about some of the players; the pace of Edwards for example. This is surely the problem with a part time interim coach. He isn’t sure about wider options and is thus picking players he is more familiar with. I’m still bemused by Belcher ahead of Dee.

[Tuco Ramirez]

the Dee omission is startling

[Sandydragon]

Sorry but Belcher vs Dee isn’t a difficult question for anyone. Likewise Plumtree vs Mann.

I don’t think it’s a personality issue as such, just a time one given he is the full time coach of Cardiff. He’s also going for players he knows best, which again I have some sympathy for but it’s not doing us that many favours. But the sooner we have a full time coach who can assess all of our players and hopefully get a team that works the better.

Or put another way, how long does it take to hire a f*cking coach?

[Son of Mathonwy]

Sorry but Belcher vs Dee isn’t a difficult question for anyone. Likewise Plumtree vs Mann.

I don’t think it’s a personality issue as such, just a time one given he is the full time coach of Cardiff. He’s also going for players he knows best, which again I have some sympathy for but it’s not doing us that many favours. But the sooner we have a full time coach who can assess all of our players and hopefully get a team that works the better.

Or put another way, how long does it take to hire a f*cking coach?

How long does it take to hire a coach who wants to coach Wales?

(Only kidding of course - win 1 match and you'll be a legend)

On Sherratt's Cardiff picks I'm not sure about that. He must be pretty familiar with Plumtree and Dee, as he is with other non-Cardiff players who play in Wales - even if he didn't coach them in the 6N he will know them (better than us fans) as regular opponents and transfer possibilities. I think it's more likely he simply thinks Mann and Belcher are a little better than the alternative.

[pompey-zebra]

It does seem odd that Dee isn't even on the bench, given the issues at the line out last week. And playing two twelves in the centre looked unbalanced at times. Maybe Sherratt thinks both areas will benefit from having had a game but it's a big risk if it doesn't come off. If we don't win games like this, when can we win?

[Graigwen]

I am not convinced it is a better team, although it might be a better prepared team

The lack of control from fly half was a very serious issue last week, Edwards should be better.

The loss of Faletau is huge. I was surprised Wain wright did not have more effect when he came on. Plumtree may help.

I hope Giles gets on, but going into a misfiring team is not a good welcome.
.

[Graigwen]

I am not convinced Johnny Williams is international standard. He has good flashes now and again but is mediocre the rest of the time.

.

[Sandydragon]

Kieron Hardy definitely isn’t. Charge downs have been threatened all match. Now we’re in a dodgy situation again largely due to him.

And that ball looked short to me.

[Sandydragon]

Hardy fucks up again. That was a shocking pass.

We’re letting it go again

[Sandydragon]

I am not convinced Johnny Williams is international standard. He has good flashes now and again but is mediocre the rest of the time.

.

We seem to have discounted Llewelyn a bit quickly, not to mention Other scarlets centres who have looked decent.

[pompey-zebra]

Try! Thank God for that. Let's not fuck it up now, eh,

[Sandydragon]

Reuben Williams much better at scrum half.

[Sandydragon]

Try! Thank God for that. Let's not fuck it up now, eh,

Stand by

[Sandydragon]

TFFT. We haven’t set a new record for consecutive losses (just equalled the existing one).

Much improved from last week. We didn’t switch off like we did. But whilst happy for a win, I can’t get excited by this. There’s too many glaring errors and weaknesses in that team and we have a long way to go.

[Graigwen]

I am not convinced Johnny Williams is international standard. He has good flashes now and again but is mediocre the rest of the time.

.

We seem to have discounted Llewelyn a bit quickly, not to mention Other scarlets centres who have looked decent.

I don't think Llewelyn has been permanently discounted. The way I see it, this tour was Williams chance to show his international quality. He has failed that test. We do have a problem at centre, but that has been simplified now we do not have to consider Johnny Williams.

.

[bruce]

Halle-feckin-luyah

[Sandydragon]

I am not convinced Johnny Williams is international standard. He has good flashes now and again but is mediocre the rest of the time.

.

We seem to have discounted Llewelyn a bit quickly, not to mention Other scarlets centres who have looked decent.

I don't think Llewelyn has been permanently discounted. The way I see it, this tour was Williams chance to show his international quality. He has failed that test. We do have a problem at centre, but that has been simplified now we do not have to consider Johnny Williams.

.

I think we can agree on Williams. I’d rather go into the AIs with Roberts and James. Maybe Page will be ready by the ?

[Graigwen]

Hardy fucks up again. That was a shocking pass.

We’re letting it go again

Hardy is not normally as useless as he has been on this tour. But he had a truly horrendous second half today.

As a general point, these wild passes without checking anyone can reach them must stop.

Plumtree can kick!

.

[Sandydragon]

Halle-feckin-luyah

Seconded

[Sandydragon]

Hardy fucks up again. That was a shocking pass.

We’re letting it go again

Hardy is not normally as useless as he has been on this tour. But he had a truly horrendous second half today.

As a general point, these wild passes without checking anyone can reach them must stop.

Plumtree can kick!

.

We got sucked into harum scarum which didn’t suit us at all vs Japan. Plumtree also has nice hands- great no look pass for the try.

[UKHamlet]

Thank fuck for that. We were much the better side until we started gassing and giving away soft tries.

Dan Edwards is clearly a better option than anyone else at 10, but we need to get a half decent option at 13. Apart from Williams, the backs acquitted themselves well. Half back is a problem though, once you get past Tomos.

The forwards are a bit meh. Wainright carried well, I guess. The locks looked uncomfortable, and the front row just about did a job against a weak Japanese pack..