RugbyRebels

Sandydragon wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 9:42 pm

Son of Mathonwy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 7:53 pm Here are the stats. No great surprises after watching it. Tshiunza had a decent game to be fair. Lake would be great were it not for that lineout thing that hookers need to do.

https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/playerstat ... gue=164205

Tshiunza looked far more comfortable today, less of the rabbit in the headlights. We just need to work out what his best position is now.

His best position currently is 19 covering lock and back row

J Williams can’t or won’t pass he’s like Taylor reimagined

Son of Mathonwy wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 10:57 pm

Sandydragon wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 9:54 pm On the bright side, we have 10 points from 2 games and no one injured. I don’t think we expected that.

Yeah, it is mission accomplished for the first 2 games, if only just.

And the silver lining on today's performance is that Gatland won't have too many sleepless nights making his selections for next week. It's last week's team. perhaps with a slightly different bench.

Ho hum.

Lydiate did very little today; he’s probably only really useful against South Africa or England. We need Wainwroght back against mobile opposition.

Hopefully Henry Thomas is fit because our scrum with Francis removed is like a horror show.

I think Gatland learned a lot from yesterday. We just don’t have the strength in depth we ought to have at a World Cup.

I know Portugal were lively and fast but our pack didn’t do anything to subdue them early on. Also, Williams and Grady just didn’t gel in the midfield despite their size and supposed skill. Grady kept dropping the ball at key times as we were building momentum and this played into Portugal’s game plan. Their time may come but not this year.

We were lucky to have the BP, albeit in the 82nd minute.

Gatland knows his starters for Australia but he must have serious concerns about the quality on the bench.

that was fecking dire. lets not pretend otherwise

normanski wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2023 11:49 am I think Gatland learned a lot from yesterday. We just don’t have the strength in depth we ought to have at a World Cup.

I know Portugal were lively and fast but our pack didn’t do anything to subdue them early on. Also, Williams and Grady just didn’t gel in the midfield despite their size and supposed skill. Grady kept dropping the ball at key times as we were building momentum and this played into Portugal’s game plan. Their time may come but not this year.

We were lucky to have the BP, albeit in the 82nd minute.

Gatland knows his starters for Australia but he must have serious concerns about the quality on the bench.

This is always true.

It would have been nice to see a few diamonds in the rough though.