United Rugby Championship

[Sandydragon]

Scarlets losing to Munster seconds at home. Really poor effort thus far.

[Wallpaperman]

Great performance from the Dragons yesterday but very disappointing from the other 3 this weekend. The Scarlets have just been demolished at home by Munster’s seconds. Ouch.

[Sandydragon]

Cardiff and Ospreys had disappointing results but that Scarlets loss was just embarrassing. Full credit to Munster seconds for a very well deserved win.

If some of those Scarlets stars are going to be up against the All Blacks in a few weeks time, they need a reminder that tackling isn’t optional.

[Wallpaperman]

Agreed, the Scarlets are missing way too many tackles. They have been defensively poor in all games so far, notwithstanding their win. They are underpowered in the second row and on the flanks, too. They have some decent flankers to come in, but need those young second rows to come through. Having Wyn Jones and Ken Owens back will help, not that they could do much to turn the tide today. Gareth Davies looked sharp in a losing cause.

I take it you are pretty pleased with Will Rowlands so far, Sandy. The new tight head is going well, too. I had never heard of him before.

[normanski]

There was very little cheer in this weekend’s games. All credit to the Dragons who played really well to get an away win over an Irish side. Very encouraging!

Ospreys, Cardiff and Scarlets must learn to get to the breakdown far more quickly and then dominate the tackle area while protecting the fringes. Gethin Jenkins must have been very disappointed by the performance of some of the Wales qualified players from all three clubs.

The early loss of Navidi didn’t help Cardiff at all.

The only consolation is that when the Welsh teams are not at their best,the National team seem to rise to the occasion and pull something out of the bag, leaving their indifferent club form behind. Pivac and his team have their work cut out to get Wales up to speed to take on the might of the Southern Hemisphere.

[Numbers]

The Scarlets have been pretty bad so far this season, the defence is a big worry as the fact that an almost full strength side were beaten so easily by a weak Munster outfit, I'm hoping the senior players can get up to speed as obviously the Lions players won't have had a full pre-season so it's not surprising they are off the pace, I think Peel should have had them coming off the bench tbh.

Great from the Dragons who seem to kicking on again after a much better outing last season.

Blues and Ospreys are similarly as bad as the Scarlets.

[Numbers]

The other thing I noticed throughout most of the games was that the contact skills are poor, especially the Scarlets, the number of times they lost possession in contact was very concerning, LLoyd Ashley was pretty poor and Rob Evans spilled the ball on at least two ocassions.

[Son of Mathonwy]

The Ospreys were on course to win that match. Then they dropped the ball about a million times.

Didn't see that one. The Fail report suggested it was pretty awful, is that fair?

Yeah, in general the Ospreys were really bad, like the ball was smeared with butter - but only for them - the opposition had no trouble, conditions were excellent in fact.

They weren't universally bad - AWJ must have had a frustrating time watching half the team unable hold onto the ball. Anscombe was fine too. Protheroe was the most dangerous looking player (until he dropped the ball repeatedly etc), very frustrating.

[Son of Mathonwy]

The Scarlets have been pretty bad so far this season, the defence is a big worry as the fact that an almost full strength side were beaten so easily by a weak Munster outfit, I'm hoping the senior players can get up to speed as obviously the Lions players won't have had a full pre-season so it's not surprising they are off the pace, I think Peel should have had them coming off the bench tbh.

Great from the Dragons who seem to kicking on again after a much better outing last season.

Blues and Ospreys are similarly as bad as the Scarlets.

On the strength of this weekend the Dragons deserve good representation in the Wales squad.

All this talk of Lane partnering Adams in the NZ game is crazy, Holmes is clearly ahead of him.

[Sandydragon]

Agreed, the Scarlets are missing way too many tackles. They have been defensively poor in all games so far, notwithstanding their win. They are underpowered in the second row and on the flanks, too. They have some decent flankers to come in, but need those young second rows to come through. Having Wyn Jones and Ken Owens back will help, not that they could do much to turn the tide today. Gareth Davies looked sharp in a losing cause.

I take it you are pretty pleased with Will Rowlands so far, Sandy. The new tight head is going well, too. I had never heard of him before.

Very happy with Rowlands. Still not convinced by him at international level but he’s a very good club player and adds some real heft to our pack.

[Sandydragon]

The Ospreys were on course to win that match. Then they dropped the ball about a million times.

Didn't see that one. The Fail report suggested it was pretty awful, is that fair?

Yeah, in general the Ospreys were really bad, like the ball was smeared with butter - but only for them - the opposition had no trouble, conditions were excellent in fact.

They weren't universally bad - AWJ must have had a frustrating time watching half the team unable hold onto the ball. Anscombe was fine too. Protheroe was the most dangerous looking player (until he dropped the ball repeatedly etc), very frustrating.

Anscombe has looked tidy in the games I’ve seen this far.

[Numbers]

The Scarlets have been pretty bad so far this season, the defence is a big worry as the fact that an almost full strength side were beaten so easily by a weak Munster outfit, I'm hoping the senior players can get up to speed as obviously the Lions players won't have had a full pre-season so it's not surprising they are off the pace, I think Peel should have had them coming off the bench tbh.

Great from the Dragons who seem to kicking on again after a much better outing last season.

Blues and Ospreys are similarly as bad as the Scarlets.

On the strength of this weekend the Dragons deserve good representation in the Wales squad.

All this talk of Lane partnering Adams in the NZ game is crazy, Holmes is clearly ahead of him.

I think a lot of people are advocating Holmes at 15 as he's played there quite a lot which would then accommodate Lane, it's more a question of do you play Amos or Lane imo.

[Sandydragon]

Assuming Adams is nailed on, then I’d put Holmes at Full back and possibly Lane on the other wing. Amos is too inconsistent and whilst he can offer some soft skills he can also make some howlers.

I’m thinking

9. Tomos Williams
10. I’d start Anscombe with good cover on the bench
11. Adams
12. Davies
13. Halaholo
14. Lane
15. Holmes

Reps Davies, probably Priestland and maybe Jonny Williams.

[Sandydragon]

As for the pack.

1. Wyn Jones (if fit).
2. Dee
3. Francis
4. Beard
5. AWJ
6. Moriarty
7. Hmmm. Would have gone for Navidi but now can’t. Is Botham fit? If not then Basham
8. Wainwright.

Back row is concerning. Obviously missing Tipuric and Faletau and now Navidi.

[Numbers]

As for the pack.

1. Wyn Jones (if fit).
2. Dee
3. Francis
4. Beard
5. AWJ
6. Moriarty
7. Hmmm. Would have gone for Navidi but now can’t. Is Botham fit? If not then Basham
8. Wainwright.

Back row is concerning. Obviously missing Tipuric and Faletau and now Navidi.

I'm thinking similarly but with Ken Owens at hooker and Jac Morgan at 7, Will Griffiths is looking very good for the Os at the moment so I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a call up, Rhys Davies has also looked good so maybe he'll get called into the squad, Parry seems to be showing up well as well so hooker is quite closely contested.

Regarding the backs then you are pretty much where I would be other than Halaholo at 12 and JD at 13 as Halaholo never plays 13 iirc tho there is a case for Scott Williams to keep the centre partnership going with Foxy as they've played well together in the first few games despite the rest of the Scarlets being hopeless.

[Sandydragon]

Scott Williams must be in with a shout, although I like what Halaholo brings. I suspect one will be in the bench.

The Fail is highligthing Ellis Jenkins for the open side berth. That seems brave considering where he is with his comeback. Olly Griffiths would be a temptation too. Quite a few options for open side actually but someone will get an opportunity in the absence of Tips.

[normanski]

Scott Williams must be in with a shout, although I like what Halaholo brings. I suspect one will be in the bench.

The Fail is highligthing Ellis Jenkins for the open side berth. That seems brave considering where he is with his comeback. Olly Griffiths would be a temptation too. Quite a few options for open side actually but someone will get an opportunity in the absence of Tips.

No. It has to be Basham. Bring on a promising youngster who has no fear of the Blacks.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Assuming Adams is nailed on, then I’d put Holmes at Full back and possibly Lane on the other wing. Amos is too inconsistent and whilst he can offer some soft skills he can also make some howlers.

I’m thinking

9. Tomos Williams
10. I’d start Anscombe with good cover on the bench
11. Adams
12. Davies
13. Halaholo
14. Lane
15. Holmes

Reps Davies, probably Priestland and maybe Jonny Williams.

For me it would be

9. Tomos Williams (although would be happy with Webb or Davies)
10. Anscombe
11. Adams
12. Davies
13. Johnny Williams
14. Holmes
15. McNichol (although Amos would be acceptable)

[Son of Mathonwy]

Scott Williams must be in with a shout, although I like what Halaholo brings. I suspect one will be in the bench.

The Fail is highligthing Ellis Jenkins for the open side berth. That seems brave considering where he is with his comeback. Olly Griffiths would be a temptation too. Quite a few options for open side actually but someone will get an opportunity in the absence of Tips.

No. It has to be Basham. Bring on a promising youngster who has no fear of the Blacks.

Jac is a serious option but Basham just about edges him at the moment.

[Sandydragon]

Assuming Adams is nailed on, then I’d put Holmes at Full back and possibly Lane on the other wing. Amos is too inconsistent and whilst he can offer some soft skills he can also make some howlers.

I’m thinking

9. Tomos Williams
10. I’d start Anscombe with good cover on the bench
11. Adams
12. Davies
13. Halaholo
14. Lane
15. Holmes

Reps Davies, probably Priestland and maybe Jonny Williams.

For me it would be

9. Tomos Williams (although would be happy with Webb or Davies)
10. Anscombe
11. Adams
12. Davies
13. Johnny Williams
14. Holmes
15. McNichol (although Amos would be acceptable)

Would you really go for McNicholl? Defensively that’s a risk

[Son of Mathonwy]

Assuming Adams is nailed on, then I’d put Holmes at Full back and possibly Lane on the other wing. Amos is too inconsistent and whilst he can offer some soft skills he can also make some howlers.

I’m thinking

9. Tomos Williams
10. I’d start Anscombe with good cover on the bench
11. Adams
12. Davies
13. Halaholo
14. Lane
15. Holmes

Reps Davies, probably Priestland and maybe Jonny Williams.

For me it would be

9. Tomos Williams (although would be happy with Webb or Davies)
10. Anscombe
11. Adams
12. Davies
13. Johnny Williams
14. Holmes
15. McNichol (although Amos would be acceptable)

Would you really go for McNicholl? Defensively that’s a risk

IMO a risk worth taking given what he can do on a good day. This is not a game we're expecting to win and not one we're going to win playing conservatively either. LRZ is a defensive risk too but we'd play him if he was available.

[Numbers]

According to the Fail Thomas Young will be available for selection despite the 5060 cap rule for the autumn test series, still he won't feature against the ABs as it's outside the test window, I'm a big fan of his and he can do a job across the back row if required.

[Wallpaperman]

It’s all been a bit depressing from a Welsh perspective so far, especially seeing the Ospreys & Cardiff forwards getting duffed up by the South Africans, and a couple of consecutive humiliating defeats for the Scarlets.

A better weekend, then. The Scarlets rode their luck a bit, and a fine Scott Williams performance certainly helped, but Benetton are a good side now and that was a decent win on Friday. Gorgeous second try, too.

Cracking game between Cardiff & the Dragons today. Cardiff did well to come back into it, after the early lead for the Dragons. Will Boyde’s turnovers in the second half were vital but the scrum was the key to Cardiff’s win. Arhip was at his immense best, and shredded the Dragons loose heads. I think the Dragons still could have won from 9 points down with about 15 to go, but they gave away some really daft penalties at that point and threw some reckless passes. I thought that Fry’s injury took a little wind from their sails, Baker looked off the pace when he came on. The Dragons look good in patches in every game, but have won one from five. Dean Ryan must be tearing his hair out.

And the best was saved to last. Excellent and deserved win for the Ospreys tonight. They are still quite an ugly team to watch, especially when you look at the talented backs that they have. They are definitely getting there under Booth though, and they outmuscled Munster tonight and reduced them to making some daft errors, not often that they do that against a Welsh team. I remember them beating the Scarlets a couple of years ago when they were 10 points down and O’Mahony had been sent off, so I was relieved when Healy missed the kick with 3 minutes to go. As with the Cardiff performance, the win was built on the scrum and Nicky Smith, in particular, had a cracking game. The Munster tight head was pinged for driving across after about 30 minutes, and then repeatedly after that. On a couple of scrums he was almost at 90 degrees when play broke up.

Great game from Jac Morgan. I think the Ospreys style of play counts against him with Wayne Pivac, who would prefer a linking 7. He looked quite skilful when with the Scarlets though, and his time will surely come. In addition, although Ospreys were on paper weakened by AWJ and Beard being with Wales, they actually had a couple of tough, gnarly second rows in Bradley & Rhys Davies, who were both in Munster’s way all match. Rhys Davies looks like a naturally heavy guy, and I don’t think that he is the most dynamic lineout jumper, but he carries well, has a great engine and doesn’t take a backward step. He was a bit of a penalty liability at the start of last season but doesn’t ship many now. As with Morgan I would expect to see him involved with Wales in future.

Nice to be a bit more positive. After all, it’s New Zealand next weekend. Onwards and upwards.

[Sourdust]

Yes, I needed a positivity top-up ahead of next weekend's misery.

TBH I felt Os had done well but were pretty lucky to turn around 9-3 up, and we all assumed Munster would sort it out. Instead, it was Os who upped their game. It was really, really weird to be sat in the stands watching us hold a narrow lead, but feeling increasing confidence that we weren't going to blow it. And against Munster, the all-time masters of getting-outplayed-but-beating-you-anyway, that was really something.

There are still bucketloads of questions for the Os to answer regarding their attacking play, but they can all wait when you've just beaten a side you've not come near in... how long? I wouldn't care if it was 3-0, that's a brilliant win.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Yes, I needed a positivity top-up ahead of next weekend's misery.

TBH I felt Os had done well but were pretty lucky to turn around 9-3 up, and we all assumed Munster would sort it out. Instead, it was Os who upped their game. It was really, really weird to be sat in the stands watching us hold a narrow lead, but feeling increasing confidence that we weren't going to blow it. And against Munster, the all-time masters of getting-outplayed-but-beating-you-anyway, that was really something.

There are still bucketloads of questions for the Os to answer regarding their attacking play, but they can all wait when you've just beaten a side you've not come near in... how long? I wouldn't care if it was 3-0, that's a brilliant win.

Ospreys won ugly (comfortably though!) but that's Munster's MO so no worries whatsoever. This is what you get with an English coach(!) but as long as we win it's fine with me. We can save the pretty stuff for when we play Zebre.

Webb is clearly in the top three Welsh 9s but that's Wales's loss, Ospreys' gain.