Wales Pack So Far

[Tuco Ramirez]

My opinion after 3 games, 
Front Row, We seem ok on the loose head side with CD and GT
Hooker - Dee seems to be number one and his arrows are very good although his scrum is not his best asset. Our best scrummaging hooker is Elias but unfortunately cannot hit a cows arse with a banjo. Which brings us to tighthead, - this is a problem position- Assirati Brown nor Lewis are big scrummagers so the best option in an ideal world would be to put Elias in to shore up our scrum (which he did against Ireland) but its a problem for us with nothing really coming through.
Second rows. Our best two second rows at the moment and given our scrum problems are Rowlands and Beard (ducks for cover). Jenkins is captain so it is unlikely any change there.
Back row Wainright and Reffell are nailed on. Mann..... not sold on him as yet as an out and out 6. Yes he has scored 2 tries but to be honest i cannot think of a big hit or anything else of note he has done - he looks like a callow youth playing against men. Mckenzie Martin the same looks raw and both are playing in a struggling Cardiff side. 
That said we are where we are but i am not buying the Emperor's New Clothes
 

[Son of Mathonwy]

Yeah, I agree with a lot of that. It's a tough call on Dee and Elias, given the strengths and weaknesses of each. I think Elias's nightmare against Scotland was a bit of a blip for him but this a tough call without seeing them in training. Given the size of France's pack, I'd start Elias next time - we need all our best scrummaging options.
2nd row. I'm not convinced Jenkins is any better than the other two but Gatland's not going to drop him. Nor is he likely to drop Beard as a starter.
Back row. I think Martin went well enough to start him next time, so I'd switch him and Mann . . . presumably Martin to 8, Wainwright to 6.

[Sandydragon]

No much to argue with there. But I can’t think of too many alternatives. Tight head is a real problem and whilst pushing Botha in would be a quick fix, it’s not a long term one.

It’s a balance between whether we want to rubbish with the lineout or the scrum. You will always have a fair few lineouts in a game, scrums can be more variable.


Out of our three locks one will be on th bench. I think Bewrd is in there for his bulk and lineout calling, plus defensive maul. No point him being a sub in my view and Rowlands does that role better.

Mann is very raw. Maybe he will grow as a result of this and become a good blindside, maybe he won’t. We have Morgan to return but he and Reffell need to fight for the 7 shirt in my view. Perhaps Rhys Davies might be worth a god against bigger packs or even Christ? That position has been a question mark since the days of Lydiate and Navidi.

[UKHamlet]

Tighthead is a problem for Wales and on and off has been for a while. We don't seem to breed big, heavy bastards. The biggest prop in Wales is Carré but he's a loosehead and a poor scrummager. And he's in Gatland's shit book. I don't think we have any choice but to go with what we have, or bring the Osprey's Saffa in (Botha?), who seems to be useful.

I think people underestimate Jenkins. Check out two cents rugby's YouTube channel for his team of the week. He's the only Welshman to have made it. His stats are pretty good. I'm unconvinced by Beard, who never seems to punch his weight except in mauls and he hasn't seemed to be as prominent in this respect this year.

Backrow. Stating the obvious, Reffell is nailed on right now and I suspect Morgan might have problems getting the seven shirt back, although he brings something different to the party. Wainright has been superb at eight, but I think he would be great at six too. Depends what you want there. I'd probably bench Mann, put Martin in at eight and switch Wainright to six.

[Graigwen]

Tighthead is a problem for Wales and on and off has been for a while. We don't seem to breed big, heavy bastards. The biggest prop in Wales is Carré but he's a loosehead and a poor scrummager. And he's in Gatland's shit book. I don't think we have any choice but to go with what we have, or bring the Osprey's Saffa in (Botha?), who seems to be useful.

Carre is a work in progress....and has been for years. His awareness in the open has grown a lot, but from a very low point. He seems to be unreliable, from game to game.

Botha got stuffed last night in Edinburgh.

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[Sandydragon]

Carre is capable of big interventions, but he can also go missing. Fitness is definitely an issue for him which simply can’t be right for a professional sportsman. I think he could be a real asset for Wales, we need carriers with his impact.

[Spiffy]

Thomas Young, Cardiff flanker is playing some great rugby. He is tough, still very fast, a threat on either side of the ball, and has rugby brains. Might be a better fit than Mann, thought he is a natural 7. Is he even in the squad.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Outstanding close-range carrying from Carre yesterday. He also stayed on longer than usual (but then you wouldn't be in a rush to sub him in that form).

Nice to see Rhys Davies and Morgan Morris fit again (lots of players coming back for the Ospreys . . . they need it with the matches they have coming up).

[Sandydragon]

Thomas Young, Cardiff flanker is playing some great rugby. He is tough, still very fast, a threat on either side of the ball, and has rugby brains. Might be a better fit than Mann, thought he is a natural 7. Is he even in the squad.

He’s a very good player and in another era he would have got a ton of caps. But competition for the open side shirt is intense in wales, it’s our main area of strength

[Tuco Ramirez]

My opinion after 3 games, 
Front Row, We seem ok on the loose head side with CD and GT
Hooker - Dee seems to be number one and his arrows are very good although his scrum is not his best asset. Our best scrummaging hooker is Elias but unfortunately cannot hit a cows arse with a banjo. Which brings us to tighthead, - this is a problem position- Assirati Brown nor Lewis are big scrummagers so the best option in an ideal world would be to put Elias in to shore up our scrum (which he did against Ireland) but its a problem for us with nothing really coming through.
Second rows. Our best two second rows at the moment and given our scrum problems are Rowlands and Beard (ducks for cover). Jenkins is captain so it is unlikely any change there.
Back row Wainright and Reffell are nailed on. Mann..... not sold on him as yet as an out and out 6. Yes he has scored 2 tries but to be honest i cannot think of a big hit or anything else of note he has done - he looks like a callow youth playing against men. Mckenzie Martin the same looks raw and both are playing in a struggling Cardiff side. 
That said we are where we are but i am not buying the Emperor's New Clothes
 

Didnt see Jenkins at 6 coming but pretty much called that

[Graigwen]

Jenkins at 6 was the sort of thing that ought to be tried at some time. It probably would not have been tried against France in a normal season, but this season is not normal. At the moment I am happy it is being tried.

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[Numbers]

I thuoght they'd play Jenkins at 6 from the first game just to accomodate Beard and Rowlands, it makes sense to have a bit more weight in the pack and it can't do our scrum or lineout any harm that's for sure.

[Sandydragon]

I thuoght they'd play Jenkins at 6 from the first game just to accomodate Beard and Rowlands, it makes sense to have a bit more weight in the pack and it can't do our scrum or lineout any harm that's for sure.

Hopefully it frees up Wainwright a bit not to have to take all the lineout balls himself

[Graigwen]

I think it has been a bit experimental not to have had Rowlands in the starting XV. Our lineout seems more secure with him in it, and he sometime challenges on opposition lineouts. Having said that, I agree he makes an impact when he comes on as a sub.

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[Sandydragon]

I think it has been a bit experimental not to have had Rowlands in the starting XV. Our lineout seems more secure with him in it, and he sometime challenges on opposition lineouts. Having said that, I agree he makes an impact when he comes on as a sub.

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There is no second row on the bench, but presumably the move of Jenkins to the second row and brining on our 2 backrow subs would add for significant mobility increase there.

[Graigwen]

There is no second row on the bench, but presumably the move of Jenkins to the second row and brining on our 2 backrow subs would add for significant mobility increase there.

Indeed. Unless anything really unusual happens, two of our three 2nd rows are going to play for 80 minutes. (I hope we are not going to play Grady as a universal substitute again ! )

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[Sandydragon]

There is no second row on the bench, but presumably the move of Jenkins to the second row and brining on our 2 backrow subs would add for significant mobility increase there.

Indeed. Unless anything really unusual happens, two of our three 2nd rows are going to play for 80 minutes. (I hope we are not going to play Grady as a universal substitute again ! )

.

Hopefully not, although arguably that forward cameo was his best performance to date in a Welsh shirt.

[Son of Mathonwy]

There is no second row on the bench, but presumably the move of Jenkins to the second row and brining on our 2 backrow subs would add for significant mobility increase there.

Indeed. Unless anything really unusual happens, two of our three 2nd rows are going to play for 80 minutes. (I hope we are not going to play Grady as a universal substitute again ! )

.

Hopefully not, although arguably that forward cameo was his best performance to date in a Welsh shirt.

Turning Grady into a hybrid back row/centre/winger will work wonders for our bench cover (Hope Gatland doesn't read this)

[Graigwen]

Indeed. Unless anything really unusual happens, two of our three 2nd rows are going to play for 80 minutes. (I hope we are not going to play Grady as a universal substitute again ! )

.

Hopefully not, although arguably that forward cameo was his best performance to date in a Welsh shirt.

Turning Grady into a hybrid back row/centre/winger will work wonders for our bench cover (Hope Gatland doesn't read this)

I think Grady did have one scrum in the second row when we had someone carded?
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[Son of Mathonwy]

Hopefully not, although arguably that forward cameo was his best performance to date in a Welsh shirt.

Turning Grady into a hybrid back row/centre/winger will work wonders for our bench cover (Hope Gatland doesn't read this)

I think Grady did have one scrum in the second row when we had someone carded?
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That would not surprise me.