Team v Japan

[pompey-zebra]

Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Keiron Assiratti, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taulupe Faletau.

[pompey-zebra]

Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Archie Griffin, James Ratti, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, ⁠Joe Roberts.

[Sandydragon]

There’s some rewards in there for good form this season, which makes sense. Mann and Macleod have both been very good for their respective clubs. The backline is interesting. Thomas and Williams in the centre could be a nice combination, interesting to see how they get on.

[UKHamlet]

There’s some rewards in there for good form this season, which makes sense. Mann and Macleod have both been very good for their respective clubs. The backline is interesting. Thomas and Williams in the centre could be a nice combination, interesting to see how they get on.

Yeah, I like that centre partnership. I suspect the flankers are a nod to the conditions - it's going to burn out whoever is on the park, and it might be nice to have the more experienced players protected for future use/impact. It's a shame we can't do the same with Taulupe.

[Graigwen]

It is a sensible team, tailored to the circumstances.

I hope it is the start to an era when I can enjoy watching Wales play again.
.

[pompey-zebra]

It is a sensible team, tailored to the circumstances.

I hope it is the start to an era when I can enjoy watching Wales play again.
.

Me too. Its been a very long couple of years since finishing top of the group in the RWC.

[Graigwen]

We can lose this game through indiscipline and careless kicking out of hand. We can win it through good discipline and wearing the Japanese down. We have a lot of wise heads in our team, and Costelow.

Against the Maori, the Japanese defence looked very porous. Their attack was very sharp and it is unlikely we can stop them scoring tries, we just have to score more. Japan did tire towards the end of the game and showed some inexperience in defence. They looked ideally set up for Blair Murray to slice through. The Japanese scrum was good at times, but our bench options may give us an advantage in the later stages of the game. I place a lot of faith in Nicky Smith.

.

[pompey-zebra]

Good start from Wales, nasty injury to Carter aside, but sloppy play and poor kicking has let Japan back in. 7-7.
Very stop start game which isnt helping.

[Sandydragon]

What a crap game. Conditions really bad for rugby but once again our lineout is iffy.

[Sandydragon]

Our scrum now has gone to rat shit.

This is not a wales side that’s good enough to compete at top level. The weather is bad, but this is a very weak Japanese side.

[Sandydragon]

A 60 minute half of rugby, entertaining it ain’t.

Eddie jones has screwed his own team over. Passing the ball is a lottery which is hurting the Japanese more than it’s hurting us.

Our set piece is concerning, and thank god for Faletau.

I hope our bench will have a positive impact, I’m expecting early subs in this heat.

But we are winning 19-5 which is highly positive.

[Sandydragon]

After another 20 mins of turgid crap, the score hasn’t changed. Our lineout is still poor. And our basics at time are amateurish.

Both sides are dreadful really and the humidity is crippling this game.

Wales going to the air a lot. Japan look dangerous if they get a half break. Wales can win this, but we need to keep discipline and take points when on offer.

[Sandydragon]

We’re now losing. Japan have suddenly decided to play rugby and we look lost. Too many mistakes gifting Japan possession and field position.

This is genuinely freadful and no disrespect to Japan but we look totally rudderless.

[Sandydragon]

And we lost again.

We mentally fell apart

[UKHamlet]

That was fairly typical of a Matt Sherratt team. Play some good rugby. Go to pieces near the end. No mental toughness.

[pompey-zebra]

Jesus. Just seen the result. Is this shite ever going to end?

[Sandydragon]

Jesus. Just seen the result. Is this shite ever going to end?

I’m not confident for next weekend. The humidity obviously played a part but so many mistakes. And the mental frailty is really worrying. The players were obviously under orders to kick the leather off the ball in the second half, but our execution of that was poor.

It’s genuinely the time to do something radical. Drop to two regions and get players competing for places and winning some games again. This humiliation will kill the game.

[Graigwen]

Not a great performance by Japan, but far worse by Wales in the latter part of the second half.

We were giving away penalties at most scrums. By the end of the match we could not even win the ball on our own line outs.

Hardy was harshly refereed at rucks and scrums, but he failed to respond to warnings. Costelow exercised very little control. Our bench certainly did not improve things. All in all it was a very depressing performance.

.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Wow, we really are shite. I thought we'd finally come up against a team that was worse than us, but no.

We lost it in the third quarter, where we had a lot of chances but didn't make anything of them, losing lineouts, scrums and kicking possession away aimlessly. Loved the commentary at 55 minutes - Wales don't need to do anything more now, everything will be fine. Fucking great, complacent crap. I figure the players weren't thinking like that but my god did they go to pieces when Japan started playing with some fluency.

No excuses this time, Sheratt, you had practically all the Welsh players to choose from and this is what we get. Not good enough. What are we now, fourteenth in the world? Fuck. And we still haven't got the new coach, so we're treading water (or is that sinking?) till then.

[pompey-zebra]

God, I never thought I'd be nostalgic for the 90's. Seems like a golden age compared to now.

[Graigwen]

Smith, Lake and Faletau played well.
.

[Sandydragon]

I watched All Blacks vs France yesterday. Great game but the skill levels on display were a million miles away from the utter garbage on display yesterday morning.

Yes, Bert different weather, but our skill levels have been poor for so long. It’s not just the Welsh team management at fault here

[Tuco Ramirez]

I was initially surprised Belcher was picked over Dee, Baffled now.

[Sandydragon]

I was initially surprised Belcher was picked over Dee, Baffled now.

I’m fecking stunned.

We don’t have many international class players so when we deliberately don’t pick one it’s really odd.

[Son of Mathonwy]

I was initially surprised Belcher was picked over Dee, Baffled now.

I’m fecking stunned.

We don’t have many international class players so when we deliberately don’t pick one it’s really odd.

That particular choice has to be a Sherratt/Cardiff thing.