Terrible news about Ifan: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport...roken-ospreys-players-supported-ifan-22403829
Lack of Welsh officials - not surprising really … https://www.world.rugby/the-game/high-performance/officiating/678747
So the Six Nations starts again Saturday.... I have a feeling the first game will be a "watch from behind the sofa" affair! I dearly hope not but Ireland away is tricky at the best of times and I expect them to be focused, dynamic and clinical. The Scotland v England game should be quite tasty, looking forward to that one. Can lightning strike again for Wales? Thoughts?
Much will depend on the front row and back row on Saturday - if we can hold our own in the scrums and compete well at the breakdown, we may surprise a few people. (Hopefully, our throwing at the line out will have improved as well …) That said, with Porter and Furlong in their front row, I can see nothing but a hard time in the scrums. I’m not confident about our ‘darts’ at the line out and their back row (Doris, van der Flier and Conan) looks a strong unit - Basham will have to play the game of his (young) life - I know which pack of forwards I would want on my side. My heart says a bonus point defeat - my head says Ireland by at least 15 points.
Interesting comments made by Paul Thorburn on LinkedIn in response to a post by David Moffett: “It’s hard to get excited about international rugby these days, I must confess, as world rugby has shown a total lack of respect for national pride and what representing your country.It’s been bad enough to see the international arena flooded with players who have no real or genuine affinity with the countries they now represent, something that is widespread and common on the international circuit, but for world rugby to now allow those players, who changed allegiance on the international stage by scandalous residency qualification, to then return back to the country of origin, makes a complete mockery and it’s about time Bill Beaumont and his incapable Lieutenants resigned on block, because they are a disgrace to the game of rugby. Back in the 1990s world rugby, or the IRB as it was then, placed great emphasis on developing the second-tier nations as they were such as Fiji Tonga Samoa Canada in order to ensure that the game became a global game, only for subsequent generations of rugby administrators to allow players to move and qualify after three years residency to represent another country. It beggars belief and international rugby is now a circus.”
Wales Under 20s just had their backsides ripped out and handed to them …. 53-5 How the eff was Byron Hayward appointed to this gig?
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/ireland-wales-u20s-report-six-22994281 WOL starting to ask questions ….
Of the 23 Irish squad: 12 of the starting 15 have come through the Leinster system The 3 who have not moved to Ireland aged 23, 24 & 24 On the bench: 4 more from the Leinster academy system 1 moved to Ireland aged 22 The rest of Ireland has produced 3 players out of the 23 for this match
