Neil Best - Wales to be fuelled by their Twickenham injustice next weekend
It is not by muscle, speed or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character and judgment.
The first two-week lay down in this year’s Six Nations will play differently for the teams that have started well than for those who haven’t. For one it’s a disruption in momentum, for the other chance to regroup and build – but for both, it’s an important opportunity for reflection.
As a player the cycle of forward-looking preparation and matches didn’t always provide adequate opportunity for individual or team reflection – and that was certainly true in the cauldron of the Six Nations. It’s nearly impossible to dissect what has happened without at least one eye on the challenge ahead – especially if that challenge is less than a week away.
In the 2007 Six Nations by the end of our first two games we had beaten Wales away and narrowly lost to France at home -a match that ultimately cost us a Championship and Grand Slam.
But after the two-week lay down we came roaring back and thumped England at Croke Park. The Welsh will want to fuse the memory of their absolute destruction of Scotland with their sense of injustice against England to sound their own roaring comeback in Dublin next weekend.
Sounds good if you’re a Welsh fan? The problem for Wales is that this Irish team aren’t going to be blown away by anyone. The loss of Henshaw means Ireland are now without their three first-choice centres given Jared Payne won’t, and Gary Ringrose is highly unlikely to feature. But as has been the case with losses in other positions someone will unassumingly come in and get the job done.
Munster centre Chris Farrell is most likely to replace Henshaw with Sam Arnold’s name maybe a little more surprisingly being mentioned. Either option will have Ulster fans once again questioning some of the decision making in Belfast given both these players have been allowed to leave in recent seasons. Some might argue that the loss of Henshaw could and maybe should have opened the door for talented Ulster pair Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall, but Schmidt just doesn’t seem to be a fan.
Fitness permitting, I expect the rest of the Ireland team to change little for the Wales match with Ryan likely to return to partner Henderson in the second row and Toner to find himself back amongst the replacements.
Ireland have momentum, Wales have a sense of injustice. Both will want to keep that going into their match in Dublin next weekend.
The Irish will go into this match knowing they can lose but expecting to win. Their confidence is shielded and fuelled by the character and judgment of Schmidt.
But ultimately this match is a bigger test for the Welsh than it is for Ireland -for the Welsh there on their second and last chance -and if they get knocked down they won’t be getting up again in this Championship.
When you look into the abyss the abyss also looks into you.
Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
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