Wales player ratings vs Ireland
Wales wrapped up their Rugby World Cup preparations on Saturday afternoon in Dublin, as they fell to a 19-10 defeat to Ireland.
It was not the farewell that Warren Gatland would have wanted for his side, although there were positives in isolation from the defeat, even with Ireland having controlled the game for the majority of the contest.
We have run the rule over all 23 of Wales’ players from today’s test at the Aviva Stadium.
- Leigh Halfpenny – 6
A mixed bag for Halfpenny, who had one notable spill on the high ball, although he was safe when otherwise tested. Provided an alternative first receiver option when Wales split their back line, but couldn’t provide too much attacking influence in a disjointed attacking game from his side.
- George North – 5.5
Very few opportunities to get his hands on the ball, as Wales were limited to playing a tight game. Appeared in midfield once or twice in the second half, looking for work, although games where he plays a more integral role will come over the next two months.
- Jonathan Davies – 5
A poor performance by Davies’ usual standards. He was burnt on the outside for Rob Kearney’s try and fell off a couple of tackles you would expect him to make. Couldn’t quite link the midfield with the threats on the outside, although was able to win a valuable turnover by holding up an Irish carrier just before half time.
- Hadleigh Parkes – 7
The inside centre ran an almost undefendable line back against the grain for his first half try. Few other chances to affect the game in attack, although he was solid defensively throughout.
https://twitter.com/C4Sport/status/1170331080915767297?s=20
- Josh Adams – 5.5
Similar to North, there was little work for Adams on the left wing. He went searching in the midfield, too, although Ireland’s defence offered little space for him to prosper in.
- Rhys Patchell – 4.5
A frustrating performance from Patchell, who left the field after 23 minutes to have an HIA and was permanently replaced. He was lucky not to be intercepted with an early looped and telegraphed pass and he was on the wrong end of a couple of powerful Irish carries.
- Tomos Williams – 5.5
No glaring errors from Williams, although he couldn’t quite manufacture the holes around the fringes that Gareth Davies regularly does. He did have a tendency to over-kick his chasing wings, though, with Ireland able to take the ball without competition.
- Wyn Jones – 7.5
A very encouraging showing with Rob Evans not making Gatland’s 31-man squad. Jones was solid initially versus Tadhg Furlong, before putting a bit of a squeeze on the Irish tighthead on a couple of occasions. Contributed strongly at the breakdown, too.
- Elliot Dee – 7.5
The hooker was one of the better players on the pitch in Dublin, not only proving to be an effective and eager ball-carrier, but also connecting on all seven of his lineouts, showing particular chemistry with Justin Tipuric.
- Tomas Francis – 7
Francis matched the set-piece foundation that Jones gave Wales, although wasn’t quite able to turn the screw in the same way the loosehead was able to. Got through plenty of work in defence, including leading the Welsh kick chase on multiple occasions.
- Jake Ball – 6
Along with Dee and Ross Moriarty, Ball picked up some of the slack close to the ruck as a ball-carrier. Helped give Wales physical parity up front.
- Alun Wyn Jones – 6.5
The Welsh skipper managed to put the Irish lineout under pressure early, as well as being a reliable target for his side. His fringe defensive was physical, too, although he’ll have games where he’s more influential to Wales’ cause.
- Aaron Wainwright – 7
The flanker impressed with his physicality and effectiveness in the defensive line. He was able to rip the ball in contact on one occasion and was consistently holding up Irish carriers and slowing down their ball.
- Justin Tipuric – 6.5
Tipuric was the go-to man for Wales early at the lineout and was also able to get his hands to one of Ireland’s throws. He popped up in the wide channels as a ball-carrier, although he was unable to have his usual success in the midfield or as a jackal at the breakdown for the majority of the game.
- Ross Moriarty – 6
Moriarty got through some of the unglamorous work close to the ruck, although he couldn’t quite inject the explosive carrying that Taulupe Faletau offers or that Tipuric can generate in the wider channels.
Replacements
- Ken Owens – 6
Carried on from where Dee left off, connecting with his one lineout and showing some nice hands in the loose. Wales were starved of possession and territory, limiting how much Owens could add in attack.
- Nicky Smith – 6
Smith did draw a penalty out of Andrew Porter at the scrum, although he couldn’t match the stability that Jones had given the unit.
- Dillon Lewis – 5.5
Like Smith, couldn’t quite match the set-piece solidity that the starting group had given Wales, although he wasn’t significantly outmatched.
- Adam Beard – 5
Came on too late to have much of an impact, apart from some solid fringe defence. Took a sacrificial yellow card for team offences.
- Josh Navidi – 5.5
Didn’t provide the carrying impetus that Wales needed from the bench, with Gatland’s side struggling for front-foot ball in the second half.
- Gareth Davies – 6
The scrum-half provided some immediate momentum from the bench.
https://twitter.com/C4Sport/status/1170332909913296896?s=20
- Dan Biggar – 6.5
Almost the perfect introduction, as he read Jonathan Sexton’s pass for intercept and ran 60m, only to be held up over the try line. He was safe under the high ball when tested and a solid tackler in the 10 channel, too.
- Liam Williams – 6
Looked lively and keen for work after his introduction.
Watch: Warren Gatland is confidence Wales can win the Rugby World Cup
Comments on RugbyPass
After their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
29 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to comments