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Welsh great 'wonders if Wales are ready to face New Zealand'

Wales have a big task on their hands this weekend

One of Wales’ greatest ever players has issued a dire warning to his old team in the wake of their uninspiring 13-6 win over Georgia.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bLOdGG5ol4

Barry John, star of the early 1970’s Welsh rugby renaissance, wrote in his Wales Online column that “having seen this awful showing against Georgia, I do wonder if Wales are ready to face New Zealand.”

“Coach Warren Gatland had made wholesale changes from the team which had been competitive against Australia last weekend but, never mind that, this display was a major let-down.

“The players will have to turn up, so to speak, at the Principality Stadium against the All Blacks because, if they don’t, it won’t be pretty to watch.”

Wales’ laboured one-try effort may have given hope to Georgian ambitions to be included in the 6 Nations one day, it said a lot more about the malaise of their own team more than anything else.

“Rhys Priestland was competent and went through the patterns and drills,” John wrote “which are the norm at international level for a No.10, but the midfield hardly sparkled, compared to that which had faced Australia.

“Georgia’s defence, despite from a lack of pace, managed to deal with the Welsh threat very easily for the most part.”

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Wales welcome the All Blacks to Principality Stadium this weekend, the last match on the New Zealanders’ end of year tour.

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SK 1 hour ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

If you are building the same amount of rucks but kicking more is that a bad thing? Kicks are more constestable than ever, fans want to see a contest, is that a bad thing? kicks create broken field situations where counter attacks from be launched from or from which turnover ball can be exploited, attacks are more direct and swift rather than multiphase in nature, is that a bad thing? What is clear now is that a hybrid approach is needed to win matches. You can still build phases but you need to play in the right areas so you have to kick well. You also have to be prepared to play from turnover ball and transition quickly from the kick contest to attack or set your defence quickly if the aerial contest is lost. Rugby seems healthy to me. The rules at ruck time means the team in possession is favoured and its more possible than ever to play a multiphase game. At the same time kicking, set piece, kick chase and receipt seems to be more important than ever. Teams can win in so many ways with so many strategies. If anything rugby resembles footballs 4-4-2 era. Now football is all about 1 striker formations with gegenpress and transition play vs possession heavy teams, fewer shots, less direct play and crossing. Its boring and it plods along with moves starting from deep, passing goalkeepers and centre backs and less wing play. If we keep tinkering with the laws rugby will become a game with more defined styles and less variety, less ways to win effectively and less varied body types and skill sets.

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