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'Who on Earth decided not to keep Shaun Edwards?' - Welsh fans not impressed as defence has become porous under Kiwi Pivac
France comprehensively beat Wales 38-21 in the first Six Nations warm-up match on the back of another star performance by scrumhalf Antoine Dupont in Paris.
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What started out as a promising evening for Wales ended in tatters as Teddy Thomas chip kicked Dan Biggar to ice the match with a superb piece of individual skill, France’s fifth try of the night.
The visitors had raced out to early 10-0 lead through a try to Leigh Halfpenny but the destructive Dupont took over for France, scoring two tries to lead his side to a 21-13 lead at halftime. He laid on another for Charles Ollivon for the first score in the second half to put Wayne Pivac’s men into a deep hole they couldn’t get out of.
The loss was Wales’ fourth consecutive under new coach Wayne Pivac, who had previously led the side to 1-3 in his first Six Nations campaign earlier this year.
Despite the match being the first in over seven months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, online many Welsh fans were quickly losing confidence that Pivac is the right man for the job.
After losing Gatland and defence specialist Shaun Edwards, their defence has become a concern for fans. They conceded 30 points or more for the second consecutive match which fans described as ‘disorganised’, ‘woeful’ and ‘very easily beatable’.
Welsh defence is shocking!!! Who on earth decided to not keep Shaun Edwards? They look slow disorganised and one dimensional… it’s not even a good dimension ? #FRAvWAL ?
— Ijan Davies Emrus (@Ian_ocean1) October 24, 2020
This is what happens when you go from being with Shaun Edwards to against Shaun Edwards ? #FRAvWAL
— Owen Jenkins ??????? (@OJ_Hay) October 24, 2020
Unless things improve in the next few games, there needs to be a new coaching team in place for the 6 nations. Defence has been woeful and all other aspects have been getting worse in each game! #FRAvWAL
— Darren Sterry (@darrensterry) October 24, 2020
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Disappointed is an understatement. Soul destroying match from a Welsh perspective. Well played France, fantastic effort. Utterly ruthless ??????????#FRAvWAL
— Ben Jones (@BenThomasJones) October 24, 2020
Wales have become a very poor and very easily beatable side under Wayne Pivac. So many players not up to scratch. #Wales @WelshRugbyUnion #FRAvWAL
— Sam (@Sam_Tweets1) October 24, 2020
I’m at a loss as to what Wales’s defensive strategy is. I think the players are too. Missed tackles are one thing, but some rush, others don’t and it’s been full of gaps. #FRAvWAL
— Dai Roberts (@dairoberts) October 24, 2020
Disappointing performance from Wales. Feel like we’ve regressed a bit with a Biggar and Halfpenny helmed kick and chase game plan. Some very concerning defensive lapses with players shooting out of the line allowing quality players to pick off the gaps too. #FRAvWAL
— Bedwyr Gullidge (@BedwyrG) October 24, 2020
How did we get from probably the best defence in the world to this in a year? #FRAvWAL
— Fergus Llewelyn Turtle ??????? (@the_FLT) October 24, 2020
Pivac was supposedly brought in for his attacking rugby but so far we’ve seen none of that. #FRAvWAL
— Mr G (@Griffy99) October 24, 2020
#FRAvWAL any talk of AWJ going on the lions tour died tonight. Way way past his best and has been schooled all night. Wales are truly terrible Bigger, North, AWJ, Shocking
— Somerset Bear (@SomersetBear) October 24, 2020
#FRAvWAL Wales are poor defensively, cannot retain or control possession, ineffective at the breakdown, poor physically, lack awareness or creativity and overall are pretty sh*te
— O L Jenkins (@owainsworld) October 24, 2020
Forget the railways, Wales needs to nationalise Shaun Edwards. #FRAvWAL
— Ifan Morgan Jones (@ifanmj) October 24, 2020
Genuinely time to get rid of Wayne Pivac. Wales are abysmal with him in charge. #FRAvWAL
— Mr G (@Griffy99) October 24, 2020
A few calls for Pivac to be replaced by fans were made, with one fan saying ‘the next few games’ is all Pivac has to prove his mettle otherwise a new coaching staff will be required. Many lamented the loss of Shaun Edwards, who had turned Wales into one of the best defensive sides in the world before taking up a role with France.
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Alun Wyn Jones, who equalled Richie McCaw’s record for most test caps in the match, said there were a ‘few more gears to go up’ for the side after loss on ITV’s post-match interview.
“We had a dream start getting that score. We had territory and possession in the second-half but France had us on the counter-attack,” he said.
“In these strange times, we’re fortunate to take to the field but we need to get better. There’s a few more gears to go up.”
Wales have a final round clash with Scotland to finish their Six Nations campaign to try and earn back some respect while France will play Ireland in a crucial final round match where bonus points and points differentials could play a part.
Ireland are sitting on 14 competition points, one ahead of both England and France on 13. Eddie Jones’ side will play the bottom placed Italy where a bonus point victory is on offer, which would mean Ireland need to do the same against France to maintain first place outright.
If Ireland beat France without a bonus point and England secures theirs, it will come down to the points differential between the two sides. For France to win, they must beat Ireland and better England’s result against Italy.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
13 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments