tag:,2008:/101 2008-03-17T18:51:19Z Sardis Road through the eyes of a fan Movable Type 3.31 tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.41598 2008-03-17T18:27:42Z 2008-03-17T18:51:19Z

The last seven weeks have been the longest of my life!...

Ponty Poster The last seven weeks have been the longest of my life! I was too tired (and hung over) yesterday to put pen to paper but now, in the cold light of day, I can begin to acknowledge the huge achievement of this Welsh team and all its backroom staff. Cynics may complain that the other nations were not at their best but you can only play what is put before you and our lads showed commitment, passion, skill and fitness to beat and, in some cases, destroy the opposition. England, Scotland, Italy, Ireland, France - not one team could handle us. After our dismal, first half display at HQ we never looked like losing. Well done to all of them. They had a mountain to climb after the disappointment of the World Cup. But, with a new coaching team (of the highest quality) and the removal of certain senior players whose egos had caused a wealth of problems, this small squad showed what can be done. The 'Welsh Way' still exists but it is now a more mature system implemented by players who had leadership and direction yet were still given the freedom to be themselves. I take my hat off to Gatland. We all knew he was a good coach. Now we know he is something special. New Zealand's loss is our gain. Bringing in Edwards was a stroke of genius although I still fear he won't be with Wales very long. England would be mad not to make a move for him now but, there again, they aren't very bright over the border, are they? So maybe Shaun will stay with us until 2010. I hope so! Saturday was an awesome performance from 1 to 15. Okay, so we had to defend for long periods but when did France actually threaten our line? Not at all. One scrum in our 22 is the best they achieved and then we pushed them off the ball. How good was that? I am so glad Shane is now top of the tree for tries scored. He deserves the position and won it fair and square. I can't see Wilkinson being as proud of his points record given that he only achieved it when the powers-that-be conveniently and retrospectively made the Lions 'friendly' against Argentina a full test! Shame on them!!!!! (One more point about Shane. Will he say 'Ben who?' now, as Cohen is no longer around while our little lad goes from strength to strength. Got the last laugh, didn't he?) The MIllennium Stadium was a cauldron of noise at the end of the match on Saturday and we all joined in the celebrations at the end when the players paraded the Cup around the field. My only complaint is - why get Prince William involved? Whoever made him a WRU VP should be shot. The man is English, he supports England and I bet he would have preferred to have been at Twickers on Saturday instead of in Cardiff. He looked uncomfortable up on the podium and didn't know what to do with himself. Once a few of the players had, deliberately or inadvertently, dashed past him without shaking his hand, he moved back out of the receiving line but looked even more uncomfortable then. I'm no Royalist but even I felt sorry for him. He didn't rain on our parade though but it was a close call! Not that I'm going to let a small thing like that uspet me. I am still on a high and can't wait for the lads to go to South Africa in June. I wonder if I can get time off from work to follow them? I'd better start being nice to my boss, I think. tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.40991 2008-03-10T15:56:31Z 2008-03-10T16:14:45Z

I said it was going to be good, didn't I?...

Ponty Poster I said it was going to be good, didn't I? But even I couldn't have predicted (I might have hoped, mind) the three results. Yeah, well, we all expected France to beat Italy and Wales winning was my dream but England, oh England - how good was that?? Coming down to ground today, I think our boys were much better than the scoreline suggests. If indicipline hadn't got us 2 yellow cards, I believe we would have beaten the Irish by 20 points. Mind, if our lads deserved to go off (and they did) how come Jackman stayed on the pitch? What's sauce for the goose, Mr Barnes. Mind, he is English so I suppose he can be forgiven for being poor - after all, his team is. Ha! Ha! Seriously though, England were worse than poor, weren't they? They were clueless!! Ashton has to act now, he has stayed loyal to some of the players for far too long. Didn't he learn anything from Andy Robinson's mistakes? Loyalty is all well and good if the boys are producing the goods but this lot aren't so he's got nothing to lose by dumping half the team and playing people who might look as if they actually wanted to be on the pitch! That would be a start, eh? Goodbye Wilkinson, goodbye Vickery, goodbye Vainikola. Scotland were limited but they didn't have to perform, did they? England were impotent, the opposition just had to stay on the pitch for 80 minutes to win. One of the papers this morning, when criticising Ireland, said they were so bad they might even make England look dynamic next Saturday. Some hope! Nothing can make this lot look good, not even a one-dimentional Irish team. So now it's France at home. I can't wait. I don't want to just win the Championship, we want the Grand Slam!!! Can France stop us? Of course they can but I don't think they will, no matter what team is put out. Our boys will play with passion and, hopefully, control and lift the trophy at about seven o'clock, I reckon. How proud will Grav be up in Heaven to see his 2 daughters lead out the Welsh team? A wonderful gesture. For once, the WRU gets it right! Back to the rugby - apart from praising the whole squad for their effort in Dublin, I just want to say that I think Ryan Jones should have been Man of the Match, despite Shane's brilliant try. That young lad has been a revelation, as a player and as captain, and I hope he stays injury-free for a long time to come. I think we are looking at the Lions' captain myself. Come on, France, throw everything at us! We're ready!!!!! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.40748 2008-03-07T12:10:39Z 2008-03-07T12:20:47Z

Wow - I can't wait until tomorrow....

Ponty Poster Wow - I can't wait until tomorrow. I haven't been this excited since Ponty won the Cup in 2006. OK, so Wales could easily come unstuck in Croke Park tomorrow, but we'll still be going for the Championship even if we get beaten. And who'd have placed a bet on that back in January? Gatland seemed to be talking us up even to get 3rd now top position is in sigh so that can't be bad. I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground, honest, but it's so difficult although I know the task tomorrow will be monumental. The lads can do it, I know they can. They won't underestimate the Irish at home and we know that, so far, we've not had to face anyone as good as O'Gara at tactical kicking. However, I must say that Byrne has really surprised me this year and I am confident that he will cope with everything thrown at him. There is a sense, not only of confidence in the team, but a maturity which should serve them well in coping with the pressure tomorrow. I'm glad our game is on early. I don't think my poor heart would have held out if we'd had a 8pm kick off. I can't concentrate as it is and I am so jealous of all those lucky Welsh men and women who will actually be at the game. I've never been to Croke Park and, if work commitments would have allowed, I would have made the trip this time - even if we hadn't been going for the Triple Crown. I love the Irish fans and we always have a good time with them, win or lose. This time it must be awesome to be soaking up the atmosphere and getting into the swing of things in advance of tomorrow. Come on, lads, you can do it!! Set us up for a Championship match at the Millennium Stadium next week!! Please........ tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.40064 2008-02-28T13:17:35Z 2008-02-28T13:29:29Z

Is this newish structure for the 6 Nations a good thing or not?...

Ponty Poster Is this newish structure for the 6 Nations a good thing or not? Maybe not!!]]> tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.39073 2008-02-19T09:55:13Z 2008-02-19T10:14:51Z

Having watched a weekend full of Super 14 rugby, I am totally turned off by the new laws being tried out down under....

Ponty Poster Having watched a weekend full of Super 14 rugby, I am totally turned off by the new laws being tried out down under. Not being allowed to kick from your 22 if the ball has been passed back produces 'table tennis' style rugby as Stuart Barnes to elegantly put it on Saturday during the very exciting Bath v Wasps game. Taking a quick throw in backwards isn't going to make a lot of difference to play, I wouldn't have thought so why bother? Standing 5m back from scrums is supposed to open up the game but I shall reserve my judgement on that one as it didn't seem to have much effect last weekend. However, the major change (and the one no one seemed to mention in advance) is the fact that penalties are now given for only three offences! Yes - THREE!!! It is a free-for-all now in the rucks and mauls. Talk about a Cheat's Charter - this is it! You can lie over the ball, put your hands in the ruck and slow the ball down and the only punishment you will get is a free kick against you. Some teams tap and go but others decide on the scrum. So how does this speed up the game? People supposedly complained that the game was too much stop/start but surely the way to speed it up is for the referee to punish miscreants early on (using the yellow card without giving numerous warning first). This will send out a clear message to the players that they infringe at their peril. Downgrading offences is like saying that shop-lifting is rife so we'll stop treating it as a crime. Madness! I do hope the IRB gets rid of this stupid new law without bothering to trial it in the northern hemisphere next season or our beloved game will become a poor man's rugby league clone. Few of the changes introduced in recent years has had the desired effect (whatever it might have been). The new scrummaging laws have not improved the game, only led to confusion as to who's at fault and spoilt the spectacle of two big, strong front rows scrapping it out. Now that's what I call rugby but seemingly this doesn't suit the powers-that-be. They want an all singing, all dancing game not one where you pit your strength and guile against the opposition. Am I the only one why actually enjoyed seeing repeated scrums as one side tried to out-muscle the opposition? A free, fast flowing game can be exciting, I grant you. It can also becoming boring and predictable and end up with neither side trying to get past the opposition but only drive into it, time and time again. The Brumbies were masters at this but soon realised that it was one-dimensional and counter-productive as they certainly held on to the ball for long periods but usually ended up losing acres of ground. I'm not against change but I hate to see change for changes sake. Our game can be thrilling and fast - it is down to the teams to be positive and innovative. We don't need these stupid new laws, where cheating is condoned, just to speed up the action. Let us not allow the IRB to dictate in this fashion. I honestly wonder if they watch the same game as me if they really think they will improve it by removing so many of the penalties. It's goodbye to Mr J Wilkinson and his ilk if they do! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.38298 2008-02-11T14:53:06Z 2008-02-11T15:14:48Z

But maybe not for the reasons we all expected....

Ponty Poster But maybe not for the reasons we all expected. Wales first - it was a competent display overall but nothing special against a very ordinary Scottish 15. Good use of subs again though. Gatland is not afraid to ring the changes, is he? Not many coaches would have taken off the captain and put a rookie on in his place. It worked too - Delve added power and presence. I was impressed. Stephen Jones also had a good game. He took charge and led from the front. I've never seen him so vocal! There's still plenty of room for improvement, as Gatland pointed out, but we are heading in the right direction. Defence was much improved but I'm afraid giving away silly penalties could have been our downfall. Popham was dropped for this last match - who's for the chop this time? Not Martyn Williams, that's for sure. That man is awesome. How does he do it? Wales would be a much poorer side without him in it. England, oh England. My heart bleeds for you, it really does. Ashton's use of subs wasn't quite as successful as Gatland's but Cipriani can't be blamed for the awful display put on by whole team in the second half. They lost the plot again and Wilkinson's kicking out of hand was poor. He started well but that English team can't play for 80 minutes, can it? There seems a total lack of direction - what are their tactics, I'd like to know? Italy came so very close to the upset of the century. If only they could find a kicking No10, they would be hot, hot, hot. Mind, I hope they don't solve this problem by a week Saturday or we could be in trouble! France, La Belle France! What can you say about them? When they are firing on all cylinders they are untouchable, magic, simply out of this world. But how easily they lose the plot and take their eye off the ball. Ireland were down and out yet they found the spirit from somewhere to put in a half decent performance, eventually. O'Sullivan's position is safe for a little longer but I can't see him doing his chances of being Lion's coach much good if his team continues to play like this. O'Driscoll, like Wilkinson, is in the team on his reputation now and needs a big game to silence the critics. Both players are safe for the time being, only because neither country has a viable alternative. That is not the best recommendation but I bet both of them will be grateful if they escape the chop for the next round of the Championship. I enjoyed the weekend. The matches were exciting and there were periods of sublime rugby. There was also a lot of poor play too. But that's the joy of the game - you never know what will happen next. Roll on the next round! I can't wait for the Azzuri to come to town! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.37636 2008-02-04T12:03:07Z 2008-02-04T12:26:00Z

I was as chuffed as anyone else that we beat England on Saturday....

Ponty Poster I was as chuffed as anyone else that we beat England on Saturday. But the reality is that, for 65 minutes, we weren't very good. The only blessing was that England were that much worse! In fact, they weren't bad, they were a disgrace. Not to have taken their chances in the first half certainly came back to haunt them and credit to our lads for sticking at it and not giving up. In fact, I think it was England who gave up. They were like headless chickens but they can't and won't use the excuse of losing key men early on. I'm not sure any one of those who went off injured would have made a difference to the final result. It was a team effort or non-effort, if you want to be brutally frank. The biggest disappointment has to be Jonny Wilkinson. That man has been around long enough to know that he needed to step up and lead from the front, especially when Tindall went off. Instead, we had the most inept play from a No.10 that I've seen for many years. He was clueless. The best thing that can happen to him is that he's cited for the tackle on Jonathan Thomas and is banned from the next game. This will save Ashton having to drop him at least. It may also give him time to reflect on his all-round game, his tactics, his future even. He's not the man who won the World Cup in 2003. It may be time for him to consider retiring. He's too proud a man to carry on playing if he's not at the top of his game and he's fallen short for quite a while now, not just last Saturday. Reputation should count for nothing in professional sport. I'd bring in some of the youngsters who thumped Ireland A on Friday night. They certainly can't be any more embarrassing than that lot were on Saturday. Crane was outstanding for the Saxons and a couple of the backs deserve their chance too. The other change I'd make is to bring back Josh Lewsey. As Shaun Edwards said when he heard the Wasp player wasn't in the squad, 'England must have a fantastic team if they can do without him.' The result showed they can't! Now I've sorted England's problems out for them, it's on to Wales. And let's not forget we do still have major problems. Restarts - do we know what they are? Could someone tell the lads they need a big lump to catch the ball and not leave it to Sonny every time? Lineouts need to be more consistent, as does awareness of space and when kicking may or may not be the best option. Let's not forget that Wales only really got going when the substitutes came on. I said last week, Gethin and Shanklin should have started and I'm a big fan of Popham, as long as he curbs his enthusiasm and doesn't give a way too many penalties! I'd stick with the rest of the team but Gatlin needs to remind them that a rugby match is 80 mintutes long. The first 65 felt like forever to me on Saturday! This problem of taking a long time to get going has been our achilles heel for a number of years and none of the coaches seems to have been able to resolve it. We should do OK against Scotland and, with a bit of luck, Italy should be beaten too but I'm not so sure about France. They were quite impressive yesterday and we would have been taken apart if we'd played them not England, make no mistake. I don't want to be pessimistic but realism must reign. I know the coaches and players are under no illusions the size of the task ahead. Let's hope the fans use a bit of common sense too and accept we've a long way to go before we can call ourselves a good team. But, hey, the Welsh are not like that are they? There is no middle ground with us and, at the moment, we are on top of the world! AS LONG AS WE BEAT THE ENGLISH, EH? tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.37128 2008-01-29T13:14:48Z 2008-01-29T13:29:26Z

Gatland's first team is a bit of a shock, isn't it?...

Ponty Poster Gatland's first team is a bit of a shock, isn't it? I know we've only got 4 regions and the coach hasn't had a lot of time to get to know the players but.....come on! Surely ALL our best players aren't ALL in one region! This reminds me of the Ron Waldron days when he was so criticised for picking the bulk of the Neath team (his old stamping ground). That stank of nepotism this seems more like either a lack of ambition or a total lack of effort. Only time will tell which it is but I am worried, very worried. Another thing I am really concerned about is Gatland's 'we're ready for a bloodbath' speech. Doesn't he know anything about the history of England v Wales games? Surely he shouldn't have used such an emotive expression in advance of this clash. I've noticed how laid back he seems about the 6 Nations and I fear he has not got a grasp of the intensity, the passion we in Wales feel about the competition but most especially our games against England. Look at last year - we were dismal throughout the tournament but, because we beat the English, people buried their heads in the sand and believed all was well with our national game. Gatland under-estimates this one-eyed view of the world at his peril! Going back to his selection, I'm not convinced he's got it right - Shanklin, Matthew Rees and Gethin Jenkins would have been in my starting line up and I also have serious concerns about the ability of Lee Byrne at full back. He is fragile at times to say the least. I think Gatland's first mistake was making his squad so small to start with. Twenty eight players is just not a large enough pool from which to pick your international side. Sorry, mate, I think you boobed, big time. Let's hope you and your Wasps side-kicks (Edwards and Howley) have some special tricks up your sleeves or we may just see a boodbath next Saturday but not in the way you imagined. Bring on the English, yeah, but be prepared to get egg on your face! Sorry and all that and I hope you prove me wrong but I'm more than worried, I'm shell-shocked and the game is still four days away! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.35815 2008-01-14T17:48:56Z 2008-01-14T18:04:49Z

I was dead excited, waiting for Gatland to name his Six Nations squad but I must say I am a tad disappointed now....

Ponty Poster I was dead excited, waiting for Gatland to name his Six Nations squad but I must say I am a tad disappointed now. I wasn't expecting a coach as shrewd as Gatland, and someone who had only been in the job five minutes, to make wholesale changes but I did expect a little more 'ambition'. OK, so he's pulled in a couple of handy young Blues backs and that lad Delve from Gloucester (what happened to the 'play IN Wales to play FOR Wales' then?) but I was hoping for a little more adventure. I suppose with such a small squad, it wasn't possible to introduce too many new names so maybe a slightly larger pool would have been better. It would at least have given some of the younger lads a taste of the International arena even if they didn't make the final cut. Mind, the one player I am so glad to see there is Martyn Williams. I still think it is odd the way he retired and I am pleased he's been persuaded to extend his international career. We need the man - he is far and away the best back row forward in the Principality. Given that Gatland is by and large using the same players who so let us down in the World Cup, it will be fascinating to see what he can do with them in the very short time available before we take on the dreaded England at HQ. I reckon we'll concentrate on defence as there isn't a lot wrong with us when we're going forward, it's leaking points that has been our undoing. Shaun Edwards must be extremely confident or barking mad to take on this job! Let's hope he lives up to his formidable reputation and is not beaten by our 'Welsh Way' which seems geared up to losing rather than winning games. He may rue the day he turned down England Saxons although I sincerely hope not! Am I confident about the Six Nations? No, but by the end of it I'd like to have seen some progress - better ball handling skills, more variety of play, aggressive defence and spatial awareness so that players look for gaps rather than forever turning inside and taking contact. It's not much to ask - is it? IS IT??? tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2008://101.34724 2008-01-02T13:08:39Z 2008-01-02T13:23:05Z

I feel sorry for Warren Gatland....

Ponty Poster I feel sorry for Warren Gatland. He may have enjoyed his Christmas break back home but there is not a lot to cheer him on his return to Wales. The local 'derbies' played over the festive period were anything but. I can't remember seeing such a dour set of matches for a very long time. The skills levels were so poor - and decision making? There wasn't any. What is becoming of our game. Gareth Jenkins struck a cord with a call to play 'The Welsh Way' which most of us understood meant fast, free-flowing rugby. But our boys are like limping geriatrics at the moment - there is no fire in their bellies. very little commitment to the cause and certainly few displays of intelligent running angles. Kicking dominates and that's not even very good! I don't know that Gatland can do much about this in the short term. I fear he will have to go back to the beginning (a la Graham Henry) and show our lads what to do with the ball, in and out of contact. On current displays dropping passes and knocking on seems be all these lads are good at. I hate to be so critical but I cannot take any positives out of the Christmas period. If this is this the standard we can expect from regional rugby (which was going to be our saviour, remember) then I seriously fear for the game in Wales in the future. I cannot end without a comment about the totally inept display by James Jones, the referee (and I use the term loosely) for the Dragons v Scarlets last night. It was atrocious. He did not seem to have any understanding of the laws and, nine times out of ten, he penalises the attacking side for killing the ball - like they'd want to??!! He really seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice and was far too prominent in a game which could have been exciting. His whistle ensured it was anything but. The only good thing to come out of the whole sorry mess was that the Dragons sneaked it in the dying seconds. I think Paul Turner, their coach, had been very diplomatic when questioned during the game. Well done, Paul, a lesser man would have gone down and thumped the ref. I bet there were a few at the ground who wished they had! Am I looking forward to the 6 Nations? No, I am not. I fear that Gatland does not have enough time to lick these boys into any sort of shape. But, there again, I am a bit of a pessimist. So prove me wrong, boys - PLEASE!!!!!!! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://101.31396 2007-11-26T13:00:54Z 2007-11-26T13:21:22Z

Well, let's look on the positive side for a start. Nigel Davies says the stats were all for us. Pity the score line didn't reflect them then, isn't it?...

Ponty Poster Well, let's look on the positive side for a start. Nigel Davies says the stats were all for us. Pity the score line didn't reflect them then, isn't it? Seriously though, there were a few glimmers of hope. 1. Stoddart coped well - he made one try and scored a second. I don't think you can ask more of someone on their debut. 2. Charvis was the best forward by a mile (not sure that this is a positive mind, given his age) 3. Henson, while far from his best, looked hungry and gave a few lovely passes. 4. The team didn't implode after the half hour mark (that might have had more to do with the Boks easing off though) 5. Habana didn't score a try!!!! However, there were a lot of negatives, I'm afraid. 1. Calling it the Prince William Cup didn't get us off to a good start, especially when the very same man kept the teams waiting on the pitch (for him to finish his champagne, perhaps?) Still, he didn't turn up in his English shirt so that was a plus. 2. A half empty stadium (no way was there 56,000 there - Roger Lewis can't count) didn't help as the atmosphere was diluted. 3. Defence was weak, especially in the centre of the field. 4. Tactical kicking was nonexistent and, against a blitz defence, it was vital. 5. Too much crabbing across the pitch. Holding on to the ball is great but not crossing the gain line is a sin. 6. Peel's distribution was poor. 7. Hook's indecision left his centres with no room to work in. 8. The front row struggled in the set pieces and the pressure of captancy did Gethin no favours. Enough of that. I am getting depressed. So what would Gatland have thought of our performance? Not a lot, probably but I am confident he will be able to sort out a lot of our problems - which makes you wonder what Gareth Jenkins was doing for the 18 months he was in charge. Mind, his side-kick Nigel suggests Gatland needs to go 'back to basics'. Now, where did we hear that before? One of the problems on Saturday was that South Africa didn't get out of first gear and treated the game with the contempt it deserved. Still, our younger lads now know what it is like to face a good team, a clever team, a big team. They will come out of it stronger and perhaps, if given the chance to grow and develop without too much pressure put on them to win every game, we might, just might, be seeing the foundations of a really good team coming together. Let's face it, we can't get much worse, can we? Can we????? Our next match is against England who are also having problems so let's give Gatland a chance to work with these lads (because they are more or less the best we've got) and, who knows, we may be pleasantly surprised come the end of the Six Nations. Top three position? I'll drink to that! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://101.28215 2007-10-22T12:59:03Z 2007-10-22T13:16:06Z

...and I'm also glad that England did not win!...

Ponty Poster ...and I'm also glad that England did not win! This is not intended as an anti-England sentiment rather that I honestly do not think that they would have been worthy champions. Yes, I admire the way they pulled themselves up by their boot strings and I commend the heroric efforts made by the players to get to the final when everyone had written them off. No, the reason I am glad they did not win was that other teams performed much better throughout the tournament and certainly played much more attractive rugby. It was a disappointing final in many ways but South Africa did just enough to win. They did not get out of 2nd gear, to be honest. They had no need to, did they? England were limited and sensibly played to their strengths - the forwards. But that was not enough and once their line out mis-functioned, you knew they were not going to do it. Was it a try? I don't think so but even if it had been given, I still don't think England would have won. Going behind would have spurred on South Africa and they would have upped their game. I was in awe of their defensive system. It was brilliant yet they never looked harrassed or panicky or out of position. They were a team the purists could admire. The best team by a mile was Argentina though and their games against France (twice) were, in my view, the most exciting of the whole six weeks. So, it's over for another 4 years. What did we get out of it? Some outstanding preformances from the minnows - that will be my over-riding memory. OK, so they didn't win many games but they all played with enthusiasm, not a little skill and a love of the game which shone through. The 'big' boys were, overall, disappointing. Only Angentina stood up to be counted when the chips were down. They showed how to combine forward brute power with sublime open back play. I think the rest of the top 10 should forget about the Tri-nations and the Six Nations and concentrate on getting together once every four years. Who knows, they might improve. I feel sorry for Graham Henry (a bit) and Gareth Jenkins (a lot) but the name of the game is winning or at least taking your teams to their true level - neither coach did this. And what about Ireland? Why didn't they turn up? Still, Ponty Rugby Club had a fabulous night entertaining 100 Kiwi supporters on the eve of their game with France. They were such lovely people and to see them in tears the following evening showed how much they cared about their team. Still, they should win the Cup at home next time round - shouldn't they???? We're back to domestic competitions now and I can't say I'm over-excited about the Heineken Cup nor the Magners' League yet. Once they get going properly, I'm sure I'll come round and if Ponty keep winning (albeit with a few bonuse points for good measure) I'll be very happy. Farewell, our foreign friends. See you in New Zealand in 2011. We at Ponty have already been invited over so we'll have to start saving for the trip right now! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://101.22317 2007-08-19T14:12:47Z 2007-08-19T14:29:31Z

Gareth Jenkins must be heaving a big sigh of relief after managing to sneak past Argentina yesterday but he can hardly be confident that we have turned the corner and that a good World Cup beckons....

Ponty Poster Gareth Jenkins must be heaving a big sigh of relief after managing to sneak past Argentina yesterday but he can hardly be confident that we have turned the corner and that a good World Cup beckons. The atmosphere in the Stadium was funeral-like and I wasn't the only one there who feared we had blown it towards the end. The first half performance gave us a glimmer of hope but we faded badly (again) after the break and were under the cosh for long periods. If Argentina had used a bit of common sense and called a scrum after Matthew Rees was binned, they could have gained a push over try and won themselves a well-deserved draw. The Pumas did not play well for much of the game but they stuck at the task with enthusiasm and vigour while many of our players seem to wilt under the expectation of the Welsh public, few of whom turned up to cheer on their team. There were a couple of bright lights. Hook was one, Gough another but our lineout was still a shambles and I cannot understand why Gethin Jenkins and Chris Horsman didn't start the match. A better platform up front would have released our backs. Instead, our back three hardly saw the ball. Mind, that could also be to do with having Alfie and Shanklin in the centre. They are good players but too similar for my liking. I still say it, and I'm not alone in my call - why is Henson not in the squad? He can be a pain, no doubt, but he worries the opposition and is a direct runner, a good tackler and a super kicker. We desperately need someone of his capabilities to spark our backs and put us on the front foot, attack-wise. We seem to be aiming for a quarter final slot and will be pleased if we get that far. It was enlightening to hear Brian Ashton saying that he is out to win the World Cup and anything less will be deemed a failure in his book. Mind, Gareth Jenkins makes enough naive comments as it is. He'd be laughed out of town if he made such a statement! I can't finish without mentioning England's performance last night, can I? Oh dear, oh dear, of dear. They don't look like World Champions to me but, much as I hate to say it, they are still good enough to beat us should we meet them at the quarter final stage. Thank goodness they will get knocked out in the semis - I couldn't stand another display like we had after their win in 2003. Mind, I don't think Gordon Brown would give the gongs this time around. He's got a bit more sense that Blair chap. Next week France and I'm not looking forward to the drubbing we might face. I hope I am proved wrong and that we put up a good performance. A loss by less than six points will be some sort of victory for us I reckon. How the mighty have fallen,eh? tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://101.21696 2007-08-12T18:26:28Z 2007-08-12T18:42:09Z

No real surprises there but what could we expect? There was no way Gareth Jenkins could conjure up a whole new pack (or even a couple of likely lads to add some weight, height and passion) or a couple of...

Ponty Poster No real surprises there but what could we expect? There was no way Gareth Jenkins could conjure up a whole new pack (or even a couple of likely lads to add some weight, height and passion) or a couple of exciting running backs. I can't get excited about the selection, I'm afraid, as our players seem to have gone backwards this past year. You may talk about England being predictable but the Welsh don't seem to have any game plan at present. There is no point in running out onto the field and charging around like headless chickens for 80 minutes. More or less our first team should have ben picked against England and then rested for the Argentina match. Their performance would have given us some idea where we were at. Or was Jenkins afraid of that? I think we do have some powerful ball carriers up front, if only they can find their form and peak at the right time. Behind the scrum, I think we may flatter to deceive and a lot will depend on how soon we can get the back line running onto the ball and attempting to evade tackles, off loading before they get hit and looking for the gaps rather than taking contact all the time. Simple, isn't it? Do we have the players to do this? On paper, yes, but leaving Henson out of the squad may come back to haunt Jenkins. OK, the lad has problems (on and off the pitch) but surely he could be managed? We don't have many stars in Wales at present so to discard one of our few match winners might not have been a clever move. I have serious doubt about Stephen Jones recovering physically in time to have a real impact and both Hook and Sweeney have their limitations. Alfie will lead from the front, that's for sure, but our wingers are not likely to have much impact if he and Shanklin play too much crash ball. We should make the quarter finals, shouldn't we? But to progress any further will take a miracle. I want the boys to do well, of course I do, but I fear Jenkins has failed to stamp his authority on the players and introduce the so-called Scarlet way of playing (which should come naturally to us for goodness sake) Let's hope that the pessimists are proved wrong and we confound our critics and our boys come home with their heads held high. Our expectations are low so the only way is up! tag:thefullponty.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://101.21066 2007-08-07T13:06:54Z 2007-08-07T13:25:23Z

I wasn't going to write about the disaster last Saturday but, after hearing Gareth Jenkins making excuses for our performance, I had to comment....

Ponty Poster I wasn't going to write about the disaster last Saturday but, after hearing Gareth Jenkins making excuses for our performance, I had to comment. I have followed rugby for many years but I am not a coach. However, even I could tell the sort of game England were going to play so how come Jenkins and his coaching team were taken by surprise? What planet do they live on? I was never a big fan of Jenkins but I was prepared to give the man a chance. It just goes to show how rubbish the WRU is to have appointed him in the first place if this is the best he can do. And also to let him bring his mottly crew of inexperienced mates with him was stupid. Wales has not only gone backwards since he's been in charge, they've stopped playing rugby as I know it. I was ashamed and embarrassed by our performance at HQ. The only player who stood up to be counted was Charvis and that is a sad indictment of the younger lads that an old-timer like him was our best player by a mile. OK, so the backs didn't get the ball but did they go and look for it? At times like this you need all 15 players to be hungry and combative. Our boys looked jaded and disinterested. What exactly did they all do in their camp in France? Not play rugby, that's for sure. I don't think the pack were even introduced to each other! Jenkins didn't want to show his hand, or so he says. Why not? Surely our best players should be getting on to the field together now so that they can hone their skills before the World Cup? Or am I missing something? Does the coach not think that he has had plenty of time to make judgements on the training park? His final 30 should be an mere formaility now, surely? What did he learn about the fringe players? That they will always be on the fringe, I would say. As a proud Welsh person, I want us to do well in the World Cup and I sincerely hope the next two friendlies are more competitive and give us hope for the tournament. However, I fear that France will be too clever for us and Argentina too strong up front. Going into the World Cup with three losses in August would not do our lads any favours so I pray that I am proved wrong. I know coaches are always criticised when the team loses and I expected England to beat us, even if they are still in a mess themselves, but you would expect to be able to take some positives out of every game. Jenkins is deluding himself if he can see any good in that debaucle last Saturday. I'm as miserable as I can be so I dread to think how the players must be feeling. Come on boys, prove to us, your long-suffering fans, that you are good enough to take on the best in the world. At the moment, even qualifying from the group stages looks unlikely so there needs to be a concerted effort made in the next few weeks to turn this around and help us forget that black, black day at HQ.