RWC: FIJ v WAL (Millenium): POOL A

[Quick Hands]

As long as the same standard is applied to both teams, most of us can live with it.

Compared to some others (Clancy, Doyle and Jackson immediately spring to mind), Lacey was ok.

I think it's a reflection on the way referees are selected and coached that we have seen an overall improvement in the standard of the competing teams, which hasn't been matched with a similar improvement in officiating.

Garces, Owen and Joubert have been good, a lot of the rest have been mediocre at best.

 

[Dai bando]

I've just got up, haven't seen the game on TV yet will wait a little, so the ref was on our side, it didn't seem like from where I was sitting Fiji going in on the side of rucks , swimming down mauls and nothing, Did do us in the scrums tho , well done to them for that,
When you have a squad where you can put a second team out against a short turn around, all well and good, we have been lucky to get one team together, they did what they had too, win the game, the kicking back to them was crazy, why they persisted with it only they know,
But all in all it was a good day,
England Australia, now that's going to be a watch and see.

 

[I like to watch]

I actually prefer Lacey to Poite

And I would prefer to be shot than stabbed.
But neither are options that appeal to me!
I get the feeling the refs are of the view that if the favoured team wins,it helps their chances of a game at the pointy end.
In trying to avoid controversy they are sub consciously helping the favoured teams.

 

[ForceFan]

RUCK STATS FOR WALES AGAINST FIJI
(Don't know why the black background (??) but hope you can read OK.
[Click on image will increase size.]
Remember that Wales was coming off a 5-day break for this match.
Wales had most of the Possession - 59% (68% in 1st half) and Territory - 67% (77% in 1st half).
Both teams missed a high number of tackles - Wales 29 (136 made - 82%).
Fiji not helped by 2 missed Penalty goals at critical stages and 15 handling errors.

Impressive efforts by the Wales Forwards at key stages throughout the match: in the 1st 10 minutes (to stamp their mark on the game), 10-20 mins when Fiji were pressing and in the final 10 mins to prevent Fiji closing the gap.

Wales Forwards were tiring in the 2nd half (25% less ruck involvements) but impressive lifts by Warburton and Jones at the end with strong contributions off the bench.

Wales Backs only 15% of Total Ruck involvements. Best - Roberts 12, G Davies 10, Cuthbert 10, North 9 and T Morgan 9.

Wales Forwards Ruck involvement:
Front Row - ~40% of Total Ruck and Def Ruck involvement (7TOW - Jenkins 3TOW) (Note - Wallabies less than 30%)
Locks - ~20% of Total Ruck and Def Ruck involvement ( G Davies 4TOW)
Back Row - ~40% of Total Ruck and Def Ruck involvement (2TOW)

Check out "RWC Analysis - Know Your Enemy" on the G&GR dashboard if you want to see how these stats compare with the 2 Wallabies games so far.

Both teams had similar carries and m made. Wales best: M Morgan 12 runs for 132m, North 8 runs for 70m and AW Jones 10 runs for 46m.

Some impressive Wales tackling efforts: Felatau 15/1, Warburton 14/1, Lydiate 13/4 and Jenkins 11/3.

I reckon that we can match Wales at the set piece and out-work them at the breakdown with the resultant win next week.
Wallabies need good discipline or YC and penalty goals could make the difference.
Fiji did not really test Wales out wide. They did make some impressive runs up the guts

 

[Mr Doug]

I am very happy for our "Wales-aby" friends on G&GR!
I look forward to next week's match, when I wont be so keen on "sharing the love"!

 

[mxyzptlk]

Lacey was pedantic at times but also let some obvious stuff go

 

[Quick Hands]

Particularly when there were quite a few 'not releasing penalties against Fiji some of which were quite marginal.

EDIT: Had the situation been reversed - penalty against Fiji for not releasing and probably a yellow card because of proximity to try line. Note how close the AR was as well - he obviously saw nothing either.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Particularly when there were quite a few 'not releasing penalties against Fiji some of which were quite marginal.

EDIT: Had the situation been reversed - penalty against Fiji for not releasing and probably a yellow card because of proximity to try line. Note how close the AR was as well - he obviously saw nothing either.

Are you looking at what happens on the ground, or Cuthbert giving the ball an overhand smash forward into the ground and no one even blinking?

This might be a better version of that clip -- the gif drops a few frames.

 

[Braveheart81]

I expect they thought Cuthbert batted it back towards his try line. It went forward so should have been a yellow card.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

 

[saulityvi]

Particularly when there were quite a few 'not releasing penalties against Fiji some of which were quite marginal.

EDIT: Had the situation been reversed - penalty against Fiji for not releasing and probably a yellow card because of proximity to try line. Note how close the AR was as well - he obviously saw nothing either.

If you are referring to what happens after the loose ball is picked up, the Fijians clearly arent attacking the ball, but the space in front of it, which quite frankly is sealing off

 

[I like to watch]

If you are referring to what happens after the loose ball is picked up, the Fijians clearly arent attacking the ball, but the space in front of it, which quite frankly is sealing off

This logic sums up everything that frustrates me about the reffing thus far.
What the Fijians might or might not doing at the breakdown should be irrelevant.

Cuthbert? Deliberately flung the ball forward.
Penalty/card almost definitely if were the Fijians.
Knock on ruling at the very least.

But instead we get play on,ignore the Welsh guy not releasing,and hang on,are the Fijians infringing there???

 

[saulityvi]

This logic sums up everything that frustrates me about the reffing thus far.
What the Fijians might or might not doing at the breakdown should be irrelevant.

Cuthbert? Deliberately flung the ball forward.
Penalty/card almost definitely if were the Fijians.
Knock on ruling at the very least.

But instead we get play on,ignore the Welsh guy not releasing,and hang on,are the Fijians infringing there???

Okay we agree to disagree, I thought Cuthbert slapped it backwards, very hard to judge, but if it was judged forwards, then definetily penalty and yellow card.

 

[Wales Fan]

Cuthbert definitely lost it forward but it wouldn't have been more than a Fijian scrum.
It looked clumsy more than deliberate but there were another 4 Welsh players in close proximity so a yellow is fanciful.

 

[Cardiffblue]

I expect they thought Cuthbert batted it back towards his try line. It went forward so should have been a yellow card.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

Why? Black 14, poor sod, was Fiji's best player.

I seriously dont think cuthbert was capable of a deliberate knock on. Would imply he got something right.

 

[Cardiffblue]

I've just got up, haven't seen the game on TV yet will wait a little, so the ref was on our side, it didn't seem like from where I was sitting Fiji going in on the side of rucks , swimming down mauls and nothing, Did do us in the scrums tho , well done to them for that,
When you have a squad where you can put a second team out against a short turn around, all well and good, we have been lucky to get one team together, they did what they had too, win the game, the kicking back to them was crazy, why they persisted with it only they know,
But all in all it was a good day,
England Australia, now that's going to be a watch and see.

Kicking game has become an obsession. We got too good at it this year with Rhys and 1/2p. But neither of them is there.

The guys on here are seeing a conspiracy and a one-eyed Irish ref. I know I've only got the other eye open but having rewatched it as slowly as I can bear to I cant see it. Just think he never got got control of the game. I'm with you. He could've pinged them at most of the breakdowns.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

On the positive side I am use to a Fiji side with good backs but rubbish forwards - the SA defensive coach has improved the fiji set piece out of sight.....shows what having some professional coaching does for a side like Fiji.

I wonder given strength of fiji 7's brand etc whether fiji entering a super rugby side in the future may be a distinct possibility as exposing them to this level would help fiji get even better....

 

[Wales Fan]

Wales need to look at reasons why their scrum has deteriorated so badly. For me they've jettisoned their best scrummaging tighthead - Adam Jones, hooker - Richard Hibbard. And lock Jake Ball being overlooked for Bradley Davies.

 

[Quick Hands]

This logic sums up everything that frustrates me about the reffing thus far.
What the Fijians might or might not doing at the breakdown should be irrelevant.

Cuthbert? Deliberately flung the ball forward.
Penalty/card almost definitely if were the Fijians.
Knock on ruling at the very least.

But instead we get play on,ignore the Welsh guy not releasing,and hang on,are the Fijians infringing there???

If you want an even worse example have a look at the penalty given to Wales at 1hr.31min on this. Welsh player tackled, Wales 18 flops straight on tackler, two more Welsh players come in and lose their feet and he finds a penalty against Fiji 8 who fell over and rolled straight out of the breakdown and had no impact on the game whatsoever.

BTW, this isn't having a go a Wales, this has been happening all tournament - Fiji were dudded less in this game than some other teams have been. Garces has been the only ref who hasn't favoured the Tier 1 nation.

Russian commentary is quite amusing - at least it shows how rugby is spreading.

 

[Quick Hands]

Kicking game has become an obsession. We got too good at it this year with Rhys and 1/2p. But neither of them is there.

The guys on here are seeing a conspiracy and a one-eyed Irish ref. I know I've only got the other eye open but having rewatched it as slowly as I can bear to I cant see it. Just think he never got got control of the game. I'm with you. He could've pinged them at most of the breakdowns.

It's not that the ref overtly favoured Wales, it's just a pattern in which referees hold Tier 2 nations and minnows to a higher standard than they do Tier 1 nations. Compared to Clancy and Doyle, Lacey was reasonably even-handed in this, but some of those penalties against Fiji wouldn't have been given against a Tier 1 nation - and quite a few of the non-penalties would have been given.

I'm not having a go at Wales, I've been on about this on just about every match thread.

See post 238.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Wales need to look at reasons why their scrum has deteriorated so badly. For me they've jettisoned their best scrummaging tighthead - Adam Jones, hooker - Richard Hibbard. And lock Jake Ball being overlooked for Bradley Davies.

Seems to me wales, since CH is going to persist in mobility over power, need to start hooking the ball to get it into back row quicker