Just thought I'd give you guys an insight on the Wales team for Saturday.
Absolutely agree. I can't see the point of focussing on good scrummagers, I mean, when did scrum problems last have any serious impact on a Wallaby Test? Wales can't scrum anyway.
Mate along with France, Wales has the best scrum in the world. Adam Jones is the best scrummaging tighthead prop in the world and has been for 3 years, no doubt about it. Gethin Jenkins is also a very good scrummager and is up there in the top three in the world. He is also easily the hardest working prop in world rugby (like a 3rd flanker) This front row was dominant in all games of the Six Nations, and World Cup they were together in.
This is the side that you guys probably will be up against Saturday:
1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Ken Owens
3. Adam Jones
4. Luke Charteris
5. Bradley Davies
6. Dan Lydiate
7. Sam Warburton (c)
8. Toby Faletau
9. Mike Phillips
10. Rhys Priestland
11. George North
12. Ashley Beck/Scott Williams
13. Jon Davies
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Leigh Halfpenny
BENCH: 16. Matthew Rees, 17. Paul James, 18. Ryan Jones, 19. Justin Tipuric, 20. Lloyd Williams, 21. James Hook, 22. Ashley Beck/Scott Williams
As stated the front row is incredible. Ken Owens is blossoming beautifully into an classy test match hooker. At lock, Bradley Davies is a bully, like Brad Thorn or Bakkies Botha and will run hard, hit rucks and tackle hard (hopefully not to the extent he spear tackles someone like he did against Ireland), while Luke Charteris gets through a mountain of work (he made 16 tackles in 38 minutes of rugby against Ireland in the world cup quarter-final). You know about our back-row. Dan Lydiate won Player of the Six Nations with his low tackling and massive tool for Warburton to win turnovers. Faletau is our main carrier but the whole back-row can do the lot i.e. turnover ball, tackle, carry, take lineouts etc.
You know about most of our backline. Big and uncompromising. Alex Cuthbert is a similar player to George North. Big, fast and powerful. Halfpenny is a very sound option at full back. Safe under the high ball, kicks well and is dangerously elusive. You may not know so much about Ashley Beck. He is uncapped but this kid is very good. He has an eye for the gap, has beautiful distribution skills and can tackle well. Scott Williams is more in the Jamie Roberts mould, big ball carrier. He may be inexperienced but he has already proved to be a match winner when he scored an individual try against England with 5 minutes to go to win the match.
Ryan Jones has been getting better and better as the year has progressed. He can cover the whole back five. His carrying is brilliant, his breakdown work is excellent and in general he gets through a mountain of work. Would probably slot straight into your backrow, easily! Justin Tipuric is our back-up openside. He is pushing Sam Warburton for a test start, with his breakdown skills absolutely immense as illustrated in his brilliant performance against the Barbarians. He is also an excellent link player and terrific ball player, different option to Warburton who is more of a yard gainer than a distributer. James Hook also showed a return to form against the Barbarians with a very prominent display scoring 20 points including an excellent try.
So this what you are up against. A squad with copious amounts of depth, confidence and one that is gunning for you. Yet despite my belief that the Welsh team is on paper better than Australia's (at least in the forwards), you guys always seem to get up against us. Another bad omen is the fact that last time you lost to the Scots, you smashed us next week 33-12. So I could never take this Wallabies team lightly, because they seem to be developing into the new France - completely unpredictable. Can't wait for the match guys. It promises to be an absolute cracker and I'm excited to say I will be inside Suncorp on Saturday night.
