The backlash from Wales’ appalling second half performance in Scotland has been pretty brutal. A season of discontent boiled over with Welsh fans frustrated and desperately seeking change. Whilst the atmosphere in the Principality Stadium was sure to be electric, the build up had seen tickets going spare across the country. Disillusioned supporters, anticipating another defeat and fearing Friday night traffic and transport chaos, were voting with their feet. What they missed out on was a classic. An epic contest between two old rivals and, quite unexpectedly, a vintage Welsh performance.
When the starting lineup was announced earlier in the week Welsh fans despaired. Players who underperformed at Murrayfield were simply given the shirt again and told “must do better”. There was seemingly no comeuppance for poor showings. The reality was that Scotland have progressed to the stage that they comfortably beat the men in red for the first time in ten years. Ireland have beaten the All Blacks this season, no one else can say that. And England are closing in on a world record winning streak. Rugby fans in Wales are very aware of what’s going on in the world. They watch rugby regularly and so can see these shifts. They’re selfish too and want their team to be enjoying that success. With Wales not winning a Six Nations title since 2013 the natives are understandably going to be restless. However Friday nights match saw a return of the Wales that last one the title.
Built upon the foundations of huge physicality, Wales bludgeoned the Irish forwards, and crucially their half back combination, into submission. Anointed Lions pairing Connor Murray and Jonathan Sexton were battered and some distance away from the armchair ride they would’ve hoped to enjoy. This physicality was a return to the style which won Wales championships a few years ago; ‘Warrenball’ based upon power and intensity. The defensive efforts were brutal with big hits coming in from both sides. Yet Wales refused to yield and defended their line manfully, succeeding in keeping the Irish out. Often an Achilles heel, Wales’ line out was not only accurate but also won crucial turnovers of Irish possession. Their attack was also equally effective.
Having had a very public boot up the backside George North carried the ball like a man possessed. The wrecking ball on the right wing powered through green jerseys, constantly looked for work and was suitably rewarded with two tries. His first score was exactly the attacking play that Wales failed to convert against Scotland and in other games during the autumn. From the initial line break Rhys Webb ran an impressive support line to take the offload. Passing was then accurate and North plowed over to his clear relief. The second was an impressive example of simple ‘heads up’ rugby that took advantage of the extra man. Vitally important to efforts out wide were those up front with the back row battle proving to be a colossal contest. Warburton versus CJ Stander in particular was utterly engrossing to watch. Both must surely be Lions tourists in the summer. As the two flankers epitomised there was little between the sides and despite what the scoreline suggests this game could’ve gone either way.
The turning point of the match was clearly when an Irish maul was marching towards the Welsh line only for Robbie Henshaw’s influence to cost his team a certain try. Henshaw clearly joined the maul ahead of Rory Best who had possession of the ball. It was an easy call for referee Wayne Barnes although Jon Davies did point it out for him too. It was a decision that came at a crucial time with the score at 15-9. Had the try been awarded Ireland would’ve had a conversion kick to go into the lead heading into the last ten minutes. Who knows what might’ve happened then. Instead Irish players heads went down as they seem to concede defeat with their chance blown. Jamie Roberts’ charge down third try sealed the deal.
Whilst the win proves that Wales were simply a good team playing poorly, the future remains a concern. With few new caps and talent coming through, a World Cup challenge in 2019 will depend largely on this group of players. Inconsistency is the main worry with Wales capable of raising their game for big matches at home but not equalling those performances away from the home comforts of Cardiff. Even the reliable Leigh Halfpenny has slipped in his standards. He has missed shots at goal and hasn’t scored an international try for a very long time. Most startling have been some of the glaring handling errors made in the last two games that are very unlike the Halfpenny of 2013.
Although Wales gave their fans a positive victory that few predicted, none of them were willing to allow it to paper over the cracks. Preventing the men in red slipping out of the top 8 of the world rankings was a must. Another pool of death at the 2019 World Cup would’ve been a disaster. Victory also vindicated Rob Howley’s decision to keep the same team and resist the calls for change. However the public are still clamouring for consistency and an attacking game that will threaten the top teams. Effective as it was, last night’s performance would not have dampened the disquiet. If the team can deliver more scores akin to George North’s first, combine that attacking game with a disciplined defence and accurate set pieces then Wales can finally challenge New Zealand. This will require consistent results and not just single performances at home.
The final challenge of the Six Nations is a trip to Paris. Perhaps only then will we have a better idea if the Ireland win was a one-off regression to ‘Warrenball’ or a sign of genuine progression that will lead to better things.
It had been ten years since the Welsh rugby team had lost to their Scottish counterparts at international level. There were young children in the stands of Murrayfield who had never seen Scotland beat Wales. This all changed yesterday following a dismal second half performance from the men in red and confirmed that the Scottish resurgence seen against Ireland was not a mere flash in the pan. The result proved symbolic of a drastic change in fortunes. The Scots are thriving and full of confidence. Wales however are stagnant and devoid of ideas.
It has been levelled at this Welsh team that they’ve spent too long in the gym and not enough time working on their skills. Rugby is so often a simple game where basic skills done well can heap rich rewards. The Welsh team have tried to address these issues with the blunt bludgeon of Jamie Roberts being replaced by the more composed distributor Scott Williams. A seemingly wise decision as Roberts came on and threw one particularly dreadful pass. In contrast Finn Russell and Hogg combined with two perfect passes to put Tim Visser over which made the Welsh defensive line look like they weren’t even there. However it’s not just the lack of skill from the Welsh players which is troubling, it’s the absence of attacking intelligence.
Wales were undone by dummy runners for Scotland’s first try by Tommy Seymour. This came with the tenth phase but yet the Scots still had the ability to deliver a backs move. Wales showed against England that they can pull off backs moves on first phase. But after one ruck Wales become horrendously predictable. One off runners. Side to side play. Waiting for a missed tackle or a back running against a forward rather than creating something themselves. As a defensive team you only need to match Wales’ physicality to contain them. Alex King came in recently after being deemed surplus to requirements at a Northampton team who were also misfiring. In the autumn it was Matt Sherratt but he’s gone back to Cardiff Blues. Yet with Rob Howley also supposedly a backs coach, a role he’ll be taking on for the Lions this summer, the Welsh team are simply not creating and crucially scoring tries. Two backs coaches and a talented backline however still cannot produce five pointers. This is not a new problem with Wales fans still bemused how they couldn’t score against 13 Wallabies in the World Cup. Scotland showed how it can be done and it won them the game.
Wales had chances with Rhys Webb notably close to a try. However even that had not been created by Wales but the scrum half instinctively reacting to a loose ball. Outside of that Wales coughed up the ball, threw wild inaccurate passes or were so predictable in their carrying that the Scots could target the ball and win turnovers. Wales did go for a try to take the lead, dismissing the chance to level the score but that decision itself gave a worrying glimpse of dissent in the camp.
With the exception of the front row the majority of the starting lineup and the coaching setup is largely the same. All the other home nations have improved. England are on a winning run, Ireland beat the All Blacks for the first time ever and Scotland have now defeated Wales for the first time in a decade. Those teams have progressed but Wales have stood still. Only major change can solve this problem. It needs to be both on and off the pitch. Wales go up against title chasing Ireland next then face a daunting trip to Paris against a hugely physical French team. Perhaps it will take two defeats in those games to trigger the long overdue reaction. We do however seem to have returned to an era where Wales players can beat Italy and raise their game for England but the rest are simply leaving us behind.
The debut series of Class has now concluded its run on BBC One. The DVD and BluRay have also been available for a couple of weeks. It also still remains available on the BBC iPlayer for several more months. But is it any good?
Whilst Class was another positive production for BBC Wales’ drama studios in Cardiff it had an element of testing the water when it came to broadcast. It was the first major show to debut on the new BBC Three which was only available through the BBC iPlayer. Although receiving some promotion the programme was dependent on people at home seeking out the show at a time that suited them. As a result other more popular programmes dominated the iPlayer charts with the show failing to break into the Top 50 on demand shows meaning less than 185,000 people accessed the episodes. When the show did finally get a traditional broadcast slot on an actual channel it was buried by BBC One on a Monday night at 10.45pm. Worst still episodes were shown in pairs back to back. That meant that the second episode would finish in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Talk about not giving the show a fair chance at attracting to an audience! On BBC America Class will be screened after episodes of the next series of Doctor Who which although potentially odd to follow two series simultaneously does mean it will at least receive some prominence.
There was so much to enjoy and discuss. Wales produced one of their best performances in the Six Nations for years and it was heartbreaking for them to lose it at the death. The effort from the forward pack was immense, matching and getting the edge on their English counterparts. Ross Moriarty stood out with some bone crushing hits, including a shot on Owen Farrell that was a bit late. Credit to the Englishman he didn’t make a fuss. Got his breath back and carried on with the game. Jake Ball, with a face full of stitches, carried hard. Ken Owens hit all his lineouts. The scrum was solid and unlucky on a few referee calls. Alun Wyn Jones, Warburton and Tipuric gave everything as usual with some particularly crucial turnovers. For England Dylan Hartley was entirely anonymous, his most recent ban costing him crucial match fitness. Launchbury and Lawes carried and tackled themselves into the ground whilst Clifford and Itoje engaged in a fascinating battle with the more experienced Welsh flankers. But yet for all the Welsh effort up front it was, as is often the case, the backs which proved the difference.
Whilst the Welsh backline crafted a stunning try from first phase for Liam Williams they failed to take the opportunity of strong territorial positions. England however were clinical. George Ford had been highlighted as a defensive weakness, his lack of stature made for easy yardage gains. However his ability to time a pass and put a player in a hole more than made up for those inadequacies. The game will of course will be remembered for the final moments as Elliot Daly scored to seal the win. Wales had defended heroically on their line twice during the second half. It was what they did after that which proved their undoing. Firstly, Dan Biggar’s interception and dash up field was undone with the freshly introduced Scott Baldwin botching the subsequent lineout throw. Similarly Jonathan Davies failed to find the touchline from a relieving kick at a time when Wales needed to regroup and reorganise at a set piece. This then exposed the unfortunate Alex Cuthbert.
Running alongside the debate over whether the stadium roof would be open or not was the saga concerning George North. Having suffered a dead leg in Rome, but still having the ability to run in a try from distance, North looked unlikely to make the England game. Whilst the Welsh coaching team were perfectly within their rights to name him in the team and pull him out an hour before kickoff it stank of the childish shenanigans which England coach Eddie Jones had predicted. Equally predictable was that Alex Cuthbert, North’s designated replacement, was going to have his head in his hands at some point against England. Unfortunately for Wales it occurred at the very end as his inability to get Daly into touch cost Wales a victory they deserved given their efforts.
Cuthbert has been let down by his bosses. Short on confidence and desperate to just do something right he shouldn’t be continually thrust into the glare of international rugby where criticism and sadly abuse are sure to follow. He should be spared this by those responsible for picking the team. Despite what people say Wales were not short of other options. Stef Evans might’ve been a long shot to start such a big game but Sam Davies, Gareth Anscombe or Matthew Morgan, who scored a superb counterattacking try against Bristol recently, could’ve covered fullback and allowed Leigh Halfpenny to cover on the wing. However this lack of thought is highly indicative of a management team who seem to make substitutions based on the time on the match clock alone.
How many more times are we going to go through this? Another Autumn series gets underway with a defeat to one of the Southern Hemisphere giants. However it was the manner of this defeat which was so galling. If anyone is looking to take positives from that performance then they are frankly deluded. Wales should be ashamed of that first half performance. Utterly ashamed. There were moments when Australia were simply executing plays as if they were going through a training session. The Wallabies have probably had more intense training opponents than the limp resistance which Wales offered.
Statistics can too often be used to prove anything. But the facts are the facts and for Wales they make for grim reading. Wales have not won the opening match of the autumn since they defeated Romania in 2002. Stop playing the big boys. You are wasting everyone’s time and are just after our money. Wales under the Gatland/Edwards/Howley regime, installed 8 years ago now, have claimed 1 victory over Australia and another over South Africa in 2014. Add the All Blacks to the stats and that means 2 victories in 32 matches. A win percentage of 6.25%. If insanity is the repetition of events expecting different results then we are well beyond that point by now. I for one am sick of the excuses. They are being trotted out on such a regular basis that they have now become cliches. Classics such as, “we need to test ourselves against the best teams to learn” and “we always start slowly and get better the longer we are together” would be more appropriately used as the tag lines by the WRU marketing department.
From their first lineout Australia flowed over the gainline and did not yield that momentum. Many fans were left bewildered by the selection of Alex Cuthbert for yesterday’s game. Wales attempted to trick the Wallabies by putting him on the left wing, rather than the right. But the smart green and golds targeted him immediately. A series of cross and box kicks exposed him early on, allowing Australia to regain the ball. This resulted in the extraordinary 80% possession statistics. Any youngsters wishing to watch a textbook control of a match then this was the game.
I thought Ross Moriarty carried the ball well. Scott Williams’ try also demonstrated that when players play what is in front of them and back themselves they can do good things. But once again Wales’ inability to convert overlaps with the line at their mercy is staggering from supposedly “professional” rugby players.
The danger now is that the Welsh public are on the verge of abandoning this team of under-performers. As a result there were nearly 20,000 empty seats in the stadium, not helped by the £60+ price tag. In contrast Wales’ footballing counterparts are delivering on the field. Next weekend they play Serbia in a World Cup qualifier. It is no wonder therefore that tickets for the Argentina rugby clash are so freely available. We are talking tickets for £20 now. Those are still available but the Welsh public isn’t interested. This is a shame because Argentina are playing some superb rugby this year. They took apart Ireland at the World Cup last year and are threatening to do the same to Wales. Short of some drastic changes both on and off the field Wales are in real danger of slipping out of the top 8 in the World Rugby rankings. Just in time for Rugby World Cup seedings once again!
However the challenge of defeating the All Blacks is an intimidating one. The Lions have only ever won a test against New Zealand once way back in 1971. They are consistently the best team in world rugby, reigning back-to-back world champions and with a phenomenal won/lost record. On top of that the Lions have a daunting series of matches against New Zealand’s five super rugby teams, plus the Maori’s and a provincial XV.
Summerslam is WWE’s second biggest show of the year and the first proper Pay Per View (PPV) since the brand split. Both Raw and Smackdown were able to build and present their matches for the ‘biggest party of the summer’. The only exception to this was the main event which featured Brock Lesnar of Raw and Randy Orton of Smackdown.
Anyway, back to Lesnar v Orton. The conclusion of the match was shocking and unexpected, even to long-term fans. There was no escaping the obvious. Lesnar caught Orton with an elbow to the head which split him open hard. If that was indeed the intended finish then it was a bold move. Since the move to the TV-PG rating WWE’s output has been significantly watered down with blood loss an obvious absentee. So for the main event on the second biggest show of the year to be stopped in this manner was unexpected to say the least. It was quite grizzly too as Orton clutched his head and when eventually Lesnar was pulled off the third generation superstar he was prone in a pool of his own blood. To complete the finale a F5 was delivered to Smackdown Commissioner Shane McMahon, which will inevitably lead to a storyline suspension. Brock Lesnar’s limited dates contract means that he’ll have some time off, possibly get in another UFC bout and return around Royal Rumble for Wrestlemania season. As a result, this main event achieved nothing whatsoever other than a mildly entertaining watch. Like the majority of Summerslam it was therefore a disappointment.
With the exception of the AJ Styles and John Cena match, which was spectacular, the rest of the card could be described as average at best. Sasha Banks failed to defend her women’s title as a back injury necessitated her dropping the strap back to Charlotte. During the match Banks took a nasty looking bump off the turnbuckle which could easily have broken her neck. It’s no wonder she’s injured her back based on that evidence. None of the other championship matches were much to write home about. One of them didn’t even happen as Rusev and Roman Reigns brawled without actually having a match, robbing those who had bought the event on PPV of seeing another title up for grabs. A new addition to the Championship scene also debuted at Summerslam as the Universal Championship belt was unveiled.
This new title is not just ridiculous sounding, a champion of the entire universe, but now also looks terrible. It is so odd that the current Intercontinental title belt is an old version but at least it has a unique look to it. Now the WWE World, WWE Universal and WWE Women’s championships are almost identical with the only major differentiation being the colouring of the strap. I don’t have a problem with the consistent design but the red leather ruins it for me. What is more important however, and has rightly been pointed out by Mick Foley online, is that two competitors at the top of their game put on a good match for it.
Although good the match was a little disappointing, there’s no getting around that. The first time Finn Balor and Seth Rollins had met in the ring was hoped to have had instant chemistry but although exciting and entertaining it just lacked a little something. As it has turned out Finn Balor suffered a shoulder injury early on and incredibly popped the dislocated joint back in within seconds. However, this did not seem to hamper his performance. The capacity crowd also seemed more concerned with voicing their displeasure to the appearance of the new belt than following the action in the ring which killed the atmosphere. The moment that Balor won the title should’ve been met with a deafeningly positive reaction. Sadly that reaction was absent. I had concluded that the PPV debut of the Demon couldn’t possibly end in failure. Perhaps the crowd had also reached this verdict. It set things up nicely for a series of Rollins/Balor classics as Seth fails to overcome the Demon, elevating the myth of this dark side of Finn Balor. Depressingly we have now been denied this feud as news broke that Finn would be spending months on the sidelines following surgery.
On Raw just 24 hours after winning the title, Finn Balor relinquished it, causing the intended plan for the next few weeks to be ripped up and a hastily arranged series of matches worked out to crown a new champion. I am a big fan of Seth Rollins. Like most of the WWE Universe I am keen to cheer him despite his persistent heel character. But his buckle/throw powerbomb has not only caused the neck injury that retired Sting but has also embarrassed the WWE by injuring one of the company’s most exciting new talents. The curb stomp was replaced by the Pedigree as that was deemed too violent a move and surely now the buckle bomb has to be culled too.
As the 31st Olympic Games drew to a close in Rio de Janeiro it is time to reflect on the latest instalment of the so-called ‘Greatest Show on Earth’. Prior to the event the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the IAAF faced their biggest crisis in recent memory. The host country itself had safety concerns with the spread of the Zika virus and faced questions regarding financing and the water quality in Guanabara Bay. Yet despite all these issues the competitive action has spoken for itself, providing gripping tension, explosive excitement and unforgettable moments.
With the Games fast approaching an investigation found state sponsored doping in Russia bringing into doubt their participation. Despite the findings, the IOC refused to grab the opportunity and impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes, a mistake the IPC did not make. Instead individual sport’s governing bodies would make the decision regarding Russian participants. As a result Russia acquired a total of 56 medals, placing them fourth in the medal table. It is impossible not to ponder the legitimacy of these medals. Russian athletes are having samples retested and are being stripped of medals from Beijing 2008 and recently shot putter Evgeniia Kolodko lost her London 2012 silver medal. Those elevated to receive medals long after the event have been robbed of their moment to stand on the podium and see their national flag raised for them. Drug cheats ruin it for everyone. Justin Gatlin’s failure to reach the 200m final felt like justice but he leaves Rio having taken silver in the 100m. He has been banned not once but twice for doping offences but is still allowed to compete. If the Lance Armstrong saga proved anything it is that dopers are often ahead of the testers. The presence of Gatlin and Russian athletes jeopardises the sport and unfortunately with the golden poster boy from Jamaica appearing for the final time this process of spectator apathy could be accelerated.
Usain Bolt is now unquestionably a legend. The triple treble of gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay is a feat which is incredibly unlikely to be bettered. He is not just a phenomenal athlete but the humblest of men. Bolt is a showman. Box office. A man that transcends athletics. His record at the Olympics is unheard of but all achieved without anything other than natural ability, most notably his stride length. It is no coincidence that when he was competing the stadiums were at their fullest. Unfortunately not all events were as well populated by spectators.
One of the most exciting events in the early stages of the Olympics was the Rugby 7s tournament. Rugby Union had not been included in the Olympic Games since 1924 and in that 92 year gap the seven aside game had become the perfect competition to complete inside three days. The combination of 14 minute matches, incredibly fast athletes and stunning tries made for two riveting tournament for the medals. Few are likely to forget the tension of Team GB’s epic quarter final battle with Argentina, Japan defeating New Zealand, the Australian women overcoming their trans-Tasman rivals or Fiji’s offloading masterclass to seal their own historic gold medal triumph. Team GB’s women fell short in the final stages, failing to claim a bronze medal but the Men’s team, brought together over the summer, did take away a spectacular silver. This would prove to be just one of a record haul of medals for Team GB.
After the incredible achievements of Team GB at London 2012 few imagined that it could be matched, especially without the backing of home support. But yet Team GB managed to not only match but then to exceed all expectations. Their 67 medals edged the 65 achieved in 2012. 27 golds also placed GB second in the medal table, delivering a bloody nose to traditional powerhouse China. In a number of interviews athletes praised the contribution that funding from the National Lottery has made. In the brutal reality of medals equal funding, performances like this prove that the strategy works. It was only 20 years ago that Team GB left Atlanta with only a solitary gold medal. The transformation is astonishing. Not only have the athletes themselves savoured their moment of glory but thousands of miles away so did the British public.
Despite the time difference millions watched on as incredible moments became etched in history as Mo Farrah, Jade Jones, Andy Murray and Nicola Adams retained their titles. Those were just a few of our stars but contributions came from a wide variety of sports. Team GB picked up medals in the Velodrome, on the athletics track, on water, in the water, in the boxing ring and at the Gymnastics. That isn’t even a comprehensive list. The gripping elation of the penalty shootout victory for the women’s hockey team no doubt provided the highlight to many people’s Friday night. For me the most emotional gold medal victories came for Charlotte Dujardin and her legendary horse Vallegro, in his last competition, and Nick Skelton. At his seventh Olympic Games the 58 year old won individual showjumping gold after a tense six-way jump off. Stood on the podium the emotion took hold and the man who once retired after breaking his neck finally had his well-deserved moment.
Whilst for many in Great Britain London 2012 will forever be the greatest Olympic games ever, without doubt Rio 2016 has been the greatest for our athletes. Team GB exceeded expectations and proved that our small island is still a country to be reckoned with in sporting competition. In Tokyo in 2020, anything could be possible…
Bedwyr Gullidge 