Team for South Africa

[Graigwen]

Wales team to face South Africa, at Principality Stadium, on Saturday 6th November 2021
15 Johnny McNicholl (Scarlets)
14 Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby)
13 Jonathan Davies (Scarlets – Capt)
12 Nick Tompkins (Saracens)
11 Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby)
10 Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints)
9 Tomos Williams (Cardiff Rugby);
1 Rhys Carré (Cardiff Rugby)
2 Ryan Elias (Scarlets)
3 Tomas Francis (Ospreys)
4 Will Rowlands (Dragons)
5 Adam Beard (Ospreys)
6 Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Rugby)
7 Taine Basham (Dragons)
8 Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)

Replacements:
16 Bradley Roberts (Ulster – uncapped)
17 Wyn Jones (Scarlets)
18 WillGriff John (Scarlets – uncapped)
19 Ben Carter (Dragons)
20 Seb Davies (Cardiff Rugby)
21 Gareth Davies (Scarlets)
22 Gareth Anscombe (Ospreys)
23 Liam Williams (Scarlets)

[Graigwen]

We are starting Carre against South Afruca, well that should be fun! He looks as if he could be a good international standard prop until he is actually in a game. Often he seems rather bewildered and not fully aware of what is going on around him. This is just a friendly match and maybe this kind of severe test is what he needs.

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[SDHoneymonster]

That front five v the Boks... eek.

[Graigwen]

I am happy to see WillGriff John on the bench, well deserved.

I am astonished to find I am happy to see Bradley Roberts on the bench, although maybe there is a bit of desperation in that. Lineout throwing in is a weakness of a number of other decent hookers and there is certainly a long term international future awaiting anyone who can throw in reliably and is half decent in other abilities.

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[Graigwen]

It is good to see Ellis Jenkins back.

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[normanski]

I know Wyn Jones got done over a few times against the AB’s tight head but I’m certain he would put up a better show as a starter against the Boks rather than Carre who as Graigwen points out looks bewildered at times.

Another horrible day at the office for the team on Saturday, unfortunately.

[Numbers]

I'm hoping we can dominate the breakdown with 2 opensides on the field, I have concerns over the set piece but hopefully the NZ ref will spot any transgressions at the scrum, I'm a little bit confused like you that Wyn Jones isn't starting as he is our best scrummaging loosehead.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Carre taking the place of Wyn Jones looks like a mistake, good for crashing over the line maybe but we'd better hope there aren't many scrums.

Hope Ellis Jenkins stays in one piece.

Tompkins over Johnny Williams is a bad call (and after William's try last week, too!), particularly given the physicality needed for SA.

Seb Davies isn't really back row cover. They really need another general back-rower like Turnbull, Keddie, Boyde or Griffiths in the squad.

[Numbers]

Carre taking the place of Wyn Jones looks like a mistake, good for crashing over the line maybe but we'd better hope there aren't many scrums.

Hope Ellis Jenkins stays in one piece.

Tompkins over Johnny Williams is a bad call (and after William's try last week, too!), particularly given the physicality needed for SA.

Seb Davies isn't really back row cover. They really need another general back-rower like Turnbull, Keddie, Boyde or Griffiths in the squad.

Aye, de Allende will be licking his lips, I completely agree about Seb Davies, it seems he's been picked to provide bulk but there are better options imo than him.

With SA's kicking game I foresee a fair few scrums, especially if it's raining (which isn't forecast but who knows).

[Graigwen]

Why are we playing this game?

At one level it is so that the WRU can replenish their coffers by tapping into the huge number of us who, one way or the other, are so passionate about rugby that we will fork out money to watch Wales whatever team they put on the pitch. I am not too upset about this aspect. I recognise that rugby in Wales requires international matches to provide funds not available from other sources. I will not be in Cardiff this weekend, but on plenty of other weekends I have paid for a ticket and done a four hundred mile round trip to see a below par Wales team lose a friendly.

Another aspect of this sort of games should be that they provide information about non-regular players' ability. Of course we want to win, but that is not everything. Perhaps starting Carre is a good idea. The alternative is to watch him for another year, coming on in the 60th minute and taking part in maybe three scrums and neither he nor us learning much.

Seb Davies is a plyer I had high hopes for a while ago. It looked like he might be someone who could be both a quality second row and flanker. Now he looks a bit underpowered as a lock and too ponderous as a flanker.

One thing I am confident of is that my opinions will be modified one way or the other this weekend.

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[Sandydragon]

Priestland can justifiably feel frustrated. Dropped from the squad is harsh. I’d a rather Anscombe was allowed more game time for the Ospreys but I suppose this is all about the next RWC.

Seb Davies is not an international back row player. There are good flankers who are fit, Griffiths for example, who should be in that squad.

Carre. I’m assuming that this is all about countering the Bokke huge scrum in the last 30.

Tompkins. I can only assume that’s a game plan selection.

[Graigwen]

Priestland can justifiably feel frustrated. Dropped from the squad is harsh. I’d a rather Anscombe was allowed more game time for the Ospreys but I suppose this is all about the next RWC.

Seb Davies is not an international back row player. There are good flankers who are fit, Griffiths for example, who should be in that squad.

Carre. I’m assuming that this is all about countering the Bokke huge scrum in the last 30.

Tompkins. I can only assume that’s a game plan selection.

I suspected all along that Priestland was just a one game substitute. He did play well. I think it is a project to get Anscombe back up to speed. Let's hope Biggar does not get injured in the first tem minutes.

I agree about Seb Davies.

I hope Tompkins has done some tackling practice.

It will be an interesting game.

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[Sandydragon]

Aye, Priestland is just there for emergency cover. I think Biggar and Anscombe are the two choice fly half’s for the next RWC campaign.

But watching Priestland unlock the all black defence last weekend made me realise what we have missed over the past decade. He was superb in the 2011 RWC. And then he lost confidence and form, becoming one of those sad stories of how life in the Welsh rugby goldfish bowl can be unforgiving. If only he could have been managed better.

[Graigwen]

Aye, Priestland is just there for emergency cover. I think Biggar and Anscombe are the two choice fly half’s for the next RWC campaign.

But watching Priestland unlock the all black defence last weekend made me realise what we have missed over the past decade. He was superb in the 2011 RWC. And then he lost confidence and form, becoming one of those sad stories of how life in the Welsh rugby goldfish bowl can be unforgiving. If only he could have been managed better.

Yes. you have got it spot on.

He has a superb ability to get the 3/4s moving, in a way that Biggar has struggled to do despite many other good features. (Biggar has made an effort to stand flatter in recent years, this has sometimes worked.)

Priestland was being selected when out of form and that of course affected his confidence even more. He needed a break, but was put under more and more pressure. Over the years Gatland got a lot of things right, but the handling of Priestland was poor. I think Gatland eventually learned that that need a theoretical squad of about 60 so you can rotate players out temporarily, but it was too late for Priestland. The move to Bath, I think, saved his career.

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[Numbers]

Priestland can justifiably feel frustrated. Dropped from the squad is harsh. I’d a rather Anscombe was allowed more game time for the Ospreys but I suppose this is all about the next RWC.

Seb Davies is not an international back row player. There are good flankers who are fit, Griffiths for example, who should be in that squad.

Carre. I’m assuming that this is all about countering the Bokke huge scrum in the last 30.

Tompkins. I can only assume that’s a game plan selection.

I'd have picked Halaholo instead as he's a more creative player.

[Sourdust]

There's a bit of last-chance-saloon (or at least how-many-chances-do-you-need-saloon) feel about some of these selections. Carre, Tomkins, Davies, McNicholl all players who the jury is very much still out on. But I agree that these are the games to try things out, tomorrow's defeat will be quickly forgotten, and the money will once again be in the bank. We can't go into the next cycle with the whole team the wrong side of 30, so whether or not we actually have any good players younger than that is not the point, I guess.

[whatisthejava]

Backs look good, forwards feels a little wrong to me. (Carre and 2 open sides)

I get the idea that in the last 20 wyn let’s you attack the book scrum but I think you get blasted off the ball for the first 60.

As someone said, if the kiwi ref is lightning quick at the breakdown you will be fine, if he decides to French it I think you guys will struggle.

Crowd will help

[Son of Mathonwy]

Backs look good, forwards feels a little wrong to me. (Carre and 2 open sides)

I get the idea that in the last 20 wyn let’s you attack the book scrum but I think you get blasted off the ball for the first 60.

As someone said, if the kiwi ref is lightning quick at the breakdown you will be fine, if he decides to French it I think you guys will struggle.

Crowd will help

I think the Carre/Wyn thing is very tactical. I expect Carre to come off early in the second half so a fresh Wyn Jones can see out the last 30 minutes of the match.

[normanski]

I hope our boys play with a bit of passion against the Boks. We really need the crowd to get behind them right from the off. Please God no interceptions in the first 80 minutes.

[normanski]

12-6. We’re in this game thank goodness.

[Sandydragon]

Carre! FFS.

Decent start but these driving mauls are worrying

[Sandydragon]

You know exactly what the Bokke are going to do, but it’s still hard to stop them.

[Sandydragon]

Wales 12-9’up at half time. That’s 40 minutes gone very quickly. Think we deserve our lead but this game is anyone’s.

We do need to look after the ball more. And stop their driving mauls.

[normanski]

You know exactly what the Bokke are going to do, but it’s still hard to stop them.

They do look a little rusty. Let’s hope we’ve taken something out them for the second half.

The rain is a great leveller.

[morepork]

The rain, the rain.

It's actually fairly engaging for a neutral. Wales are well in it. Hopefully something happens in midfield giving the outside backs a chance to stretch their legs. McNichol looks like an eager puppy that is surprised he is in space.