The Rugby Thread

[North West Wanderer]

They will play one game a week at the World Cup?

 

[darlowolf64]

1/2p definitely out of the Rugby World Cup...Big loss for Wales

 

[jd1981]

You'd have to make England and Australia strong favourites to get out the group now.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Rhys Webb is a huge loss too. Wales are going to need a lot of luck. With a full side I would have fancied us but those two are just huge holes in the side.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

A quick question for those more knowledgeable about rugby than me, why have Wales only named two hookers in the squad?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

You don't have to name a set number of hookers. Plus Richard Hibbard will be on injury stand by.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Frank it's a bit naughty as it could lead to uncontested scrums.
Paddy is right however.

Btw Paddy gutted for LH

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think he would have starred in the tournament. Oh well, we are where we are, but playing him against Italy seems rather silly in hindsight.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Very surprised Hibbard isn't in the squad anyway.

Players have to play and they get injured. Robbie Keane got injured once reaching for a remote control.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

He was playing in strapping anyway so I wonder if he was carrying a niggle.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Frank it's a bit naughty as it could lead to uncontested scrums.
Paddy is right however.

Btw Paddy gutted for LH

To be fair its not naughty at all, they only named 2 hookers because they wanted to take an additional second row due to worries over AWJ.

Aside from being within the rules they are not the only ones to do it, Australia have done the same as have Argentina (they have done it for every world cup since 1999), in the unlikely event of one of their hookers being injured in the 48hours prior to a match and they cant bring in a replacement (and you can guarantee the hookers will be wrapped in cotton wool 2 days before the game), then they must name 3 props on the bench one of whom is nominated as hooker, Aaron Jarvis is the lucky man in Wales case.

In the same way that Ireland have been using Madigan in practice over the summer as an emergency scrum half (their gamble), you can guarantee that Gatland will have been putting Jarvis through the mill in learning how to hook.

As for Halfpenny great shame for him.

 

[Johnny75]

I think having such small squads is silly anyway. Just have big squads and pick the best players.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Wales are not having much luck. Eli Walker has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Eli Walker isn't such a significant player as 1/2p. Good but absolutely not as serious as that loss.*

*Although if it keeps going like this I will be getting my boots out...

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Breaking news.:

Paddy is called up to the Welsh World Cup squad....

 

[Dinowolf]

Breaking news.:

Paddy is called up to the Welsh World Cup squad....

What position?

I know - Stand-off ( the pitch )

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I played full back so it would make sense. No chance I would be 1/2p standard. By comparison not even a groat!

 

[Jolemai]

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

To be fair its not naughty at all, they only named 2 hookers because they wanted to take an additional second row due to worries over AWJ.

Aside from being within the rules they are not the only ones to do it, Australia have done the same as have Argentina (they have done it for every world cup since 1999), in the unlikely event of one of their hookers being injured in the 48hours prior to a match and they cant bring in a replacement (and you can guarantee the hookers will be wrapped in cotton wool 2 days before the game), then they must name 3 props on the bench one of whom is nominated as hooker, Aaron Jarvis is the lucky man in Wales case.

In the same way that Ireland have been using Madigan in practice over the summer as an emergency scrum half (their gamble), you can guarantee that Gatland will have been putting Jarvis through the mill in learning how to hook.

As for Halfpenny great shame for him.

It's very Naughty....

To me the IRF should come out and say if you only name 2 Hookers, there will be no uncontested scrums, it's been deliberately done to reduce the impact of packs at the scrum

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

But that would compromise player safety. Plus in a standard match team plus subs there is only usually one hooker and a sub hooker on the bench so I don't see the problem at all. Especially as Wales have Hibbard on stand by anyway.