It was another day to forget at Twickenham for the men in red, 9 months on from their greatest victory ever Wales have now lost twice on the bounce at the home of English rugby, and in pretty pathetic fashion too.
It had started with real promise of a game Wales were going to win, storming in with an early try and looking in complete control, especially with the ball. It made a big change from previous games when Wales couldn't figure out how to start a match. Wales were using their power game to excellent effect, solid set piece allowing Faletau & Jamie Roberts to make excellent inroads on the gain-line. Then quick recycling allowed Rhys Webb to utilise his forwards strong carrying round the corner to get over the try line. There were also hints of a more expansive style, as forwards were looking to pass the ball before contact, especially Alun Wyn Jones and Jake Ball, stretching the defence allowing Wales to make better use of their strong runners.
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| Anthony Watson completes an excellent finish despite the attention of North. |
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| Jack Clifford showed some incredible pace to score. |
With the collapse of Wales' defence, saw a collapse of their confidence in attack. Poor decision making being made by the usually world-class Webb, saw an exceptional break by Amos and Roberts be wasted. Players were dropping balls in contact as Wales struggled to control the ball and dominate the gain line like they did in the first five minutes. Wales were fortunate to be leading at half time. But it didn't take long for England to assert their dominance, this time Ben Youngs exploiting the lack of a genuine openside in defence and scurrying over the line. Quickly followed by the controversial moment of the match - which won't be discussed - which swung the game entirely to England, after Jack Clifford showed some exceptional pace for a No. 8 to sprint in from 50m. He deserved the try for being the only player to keep playing to the whistle. From there England took complete control of the game.
So where did it go wrong for Wales.
Defence
Wales' primary problem came from their loss of the gain line battle in defence. For years they have prided themselves on their ability to keep out the opposition, force them backwards and deny them any territorial gain. But in their last two matches against England they have been consistently on the back foot. And this knock in confidence with their defence, seemed to have a knock on effect in their confidence to attack, it's a delicate thing a sportsman's confidence, and after years of pride on their defence, Wales seem to have put all of their confidence to win a game in defending, something that has to change if they want to win against the big three (four the way England are going) in the future.
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| Edwards will be fuming once again as England made easy work of scoring tries. |
Some of this may be down the loss of the breakdown battle - which will be touched upon later - as the defensive line doesn't have the time to organise before the ball is back in play, compared to the slow ball they produce for the opposition when the likes of Warburton, Jones and Jenkins were at their chaotic best. However with the amount of time Wales have played under this defensive system, and their superb conditioning, you would believe it would be second nature to them and they'd be in position with little orders from defence captain Jamie Roberts.
As mentioned earlier there was a big problem defending the set piece, its a lesser known facet of an openside's game play. They are responsible for putting pressure on the half-backs at scrum time, and from driving mauls at lineout are crucial in stopping fringe runs from scrum halves. It cost Wales two tries on Sunday, firstly Luther Burrell crashing through the tackle of Dan Biggar who would normally have been helped by the physical Warburton. The second try was even more obvious as Ben Youngs burst through the gap between two front row forwards who should not have been defending that position.
Gatland was quoted saying that their defence issues were down to individual errors rather than flaws in the system, but that's hard to believe entirely when at points Scott Williams did look a little uncertain in his blitz in the outside centre channel. He is an excellent 12, and didn't miss a single tackle all game, but he is not an international class outside centre, especially when that channel is the most important cog in the Shaun Edwards defensive system. Jonathan Davies' return to the set up will hopefully improve things before they face New Zealand, but it is a big worry as they prepare to go toe-to-toe with the greatest attacking team on the planet.
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| How important is Halfpenny? |
With the last few performances of Wales' defence you do begin to question the importance of Leigh Halfpenny at fullback. During the World Cup Wales managed by sheer determination to battle the odds, but in the 6 Nations the lack of organisation and ferocity in defence and the only first choice player missing being Halfpenny does make me think how important he is to the Welsh set up. The fullback is often the player who surveys the attacking and defensive lines, and makes decisions which the likes of Roberts and the outside centre can act upon. Halfpenny was always famed for his tackling ability, but maybe there was an element of his game which has gone so long unseen and is only noticed by his absence.
The Breakdown
Continuing from the defensive issues of missing an openside, the breakdown has always been an important part of Wales' game. With Sam Warburton at his best there are only a few who can rival him to winning the breakdown, and Wales really missed him and their other options on the weekend. Unable to slow down the ball at the ruck meant that England enjoyed plenty of quick possession upon which to wreak havoc.
There was a time where Wales had three or four breakdown operators which meant no ruck went buy without some sort of distribution, but with Alun Wyn Jones still coming back from injury, Gethin Jenkins being replaced by the ball carrying Rob Evans, and Warburton & Tipuric missing through injury, it meant there was no one giving Ben Youngs any problems.
It is something that is easily fixable before the 1st test in Auckland, but New Zealand are the kings of the breakdown, so Warburton and Jones are going to have to be at their absolute best if they want to give their back-line chance to reset in defence.
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| Sam Cane learnt from the best, and will be ready to cause havoc for Wales at the breakdown. |
The Set Piece
If you go to the start of the Gatland era, the Wales lineout was a shambles, they were lucky if they achieved 70% completion during a game and it lead to serious problems for their attack. However over the years with the introduction of Warburton, Charteris and the accuracy of Scott Baldwin, Wales soon begun to see their lineout as a potential weapon.
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| The Welsh lineout failed to function effectively. |
However once again - against England - the lineout fell apart, it started well enough, but it fell apart as Lydiate limped off injured. They seemed unable to cope with the alteration to to their set up and England continually got up in front of the jumper. It really began to collapse with the introduction of other substitutions, Kristian Dacey had a terrible day (although he was pretty effective with ball in hand) and as the lineout collapsed so did Wales' ability to put any pressure on England's 22.
They had opportunities to set up a driving maul to try and wrestle the game back, but every time the ball was either stolen in the air, or the maul set up was so poor that England were able to get in on the ball and rip it away. The flaws in maul creation could have come down to the enforced switch of Lydiate which the management wouldn't have planned for, and some players may have not known their jobs.
On the bright side New Zealand are not famed for their mauling ability, nor their defence of mauls so this could still be an effective method of game control for Wales over the next month, but they will have to work on their drills and tighten up their systems at lineout time if they intend to use it consistently.
The scrum was solid enough on their own ball, the first choice front row providing a good enough platform and not buckling against the England trio either. However there will be major concerns over the strength of the second choice (on the day) at scrum time. With the introduction of Rhodri Jones, Jenkins and Krisitan Dacey the Welsh pack began heading backwards alarmingly quickly against inexperienced England first cappers (Genge and Hill). Technically Jones and Dacey were third choice players going into this game, but it will cause forwards coach Robin McBryde some sleepless nights if any front line props were to suffer an injury.
Core Skills
It's a worrying thing to say about Wales' first choice line up, but far to often simple things were done poorly costing Wales possession, territory and confidence. Dan Biggar missed two penalty kicks to touch that someone of his quality should be making in his sleep. Multiple different players dropped the ball in contact, gifting the ball back to the English pack, it was wonderful conditions so they can't blame a slippery ball. Other players failed to complete tackles that in any other form they would make with brutal regularity: Jamie Roberts got rather easily handed off by Courtney Lawes, and Liam Williams failed a very basic head on tackle with Anthony Watson.
For a long time pundits and journalists have questioned whether Wales do enough basic core skills work in training sessions, and if Gatland and his staff have become overly focused on the fitness levels of their players over the ability to complete one on one tackles and execute passes under pressure. In the early years it was a valid tactic Wales had a habit of falling away in the final quarter of the game, however now there is little more endurance to get out these players, and they should start working on the #1 component which makes teams like New Zealand and Australia so feared, and Super Rugby so watchable.
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| Should the Welsh players focusing on passing over fitness? |
The ability for any player to execute a 2-on-1, or pass the ball before contact is a prerequisite for any top level player down under. During the early part of the 6 Nations you could see the attempt of Wales to use forwards in the wide channel, giving Wales the ability to recycle the ball quickly out wide. However the forwards looked a little out of their depth, not able to draw and give, or catch a pass with an aggressive defender bearing down on them. Compare that to England who in the space of a few short months have got their forwards looking comfortable with ball in hand, and at ease linking with the back-line out wide. Eddie Jones has focused on improving his players skills rather than beasting them in the gym and making them sweat on the field in gruelling conditioning tests. It yielded a comfortable Grand Slam and a 5-1 try score win on Sunday, so there is proof in his tactics. Gatland could learn from his Southern Hemisphere counter part.
Game Plan
Wales didn't seem to understand the style of rugby they were meant to be playing. It could be argue this is a transition period under Gatland as they look to play more with the ball and move away from the "gain line crash" style. For the first 5-10 minutes they actually seemed to be playing a perfect blend of the two styles, forwards making carries, while also looking to feed their backs. The backs looking to spread the ball wider, but still utilising the power of Jamie Roberts down the 10-channel.
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| Wales forwards slowly returned to safe play. |
However as they lost confidence in themselves, they lost confidence in what they were meant to do. Biggar looked to take the ball to the line, but those around him weren't offering options. Forwards started carrying the ball up and taking the safe option, which allowed England to compete at the breakdown and turnover the ball.
I personally question what is going on in training sessions, and what Gatland is trying to do with the Welsh play style. At some point it seems Warrenball is destined for the scrap heap never to be used again, at other points it seems to be their bail out plan to squeeze out a win (but only against lesser teams). While Warrenball has often been maligned in the media, what people need to understand is it is a very effective method choosing to execute the simple things well and rely on them to win. It should remain a part of the Wales attack, but the wider game plan, using the fullback in the line and forwards wider out should be built on top of this as a second more effective layer.
If Wales and Gatland have any plans to attempt this, it could be time to consider the personnel being selected, and whether they can play a more fluid system. Can Dan Biggar adapt to play a mixed game plan, using both Roberts on the crash and North in the width? Can Jamie Roberts be utilised as a decoy or a passer? Can members of the pack learn how to play with the ball in wide channels and unleash the talent backs?
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| Biggar is under pressure to perform, he's struggled to get his back-line functioning, and enact the game plan. |
So plenty went wrong during the match on Sunday, but was there any good points?
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| Amos put in a top quality performance. |
Well yes, biggest of which was it was nice to finally see someone take a claim to the 14 shirt. Ever since Shane Williams retired 4 years ago, George North's wing partner has been a hot topic. Alex Cuthbert made it his own for a good few years, making up for his defensive frailties with lethal try scoring ability, but his form disappeared and since then Wales have played half a dozen players across the pitch from the highly praised North. However Hallam Amos finally got given a real chance to stake his claim, and boy did he take it. Statistically the best back on the field - from both teams - with meters made a clear lead, defenders beaten at the top, one moment combining excellent footwork with strong leg power to beat three players and break away. There was little that Amos tried that didn't work in some fashion. I'm a big fan of seeing wide players chipping the ball in behind when they're close to being tackled out of play, it causes problems for the opposition cover defence, and his team mates who would have otherwise been unable to impact the play can now provide pressure on the ball.
Other positives included Ross Moriarty making another strong appearance with ball in hand, always requiring two tacklers to bring his large frame to ground, he consistently made it over the gain-line to give Wales some front foot ball. His performances are coming at the right time, since Dan Lydiate has been lost to injury, there is a vacant spot in the back row, and the Gloucester flanker is favourite to fill in. His ball carrying could be a new challenge for the All Blacks to deal with, especially combined with the dynamism of Rob Evans and Faleatu around him.
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| Is Anscombe the one to fix Wales' attack? |
From the bench Gareth Anscombe once again looked a calm and collected player in the international arena, even being pushed out to fullback. Always looked to beat the first man, and link up with players around him, he looked like he had all the time in the world on the ball. One moment stood out, after George Ford had put an excellent grubber kick through, Anscombe was faced with a difficult bouncing ball as well as three white shirts baring down on him. He collected the kick, flat footed the English players and initiated the contact himself, which allowed him to remain on his feet long enough for his team mates to get around and secure the breakdown. In my opinion he had a much better game than Liam Williams, and the introduction of a second play maker to the Welsh set up could have a huge impact. It's a big call to replace Liam Williams, but based on form it's certainly one that could be argued for.
Liam Williams is an exceptional talent but in an incredibly stop-start season for him, he has struggled to find any form, and his highly praised counter-attacking ability has been practically non-existent. Anscombe offers a different sort of counter attacking ability, but is equally effective, provides Wales with a second player maker which could produce the required execution in the outside channels, and arguably is one of the top form players in Wales at the moment.
Which leads me to my team selection for the first test.
Match Day Squad for 1st Test vs. New Zealand
15 - Gareth Anscombe
14 - Hallam Amos
13 - Jonathan Davies
12 - Jamie Roberts
11 - George North
10 - Dan Biggar
9 - Rhys Webb
1 - Rob Evans
2 - Scott Baldwin
3 - Samson Lee
4 - Bradley Davies
5 - Alun Wyn Jones
6 - Ross Moriarty
7 - Sam Warburton (C)
8 - Talupe Faletau
16 - Ken Owens
17 - Gethin Jenkins
18 - Tomas Francis
19 - Luke Charteris
20 - Josh Turnbull
21 - Gareth Davies
22 - Scott Williams
23 - Liam Williams
Largely this team picks itself, the front row of Evans, Baldwin and Lee is Wales' best scrum at the moment and Evans offers serious ball carrying ability. Bradley Davies makes it into the starting team over Charteris for two reasons, one Charteris will be joining the team late due to family commitments, but also the maul destroying prowess of the Bath bound lock shouldn't be needed, while Bradley Davies offers some bruising ball carrying and ruck destroying aggression. Jake Ball is on standby should Charteris' wife give birth. Warburton is a necessity with new boy Ellis Jenkins having missed most of the training camps, and Faletau is the best No. 8 in the northern hemisphere. Moriarity battles off the competition of work horse James King (who would be a more like for like replacement of Lydiate) because his ball carrying could pose some problems for New Zealand and put Wales on the front foot.
The half backs, I've stuck with the life long friends Webb and Biggar for now. They know each others' games inside out and that sort of comfort will be crucial against the World Champions, Biggar needs to pick up his game however and any loose kicks will be punished by a glut of talent in the Kiwi back-three. Roberts and Davies continue their partnership, which will hopefully solidify the defence which has been problematic recently, and the left foot of Davies is always useful. North gets to test his mettle against his Kiwi twin - Juliean Savea - and Hallam Amos should look to continue his great form and cement his position in the Welsh back line. At fullback I've gone for Anscombe returning to the nation which made him, as discussed on current form he is the best fullback in the squad, and hopefully he should be able to take some of the pressure off Biggar as Wales attempt to play a more fluid style, and Biggar can focus on what made him so respected: his kicking, his high balls and his command of the game.
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| North vs Savea will be an epic battle, which will hopefully be re-matched next year on the Lions tour. |
The bench is designed to have some impact while complementing the starting team. Ken Owens returns to the bench over Dacey hopefully offering more stability to the set piece while still being a presence in the loose. Jenkins and Francis offer strong set piece players, and Jenkins especially can bring dynamism to the breakdown battle in the second half. Josh Turnbull covers the entire back five, and is in himself an abrasive ball carrier who could replace a tired Moriarty late on. Gareth Davies will look to exploit any extra space that turns up from tired legs. Rhys Priestland is unfortunate to miss out after some successful cameos from the bench, but Anscombe supplies fly-half cover. Instead Scott Williams and Liam Williams could offer a switch of pace and style in Wales' attack should it be needed later on.
It's going to be a tough game, New Zealand simply do not lose at Eden Park, and Wales are going there licking their wounds and looking fragile. There needs to be a serious pick up in performance levels from the players and a single focused belief in how they are going to play. Hopefully they've blown off the cob-webs against England and they'll put together a more complete performance for the entire game come 11th of June (KO: 0835 BST)
Prediction: New Zealand by two scores.
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