JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINAL. Does the final score reflect the way Wales played??

Question

I think it was a really good match despite the final score. But it seems to me that the juniors are giving away the same penalties and making the same mistakes as the seniors - does this point in the direction of the coaches or are we seeing too much influence from the WRU senior management

Answer 1

I dont think it reflected the way Wales played, it did to an extent, but NZ were just too good. That NZ team was incredible, their coach said it was teh best age group team he had been involved with in 20 years, and so they would have beaten whoever was in front of them by 20 plus points. England who were their closest competition looked nowhere near being competitive against them in the final.

Wales had a game plan and stuck to it, in the first half it worked, but the Welsh boys soon tired and NZ just kept the intensity up. The difference is how clinical they were, When they had the ball they looked like they would score, and if there were any chances they took them.

Also not only the Welsh team, but all the others bar Samoa seem much less physical than NZ. This is due to the pacific islanders they draft in. They are proven to mature muscularly earlier, and so have a vast physical advantage, which makes a huge difference at this age.

I know a few of the welsh squad well, having played with and against them a lot, and they are all great players however they looked distictly average against NZ. One reason for this is experience - NZ had 4 players who had played regular s14 rugby this season!! Wales had Gareth Owen and Jon Davies who have a handful of magners leauge experience between them. Players need more exposure at a competitive level, and I beleive this is to be the difference

Answer 2

yes it does the first half wales came out and played out of their skins. but even with the weather conditions in their favour the all blacks still managed to score tries and missed alot of other points. i think if it had been a fine afternoon the all blacks would have run riot and  scored alot more. <sad to see> and the WRU is shambolic

Answer 3

yes it does