Yes it is a shame, 1_eye, but I think one thing the whole of the NH needs to do after this series, give credit to Wales. A year ago we went out in the group stage of the world cup, now we are fighting it out with the SH teams, and showing real pride and passion. Today was amzing, Wales was amazing. They showed New Zealand and the rest of the world what it means to be Welsh, that first half performance was top tier rugby, higher than most tri nation matches. Wales have done the NH and us Welsh proud. It is a shame about that second half, but the blood and guts was evident, we had to lose 2 players for New Zealand to score a try, and I promise you that that was a massive factor in that try. Sadly though the blood and guts told in the end and we were just not good enough and clinical enough. We are a proud nation, and for the first time in over 30 years we are showing it through our national sport. I'm so proud I'm going to get very very drunk (I don't support this behaviour) and shout Wales across the streets until my voice box bursts. We are moving towards the top yet again and doing so in some style.

Wales Wales Wales !

(So proud)

Not so tall down there in 8th is it??

I'm glad your proud Sporting.............

I understand what England are doing, putting a young team out getting ready for the next world cup but my word it's hard stuff to watch. We camped in their 22 for ages, most of the match and yet we still couldn't score a try! The only try that would of been scored the Boks commited a deliberate foul, very poor from England!!!

All but one of the boks trys came from Eng;ish mistakes, Cipriani can'#t be in the England team on merrit as he was terrible yesterday, kicking from hand is awful and couldn't pass the ball at all! Anyway - there's not long left to go of this painful campaign!

Always have to burst my bubble John

I'm sure you'll work your way up again soon! You've got a lot of talent in youth, just like Wales and England have.

The reason we're losing to the Southern Hemisphere sides is that they've been playing together for years and years and are just finishing their season, where as we're starting ours with very young sides.

I suppose the optimistic view is the only was is up!

A quote from Grahem Henry "That is the best we have had to play all year. Wales are a very good team and I'm sure they're more than capable of beating Australia"

We can beat them, and it's a must win game. If we can beat Australia this Autumn the series has been massive success and dissapointment in one for us, but we will probably be the only team to come out of the series with added respect.

England, no offence were shocking. I hope you play well against New Zealand and gain some pride. Us Welsh have been where you lot are now, so it might be bad to gloat but....HAHA (joking)

Seriously though, you have talent but my god you play some shocking rugby. When you get on the front foot you are exciting but then come the recycling stage, you're so flat and static and clueless. England are in trouble, and the 'we haven't been together long' is not accurate. 8 Wasps players, and a majority of the players having played together for the saxons in previous years. You just have ego, poor, boring style of play and no world class players, going by current form anyway. I know it's harsh mate, I know how you all feel, 2006-2008 for us was the same, we were shocking and played similar to your style. But you will have to face the harsh reality of it, you need to front up, be ruthless with selection and various changes, and you could be a good team. Enough of the look at the single positive the coaches and players seem to do, it's not good enough. You also have zero leadership

The resaon Wales are not beating the best is because we are not good enough for 80 minutes. We clearly have the skills, and talent and physicality, just not the mentality maybe and at this moment in time we just are not good enough to be a top tier rugby nation. We seem to be at the top of second tier nations, but considering we were at the bottom a year go, I think everyone is happy with the progress.
We are getting there, and at a frantic speed. We just got some learning curves to go through before we can hit the dizzy heights. A bit like the early Woodward England rugby team, and we all know what they went on to achieve.

Ireland will get back to the top, they have no confidence and beating Argentina and keeping them in the second tier should have helped that alot and I woulnd't be suprised to see them fighting it out for the 6Nations.

Scotland, well I should take back what I said about Wales being the only team to come out with added respect, I think Scotland have also. They have some serious talent, and at the moment look like they could finally be moving forward like they have threatened for a while.

France have a shocking coach and a just as bad fly half. But will always be a threat on the world stage.

Italy. Losing to the Islanders is poor, Mallet will go nuts but I think, like Wales, they need these kinda results to help them in the long term. A bit of a down to earth bump from nearly beating the Aussies I think.

Wales and England have one last chan

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jpUu0WE8xT4

Enjoy everyone (if you haven't seen it it's a must watch, if you have, it's still a must watch)

Edited at 12:47 Sun 23/11/08 (GMT)

We'll beat New Zealand next week and all will be forgiven - we'll soon be the best again this end of the globe and then the world!


Lil Shane Williams was voted best player in the world, very much deserved! Well done!

Rugby Aint A Mens Game Niether Is Football But I love Em Both !

Your right, women play them both too!

Don't forget Airbud

Anyway great for Welsh rugby and Shane Williams to win that award, was very well deserved.

Wales must beat Australia by 15 points to move up to fourth in the world, giving them a much easier group in the world cup. If they lose they are almost certain to draw Australia in their group.

I think aslong as England don't get a beating, they should draw Argentina, which is pretty good for them considering how poor they are.

How poor Argentina are or England?

Argentina are a good team at times and constantly growing but it wouldn't be the end of the world for England. I should imagine we'll be a lot stronger by the world cup so I think the last thing people will want to do is play us!


On a plus, we always seem to perform when we need to. Ben Kay is back in the line-up for England, seems we have a few injuries to key forwards but he's always a good replacement, he'll perhaps be a little bit more of a leader which is something we're lacking.

We need a definite captain, someone like Johnson who was the daddy and was listened to. We don't seem to have that anymore. And where the hell is Josh Lewsy!!??? The guy has been playing awsome rugby and is needed to toughen up a week defence.

I don't think Wales will beat Australia by that amount. I think you have the talent to do so but I just can't see it. Here's to hoping you prove me wrong cause we need a win this end of the world to save embarrassment!

has anybody heard wat ma nonu has came out with? hes offended that wales didnt show the haka enough respect, and that people were offended that the war dance wasnt universily feared, what wales did was fantastic, why should nz get the first pshycological blow in by dancing at the other team

Yeah they got in a fizz once when an England forward, forget who now, went up to them and stared them out - not the whole team, just one forward, as if it to say "you don't scare me mate - I'm bigger than all of you."


I thought it was brilliant what Wales done. The All Blacks could of walked away too, they chose to stand there waiting!

Post removed by forum moderator

Exactly. They have no right to perform it, and it's aloud out of respect. They should respect countries laying down their own challenge and not go out on their home patch or not, and be bullied by the war dance.

Most press and players from New Zealand have complimented Wales' response and you just feel that Nonu is probably the dull one who thinks everyone should run scared from their dance.

It's funny when he says,
you should charge, but it's a rugby match, so you can't"
Well it's a bloomin rugby match so why the hell are you dancing? (Bunch of fairies)


Next time just let him do it on the bus, no wonder everyone wants it scrapped with that attitude. Spoilt brats


1_eye, I agree with your post but England ahead of Wales, France, Ireland, and even Scotland is farcical with their current level of play, you would put them on par with Italy at the moment.

Edited at 19:51 Wed 26/11/08 (GMT)

Yeah but the fact is we've made two world cup finals in a row mate! We perform when we need to! And I'd say we're well above all the other home nations other than Wales who we're very close to as soon as the team has played a little more together! France will always under perform on big occasions - they'll never win anything big like a World Cup IMO! Not for the next 30 odd years!!

Yea that's true. The double ranking points during world cup thing is a bit odd though. Maybe I need to start looking at it over the past couple of years rather than now. Things could take place on Saturday anyway with Wales moving to fourth.

Back to the Haka. If anyone showed dis-respect it was New Zealand. After the Challenge was put down Wales accepted it by refusing to move, if any team should have moved earlier it was New Zealand. So what the hell is he on about? Maybe he needs to actually go and have some Maori tradition levels from his actual New Zeland team mates,(the complimentary ones) not his Samoan brain, family or friends.

good point, im not sure what the politics of iti is down there but is it not offensive to have fijians tongans and samoans doing a maori dance when they all have there own traitional displays?

Well done Wales, very much deserved victory!

England were awful - again!

Lets just hope everyone has patience with Jonno - he's trying to build a team from scratch, they're all very young and only started playing together -especially the backs!


4 Yellow cards handed out to England! I think that's a good score line................


Edited at 18:21 Sat 29/11/08 (GMT)