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WRU National Cup Llanelli v Pontypool !

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s.pimpernel View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote s.pimpernel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 11:35am
Originally posted by Hendre Hendre wrote:

All comes down to finances, that's the reality of it. And there is no place for the personal abuse of players on here, who at the end of the day aren't full time pros!

Then don`t televise games and ask people to pay admission prices. I find it to be a frigging joke that the WRU, media and some supporters try and big up the cup as though it is the same great cup competition of the 70s, 80s & 90s. If I didn`t know I was watching Llanelli v Pooler I would have thought I was watching two 3rd XVs down the local rec

And as for Gardiner, there is no abuse, I stated a fact. Even at semi pro level he should be embarrassed to be carrying that extra weight around. It demeans the game at that level and again brings up the question of what the Premiership/cup is trying to achieve these days.
 


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Ffidel Bennett View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ffidel Bennett Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 11:40am
Originally posted by s.pimpernel s.pimpernel wrote:

I stumbled across the game yesterday by accident, and was hoping for a pick me up after Liverpools` loss. It was also the first time in a couple of years that I`ve watched Llanelli.

To see a cup fixture with such a rich history between the two clubs reduced to what I saw yesterday was heartbreaking to be honest. I remember stuffing them at a jam packed Stradey in the 80s when they were the best and going on the coach with my dad and always beating them at their place. And who can forget the stuffing we gave them in the final in 1991.

Even taking into account previous posts about call ups to the AW etc, the skill standard was low for both teams and game very forgetable. 

I presume our No 3 yesterday is THE Simon Gardiner who had a number of games for the Scarlets a few years ago? I`m sorry I can`t be nice about it, what an embarrassing, fat waste of space. And it`s not just him. I`ve seen others of a similar size on the highlights bit of Scrum V. You don`t get guys playing 3rds rugby for junior teams in that state these days. How can the Premiership (or the cup) be taken seriously when you have seriously over weight players like that. Why should people give up their Saturday afternoons and play money to watch that?
 
I know he's not  exactly Graham Price in the loose but Simon Gardiner is a very good scrummager as is Nicky Thomas. Both can win matches on scrummaging alone and certainly any team without decent props are on the back foot immediately. From what I saw of the match on S4C the difference between the two sides was (surprise, surprise) the size and experience of the Pontypool pack and their scrums after Gardiner was injured. 
So Pimp -would you drop Samson from the Scarlets as he doesn't do a great deal in the  loose and probably gets paid a hell of a lot more 
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Tim Opolis View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Tim Opolis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 12:31pm
Simon has had a very good season as it happens and has been the reason why the RFC have beaten most packs this year at scrum time.

Llanelli's woes this year and last have been down to personnel behind the scrum, not the pack.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote reesytheexile Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 12:39pm
It's also error of young players eg our wing was waiving his arms in protest of what he thought was a Pooler coming through and handling and when the ref just played on the Pooler picked up the ball and our wing then missed tackling him and one more pass out and they scored. Two basic errors - ie not playing the whistle and missing his tackle. He will learn from that. 

We lack physical size as we are playing developing players whilst Pool have a different agenda. Lovely team bus as well with Pontypool crescent emblazoned on it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote LLANDRE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 12:46pm
The championship sides that have come up to the premiership have done well .Just look at Merthyr and R.G.C. The remit fur those sides is a bit different to Llanelli. Considering the fact that the Scarlets had many of the Rfc players playing Friday night I thought the RFC did well against Pontypool. There endeavour couldn't be faulted.
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Hendre View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hendre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 1:04pm
Out of order mate, stick to watching football! I will resist the strong temptation to throw some abuse your way. Doubt you've ever lace up a pair of boots! Typical very typical
You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jiwjiwrygbi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 1:12pm
I, like many it seems, have lost interest in attending the RFC games. The experience was becoming too frustrating and quite frankly embarrassing watching very often the sub standard skills and decision making on show.
Llanelli of the past, which I was once a very proud supporter, has long gone, and I do and can accept to a certain point that the team has now become a vehicle for development of up and coming players.
However, the team remains a premiership team, and therefore the players involved should be elite players and on par or better than other premiership teams in the league. Surely we should be competing to win the league, not just survive in it!
I do strongly believe that some of the younger players who are coming through from our 18's etc are clearly not ready for this level of rugby, and should at the very least have to play with a division 1 or maybe a championship club to fight for their positions to prove that they are worthy of a place in a premiership team. (There will of course be exceptions)
I would suggest that this tougher route would be a far better filter system for the young lads and when they've proven themselves at those levels, would be far better equipped to play in a premier league.
I've been critical in the past of individuals, but I guess that realistically it's not their fault that they've been chucked into the deep end and clearly found to be lacking. This sort of system would also put some pride back into the Llanelli shirt as selections would have been properly earned and would then be seen as the next step in the development of our youngsters who have excelled at the lower leagues.
This of course is just my humble opinion, I'm sure there will be others who disagree. Hwyl
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote reesytheexile Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 1:19pm
Simon is still only 26 and has been an important squad member due to his scrum level ( remember he started for the Scarlets when he was only 20). Yes he needs to get conditioned for his future but if he doesn't want to and coaches think he can still do a job, so be it I say. 

All the other players look very fit to me but just need to develop physically which isn't always simple when you are working full time. Many of them are also younsters. The team battled throughout to be fair. 


Edited by reesytheexile - 29 January 2017 at 1:20pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SospanMawr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 3:13pm
Adam Powell, Jonny Lewis and Simon Gardiner were the only three in the team above 26.
The RFC needs to find a way to fund 5/6 semi pros of a good standard - sprinkled through the team, to help the youngsters and provide experience. They shouldn't be touched by the Scarlets.
I think it's only Jonny Lewis and Gardiner who have meaningful experience at a higher level (aka the Scarlets)?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote s.pimpernel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 4:21pm
Originally posted by Hendre Hendre wrote:

Out of order mate, stick to watching football! I will resist the strong temptation to throw some abuse your way. Doubt you've ever lace up a pair of boots! Typical very typical

From the size of the crowd yesterday there appears to be quite a few who now stay away to watch football. 

The cup and premiership are a complete mess. 
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s.pimpernel View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote s.pimpernel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 4:23pm
This is a fantastic article about The Championship in England. It makes some grim reading

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38650116
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Wil Chips Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 January 2017 at 7:28pm
Originally posted by SospanMawr SospanMawr wrote:

Adam Powell, Jonny Lewis and Simon Gardiner were the only three in the team above 26.
The RFC needs to find a way to fund 5/6 semi pros of a good standard - sprinkled through the team, to help the youngsters and provide experience. They shouldn't be touched by the Scarlets.
I think it's only Jonny Lewis and Gardiner who have meaningful experience at a higher level (aka the Scarlets)?


This is probably about right in my view...Llanelli had the likes of Justin James, Nick Reynolds, Duane Eager, Craig Hawkins and others ( seasoned guys) in addition to the likes of Adam Powell and Jonny !ewis...all very good players who on their day I'd be more than happy to see grace a Scarlets shirt.

Probably just slipped to now being a bit overly-dependent on the development pathway..that and the timing of such fixtures in relation to the 6 Nations, Anglo Welsh and B&I ... Ultimately something has to give, and inevitably over the last couple of seasons it's been the RFC squad that suffers at these times.

Shame really, I'm not sure whether the team or league/cup format is sustainable, I do know that it has been, and still is, an absolutely in-valuable stepping stone from academy to pro player.

I do take some heart in the Scarlets region approach to, and success in, the B&I. The game at Ealing Trailfinders will be the biggest game of some of our guys career thus far...that's what's needed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertaf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 January 2017 at 9:54am
I guess it's just cutting the cloth. If Llanelli RFC, the Drovers and Quins are to exist independently of the region, they will only be able to afford a certain class of player. Ironically the other 2 have done very well at this and despite giving up several key members of their team to Friday nights game, the drovers managed a fine win at Aberavon. Makes you wonder why it has gone so differently for Llanelli who don't seem to have a core squad anymore and change virtually every week while the new top sides like RGC, Merthyr etc have the luxury of a settled side (as did Pooler).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jiwjiwrygbi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 January 2017 at 10:08am
One of the main differences between the drovers and Llanelli is as I've mentioned in a previous post. It's very difficult to get in to the Llandovery team, Euros and co will only play players who have earned their selection at lower levels. In contrast, Llanelli will play very in-experienced and un proven players. Very different selection criteria between them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hendre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 January 2017 at 10:11am
It's a matter of finances as I've said! Pretty obvious to even the dimmest of posters on here
You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jiwjiwrygbi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 January 2017 at 10:34am
Oh dear!...I hope you also include yourself in that assessment? Haha, not a clue! Poor, poor Llanelli! ;)
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