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There are some who would suggest that Welsh rugby union (WRU) have had little authority over the last few years, but arranging a meeting with South Africa this weekend feels almost like self-sabotage. arrival of springboks This will be quite a challenge for a weak team that has only defeated Japan in the last two years steve tandy to work with all hands; with the head coach Unable to select people based outside Wales With this match taking place outside World Rugby’s scheduled Test window, it could be a very damaging day indeed.
To make matters worse, the return of the United Rugby Championship (URC) means four Welsh sides are also in action – three of them on the same Saturday as the national team. The unavailability of clubs based in England and France forced Tandy to eliminate further clubs. “The fact we’ve got five backs in the (Wales) team, it’s like, ‘I wish we had those five backs in our big game against Glasgow,'” said bottom-placed Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel. “But we knew this fixture was coming long before last week. That’s all.”
Now, as with England’s out-of-window match with AustraliaThe system of this game was undoubtedly commercially motivated, but even in that sense, it does not stand up to scrutiny. Ticket sales for Wales’ fourth game of a difficult autumn are understood to have been slow, with the rugby public becoming disillusioned and perhaps quite unsure why they would attend a game which Wales have virtually no chance of winning.
Before this fixture last year, we compared the challenge faced by the hosts David against Goliath; Looking at the circumstances this time, perhaps it seems that its sales are decreasing. The Springboks have Have been victims of the rugby miracle before And here a Welsh victory may have required divine intervention.
“At any stage of life, what should we focus on?” Tandy sounded optimistic this week. “Are we going to be disappointed on something?
“It’s an opportunity for these boys and for us as coaches to coach against South Africa. We’ve got to find ways of how we build it, do things a little differently. I can’t see how we go into this and be negative. I don’t believe in that anyway, I want to see the best in what we do.”
Of course, it must be said that the Springboks have also weakened, leading to a fixture that will not please anyone. Those returning to their clubs in Japan include Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Malcolm Marks and Pieter-Steph du Toit. race erasmus Only 24 active players and assistant coaches are available Duane Vermeulen Two injuries away from coming out of retirement. But such is the depth of Erasmus’ group that his selection is still a looming sight as the world champions conclude a year in which they have distinguished themselves at the top level. At times last week, Dublin felt like South Africa Avoiding Points for Scrum-Time Messaging Both in Ireland and beyond.
While there are now plenty of strings to the South African bow, the sheer size and stature of the matchday 23 selected by Erasmus is staggering. The inclusion of seven forwards on the bench comes partly out of necessity, as many backline options are unavailable, but there is a slight fear due to the Welsh bench unit’s lack of experience and stopping power. Even behind the scrum, the Springboks have an impressive look at their backline – bringing to mind memories of Welsh units that included Mike Phillips, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Alex Cuthbert and George North.
Again, the task is too difficult for the Wales team, which is at least well aware of the opposition to regular meetings in the URC. Mind, it wasn’t that long ago that Wales were competing with and beating South Africa – although 2022 victory under Wayne Pivac in Bloemfontein Now, looking at everything that has happened, it feels like a huge deviation. This is again an uncertain time for many players in the country. impending cut of an area is already providing challenges in recruitment and retention for next season.
However, there have been signs of optimism in Tandy’s first autumn. Aggressive Shape Founded by Matt Sherratt Has shown promise again during the Six Nations – scoring four tries against the All Blacks last week for only the second time in Welsh history – and has even shown admirable character in dispatching 52 points to both Argentina and New Zealand. The suspicion is that the number of points scored by the Springboks could ultimately exceed that, but Erasmus also hopes to see some trademark Welsh fight.
“I don’t understand what’s going on in the Welsh system, I don’t understand the politics, what works and what doesn’t,” said Erasmus. “Whatever is wrong off the field, [Wales] Have courage, sportsmanship and willpower.
“I know there’s a fight going on very deep within Wales and somewhere it’s going to be right. There’s something about the Welsh people. There’s not a lot of people here but if you go out [in Wales]You see some things in South Africa. Not everyone is rich and living a luxurious life, but they screw things up.”