At this point the international referees panel should refuse to officiate games involving South Africa until World Rugby takes action against Rassie Erasmus.
The pile-ons he has sparked from his weird cult members towards Nic Berry and now Wayne Barnes are simply unacceptable.
Sam Warburton’s comments on the WRU governance are spot on.
“I’m sure the people there have the best intentions and should have a place in the community game, but shouldn’t have a place in deciding what happens to a £100m turnover company that are trying to win a RWC.”
AMEN 👏🏻
Warren Gatland is spot on, we massively punch above our weight.
A country of 3 million people where rugby isn’t even the most played sport. Only Scotland in tier one have fewer registered players than us.
Credit to him and his players for what they have achieved.
One clear take away from tonight.
Martyn Phillips failing to offer Shaun Edwards a four-year contract is the biggest Welsh rugby mistake since Glanmor Griffiths turned down an Anglo-Welsh League.
In fact, he should have been offered an open ended contract.
As the Football Association of Wales reap the rewards of the innovative and engaging fan culture they helped create, the tired and stale Welsh Rugby Union watch even the most daffodil-headed Six Nations obsessive vote with their sheux.
Imagine winning MOTM against the Boks, suffering a knee injury that needs at least 3 surgeries and keeps you out for over 2 years, spending 10 months getting back to fitness and returning with a (should have been) MOTM performance against the Boks.
Ellis Jenkins is superhuman.
Of course we’ve all seen Warren Gatland play mind games before, but I’ve never seen him pack up his entire belongings and move rent free into someone’s head like he has done with Rassie Erasmus.
The bloke has absolutely crumbled.
I think it’s worth saying that it’s perfectly possible to believe that the WRU is a shambolic and amateur organisation which is killing professional rugby in Wales, but also believe that Wayne Pivac is currently doing a poor job as Wales head coach.
Ellis Jenkins started the day on the bench, was blindside flanker at 2pm, number eight by 5.30pm and man-of-the-match by 7.10pm.
The future Lion King
#Simba
#WALvRSA
After today's news it seems the perfect time to re-live this classic Nigel Walker try.
Receiving the ball on his own try line and going the length of the field to score in Cardiff's 27-27 draw with Pontypridd at Sardis Road in May 1996.
Unbelievable speed and balance.
Jiffy gets about 45 seconds mentioning what anyone with two brain cells can see, that the professional and amateur game need a governance split, but it’s then thrown to WRU National Council, and prospective WRU Board, member Colin Charvis who diverts things.
Chum V 🤡🤡
Big respect to Tom James for making his battle with depression public. A timely reminder, in this week of Six Nations hysteria, that there is more to life than rugby. The ovation when TJ returns to the Arms Park will be a special one 💙
Will Rowlands is Wales’ best and most important player currently, and I won’t hear otherwise.
The bloke is an absolute machine. Carrying, tackling, lineout, maul, even a jackal!
Outstanding.
I’m still not convinced Nick Tompkins is the best option for an optimal attacking Wales at inside centre, but he doesn’t half dig us out of some of the holes we get ourselves in at the moment.
The busiest of busy players, never stops working away.
I can’t even function I’m so in shock.
A bloke just walked past me in the street looking at his phone and went “fucking hell”, he’d just read the LRZ news.
Followed up by a Wales squad with about 12 caps combined.
My head is gone.
Jarrod Evans showing off his huge stones, a random opera singer, a pile on, limbs in the stands, a first win over Leinster in 11 years.
Beautiful chaos at CAP.
Joe Hawkins and Max Llewellyn both leaving, that should be the battle for the Wales 12 jersey for the next decade.
Now either the national team misses out, or the 60-cap rule goes and the pro teams possibly lose more talent.
The WRU has led us to this lose-lose scenario.
Scrum V is no longer even pretending to be a serious rugby programme, it’s a light-hearted magazine show at best.
Expecting any in-depth insight on the problems in Welsh rugby from it is like watching The One Show for global political analysis.
Thoughts with Wayne Pivac this morning after most of the best performances from Welsh players over this weekend have come from players he left out of the squad.
Could not be more pleased for or prouder of Willis Halaholo tonight.
A tough last 18 months with a serious knee injury, works back to fitness, called on to the Wales bench for his debut with four days notice, comes on early and puts in a superb performance.
#TheHotStepper
💙❤️
The last home league game of the season for Cardiff today.
4th March.
Won’t be another home league game for at least 6 months.
In our fifth different day/time kick-off slot combination of the season
How do you grow a supporter base under these conditions?
Shambles.
It’s an easy fix for World Rugby.
If you have to go for uncontested scrums because the first player gets injured and then the second player gets a red card then you don’t lose an additional player.
The double punishment is totally unnecessary.
Josh Navidi, what can you say?
Just an unbelievable player, a true game changer. Won us games single-handedly over the years.
And a top bloke too, who always made time for supporters.
Gutted his career has come to an end, but what a career it was 🔵⚫️🏴🦁
Tommy Reffell absolutely outstanding today, again.
To go from Warburton/Tipuric to Reffell/Morgan is quite something.
Need to figure out the balance of the rest of the pack to get both current players in the starting XV together when they’re fit.
Where’s those Pivac apologists now then 👀
That’s been coming for two and a half years of picking teams and utilising tactics that don’t correlate at all.
Hopeless.
Heartbreak for Cardiff & Vale College who lose to Grey College of South Africa on the last play of the game.
A terrific effort against one of the best known names in world schools rugby, where it costs £2,500 a year to attend.
I get the WRU being keen to be seen to be active in North Wales and all, but there’s hardly anyone at Parc Eirias as far as I can see.
Imagine this game at the Arms Park the night before the senior game, would be quality.
#WalesU20
Being Welsh is not about where you are born, it's about where your heart lies.
I've no doubt that when Willis Halaholo takes the field for Wales later today, he will put all his heart into that jersey.
I don’t know if Twitter is properly working or not, but I feel I need to tell someone how proud I am of the players tonight.
That’s a performance built entirely on personal pride. Immense stuff from them.
Fuck the WRU.
George North has been an unbelievable servant to Cymru.
Brilliant at both wing and centre, he’s put his body on the line repeatedly but always battled on.
The try against France with his Dad running on, the tackle on Fickou in the 2019 QF, lifting Folau up.
Iconic test player.
No other way to mark Matthew Morgan's retirement from playing than with his try away at Saracens in December 2018.
The best individual try I've ever seen live, will take some effort to beat it.
Tommy Reffell quietly stood up in the 7 jersey today.
Three huge turnovers, but also some really good carrying and link play work in the second half.
Classic openside stuff, very Martyn Williams-esque.
Huge shift from Corey Domachowski!
80 minutes, caused Zander Fagerson problems at scrum time, carried and tackled constantly, and showed off some hands at first receiver.
What a way to make your Six Nations debut 💪🏻
Having previously been supportive of Cory Hill in what appeared to be a move to secure good money during a short career and wished him well in doing so, I’d like to withdraw those statements and issue a new one;
Bollocks to him.
WE ARE THE BEST TEAM, THE BLUE AND THE BLACKS!
Great clip from Josh Navidi’s Instagram of inside the Cardiff Blues dressing room after last night’s win, with the signing led by
@KarlKrugerWill1
of course.
It still hasn't properly registered that Taulupe Faletau is playing for Cardiff, a world class talent.
Not many players are stopping Ashton Hewitt this close to the line.
Cardiff prop Dmitri Arhip has confirmed his season is over due to surgery on his achilles.
In a statement posted to Instagram he states “there are three months left before my contract expires and I don’t know what will happen next?”.
Just awful stuff.
The Welsh Rugby Union are planning on a Wales v Barbarians game on the first weekend of November.
That’s the same weekend as Scarlets v Cardiff, and just a week after the Rugby World Cup Final.
So no faith we’re making the RWC Final and devaluing a Welsh derby.
Brilliant 👍🏻
Hi
@premrugby
,
In regards to the 35 spare points you’ve taken from Saracens, can anyone claim them and are they transferable between leagues?
Many thanks in advance.
Taulupe Faletau is just on another level when it comes to reading the game, athleticism, leadership and physicality.
A truly world class player, one of the best to ever grace the red jersey of Wales.
Extremely sad to hear of Eddie Butler’s passing, the voice of rugby for me and my post-Bill McLaren generation, as well as being the undisputed king of montage voiceovers.
Thoughts with his family and friends, cysgu’n dawel Eddie 💙
Just to throw this out there, the ticket prices are not the issue when it comes to Wales v France not selling out.
Lack of public transport is a key issue, but as important is that there's no opportunity for an all-dayer. The rugby is secondary to a day in Cardiff for many.
Peter Thomas was Cardiff Rugby.
So much more than his incredible monetary commitment, he gave everything to ensuring the Blue and Blacks, and Welsh Rugby as a whole, were successful.
Beyond all that, he was an incredibly kind man.
💙🖤
In truth it doesn’t matter who plays on the wing for Wales at the moment when the players on the inside aren’t able to create any good ball for those out wide.
Louis Rees-Zammit is arguably better off playing for Gloucester.
Wayne Pivac was asked about Jac Morgan's omission this afternoon...
"We've asked him to improve, if he can, in that area of physicality when he's over the ball, being even stronger than he is."
😳 Full quotes...
Nothing will change for Wales until we start picking a fly-half who can get the attack functioning.
You have to try to win games, you can’t simply avoid losing them.
The platform was there this afternoon, we have to capitalise on it.
#SCOvWAL
Got to feel for Ellis Jenkins in this Six Nations.
A victim of Wayne Pivac’s lack of clear thinking around team selection and tactics cast out after a tough game against Ireland.
He’ll be back though, too much quality to stay sidelined for long.
Just dreadful in every facet of the game. A poorly selected and poorly coached side.
More than that, when will people start understanding that this will be the norm unless WRU governance is overhauled, the professional game runs itself and is properly financed?
#IREvWAL
Alex Cuthbert was superb for Cardiff Blues, even during the time when he was being unfairly targeted by Wales fans.
Particularly between 2011 and 2014 he was on fire, scoring 29 times in 50 games for us and becoming a test Lion.
#TheBigHorse
Some excellent questioning of Warren Gatland on Scrum V.
His face when the amount of money his employers split between the pro clubs was said out loud and he found himself speechless might be my new lock screen.
Can’t storm off from that one, Gats.
A few comments about defensive weaknesses in the Wales midfield yesterday, and absolutely fair comments at that.
The starting centres were both 20 and have 7 caps between them.
I hope they’re allowed to learn and develop rather than be cast aside at the first sign of trouble.
What's the grand total of paying off Dean Ryan, Wayne Pivac, Stephen Jones and Gethin Jenkins, and hiring Warren Gatland plus two new assistant national team coaches then?
Yet the WRU pleads poverty when it comes to payments to the professional clubs.
Steve Phillips has to go.
Rhys Carre with a huge 68 minute shift in grim weather away in South Africa which is crazy because he’s nowhere near fit enough to play international rugby 😂😂😂
#SHAvCAR
Need quick and firm statements and actions from
@EnglandRugby
and
@SixNationsRugby
on this.
Not taking head injuries seriously in young men and openly defying the referee on the matter can’t be stood for.
It was at this point I realised that Cam Winnett had fully settled into international rugby.
Ball in two hands, identifies the forward in the line and holds the outside defender to put Rio Dyer away.
Seriously impressive debut from the full-back.
Well, there we go.
Wayne Pivac’s job is untenable, but will the WRU take decisive action? Will they want to pay him off? And can any coach achieve anything with the national team when the archaic WRU governance has left the professional game in the mess it’s in?
Shambles.
Nick Tompkins proved what he offered tonight.
Not an especially x factor player but does the nuts and bolts extremely well, has an excellent rugby brain and talks constantly to those around him.
Got bumped a bit but who doesn’t against Fiji? Overall very good.
I know I absolutely would say this but I cannot get my head around the omission of Josh Navidi.
Unless his shoulder injury has prevented his call-up then I don't understand it at all. Hugely physical, adept on both sides of the ball, plays across the back row.
Gutted for him.
Two losing bonus points is incredible from where we were at half-time.
A real shame the coaches got it so wrong with that first half game plan, hopefully they see everything we did in the second half and build on that.
Some seriously exciting talent in that squad
#WALvSCO
Absolutely stunned to hear that Willis Halaholo is apparently fit to play this weekend just not selected.
Clearly a bit biased but surely even from a fully objective viewpoint if your best centre is fit then you pick them?
Plus Halaholo v Tuipulotu would have been 🔥
The fact that the story from some seems to be "can't believe that Cory Hill has been dropped from the Wales squad" rather than "I can't believe the WRU have allowed him to walk out the door by not ensuring he's paid the money he's owed" sums up where Welsh rugby is.
In a quite stunning piece of news for this, which started as me with a laptop trying to avoid a Cardiff Blues induced breakdown, I've been shortlisted in the Vlog/Blog of the Year category at the Wales Media Awards.
Thanks to everyone who reads and interacts for your support.
Afternoon
@WelshRugbyUnion
,
I want a Wales jersey off you but not keen on the price.
I'm going to receive the goods you're offering anyway, I'll let you know how much I'm paying in a few years and I'm banning you from ordering in any new jerseys until then.
Nice one 👍
On the whole that Wales squad is an undeniable sign that Wayne Pivac has got himself completely lost as head coach, and has had to resort to picking a side that is simply there to emerge as brave losers.
There's no consistency and no ambition behind it.
Players on the pitch in that crucial final quarter tonight;
Evan Lloyd - 21
Mackenzie Martin - 20
Alex Mann - 21
Ellis Bevan - 23
Jacob Beetham - 22
Mason Grady - 21
Gabriel Hamer-Webb - 23
Cameron Winnett - 20
Over half the team 23 or under.
Incredibly sad news that another legend of Welsh rugby in Barry John has passed away.
The great fly-half played 93 times for Cardiff between 1967 and 1972, scoring 24 tries.
Cwsg mewn hedd King.
Superb win for CAVC against last season’s Leinster Schools Junior Cup winners.
It costs €5,500 a year to go to St Michael’s College, it costs £30 to register for a course at CAVC.
Made up for Gareth Anscombe tonight.
The injury was a devastating one, it’s been a long road back and plenty of doubters along the way, but class is permanent.
A terrific player
#TheMagicMan
#WAL
#AUS
I thought the best part of tonight’s Scrum V discussion was Josh Turnbull asking Malcolm Wall what the plan to get the pro clubs competing for trophies was.
A superb question and an absolutely woeful answer that summed up the total lack of competency in the WRU.
What a day for Cam Winnett!
Emotional during the anthem, but calmed himself to have an assured first half, and then grew into the game to bring out some of the electric moments we’ve enjoyed at the Arms Park this season.
First cap of many for the Wizard 👏🏻