Under pressure: Warburton and Jenkins
Wales stalwarts Sam Warburton and Gethin Jenkins are under pressure to retain their starting places for Saturday's clash with France in Paris.
That is the word from Wales assistant coach Mark Jones who admitted that deciding on the duo's fate would not be an easy decision.
Captain Warburton's role as openside flanker is being challenged by Justin Tipuric while Paul James is putting pressure on Jenkins for his position in the front row.
"Yes, they're under pressure," said Jones.
"Pressure is part of this sport, part of your job.
"You are playing international rugby - I've been there myself. When you don't play as well as you can, you come under pressure because there are good individuals underneath you who want that jersey.
"Those are the things we will be kicking around over the next couple of days. Do we give the players an opportunity to go out and redeem themselves, or do we try and freshen things up and bring some fresh blood in?
"Coaches have got to make decisions. They are not easy ones, to be honest with you.
"Player selection is down to form and injury. Ours for the first game was predominately around who we had available.
"In top-level sport there's not much in it, it's about getting the last two or three per cent right on the day and, if you do that, more often than not you will come out on the winning side.
"So we are focusing on that, making sure we execute what is in our control. Results are not great but I don't think we are far away. It's important we understand why we have lost."
Jones blamed last weekend's 30-22 loss to Ireland in Cardiff on Wales' inability to win the battle at the breakdown and their failure to neutralise the visitors' choke tackle.
"I think that's hitting the nail on the head," said Jones.
"We knew what was coming. It wasn't a case that Ireland caught us out with the choke tackle.
"We were aware of it and we trained for it.
"Unfortunately, they executed the choke tackle better than we executed the prevention of it.
"In the second half, I thought people like Ken Owens and even Andrew Coombs had the type of footwork and body-height when they were ball-carrying that really made it difficult for Ireland to get that hold-up tackle going, because you commit a lot of numbers to the choke tackle."
Comments
FISH says...
the whole team is useless and over hyped
Posted 20:49 06th February 2013
HG_Paris says...
Bed in? Do they have to have a losing streak in double figures before changes are made? 10th in the IRB World Ranking & on current form Wales will lose 10 matches on the trot.
Posted 20:34 06th February 2013
fozza says...
I'm surprised at the calls for wholsale changes. You have to give the players the chance to bed in. Ireland are potential champions and let's not forget the second half of this game where Wales started looking like the Wales of old. When on form, i can think of no scarier centre than Jamie Roberts. He commits so much of the defence that there is bound to be space outside him.
Posted 18:05 06th February 2013
DrDeath says...
Not surprised at all!
Perhaps a certain Welsh fan who engaged in a long and at times abusive thread with me, based on his unshakeable insistence that "Gethin" is the greatest prop in the world and there is no other Lion before him will apologise now??
What do you say makemehappy ??? I am willing to forgive.
Posted 17:26 06th February 2013
HG_Paris says...
100% agree! They should change half the team! No talk of changing Biggar then? The problem with Wales' game plan is everbody knows what Roberts & Phillips are going to do i.e. run a the nearest man! Gethin Jenkins is not 1st choice at Toulon for a reason. I would drop 4 or 5 of last week's starting line up just to 'mieux encourager les autres'! Tipuric deserves to start in front of Warburton.
Posted 15:51 06th February 2013
Haldir says...
In Warburton's case, 6 games too late... I'm surprised these two are the only 'under threat'
Posted 15:44 06th February 2013
daibok says...
And so they should be. Perhaps Mike Phillips should be added to the list and some thought given to the meathead crash game they have sunk to.
Posted 14:37 06th February 2013
melkdave says...
ONLY THOSE TWO??Surly they jest,id have alot more than just those two under threat.M.Phiilips,J.Roberts,M.Rees and A.Jones should also be under threat of the chop imo.To many out of form,and Wales cant really afford to carry any players not performing at a 100% at the moment I do really believe Wales have the players to turn it around,but they need confidance.so the 2nd half showing against Ireland ,has to count for something.Just think what a victory in Paris could do,maybe revitalise the team,like it did after the victoryagainst England ,before the RWC.Wont be an easy match by a long way.France will be smarting from theirloss t Italy,and are a different team at homein front of their own fans.But i hope Wales can pull it off
Posted 14:10 06th February 2013
kybone says...
For me, Warburton has the ability but not the big game mentality or the ability to rise to the challenge when his form is brought into question. As for Jenkins, he's not coped well with not being first choice at Toulon, and now looks a shell of the player he was. His scrummaging is not good enough and you dont seem to see him in the loose as much as in the past.
Posted 13:58 06th February 2013