Decision Day Down South

 Super Saturday cum Decision Day has come and gone and another marathon on the couch. Rugby overload combined with golf and cycling – Duw it’s hard!

At the end of it all, Ireland and England grabbed series wins against New Zealand and Australia respectively so well done to them. Sadly Wales and Scotland came off second best In South Africa and Argentina respectively.

Even though I have a new slimline plaster on my broken wrist, it is still hard work to type so I will revert to my doggerel.

Decision Day

The Irish started in irresistible form

Then they weathered the All Blacks’ storm

Irish power has been much too much

The All Blacks sadly out of touch

 

Eddie’s men hung in there in tough

Aussie flair was just not enough

There’s now no point in turning up

England already won the next World Cup

 

Well done Wales, you did your best

But it’s Springbok power that won the test

Too many penalties, not enough ball

The Boks on top in scrum and maul

Any win for Wales seemed pie in the sky

So they come back home with heads held high

 

Scotland built a substantial lead

But the Pumas are a feisty breed

Their attitude is, “never say die”

And they took the spoils with a last ditch try

 

Wales made South Africa work really hard with the 30-14 win perhaps a little flattering to the Boks. The late withdrawal of Faletau and Anscombe were big blows it’s true but the forward power of the Boks was the deciding factor. The Welsh backs looked threatening when they had the ball but possession and territory were in short supply. Wales looked tired after three tests in a row while most of the South Africa team had been rested the previous week.

No one gave Wales a ghost of a chance in South Africa so to win one test is a positive outcome. The team selection seems to be settling down and Tommy Reffell looks to have cemented his place.

Well done Wales you are not as bad as the doubters thought you were.

Northern Delights

I am still afflicted by that pesky broken wrist so another shortish blog. The broken wrist is a decent excuse for spending quality time on the couch however. This means I watched all four rugby matches from the Southern Hemisphere. In stark contrast to last Saturday, our boys done good. It was a clean sweep of victories for North over South. Most notable were first ever victories for Ireland in New Zealand and, yes, Wales in South Africa.

As last week, to cut the blog short I am turning to doggerel with some indulgence for Wales. So here we go:

Northern Delights

All Black discipline is not the best,

A rampant Ireland storm the test.

 

England start well, like a runaway train,

Back come Oz but there’s penalty pain.

 

The Boks and Wales are firing blanks,

The viewers are thinking “Rugby no thanks”

With kicks the Boks gain a slender lead.

Minutes left, “Go Wales” the faithful plead.

At last Wales awakens, it’s not all done,

A try and conversion, by jingo they’ve won.

 

A scrappy first half under Argentine skies,

Then Scotland pull clear with some excellent tries.

 

Well Wales pulled off a last ditch 12-13 victory with a try by Adams converted from the touchline by Anscombe. It was a low quality, scrappy test match but who cares Wales have at last won in South Africa. A great defensive performance against what was a bit of a makeshift Springboks outfit with the back row outstanding.

That has levelled up the series but Wales can expect a really tough match next weekend when the World Champions will surely be at full strength. We’ve done it once so why not repeat it.

Come on Wales

A Bard Day for the North

I have rather unfortunately broken my left wrist so typing is very laborious. I sat through four games of international rugby yesterday as the pride of the Northern Hemisphere took on the strength of the Southern Hemisphere. As you will all know by now, it was four defeats out of four for the home nations.

As it is difficult to type I will make this short using (bad) rhyme.

 

Summer Internationals Week 1

 

Ireland start well and think they’re in clover,

But all too soon the All Blacks take over.

 

It should be England’s as the Aussies see red,

But it’s still the home side that leaves them for dead.

 

Yellow card fever and a kick that fails,

The Boks sneak home but well played Wales.

 

Argentinian beef is exceedingly tough,

Scotland try hard but it isn’t enough.

 

For the record Wales, lost 32-29 to South Africa with a last-minute penalty from the Springboks costing a draw. Wales exceeded all expectations and confounded the critics but in the end it was their discipline that tipped the scales against them. A whole lot of positives though after the Italian disaster. I hope Thomas Francis recovers quickly as he took a nasty looking bump.

Hard luck Wales but well done. Let’s go one better next weekend.