Wales took on England at the weekend, running out 30-3 winners and retaining the Six Nations title in the process.
Here are six things we learned from the match.
1. Sam Warburton is going to make the loss of David Pocock felt during the Lions tour
He hasn’t had a great past 12 months in the Welsh shirt. That may be due to taking time to get back to 100% health and fitness after his injuries.
Against England he was back to his best – literally all over the field in support, flying to bother clearing kicks, making tackles and getting very involved in the rucks.
The part that makes this hard to stomach as a Wallabies fan is that Justin Tipuric might have had a better game than Warburton.
He might not have as high an athletic ceiling to his game, but right now he’s in the top echelon of back-rowers in the world.
Put them together with Tom Croft – one of the better England fighters against Wales – and Sean O’Brien from Ireland you start to see why the breakdown belligerence and big match experience of Pocock is really going to be missed during the Lions series.
2. Leigh Halfpenny must be in the Lions’ squad
Halfpenny has to have one hand on the other red jersey he’s looking to wear this year, the Lions number 15.
His kicking alone is worth having in the Test arena, and that is doubly so for a Lions tour where matches will be closer to World Cup intensity than normal Tests. A reliable and long range kicker can make all the difference in games such as this.
Halfpenny’s running is still very good and he has the ability to hold up the tackle long enough to let support reach him when fielding high kicks. He also links very well and his passes have the knack of finding the man in space.
A great all-round talent.
3. Mike Philips
Mike Philips looks very lively and involved early, he made a great long blindside bust that really started to open up the game for Wales. I’ve criticised him before about not always looking like he plays at 100% and being a bit hot and cold – when he’s hot he’s in Will Genia’s ballpark, especially as a ball runner.
One time in the early stage of the second half it was Phillips that instigated holding up a maul in tandem with Warburton that lead to a turn over.
Not often you see a halfback involved with that sort of defensive turnover. That effort was repeated in the half as England tried to run back a Welsh 22m drop out.
4. Wales are very good at getting out of their half
They don’t always use a first phase kick either. Punching two quite rucks over the gain line to get that extra 10m that gives the fly-half the chance to put up a kick that can be contested or really try and pin the opposition back.
This is something Australian teams need to be better at in the Test arena especially. Being able to contest a kick, or really aim for the corner is much better than trying to find the sideline from the edge of your own 22.
England kicked too often when running the ball was a very viable option. They didn’t have the same attitude toward counter-attacking by putting it through the hands unless they were already on the opposition half. Alex Goode was probably the only player that occasionally stood out as being bold for England and that was mostly the first half.
Alex Cuthbert and George North were the beneficiaries of Wales putting it through the hands in their own half and behind their 22m line on occasions. They also gave their team those opportunities by charging back after fielding kicks.
Wales weren’t as fearful of those opportunities and they had a Lion’s share of possession and territory because of that bold play.
5. Alex Cuthbert’s size and speed
Cuthbert, in scoring his first try showed that he is both a big man and also faster than Mike Brown – the best performing England winger in this tournament.
Cuthbert still needed to travel about 20m to score that try and only needed about 5m of space to burn his man.
A minute later Mike Brown had a small sliver of space down the outside of his opposite when he received an offload, he looked wide and then immediately ignored that space. That is stark contrast to Cuthbert believing in himself and taking the man on.
If Warren Gatland was still wondering whether the Welsh side deserved to strongly populate the Lions backline then this game has given great reason to go with the charges he already knows well. They beat out their opposition smartly on this occasion.
6. Wales’ try scoring ability
If Wales somehow hadn’t have scored a try from the sequence of play that lead up to what was their second try it would have been a crying shame.
It started with a fantastic Warburton bust right down the middle. He was so far ahead of the support he just ran straight at Farrell and engaged him for a time to let the support catch up. There was quick ruck ball and they spread it wide for Tipuric to dummy through a gap as Cuthbert loomed up on the outside to catch the offload when Tipuric hit the last man.
It was a fantastic 60 metre movement that put the dagger in England.
Only a bad 45 mins against Ireland, during the first round of 6-Nations, stood between Wales sweeping the tournament undefeated. Against Ireland they were diabolical early and found themselves down 30-3 just after half time.
They stormed home but couldn’t win. Since then they’ve returned to ground zero and slowly built throughout the tournament. This climactic victory against England is probably the strongest result for any nation in this year’s competition.
Anglo-Scot
Guest
The All Black camp was hit by a 24 hour bug (Norovirus) that was going round the UK late last year. I had it as well, it's unpleasant but the effects are gone by the following day, 4 days on it is not a big deal- and to the great credit of the New Zealand team neither the coach nor the players used it as an excuse. The All Blacks are the best team in the world right now but they aren't invincible.
Red Kev
Guest
No, it shows that New Zealand like any other team are beatable on any given day. France pushed them all the way in RWC 2011 and just wooden-spooned the 6N. England have a very good side when it clicks.
Misha
Guest
Its also shows that England's so called trashing of the All Blacks was 99% virus assisted - but anyone with any sense knew that when the whole All Black team were vomiting only 4 days earlier and medical experts ay it takes 2 whole weeks to recover from..
Dean Vincent
Guest
Agree with you Wales15, the Warburton in the last 2 games was on fire. Last year he was injury ravaged during the 6 Nations as well as the 3 months he had off after the 6N. Think he only played a full game against England. Came off with injury against Ireland and France at about half-time and didn't play against Italy and Scotland as I recall. There was general consensus that Tipuric should have played against Australia last year because of Warburton's lack of match fitness. Phillips is a big game player. I'm not his biggest fan, at times his service and speed of pass is woeful but put him in a Championship decider or a Lions shirt and he seems to really raise his game.
Wales15
Guest
Warburton came back from a 3 month layoff in the June series. What did you expect? Phillips wasn't 'comprehensively' outplayed by Genia. Granted, Genia was on fire, but Phillips was making line breaks, big tackles left right and centre as well. Rewind to the second test.
James
Guest
France has played NZ 6 times in world cups. Only beaten NZ twice.
Rebel
Guest
What if a Lions team at the end of a long season beats the Wallabies.
Wallabees
Guest
This reeks of partisan excuses and myopia. You must either be English or a Kiwi. You could just as easily point to the Welsh tradition of slumping against any team from either hemisphere following successful 6 nations series'. if you were looking for excuses from the other side. You also conveniently ignore France's record of victories against you - many in the WC, (occurring even when they under-performed in prior 6N). Unless, of course, you would say that the Kiwis are perennially tired as a result of their excessively rigorous 4 nations? Anglo-Scot makes a sequence of compelling points, and I'd prefer to focus on how the Wallabies will demolish the Lions with skill than make excuses for your losses.
richard
Guest
Having read the rugby sites both here and in the UK papers,it seems to me both sides are writing the other off.The brits are saying the Aussies have no forwards,and will therefore be dominated in the set-pieces.And aussie pundits are saying the staid tactics,along with a preponderance of Welshman in the starting xv for the Lions will be their undoing. I think you will find the answer is somewhere in between.I personally believe this series will be too close to call.With the development of some very good players in the Brumbies (the no.8 impresses me,for example),added to established players,the WB's could prove a real handful for the Lions.Unless,of course Deans picks on reputation and not on form.Something I don't think he will do,as his job is probably on the line. pps - completely agree with Elisha's views on Warburton.Do not write him off,he is coming into his own at just the right time,and he will be operating in a pretty useful pack.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Spot on Anglo scot. It seems many southerners still don't see that anyone from 2 to 12 can beat anyone else. ABs loss was an accident IMO and they are still in their own league. The rest are very close to each other.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Well in a way there's not much in a 1-0 soccer score, but one team has done enough. Doing enough five times is a lot, but doing is with an injured group of players is even tougher. peterlala why would the Wallabies forwards be outclassed by the Welsh when they have come out on top of them five times in a row, when many were injured?
peterlala
Guest
Elisha, on that game alone (ignoring England's thrashing of the All Blacks), I fear the Wallabies will be outclassed up front by the Lions. And we know what that means.
Andy
Guest
no what it states is NH is still in a poor state and that SH teams touring in November had just completed the busiest super rugby and international schedule ever (including the June internationals and the extended games and travel with 4 nations) . In other word, fatigue was more of a reflection of those performances of NZ and Australia. How else would you explain France and England's poor form in the 6N? You don't just beat 2 SH teamsconvincely and play crap against lesser teams soon after. England's performance just got worse with every game in the 6N. How many tries did they score in the entire 6N? It really puts that NZ game in perspective.
Bazza Allblack Supporter
Roar Rookie
I did, was not much in them.... I still pick an Ozzie Lions win - 2 to 1
FTR
Guest
"You fail to recognize in your article that Wales always lift when playing against their English masters, especially at the MS – beating England very important to them as they suffer horribly from little brother syndrome". Very true. The Welsh record against the SH Big 3 is absolutely woeful. They have an inferiority complex against the southern nations.
FTR
Guest
Touche.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Jannerboyuk did you see the last five matches between the Wallabies and Wales?
Jannerboyuk
Guest
Ah some lovely Aussie complacency. Marvellous. Ashes and lions tour in the bag then
Dirk
Guest
I agree with point 2. Leigh Halfpenny is by far and away Wales best player. The only others that match him are the Welsh props. Phillips is rubbish. His service is slow, pass is average and he runs sideways. Warburton is over-rated, however Tipuric looks good. The Welsh wingers are nothing special - big , fast wingers are a dime a dozen in the SXV (with superior skills than any NH wingers possess) so the Wallabies will have no trouble dealing with them. Their defence is also suspect You fail to recognize in your article that Wales always lift when playing against their English masters, especially at the MS - beating England very important to them as they suffer horribly from little brother syndrome. A Welsh dominated Lions using Welsh (Gatland) tactics will fail. They have tried the same formula 5 times recently without success. As soon as Wales have any sort of success they ordain themselves world champions in waiting. They were supposed to come down here last year and hammer us 3-0 (according to their press and fans) yet couldn't register a single victory against a depleted Wallabies outfit. The more Welsh in the Lions, the easier it will be for the Wallabies.
The OG AlBo
Roar Guru
I'd be happy if Mike Phillips is the Lions number 9. He had a great game on the weekend and maybe even an ok series but he's never caused us too many headaches. There are other British halves that would worry me more.