WALES WERE DEFEATED 33-10 by the All Blacks at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon.
Despite the doom and gloom of a third November loss the Welsh coach Warren Gatland still found time to re-introduce one of his favourite moves to the rugby world.
Last seen by a desperate Irish team, coached by Gatland, at the 1999 World Cup, Wales unveiled a 13-man lineout close to the All Black tryline.
The move did not work for Ireland, against Argentina, 13 years ago but it produced the right result today as Scott Williams bulled over for try.
YouTube credit: TheScore.ie
Speaking after the match, Gatland told the BBC, “We are disappointed by that first half, but a lesser team might have thrown in the towel against the world champions.
“I think we grew into the game and I was proud of the way they took the game to the All Blacks.”
There’s a crop of some seriously good young talented centres coming through the clubs atm Forde, Postlewaithe, Brownlee, Gavin, Cooney all in and around 6ft 3’, 16st. And hooker too McCarthy, Stewart, Barron, McKee, Smyth, Sheahan. Not so much at prop although Clarkson has definitely stood up so far. Hopefully Boyle, Milne, Wilson, McCarthy, Foxe can kick on. Niall Smyth in the Leinster academy looks very promising. Big tighthead that is very mobile and athletic and impressed for Blackrock a year or two ago. Hopefully Furlong can stay injury free and find some sort of resurgence in the last couple of years in his career because were definitely reliant on him.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: switch a few of them hookers to prop
@Harry O’ Callaghan: Usanov, u20 again this season, is highly rated . He did well with Emerging Ireland at 19 years of age. He’s not huge but is powerful. I think Niall Smyth must have come off injured for Leinster A last week as he was replaced early in the first half. Another big TH is Andrew Sparrow, huge lad 19 and half stone. Great young talent coming through.
Very talented is Jude. Anybody watching the game properly may even spot him in the lineout occasionally.