Wales interim head coach Rob Howley expressed his frustration and disappointment after his side's 30-22 defeat against Ireland.
Ireland stormed into a 30-3 lead before Wales responded thanks to three second-half tries from Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny and Craig Mitchell to narrow the gap to just eight points.
"It is frustrating and disappointing. With the way we started we allowed Ireland a foothold," said Howley.
"The key in any international game is territory and possession and we came second by a very long way.
"Ireland's kicking game, combined with our lack of accuracy at the contact area, allowed them field position, the pressure.
We were disappointed to lose another try in the first two minutes of the second half, but to come back from 30 points to three down to where we were... I think it is a silly question to ask about players buying in.
"It reminded me of the game against Scotland here a few years ago (where Wales scored 17 points in the final few minutes to snatch a remarkable win).
"We probably left four tries out there. We had two situations where we did not finish off two against ones and there were a couple of poor decisions in their 22. But the players showed a lot of character, which you want to see as a coach.
"It's a shame we couldn't score a fraction earlier in the second half. If we had I think that game could have had a different ending.
"On the other hand, in the second half we played a lot of good rugby, had a good impact off the bench and scored three tries. But in that first 20 minutes we need to focus. We spoke all week about starting well and we didn't."
Comments
johnniec63 says...
Again Howley is making really bad managment decisions and has been for a year he is not coaching material fact!! ... Warburton should be dropped as captain NOW cause he really does not have a clue out there at the moment but howley wont do that as he doesnt have the nuts to do it........thank god priestland isnt available to play!!
Posted 20:51 04th February 2013
melkdave says...
@Jontheref
LOL thank you for the edorsment ,but i do recall telling you my mother was welsh ,and thats why they are my 2nd UK team,after England where i was born and raised and i post negatively on them aswell when deserved..It seems to be the curse of any welsh supporter that Wales are either playing brilliantly or in the doldrums ,with no real inbetween .Before the last RWC Wales where playing poorly,and it took a miracle win in Cardiff, against England for them to believe in themselves ,and play to their potential..Come the RWC and 6Ns the belief continued and they did play to their potential,now 18 months later ,Wales are again playing poorly, and are in the doldrums but because of the lack of an A team ,Wales havent the players in depth that are proven at international leval.Most where used just before the RWC,hence the persistence with R.Priestland ect when out of form ,and lacking confidance.I do believe however that Wales has the players ,but the WRU need to allow those players to gain confidance and prove to themselves they can play at international leval .With a proper A team set up.I dont want to be posting negatively on welsh games believe me.But the WRU really needs to get a proper structure set up,and ill say it again ,give supporters a reason to support the regional teams ,rather than their local one.Otherwise welsh rugby could soon be as it is in Scotland ,and i dont want to see that at all,and i believe niether do you.we may disagree onthings ,but we both want a strong welsh rugby side and clubs .
Posted 13:42 04th February 2013
jontheref says...
OK, lots of your have started the selection process for next game v France, so here is my effort.
james, Hibbard, Jones
Evans, Ryan Jones, Tips, Faletu, Warburton (Howley won't drop him yet!)
Phillips, Hook
Walker if fit, Scott Williams, davies, North
Halfpenny
Suns
owen, Mitchell Jenkins, Kohn, Coombs to cover back 5, Williams, Byrne, Biggar.
Sirjona, don't worry about melkdave, he is either off his meds or an irrelevance.
he will tell you he is part Welsh, as he took a day trip to wales once many years ago.
he means no harm, he just can't help himself!
:-)
Posted 11:24 04th February 2013
JamieTheProp says...
Surely this should read 'Howley Rubbish'.
How this loser (and lets be fair his recent track record is a lot of losses) is anywhere near the Lions management is beyond me.
Plus never thought I would say this but maybe England had a lucky escape with Edwards as well - certainly our defence is performing at a much higher level than Wales' at the moment.
Less and less Wales players getting on the plane to Australia in the summer it would seem!
That said I thought Ireland were forced to defend with incredible courage in the second half - but by then it was far too late!
You have to play for a full 80 minutes and Wales simply aren't capable of that at the moment.
Posted 01:18 04th February 2013
welshmac says...
the skill level was dreadful. Every time the ball went wide the pass caused the player to stop or jump to take it. And when we're camped on their line, is it too much to expect the receiver to be already moving when he takes the ball ? Twelvetrees try in the England game was a great example of how to hit the line. Get a prop doing it and we will convert every chance from the 5m.
Posted 17:55 03rd February 2013
Sirjona says...
Melkdave as I don't log on here as much as I would like and therefore unable to follow all of the great wisdom you dispatch could you advise exactly which team you support. I really hope it's not Wales as all you seem to want to do is slag them ' they are on the edge of the abyss '. If you look at our record regarding starting the six nations we would constantly be teetering on the edge. Can you not for once take some positives out of the games and maybe just maybe stop being the harbinger of doom. I suppose your next comments will be that as France have now lost to Italy we should not bother turning up next week as we will feel the backlash blah blah blah. If you want to be a misery vampire mate go join the campaign for the end of the world.
Rant over
By the way Wales by ten next week Allez le Rouge
Posted 17:36 03rd February 2013
germanwelshfan says...
We missed a good discision maker like R Jones, after 1/2P missing the con we needed three quick points e.g. should have went for the points after philipps was called back!
then why didn´t we take the scrum when best was yellow carded. ireland would had to bring on a hooker and loose a brf or a back. even with a even scrum it would have disrupted their game for the 10min instead of not having a single scrum during the bin.
overall we had problems with finding the right depth of our attacking line (look at england how they convert their chances e.g. parling´s try compared to JD´s passes to a overeager or not expecting AC(twice in the first half) )!!
For me even more crucial was faletau´s pass to Tips while North was on his shoulder and would have had a free run in with a simple draw and pass at the side line. I believe Cuthbert is physical class but still lacks skills. he costs us games with his weak tackling and defense lines/organisation and he needs to many chances to score till he gets it right we will have problems to beat the other top nations. Philipps was still to slow but I believe that its the way the others line up around him and irelands tactics at the breakdown which changed when they were a man down and not able to have a player lying around behind the tackle.
to end positiv: Biggar had quiet a good outing even with the chargedown he got back to tackle zebo to prevent a try! Coombs had a great game for a first cap. tips must start the next game with sam on the blindside! 1/2P was simply fantastic!
Posted 14:39 03rd February 2013
melkdave says...
Ok ive had a day to think on it ,and for better or worse heres my XV for Paris all being well,Unfortunatly Wales really dont have much wriggle room now With 3 away games they are standing right on the edge of the abyess.
15)Halfpenny 14)Cuthbert 13)North 12)Davies / Hook 11)Walker 10)Biggar 9)Williams 8)Faletau 7)Tipric 6)Warburton 5)Evans 4)Kohn 3)Mitchell 2)Owens 1)James
I know im leaving A.Jones out against a powerfull french scrum,but really i think C.Mitchell is just as good in the scrum ,and a hell of alot better in the loose.Ive also added O.Kohn to the pack to add some extra bulk to counter it,and a hell of alot of experiance,and 2 fetchers in Tipric and Warburton,to hopefully disrupt french ball,and get turnovers for welsh counters.The backline ive moved G.North to 13 and J.Davies to 12 so Wales still have alot of impact /pace,and go forward for Williams and Biggar to get Cuthbert and Walker into the match more along with Halfpenny.If that doesnt work then id bring J.Hook on at 12 to support D.Biggar and offer a different approch in attack.Hoping Wales can play as they did in the 2nd half against Ireland,but thats not going to be easy,as i really think France this year have belief and are prepard to battle for victories. under PSA,and they look more organised aswell in my opinion.
Posted 14:30 03rd February 2013
j615 says...
Wales need to shake things up and perhaps get some experienced players to raise their game by dropping them. I would go for against France:
James, Hibbard, Ad Jones, Evans, Coombs, Warburton, Tipuric, Faletau.
L Williams, Hook, Walker, J Davies, North, Halfpenny, Byrne.
It might not beat France but I think would give them a good game. Chuck North in 13 - nothing to lose, no-one will fancy Wales to beat France in Paris. Lee Byrne and Hook play in France and deserve an opportunity. Phillips, Roberts and Jenkins look hideously out of form and should not picked on their reputations. J Davies is lucky to make my team after a horror show against Ireland but he is the best Welsh centre.
Posted 14:16 03rd February 2013
Frooschman says...
Excuse me? We allowed Ireland a foothold? 20 points isn't a foothold. 20 points is game over! Typical Wales. Only start playing when the game's out of reach. Ireland were excellent and Wales simply couldn't live with them. Whoever Wales have next must see this as an opportunity.
Posted 13:43 03rd February 2013
kybone says...
The problem with Wales is that they've become extremely one dimensional. They know they've got an incredibly big backline so the plan seems to be simply trample over the opposition. The only problem is that teams have worked them out and just close them down befor ethey can get up a head of steam. I mean it hardly takes a genious to work out what you're gonna do when you've got a back division with |North Roberts Davies and Cuthbert. They're all very much the same kind of player, and then you've got Phillips at SH. If i were selecting the team i'd bring Hook in at 12 to add some guile to the midfield.
Posted 12:57 03rd February 2013
ollieosprey says...
i swear to god if he doesnt start tipuric next week...
Posted 10:49 03rd February 2013
startledwombat says...
Actually, being down by 30 points to 3 is as good a working definition of "not starting well" as you would ever hope to find.
Posted 09:25 03rd February 2013
AKARKP says...
Howley is a joke, and is clearly not up to the job. Seriously got to question his team selection, when Warburton starts ahead of Tipuric!!
Posted 08:36 03rd February 2013
jontheref says...
Ireland deserved it because they played well, and for 80 minutes.
Howley could have made changes earlier, something he has control over.
he could have also selected a more exciting side, with some variation in players.
before the game I would have taken that result.
At half time, I would have bitten your hand off for it.
At the end, I felt cheated, as we showed what we an do.
A game we could have won, not should have won, because Ireland deserved it.
We do not finish off chances, go into to contact too high, make the wrong decisions too often.
Howley is supposedly a skills coach, not much evidence for most of the game.
I guess he will have his blinkers on, and keep Biggar.
I don' want to be right, but i predicted a long cold winter!
Posted 07:58 03rd February 2013
PREEST says...
The only reason Wales came back is because Ireland were up by 27 points and took their foot off the throttle.
Posted 05:52 03rd February 2013
melkdave says...
Saying alot of the correct things ,but some of the selectins are suspect in my opinion,A.Jones yes a good scrumager,but offers absolutly nothing outside of it,and not at his best was outplayed really by C.Healey today.MrRess again not at his best and not adding anything i can see G.Jenkins no where near his best,maybe its lack of gametime at Toulon,but the signs where there for this frontrow in the summer really.Warburton despite popular belief his not that great an openside,if you go by stats ,J.Tipric is the best openside in Wales and also offers a lineout option he should definatly start,even if it means Warburton being dropped to the bench.M.Phillips again a player struggling,slow to the breakdown ,slow pass ,and offering no threat from the base of rucks and mauls at all now.Start with Williams at least his quicker to the breakdown.J.Roberts also struggling to make any impact this season at club or national leval like Phillips should start on the bench and come on as impact when legs are tired Either move G.North to 13 and J.Davies to 12 with E.Walker at 11 or start J.Hook at 12 to support D.Bigger,and offer a different attack for Wales .Teams know what Wales are trying to do now,and are countering it .
Posted 23:43 02nd February 2013
Qkram79 says...
Whatever man. Not an ounce of credit to the opposition as usual. 8 on the bounce ....
Posted 20:48 02nd February 2013