Richard Webster explaining the poor showing against New Zealand.

The understatement of the week comes from Wales Under 20s coach Richard Webster. Wales, in case you didn’t know, were utterly destroyed by the All Blacks 92-0 last Tuesday. Reported on the BBC website, Webster utters “The boys were understandably deflated immediately after the final whistle”. Wow. Really?!

He then continues “we never really got started in the game, but New Zealand are a formidable side that will take a lot of teams apart”. Maybe taking teams apart is what they did to Italy (64-7 in case you wondered) but at least Italy scored a try. New Zealand scored a point every 53 seconds against Wales!

“The positives are that we are still in the tournament, and with a bonus point win over Italy, we could still qualify for the top four.”. I think Italy will be fancying their chances if you ask me…

The New Zealand coach Mark Anscombe also had some gems such as “right across the park from nine to 15, they are all capable of finding gaps”. You sure about that? Think about this now….did the Kiwi’s really have to find gaps?

Check out the IRB website for more information on the damage done by the Kiwis or if you want to see some video interviews, visit the S4C website. There are some gems on there including one by John Kirwan. You’re not alone butt, I was expecting a bit more from Wales too!

The IRB Under 20′s World Cup continues with UK coverage on  S4C at some point in the future.

Pontypridd have between the stand out team by a fairly long margin considering the scale of  achievement this season. Semi finalists of the British and Irish Cup, and SWALEC Cup winners, no team has managed to have a ‘triple’ on at the end of the season. Despite a loss to Bristol in the BIC, Pontypridd stormed Aberavon in the Millennium Stadium two weeks ago.

Neath on the other hand have had a good but not great season which will disappoint them considering they are a professional team in all but name. Now divorced from the Ospreys, it’ll be interesting to see if they can stand on their own. And who they’ll play is a conundrum.

Neath have gained momentum due to some great bonus points this season. Pontypridd only lost once, but Neath had a few slip ups and yet are only a few points adrift from number one. It would only be fair for them to duke it out for the title if this perverse play off had to go ahead. But Llanelli put paid to that this week by giving the Welsh All Blacks a thumping.

A typical example of a Premier team ruled by the regions, Llanelli will either play exciting competitive rugby, or be listless and bland depending on who has been benched on the bloated mothership underpinned by favouritism that is Parc Y Scarlets.

If they turn up, they will give Pontypridd a tough game. But this is Pontypridd’s rebirth. A season where The House of Pain echoed the screams of all Welsh opposition who were unfortunate to run out. The crowds have been coming back in droves. Enough to shame the regions on a good day in fact, and there now seems to be the atmosphere where Pontypridd can get out from the shadow of the Blues. On Thursday, there will be one last outing for the black and white army this season and despite it being a Thursday (who decided that? Oh…S4C) I hope there will be a great turn out. The crowd can get behind the boys, singing every time the Sospans knock the ball on (which they will, and Dragons: stop nicking our songs!), and celebrating when the title officially belongs to Pontypridd.

Roll on next season…and get your season tickets early! C’mon the Pont!

Today Pontypridd face off against Bristol in the Semi-final of the British and Irish Cup. The only Welsh team in the competition left, Ponty also are the only Welsh team capable of winning a cross border competition following the abject failure of the regions this season.
Pontypridd have the ability to not only progress to the final, but are in contention to win the Welsh Premiership and the Swalec Cup against Aberavon. No team in this Division has had that option and Pontypridd deserve plaudits for their efforts.
The difference between this and previous seasons has been the management and direction from the senior Ponty management which is remarkable considering that coach Dale “Chief” Mcintosh has other roles with the National WRU setup.
Ponty play good rugby. In most matches they play with a guile and determination that should shame the regions. Moreover they play some mighty attractive rugby, but also have the killer edge to grind out wins if needed. This has culminated in the crowds coming back to the House of Pain in droves, and travelling support which unrivalled. It’s such a shame that the WRU are so dead to it. Despite the recent announcements that the Premier Division will be culled to 10 teams, there has been little support from the union or the Blues regional team and Pontypridd have realised and acted accordingly.
There is little danger of Pontypridd putting out a weak squad if the Blues decide to bench their Academy players. And the fact that Pontypridd contributed a fifth of the Wales under 20s this year is testament to the hotbed of Rugby that Pontypridd exists within. There’s strength in depth and strength in leadership at the ground on the nexus of the South Wales Valleys.
At long last, after nearly a decade of “I will never be Blue!” Pontypridd has its identity back as a powerhouse of Welsh rugby. We might not be professional in name, but we are professional in all our endeavours. We are a community. We are proud. We are Pontypridd. Ole!

Not included:
5. Capitulating at a Rugby World Cup is still Kiwi skill. Wales have nothing to do with that.

I was shocked when I read an erroneous report on the BBC based on a Scrum V interview. That Wales, last Saturday beat the best Sevens teams in the world and it hit these shores without a whimper. What the hell is wrong with the media? This should be celebrated from the roof tops! Where’s the parade? Where is the homecoming for our warriors from far shores?

Nothing. Zip. Nada. Just a Scrum V interview. No TV coverage. No news spots. No fanfare.

Well, I call on all those who were passionate about British rugby to make a song and dance. From reports, the English supporters were roaring to choruses of “Delilah” around the Dubai stadium. This is a win for a Northern Hemisphere team that does not come regularly for any of us. And considering these boys represent second string teams in England and Wales is a testament to the talent that exists out there.

I am a proud Welshman…it’s just a damn shame I cannot see what I am proud about.

Wales fullback Lee Byrne (top) celebrates with Andy Powell after beating Australia in Cardiff. Photo / Getty Images

Well, it’s about time but Wales finally overcame their demons to claim a southern hemisphere scalp for the first time under Warren Gatland’s reign by beating Australia 21:18 at the Millennium Stadium. And it was a good match, although my heart could not take any more drama.

I don’t mind Wales losing as long as it is a good test, and that’s the way I feel about losing to the Kiwi’s last week, but this time Wales could hold on. The odd thing is that Australia seem to be the southern hemisphere team that Wales an consistently have a good match against. It the Boks and Kiwi’s that seem to have some major boogey-man mojo against the Dragons.

Not that this win was easy – it should have been far more convincing with a string of horrible errors that led to at least one Martyn Williams try being fouled up (twice!) and poor concentration that once again saw a last minute try for the opposition that dented the Welsh performance. That said, a win is a win which is more than can be said for the rest of the home nations.

And even the New Zealand Herald thinks this is worth reporting!

Yellow is the colour. And yellow is an odd choice.

I have been wondering what this jersey will look like for a while and now that it has been unveiled the main home strip is predictably red and white. Not too different visually and what I would call safe, with most of the changes appearing in the shirt’s construction opposed to anything else (fancy sciency stuff about the stitching and other bits…). The ‘Away’ strip is a different kettle of fish…

Yellow? I blame the football. I don’t know where the Hell this colour has come from but it is an odd choice to say the least. I don’t think it looks bad, but I just wondered where the idea came from…unless the writing is on the shirt and Brains had anything to do with the SA Gold sponsorship.

I think there must have been a very decisive move to stay away form the darker colours that have plagued the WRU over the past few years. 2005′s debacle of “Wales in Black” had the team foolishly thinking they were up to the task of beating the All Blacks, or even being the “All Black’s Of Europe”. 41-3 later hammering from the Kiwi’s, and very dodgy showings against Australia and Fiji put the kit to bed for good. Wales were not ready to be All Black.

The next strip was a gun metal grey, which I will be honest, thought was pretty cool. I even bought the 2007 World Cup strip (as it was £14 is Sports World). There’s nothing I can do about the World Cup logo, but the kit is nice to wear down the cinema.

So I think that yellow is to be seen as new and vibrant, just like the attitude brought in by King Gatland. We will have to see how it performs against the Canucks on November 14, but I am pretty sure it will do well.

However, it will be highly doubtful that I will ever buy the ugly thing.

Undeniably, there has been an attitude switch in Wales in favour of supporting the national team, with the lack of local rivalry and inter-region animosity begin cited. But this is simple mathematics. There are fewer professional teams, and as such, the phrase “local” has a lesser importance.

The rivalry between Pontypridd and Cardiff is legendary. The distance between the towns is a matter of miles, and there is a real local bias between the two for many reasons including which side of the M4 you’re form to that fact that there are more Mexican restaurants – you name it and local’s can get upset about it.

Speaking from personal experience, I cannot identify with the Blues as “my team”. Pontypridd are, and Pontypridd don’t play professional rugby. We can point the finger and get upset…but there still is no pro team for me. It is natural that my enthusiasm gravitates up a notch to the national team.

I don’t think we are comparing like for like here as the landscape of Welsh rugby has changed hugely. Those who have a love for the old club setup who don’t see “their” team in the regions just will not factor that in when considering their club affiliations. When I completed this questionnaire, I noted that I did not support a regional team. My pecking order went 1) Pontypridd, 2) Wales and that was it. I think that I can probably speak for more than a couple of other Sardis Road faithful in that assessment.

So where has this storm really come from then? Hmmmm….nothing to do with the Celtic Crusaders then? A fifth region was not on the cards until the Super League pulled a fast one and shocked the Rugby League fraternity. And why not? There is a gaping hole in the Welsh professional support of rugby since the Warriors were axed and a ripe supporter base for the taking. Certainly, I have even thought about nipping down to partake in Valley’s Pro rugby at the Brewery field myself.

But this all doesn’t change anything. If there was the money there, anyone could set up another region. For that matter, the Warriors could have been kept going but for one reason; the region was unsustainable. It is the case then and why should it change now? Gwent dragons are on their last legs, more money is being piled into both Cardiff and Llanelli (the latter will be a casualty before the end of the decade IMHO). It only seems that the bottomless pit of cash that Cuddy and Co. plough into the Ospreys means that they are the sure-fire bankable bet on success in the professional Welsh Rugby era.

If the WRU are happy to keep failing clubs afloat, then fine, but it may not always be the case. Professional clubs need to have the ability to bank their gate takings to keep the business going if times get tough. You cannot rely on payouts from silverware glory, and it seems that too many professional sports teams do. The biggest issue that faces the current four regions is that they cannot pack out their respective grounds as it stands. Every regional match I watch has empty seats in the stands, and the only ones that come close are games involving foreign teams with large followings to make up the numbers.

I just don’t see how the current regional structure is sustainable if the money dries up.

Passion for during a game as if it is the last to ever be played, passion for team work and camaraderie, and passion for the beautiful anticipation of a clock surely, and ultimately counting down to its end. This is passion that only the black sheep of the IRB Top Ten could display. And passion that is sorely lacking from Wales.

{mosimage}Argentina are in the very real prospect of getting a medal in the 6^th Rugby World Cup. The quarter final match with Scotland should pose no real problem for the Pumas, owing to a lack in form from those north of Hadrian’s Wall, but that’s not to say they will be easy. However, they should put at least 40 points on them, if the fires are burning the way that they did against France and Ireland*.

It was interesting to see the Argies constantly smile. Even when they are down, they are not out, and they revel in the opportunity to cement victory and fight to the dying end of 80 minutes. Fiji have similar traits, and it seems that these second tier countries are no longer to be toyed with in major tournaments.

And it is a breath of fresh air to see this sportsmanship in professional rugby. You get the distinct impression that the Argentina team love what they do. Case in point, Agustin Pichot’s remarkable grace during the narrow defeat to Wales was of the same tone as his enthusiasm for beating the Lion (cubs) in 2005 in the Millennium Stadium. In fact…a lot seems to happen to Argentina in Cardiff.

At the time of writing, Argentina are ranked the fourth highest in the world (IRB Rankings 1st Oct 2007). I cannot see how this status can rule them out of either the 6 Nations or the Tri-nations any longer. Argentina must simply be allowed to play in one of these tournaments, because any other cobbled together league simply would not do for them. If they played an American continent cup of sorts….they would simply win all the damn time. Who could pose a threat to them other than the big guns of the tri-nations? Wales just scraped by with a win in the Millennium Stadium prior to the World Cup (thanks Duncan Jones!). But if the Pumas were to compete in the 6 Nations, it is a fair bet that there would be succession of titles (Grand Slams even) for the foreseeable future.

Argentina by all rights could end up winning the World Cup, if they can beat South Africa in the semi-final at Saint-Denis on October 14. That would conceivably set them up for New Zealand (or Australia if a shock is order). And then….who knows? Could the All Blacks be beaten by a Black Sheep? Let’s hope so.

Originally printed on TEAMPONTY.NET .

* Interestingly, some Scots fans seem to be under the impression that Wales' win pre-RWC is a eason to think Scotland can win. I had to put them straight on that one.