Barry John expects another 'rough ride'
Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:57
Wales gearing for another Springbok drubbing
Legendary former Welsh flyhalf Barry John has predicted another thumping by his compatriots when they face South Africa in the second Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.
Following the 17-43 humiliation Wales suffered at the hands of the Springboks in Bloemfontein last week, John said he feels it could get worse.
The man considered by many to be the greatest flyhalf in the sport's history spoke to Media Wales' Jon Doel about the Welsh Dragons' prospects in the return Test in Pretoria and his views will not make for good reading in the principality.
John said he wasn't surprised at the margin of the Bok win in the first international.
"To be honest and in fairness to Warren Gatland [head coach] and Shaun Edwards [assistant coach] and the other boys in the camp, they have come out and said it was embarrassing and humiliating," John said.
"The punters all over Wales, after the [Six Nations] Grand Slam [victory] expected something better, but deep down I felt this [facing the Boks] was going up another notch now, another league, another game.
"Taking into account the weather conditions, the altitude and so on, it [the 26-point loss in Bloemfontein] didn't come as a surprise to me."
The Welsh legend made no secret of the fact that he thinks his compatriots will face another big hiding against the World Cup holders this week.
"There will be a lot of hard work done this week," he said, adding that head coach Warren Gatland will have got among the boys and the players will have examined themselves.
"I think and I expect Wales to improve by five or 10 percent, but I think the Springboks will improve by 20 percent," he said, adding: "Now that they [the Boks] have tasted blood in the first Test, now they will know the Welsh weaknesses."
He also suggested that altitude could be another huge factor, with Pretoria certainly higher than Bloemfontein.
"I expect another very, very rough ride for Wales," John said.
He also suggested that the Welsh coach, Gatland, may have got his selections wrong in Bloemfontein - in playing the veteran Stephen Jones at flyhalf ahead of the younger and more creative James Hook.
In fact he went as far as suggesting that wing Shane Williams was Wales' best 'flyhalf' in Bloemfontein.
"Shane is a star act, he really is up there with the best and deserves to be the leading Welsh try scorer," John said, adding: "Last week you could smell him ... the impatience of the guy saying: 'I'm not getting the ball, I must get ball'.
"He went hunting, he went looking, and if you look at it the first try by Jamie Roberts, it was Shane who took the quick-tap penalty - playing quick instinctive rugby and that's what you want.
"He beat two or three men, the third and fourth men he dragged in and he knew when to offload, and again in the second phase he was there.
"Basically he was our best flyhalf on the day and then when he scored that try - it's just a pity we don't get the ball to this boy often enough."
John, who formed a devastating combination in the Welsh team of the 1970s with scrumhalf Gareth Edwards and was known as 'The King', did not hide the fact that he was a huge "fan" of Hook and his creative style of play.
"I would definitely go for James Hook [at flyhalf]. Stephen [Jones] at the moment ... there's no threat in his game at the moment. The Springboks and most other sides can take him for granted basically.
"The imagination is not there anymore and James I would certainly back him."
