:00:18. > :00:22.The Millennium Stadium on Friday night, the stage was set, the
:00:23. > :00:26.gauntlet was laid down. There were some new faces pitched into the
:00:27. > :00:35.arena and some old heads. It all started so well. He has the pace to
:00:36. > :00:40.go all the way. Nor is going for the corner. A great finish by Ashley
:00:41. > :00:48.Beck. -- North is going for the corner. After that, things got a bit
:00:49. > :00:56.more messy. Come on, you want 11 in your scrum. Even Warren Gatland
:00:57. > :01:04.struggled to summon enthusiasm. It is an ugly win that we will take. I
:01:05. > :01:09.was pleased. Ultimately it was a victory and the
:01:10. > :01:13.focus shifts to Saturday. In a year that Wales have retained their six
:01:14. > :01:24.Nations crown and dominated the Lions side that dominated down
:01:25. > :01:26.under, can they lay their southern hemisphere hoodoo to rest?
:01:27. > :01:30.under, can they lay their southern Good evening and welcome to Scrum V,
:01:31. > :01:34.that is the question that Martyn Williams and Kingsley Jones will be
:01:35. > :01:38.trying to answer. They have been searching for chinks in the armour
:01:39. > :01:41.of this Wallabies side. We will have highlights of the remarkable Test
:01:42. > :01:44.match in Dublin this afternoon. First we will go back to Friday
:01:45. > :01:51.night and the match between Wales and Tonga.
:01:52. > :02:02.Very tall men in Luke Charteris and Ian Evans. But Tonga have stolen the
:02:03. > :02:10.Welsh throw. Moa is charged down. Have they scored? Did they touched
:02:11. > :02:23.the ball down? I think it is Lloyd Williams. Lloyd Williams last up
:02:24. > :02:36.with the ball. I don't think that is down. I don't think that is a try.
:02:37. > :02:42.No trial, it is held up. -- no try. Perhaps not the person to lead a
:02:43. > :02:50.counter from deep in the Welsh half. Owen Williams. Still Owen Williams,
:02:51. > :02:58.he has the place to go all the way. Owen Williams scores -- he has the
:02:59. > :02:59.pace. That is a great try. James Hook straightens up and gets
:03:00. > :03:30.absolutely smashed. George North. Well tackled by
:03:31. > :03:39.Kalamafoni. A great finish by Ashley Beck. They will review it. But that
:03:40. > :03:52.should be an outstanding try. In and out, stands him up. That is a great
:03:53. > :03:58.try, isn't it? A great finish. Outstanding.
:03:59. > :04:16.A good angle again. Charged by Paea. Latu picks up. Ma'afu again. He is
:04:17. > :04:19.very, Tonga are going to score. Great build-up from the set piece, a
:04:20. > :04:24.clinical finish, they are back in the game. It is a great off-load. A
:04:25. > :04:46.fantastic off-load. I think someone has been sparked out
:04:47. > :04:58.here. Hallam Amos, has his good on his first game for Wales? If that is
:04:59. > :05:05.a try, it is a great try. -- has he scored on his first game?
:05:06. > :05:16.Ryan Jones goes up. Charteris straightened well. He has dropped
:05:17. > :05:22.it. What an opportunity for Luke Charteris. He has been exceptional
:05:23. > :05:28.in the second half. He just dropped it. He will know he should have
:05:29. > :05:34.scored. It just gets dislodged in the tackle.
:05:35. > :05:51.Lloyd Williams, a gap around the blindside, inside pass, Ryan Jones.
:05:52. > :06:01.It is going to be a try! They will look for a block.
:06:02. > :06:14.No trial, obstruction in front of the ball, penalty to Tonga. -- no
:06:15. > :06:21.try. We have had three referrals and they have all gone the way of Tonga.
:06:22. > :06:29.It is an ugly win but we will take it. I was pleased with the ambition.
:06:30. > :06:34.We could have probably kept taking ?3 and kept the scoreboard ticking
:06:35. > :06:42.over. Maybe taken one of those tries and it makes it a bit better than it
:06:43. > :06:44.is -- kept taken three points. It is frustrating but there was ambition
:06:45. > :06:50.to play and put ourselves under pressure. We had an opportunity. It
:06:51. > :06:58.is a learning thing for us on this tour. We have got to take
:06:59. > :07:03.opportunity. We had a good system and we stuck to it. I thought it was
:07:04. > :07:08.solid. The couple of years ago there are games we would possibly have
:07:09. > :07:12.lost. The guys showed a lot of maturity and a bit of composure. We
:07:13. > :07:16.just lacked a clinical edge. We think it would have come with a bit
:07:17. > :07:20.of game time for the pit is a positive, I have been on this Friday
:07:21. > :07:28.nights when results have not gone our way. -- these Friday nights. I
:07:29. > :07:33.think there were 11 minutes of the ball in play in the first half which
:07:34. > :07:38.for me is the lowest I have seen in an international game. That was kind
:07:39. > :07:43.of the way it was played, reset after reset. It made it difficult
:07:44. > :07:48.for us to get momentum. That pretty much sums it up. It
:07:49. > :07:53.wasn't pretty, it wasn't blockbuster viewing. Is there any point as a
:07:54. > :07:58.coach dwelling on that? Any value to be gained or do you wipe the slate
:07:59. > :08:02.clean and look to Australia? I think you look at the individuals who
:08:03. > :08:05.could put their hands up for the Australia game. The centres played
:08:06. > :08:11.well, they made a mark on the game. You have to look at Tonga, in the
:08:12. > :08:15.second half, it was limitations for them for they wanted to take the
:08:16. > :08:20.tempo out of Wales and they manage to achieve that and I guess it is a
:08:21. > :08:25.respectable scoreline for them. I think he said it all there. We have
:08:26. > :08:28.lost those games in the past. The Friday night games are always
:08:29. > :08:33.difficult, the players have two days to prepare. I thought in the first
:08:34. > :08:40.half, it was a really good first half. The second half was so dour.
:08:41. > :08:45.Like Kingsley said, the centres held their hands up, they both played
:08:46. > :08:49.really well. Some selection issues. Hopefully Scott Williams is fit next
:08:50. > :08:53.week, which one they go for will be interesting. That is the big
:08:54. > :08:59.question, who played themselves into contention. The centres effectively
:09:00. > :09:03.having auditions and they both scored tries, I guess they played
:09:04. > :09:09.with flying -- pass with flying colours. Who do you think will
:09:10. > :09:18.partner Williams? I think they will go with Ashley Beck. Owen Williams
:09:19. > :09:23.and Scott Williams are very similar. I think the balance with him and
:09:24. > :09:27.Scott Williams, fingers crossed that Scott Williams is fit, and the
:09:28. > :09:34.experience as well, you'll just get the nod. We have heard that Alex
:09:35. > :09:43.Cuthbert may be fit for this final test. Given that a theme of this
:09:44. > :09:48.autumn campaign has been missed chances, Wales had 14 line breaks
:09:49. > :09:54.against Tonga and only score two tries, how much of a boost to have a
:09:55. > :09:58.predator like him in the fold? I think it is a massive boost for the
:09:59. > :10:12.national team. When you look at the injuries, it was great to see Hallam
:10:13. > :10:16.Amos. If they can train this week I think it makes all the difference. I
:10:17. > :10:19.think Owen Williams could play outside Scott Williams if they can
:10:20. > :10:24.train well together. He will probably go with Beck but I would
:10:25. > :10:31.like to see Owen Williams get some time in a big test. If Cuthbert is
:10:32. > :10:38.back you are reuniting the Lions back three. If you look at the 15
:10:39. > :10:44.that will take the Park on Saturday, all being well, you are probably
:10:45. > :10:49.going to be missing Adam Jones, Jonathan Davies. Three world-class
:10:50. > :10:55.players but still a very strong starting 15. Fingers crossed with
:10:56. > :11:02.Alex's passing ability, he can pull through. It is a straight call
:11:03. > :11:11.between Dan Biggar and Rhys Priestland. Is Dan Biggar in pole
:11:12. > :11:15.position? I think so. I am a fan of both of them but I think Dan Biggar
:11:16. > :11:23.is in the driving seat. I think he started slowly in the red jersey but
:11:24. > :11:27.he has not done anything wrong. I certainly can see him starting for
:11:28. > :11:34.Wales in that game. Food for thought. We will preview the big
:11:35. > :11:37.Australia game. I spoke to Matt Burke earlier today and he tell me
:11:38. > :11:44.which Welsh player he fears the most. George Nobbs. I am glad I am
:11:45. > :11:52.not playing these days. A wing in my day was like Rory Underwood. Sort of
:11:53. > :11:58.slight, a bit fast. These guys are incredible. When they get the ball,
:11:59. > :12:06.it is fantastic to see these guys in top flight. Plenty more from him
:12:07. > :12:09.later. Let's return to action. Earlier this afternoon, Ireland
:12:10. > :12:13.faced the mighty all Blacks, going in search of a victory that would
:12:14. > :12:15.give them the perfect year. Brace yourself for some heart stopping
:12:16. > :12:20.drama. yourself for some
:12:21. > :12:30.Jamie he gets through the outside half. -- Jamie Heaslip gets through
:12:31. > :12:42.the outside half. Kanemaru, is it down? -- Conor Murray. Sean
:12:43. > :12:53.O'Brien, a great pass to marry. Gordon D'Arcy waits.
:12:54. > :13:00.Murray, Rory Best, the dummy, a try! .
:13:01. > :13:18.Here goes Aaron Smith. Sean O'Brien does well. He had to spin and five.
:13:19. > :13:26.-- and fly. Away comes Carney, he is not going to be caught! What a
:13:27. > :13:34.celebration, what a game by the Irishman.
:13:35. > :13:40.A little stab through, it is going to be a try. The all Blacks are back
:13:41. > :14:05.in this game. Here goes Franks again. I think he
:14:06. > :14:14.has got that down. New Zealand, so close to keeping their 100% year
:14:15. > :14:19.alive. Nonu, Gordon D'Arcy brings him down.
:14:20. > :14:34.He gets the pass a way, it is going to be the try! It is Ryan Crotty.
:14:35. > :14:46.The second time, he gets it right and New Zealand have one. -- won. In
:14:47. > :14:51.the second half we let play get away too much. We have to keep going and
:14:52. > :15:02.keep playing and maybe we didn't do that. That was a genuinely thrilling
:15:03. > :15:07.game of rugby. Even if you do not enjoy rugby, if you watched the last
:15:08. > :15:16.ten minutes, what New Zealand did, that last passage of play, was
:15:17. > :15:22.unbelievable. It was a similar situation in the grand slam. They
:15:23. > :15:29.will not sleep tonight. To come so close, but to give it away. An
:15:30. > :15:36.unbelievable game. Like you say, Nigel, unbelievable again. For the
:15:37. > :15:40.neutrals that was an incredible game to watch. For the Irish they were
:15:41. > :15:47.utterly crestfallen. How do you begin to recover from a defeat like
:15:48. > :16:02.that? It is the worst thing in the world. Even if you are a neutral and
:16:03. > :16:22.you are desperate, you want Ireland to win. . It is so hard. It is a lot
:16:23. > :16:26.easier to come to terms with taking a point, but today they will not be
:16:27. > :16:31.able to explain how they feel. You may have seen Brian O'Driscoll went
:16:32. > :16:36.off to the pitch and was refused permission to go back on after he
:16:37. > :16:40.failed a pitch side assessment. The spotlight has been on concussion in
:16:41. > :16:44.recent weeks with growing concerns head injuries are leading to
:16:45. > :16:52.problems later in life. Last week the IBU said player health remained
:16:53. > :16:59.the number one priority. But some people think risks are still being
:17:00. > :17:03.taken. Collisions like these can subject to the body to the same kind
:17:04. > :17:09.of trauma you experience in a car crash. They are so frequent and so
:17:10. > :17:13.thunderous at the top level that a concussion is suffered once every
:17:14. > :17:17.five days. Rugby has always been the most brutal of contact sports and
:17:18. > :17:21.there is no doubt the players are getting bigger and the hits are
:17:22. > :17:26.getting harder. But either risks getting greater? There is
:17:27. > :17:34.overwhelming evidence that repeated, minor traumatic brain injuries can
:17:35. > :17:39.lead to depression, memory loss, personality changes, suicide and
:17:40. > :17:43.dementia. Thousands of people have been knocked out playing rugby. It
:17:44. > :17:51.is the nature of what we do and the risks we take as players. There is
:17:52. > :17:56.nothing more honourable than declaring yourself fit and playing
:17:57. > :18:02.through the pain, but when you do that through concussion it is a
:18:03. > :18:05.dangerous game. Doctor Barry O Driscoll served for 15 years on the
:18:06. > :18:10.medical committee and says protecting players from the danger
:18:11. > :18:13.of concussion should be a top priority. The introduction of a
:18:14. > :18:17.trial which allows a player to return to the field after suffering
:18:18. > :18:26.a head injury after they pass a five minute assessment horrified him and
:18:27. > :18:30.led to his resignation. In the Lions tour the Wallaby flanker George
:18:31. > :18:37.Smith left the field looking dazed and confused only to return later in
:18:38. > :18:42.the half. It was an absolute calamity and how any international
:18:43. > :18:46.federation can claim that a player who we saw going through what he
:18:47. > :18:54.went through with his loss of consciousness after a huge head
:18:55. > :19:00.clash can be assisted off the field and come back five minutes later and
:19:01. > :19:06.we know what state his brain is in, it absolutely horrifies me.
:19:07. > :19:16.Concussion was high on the agenda at the IRB conference last week. The
:19:17. > :19:23.pitch side assessment has already resulted in a reduction of players
:19:24. > :19:28.returning to the pits. Rory Lamont suffered ten knockouts in his career
:19:29. > :19:32.and does not buy it. It involves a series of tests measured against a
:19:33. > :19:37.baseline set at the start of the season and he says it is easy to
:19:38. > :19:42.cheat. The tests they use are flawed. You can set the test up so
:19:43. > :19:47.when you do your baseline you can set a low score or be knocked out
:19:48. > :19:52.later in the season and because you set a low score in your preseason,
:19:53. > :19:58.it is easy to get back and you still might have symptoms and you still
:19:59. > :20:03.might have the effect of the brain trauma still there. But you can get
:20:04. > :20:10.that within seven days of being knocked out cold. With the protocols
:20:11. > :20:17.in place there is no way you can mask it. Some people suggest you can
:20:18. > :20:21.deliberately perform poorly on a baseline so that comparatively if
:20:22. > :20:26.you fail after having a brain injury you are close to your baseline
:20:27. > :20:32.score. If you are the sort of player who does that, then more fool you.
:20:33. > :20:36.Injuries to the brain are invisible and unlike a knee injury or a
:20:37. > :20:41.shoulder injury the physical effects cannot be seen. Rugby has a macho
:20:42. > :20:44.culture, players do not want to appear soft in front of their
:20:45. > :20:50.team-mates and often hide symptoms to avoid a spell on the sidelines.
:20:51. > :20:54.Worse there is a suggestion that doctors are often overruled by
:20:55. > :20:58.coaches on medical matters. I have witnessed it. I have witnessed when
:20:59. > :21:05.the player and the coach are claiming everything is good against
:21:06. > :21:08.medical wishes. The guy had been Clint cast clearly and should never
:21:09. > :21:13.have taken the field, but that is the way it is at the moment.
:21:14. > :21:20.Ultimately if they are battling with the coaches, they could lose their
:21:21. > :21:24.job. There are a few people better qualified to comment on this than
:21:25. > :21:27.Jamie Roberts, a qualified doctor who once fractured his skull and
:21:28. > :21:35.played on. He has faith in the system. This five-minute assessments
:21:36. > :21:41.gives the medics and the physio is a clearer chance to see what is
:21:42. > :21:44.wrong. A team doctor and a physio is not going to put a player back on
:21:45. > :21:51.the pitch if their symptoms are obvious. What if the code is leaning
:21:52. > :21:58.on the doctors saying, this is a star player West we have got to keep
:21:59. > :22:05.him on. I am sure a decent medic ruled the roost and that is the way
:22:06. > :22:11.it is. Health is priority. That has to be the case. Even if you had a
:22:12. > :22:15.headstrong coach and a strong personality and a relatively
:22:16. > :22:20.inexperienced medic, the medic's experience will hold sway? It is the
:22:21. > :22:28.most important part of anyone's career, somebody's health. In the
:22:29. > :22:32.clubs I have played in that has been the case. This sports like American
:22:33. > :22:37.football have concussion problems like their own. Two months ago, the
:22:38. > :22:44.NFL paid out more than $7 million to four players and accused the league
:22:45. > :22:50.of misleading them on the dangers of head injuries. Research their shows
:22:51. > :22:54.that repeated head injuries can have consequences and lead to dementia.
:22:55. > :22:59.There are fears now that rugby could be travelling down the same path.
:23:00. > :23:04.There are cases where I have sat next to a close friend and I cannot
:23:05. > :23:09.remember his name and it takes me a couple of seconds. Is that the way I
:23:10. > :23:16.am? But I do not remember having that in the past. It is bizarre.
:23:17. > :23:21.That happens and you suddenly question is that linked? You see the
:23:22. > :23:27.shape of their features on the outside, what is going on with the
:23:28. > :23:31.shape of their features inside? We do not know what it is going to be
:23:32. > :23:36.like in 30 years for the players who are now playing a different game. We
:23:37. > :23:45.know a lot more than we did about concussion, but there is a huge
:23:46. > :23:50.amount we do not know. Some people might be alarmed to learn medics
:23:51. > :23:54.might be overruled by coaches, but less surprised that players can play
:23:55. > :24:03.through concussion. Presumably you did it? You have to put your mindset
:24:04. > :24:07.into that of the player. The number of players who have an argument with
:24:08. > :24:12.the medics and the physio and say, I can carry on. But health is
:24:13. > :24:18.paramount with a player, but it is such a grey area, concussion. You
:24:19. > :24:22.cannot see visibly what has gone wrong. The George Smith incident for
:24:23. > :24:27.me, if you are getting up and you are not allowed back on, that is
:24:28. > :24:33.it. If you cannot remember some of the game, it is a difficult one. It
:24:34. > :24:40.is worrying, particularly in the NFL. Is that why we search like this
:24:41. > :24:48.and medics should have the final say? Players are never going to
:24:49. > :24:54.say, take me off. It is a great debate and I am 100% with Jamie
:24:55. > :25:00.Roberts. As a coach I had a situation recently with Russia. A
:25:01. > :25:04.guy broke his finger and they are telling him he has broken his
:25:05. > :25:08.finger, but it is concussion. The medic had to make a decision that if
:25:09. > :25:15.it was going to be detrimental, he had to come off. But players will
:25:16. > :25:18.not want to come off. My teeth were falling out and they needed to stop
:25:19. > :25:23.the blood and they wanted to take me off the field to pull my teeth out.
:25:24. > :25:29.Martyn Williams was shrugging his shoulders warming up. And there was
:25:30. > :25:34.no way I would let him go on because I would never have played again.
:25:35. > :25:40.Layers do not want to give others opportunities. Interesting stuff.
:25:41. > :25:46.More research is being done and it is something we will be revisiting
:25:47. > :25:57.in the not too distant future. The Pro12 was back this weekend. This is
:25:58. > :26:02.a full round-up. Dragons had not won at Glasgow since January, 2009, and
:26:03. > :26:09.the visitors were looking for revenge over the Scottish region who
:26:10. > :26:18.scored 47 points over them last season. But it was the home side
:26:19. > :26:22.that got off to a flying start. A yellow card was shown 38 seconds
:26:23. > :26:31.into the game, the first of three for the Dragons.
:26:32. > :26:37.They will not catch the winger. A great dive and a great squad. First
:26:38. > :26:56.blood to Glasgow. He did well, but he made a horror
:26:57. > :27:08.licks of that one. And the Dragons extended their lead.
:27:09. > :27:20.That is perfect for the Dragons. Richie Rees and Lois Evans the
:27:21. > :27:35.flanker. In the shadow of the Glasgow posts. No problem with the
:27:36. > :27:39.drop. Despite Zebre having won only one game this season, the Ospreys
:27:40. > :27:44.were still expecting a tough challenge from the Italian
:27:45. > :27:50.opponents. But the home side were boosted by their prop Duncan Jones.
:27:51. > :27:51.Harding -- having lost six of seven games in the last few competitions,
:27:52. > :28:07.they got off to a good start. Morgan is trying to make up for his
:28:08. > :28:16.error and gets back to make the tackle. They have been given the
:28:17. > :28:22.tried, supra against the run of play. Back at the start of the
:28:23. > :28:32.second half the Ospreys turned up the heat. San Luis was there. The
:28:33. > :28:47.Ospreys need to finish this one. The Canadian gets his first Ospreys
:28:48. > :29:17.try. This is Morgan again. It is Duncan Jones who flies over
:29:18. > :29:32.for the Ospreys' try early in the second half. Supra are battering
:29:33. > :29:38.away. They are back in it. The Scarlet having one on the last visit
:29:39. > :29:44.were hampered this weekend by international call outs. For on it
:29:45. > :30:06.was a special day for Michael Swift with his 250th cap.
:30:07. > :30:22.This is cavemen stuff by the scurrilous.
:30:23. > :30:37.Gareth Davies. A little show and go and all the way by Gareth Davies.
:30:38. > :30:55.It is picked up by the winger and they will not catch him. Connaught
:30:56. > :31:08.are back in it. It is Connaught's return for a rumble. Connacht get
:31:09. > :31:13.the drive. -- the try. The Blues were missing more than 20
:31:14. > :31:19.players through international calls and injuries, Munster were only
:31:20. > :31:23.without three players required by Ireland. The depleted region scored
:31:24. > :31:31.first. After that, Munster turned on the power and the blues were no
:31:32. > :31:39.match for the Irish side. Great supporting angle from Felix
:31:40. > :31:46.Jones. It is a well worked try. Sheridan to Johnny Murtagh fee.
:31:47. > :31:54.Bouncing off players like a pinball. Oh, the gap has opened up and it is
:31:55. > :32:04.try number two. A quick off-load from Smith to Williams. This is
:32:05. > :32:09.danger in deed. Great work by Sheridan in charging the kick down,
:32:10. > :32:14.they never say die attitude. It is going to be tried time and it is
:32:15. > :32:29.Cronin. -- try time. Felix Jones hits the gap and the
:32:30. > :32:38.pass out to Andrew Conway. And the bonus point try comes. Again they go
:32:39. > :32:43.for the drive, again they have good body positions. That is a try, is
:32:44. > :33:16.it? Lyn Jones was on the show last week
:33:17. > :33:22.and he took credit for the development of Toby Faletau, do you
:33:23. > :33:27.want to take credit for the Dragons win? I worked hard on it and I watch
:33:28. > :33:35.the programme last week, I laughed my head off when he came up with
:33:36. > :33:38.that! They are a top team and top of the league so a great four points.
:33:39. > :33:44.The performance can be improved, so happy days to get a win like that.
:33:45. > :33:50.They good away win for the Scarlets. The Ospreys beating Zebre at home. A
:33:51. > :33:54.comfortable win for Munster at the Arms Park and an indication of the
:33:55. > :33:59.lack of depth in the Blues squad when they have international is
:34:00. > :34:03.away, and another potential blow, certain sections of the press
:34:04. > :34:06.reporting Bradley Davies is on his way to Wasps. It seems he has been
:34:07. > :34:09.offered a new contract which would make him one of the best paid
:34:10. > :34:15.players in Wales but it looks like he is due to depart, another savage
:34:16. > :34:21.blow for the Blues and Welsh rugby. It is a blow if you lose a player of
:34:22. > :34:24.his quality. Missing 20 players through injuries and international
:34:25. > :34:32.call ups so there is an issue of strength in depth. You never want to
:34:33. > :34:34.lose somebody like Bradley. I suppose they will just bring
:34:35. > :34:41.somebody in who will be available for the full 12 months to cover his
:34:42. > :34:44.absence next year. While we're on the subject of regional rugby, there
:34:45. > :34:50.was some movement in the Heineken Cup row. The unions put a stake in
:34:51. > :34:55.the ground and announce the Heineken Cup would be going ahead with
:34:56. > :34:58.English clubs were in it or not. It was dismissed as irrelevant and the
:34:59. > :35:02.English club said they were going ahead with the rugby champions cup.
:35:03. > :35:05.The Welsh regions have said they want to be in the new tournament,
:35:06. > :35:09.they haven't said anything since those statements last week. We know
:35:10. > :35:13.they are meeting on Wednesday and will form late a response. We will
:35:14. > :35:17.know more on where the regions stand next week. There is a possibly tee
:35:18. > :35:23.that there may be two parallel competitions running, neither of
:35:24. > :35:30.which will be considered elite -- possibility. It is no good to fans,
:35:31. > :35:33.sponsors or anyone. A lot of it is speculation, we all curious. The
:35:34. > :35:40.regions and the clubs are reviewing their positions. They meet on
:35:41. > :35:46.Wednesday and hopefully will have some sort of proper statement on
:35:47. > :35:50.what way it is going. It is speculation, around in circles with
:35:51. > :35:54.it, it seems. Something concrete would be nice, hopefully we will
:35:55. > :35:58.have that next week on Scrum V. Back to test rugby and the Wallabies have
:35:59. > :36:03.arrived in Wales, looking to end their year on a high. Yesterday they
:36:04. > :36:04.took on this gods at Murrayfield, a team they have not beaten for seven
:36:05. > :36:21.years. The line-out is stolen by Australia.
:36:22. > :36:31.Good line speed from Scotland. Harris rode through. Through it
:36:32. > :36:32.goes, it is one tackle slipped. There is his danger, there is the
:36:33. > :36:50.first try of the match. Almost an identical kick to his last
:36:51. > :36:58.one. And the result is the same. Scotland, back within one point.
:36:59. > :37:11.Cooper, gets it off to Stephen Moore and Craig Cooper, there is space out
:37:12. > :37:21.wide. He gets over and surely a try. The celebrations are there.
:37:22. > :37:34.Scotland with a chance again. Weir is turned. Advantage to Scotland. It
:37:35. > :37:41.is a penalty to Scotland. I wonder if another talking to is coming. It
:37:42. > :37:45.is the top of the picture. He is holding him. There is no punch...
:37:46. > :38:03.O... I take that back he brings them round to the heart of
:38:04. > :38:08.the rights, and Scotland back within three points. Can they win for the
:38:09. > :38:14.third time in a row against Australia? They might need a try?
:38:15. > :38:23.The ball is lost at the line-out and with it, perhaps the chance.
:38:24. > :38:28.Australia have the penalty. That chance for Scotland disappears,
:38:29. > :38:31.randomly. -- disappears comprehensively.
:38:32. > :38:38.A third win in a row for Australia. Earlier this morning I caught up
:38:39. > :38:43.with Matt Burke via the internet and I asked him to give me his honest
:38:44. > :38:48.assessment of how he thought it would go. The games against Wales
:38:49. > :38:53.were always incredibly tough games and you knew you were in for a
:38:54. > :38:59.fight. When it comes down to playing against the Welsh, there is a great
:39:00. > :39:04.rivalry that the Six Nations is very special, and the rugby
:39:05. > :39:10.championships. Australia-Wales is something that has grown in the last
:39:11. > :39:16.five or six, ten years for example. Maybe it is this got Johnson link
:39:17. > :39:19.with when he had his time in Wales. -- the Scott Johnson link. Those
:39:20. > :39:29.games are held in high regard. This game will be a cracker. Let's talk
:39:30. > :39:33.about Falau, we were entranced by the duel between him and George
:39:34. > :39:36.North in the Lions tour. They will not be directly against each other
:39:37. > :39:43.but do the Wallabies still have nightmares about George North? When
:39:44. > :39:45.he did lift Falau in the first Test match in Brisbane, everybody
:39:46. > :39:53.thought, wow, look at these guys do their stuff. George North, I am glad
:39:54. > :39:57.I am not playing these days. A wing in my days was the Rory Underwood,
:39:58. > :40:02.sort of slight, a little bit fast and you can actually bring him down.
:40:03. > :40:07.These guys these days are incredible. The way they come in in
:40:08. > :40:10.defence is quite special. They contribute not only on the wing and
:40:11. > :40:17.scoring tries, but they get around the park and hold their own in
:40:18. > :40:21.amongst the forwards. When those guys get the ball, they come against
:40:22. > :40:26.each other, it is fantastic to see them in top flight. I'm going to ask
:40:27. > :40:31.you for a prediction. The Wallabies on a three-game winning streak, will
:40:32. > :40:36.they make it four? I reckon they can make it four. The confidence they
:40:37. > :40:39.got out of the Irish game than anything else will probably sit in
:40:40. > :40:44.their minds so well. A different proposition against Wales at the
:40:45. > :40:56.millennium, against a team that wants to over do -- overcome their
:40:57. > :41:02.hoodoo. I think it will be close. I never much liked you as a player
:41:03. > :41:06.because you were on sites that were beating Wales will stop as a bloke,
:41:07. > :41:15.I can't fault you. -- you were on sides. I got that a fair bit in my
:41:16. > :41:20.career! Nice, thank you for a cheques -- thank you very much.
:41:21. > :41:24.It was an understrength side that beat Scotland, six players had been
:41:25. > :41:28.internally suspended for going out drinking after the victory against
:41:29. > :41:33.Ireland. They seem to have emerged from their posts Lions slump. I
:41:34. > :41:43.think they are much better placed than they were as a team. This was a
:41:44. > :41:48.ten man line-out. The intention was to get the maul and they score a
:41:49. > :41:53.good try from a driving maul against Ireland. The scrum was solid that
:41:54. > :41:56.day. When you get these platforms and you get your defensive line
:41:57. > :42:01.wrong, you have the star quality. Players like Craig Cooper will
:42:02. > :42:11.exploit you. They have come across Israel Falau. He is outstanding area
:42:12. > :42:20.live. Here you see he is brave. -- outstanding aerially. He has skills
:42:21. > :42:26.in contact, off load, little touches everywhere, positive play in
:42:27. > :42:30.everything he does. Here, just working off nine, always looking for
:42:31. > :42:37.the ball for his try against Scotland. Your full-back has tracked
:42:38. > :42:38.across, great footwork and a try saving tackle that got him the
:42:39. > :42:47.across, great footwork and a try saving tackle that got man of the
:42:48. > :42:52.match, and rightly so in Edinburgh. Another player we have looked at as
:42:53. > :42:57.influential as Falau is Michael Hooper. I love watching him play. He
:42:58. > :43:01.has total disregard for his own safety, defensively he is likely
:43:02. > :43:09.rock, even in the wide channels he is very comfortable. He is arguably
:43:10. > :43:14.the best open side in the world, he has been sensational. Watch his
:43:15. > :43:21.workrate, to cover that much ground as a number seven, he slows the down
:43:22. > :43:31.committee gets his hands on the ball. -- ball down, gets his hands
:43:32. > :43:37.on the ball. He is not the biggest of guys but he is so dynamic. Along
:43:38. > :43:42.with Stephen Warner in the pack, he is a world-class forward. Plenty of
:43:43. > :43:49.star quality in the Wallabies line-up and the Welsh line up as
:43:50. > :43:55.well. We'll Wales win? -- will Wales win? I think they will win. They
:43:56. > :43:58.have been building up to this one after the disappointment against
:43:59. > :44:03.South Africa. This is the big one for them. It is well-documented how
:44:04. > :44:08.close we have come to knocking one of the big three over. I think this
:44:09. > :44:14.is their time. A few injuries but they will be fine. We continue this
:44:15. > :44:18.debate online, as soon as this programme goes off air. Coverage for
:44:19. > :44:25.the big match starts on Saturday at 4:30pm. You don't need me to remind
:44:26. > :44:26.you, Australia, much like New Zealand, never know when they are
:44:27. > :44:37.beaten. Good night. It is going to be a try, when the
:44:38. > :44:40.game was there to be won, they have handed it back to Australia.