SA v Wales

Really all the news on this is about Wales.

Wales, I thought, were well beaten but not disastrous last week. This week, the scoreline really flattered SA (a try as the last move of the match helped there). Don't get me wrong, SA deserved to win - but 30-21 would have been a fairer score than 37-21 was.

Wales were much, much better. The tackled better, they looked to attack better, they handled better. They deserved the times that they were in the lead - patches either side of half-time. Gatland and Edwards must be feeling much happier, as must Welsh Rugby (or Rugbi Cymraeg if you prefer). Losing to the #1 team in the world and current world cup holders when they're at home isn't a disaster. Some of those amazing All Black teams - the 2005 squad that stuffed the Lions and everyone else, lost in SA that year if memory serves - it can be that hard.

The other thing to ask is quite simple: Is Shane Williams the best winger in the world on current form? There are certainly many contenders for that crown - Sivivatu is the one we're not going to see Williams up against at the moment, but in this year Williams has outplayed all the big Northern Hemisphere wingers, he's just left Bryan Habana looking ordinary, and he's scored one of the most amazing tries you'll ever see. The first jink around a tackle, well any international winger that doesn't think he can just run through the cover defence would have got around that. But Williams then ran down into the corner, where there were no less than 4 SA defenders, some coming forward, some across. A couple of quick steps and Shane was over the line and dotting the ball down before they laid a finger on him. It sounds implausible if not impossible, but he really did take a couple of quick steps and turn all four of them inside out at once.

I haven't really watched Ireland get beat by Australia yet, although I've seen a few clips - Australia really have problems in the scrum, but they also have a belief in themselves and their new coach that will see them improve I'm sure. I just suspect that this year they'll get too pushed around by both the All Black and Bokke packs and not do so well in the Tri-Nations. Ireland must be spitting, and going home after a poor tour. England have started moderately badly, and seem to have lost confidence in the only recognised #10 they've taken with them. Oops. If they can play for the whole 80 minutes as they played for the first 20 this morning they might do well, but you have to think that the All Blacks will know what the pace is and cope better next week. England could face a real drubbing, and against a side that is full of talent but is very new together too. If that happens, Wales might be the only side coming home feeling like they've had a reasonable tour - a tour in which, although they lost, they've blooded some new talent, they've rediscovered their pride in the jersey and they've demonstrated they really do have the best winger in the world.