Match Thread : Wales v Northern Ireland Tuesday

Seems a pointless game - with so many important games coming up the last thing we need is injuries

TONIGHTS TEAM:

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To late now craig to play the colwill bros and broadhead.

If Bellars does play the Colwills, I hope it doesn't sabotage our last few matches. He released Ruben from the Wales squad anyway didn't he?

As you said, too late now, he should have used the right players last Thursday but monumentally blew it.

It'll be like a pre-season friendly and the players will just go through the motions.

Think we have to play two games in every international window because of UEFA rules, but I agree - a pointless game.

Stadium will probably be half empty.

Hope he doesn't play our players six days before our next game. We don't need injuries.

I am in tenerife and won' t even bother finding a bar to watch,
a pointless game both teams should have agreed to not play.

I disagree slightly,there are many positions where we are lacking cover,so game time for these positions and players is very important.
If we had finished 4th in group we would have to play two friendlies this window anyway.Colwilks and Kpakio would benefit from it and so would Cullen and Harris
Just because a lot of fans don’t fancy it doesn’t make it a pointless game.

It’s as pointless as a ‘third and fourth place play-off’!

Oh, hang on, that’s effectively what it is!

A pointless exercise; unless Craig Bellamy chooses to play a ‘ones for the future’ team and jettisons those players who won’t be required for the next tournament qualification

Quite a few on each list there!

He'll give guys experience why wouldn't you. I expect every young player in the squad to get a full run out

He'll give guys experience why wouldn't you. I expect every young player in the squad to get a full run out

If he does that, it makes some sense; but I’ll be watching carefully at some of our posters reactions, should one of our players pick up a knock

Former Northern Ireland midfielder Chris Brunt has questioned the wisdom of Uefa for making Michael O'Neill's side play Wales in a "complete dead rubber" friendly on Tuesday.

Northern Ireland travel to Cardiff after losing their play-off semi-final 2-0 against Italy in Bergamo, which ended their World Cup hopes.

Wales were beaten on penalties by Bosnia-Herzegovina in their semi-final and Brunt, who won 65 NI caps was critical of the decision to go ahead with the friendly in an already busy football calendar.

"For the supporters, it's a complete dead rubber. It is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard - it's pointless," he told the BBC Sportsound programme.

"The schedule of games coming up in England - boys play Friday and Monday [when they go back to their clubs] so it's ridiculous. If you look at the previous qualifying games, they're scheduled Thursday, Sunday and Friday, Monday or Saturday, Tuesday, so why come to this stage of the season go Thursday, Tuesday?
"With all due respect to Wales, they're putting on a game in Cardiff that means absolutely nothing. The only good thing that comes out of it is some of the younger lads get a chance to have a bit of exposure at that level."

Brunt, who is now a tactical scout and head of loans and pathways for former club West Bromwich Albion, believes O'Neill will rotate his team for the friendly and give those not involved in Bergamo such as Kieran Morrison, Dion Charles and Jamie McDonnell, an opportunity at Cardiff City Stadium.

"All the lads on the pitch the other night, physically and mentally it takes so much out of you and not getting the result we wanted. It's a difficult one for everyone to pick themselves up and go again," he added.

"There are a lot of lads who go around Europe for the qualifying campaign and don't get to play a lot of football, so it's an opportunity to give something back for them who have supported the other lads through qualifying."

Rubin Colwill and Jordan James have returned to their clubs for further medical assessment.

Following Thursday's defeat, Wales will not contest Tuesday's play-off final against Italy but will instead host Northern Ireland – who lost to the Azzurri in the other semi-final – in a friendly at Cardiff City Stadium.

Wales will be without midfielders Jordan James and Rubin Colwill, who have returned to Leicester City and Cardiff City respectively to have injuries assessed.

Leeds United winger Daniel James is also a fitness doubt, while Northern Ireland have been hit by the withdrawals of Ali McCann, Ruairi McConville, Paddy McNair and Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Given the teams' respective defeats on Thursday, their friendly encounter has been met with apathy on both sides.

Bellamy, however, wants his team to put their World Cup heartache to one side on Tuesday and give a good account of themselves against opponents 35 places below them in the world rankings.

"It has really hurt. I have to be honest, it's hurt more than I anticipated," the former Wales captain added.

"When you see them [Wales players] hurting so much, that hurts more. Seeing their disappointment really shook me.
"If it's going to hurt for a couple of days, then let it hurt, and then we move forward.

"Learn from the past and then, moving forward, look at motivation. We've got a lot to look forward to, and we've got to start looking forward now because the simple fact is we have a game tomorrow night."

Rabbi Matondo has joined Norwegian side SK Brann on a permanent deal.

Joel colwill starting

JOEL COLWILL STARTS :

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Hopefully he doesn't get injured but hope Joel impresses.

I doubt I'll even watch it, such a depressing match to have.

Looks like Joel will play the 8 sheehan the 6 and Wilson in the 10

Last edited by Blue since 1981 on Tue Mar 31, 2026 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If we go behind no panic we have Harris and Cullen on the bench gotta laugh or else you cry

If we go behind no panic we have Harris and Cullen on the bench gotta laugh or else you cry

If we go behind no panic we have Harris and Cullen on the bench gotta laugh or else you cry

3 corners for Wales with absolutely no impact.

In other news Italy are 1 up in the first 15 minutes & the goal shows what can happen when faffing around at the back goes wrong.

Last edited by Welshman in CA on Tue Mar 31, 2026 7:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Same old from Wales, majority of possession and shocking defending. 1 nil down.

No need for booing god save the king at a game like this

Just young lads most of those players



Especially as half the welsh fans will be supporting english football teams next weekend

Thought that was out of order and disrespectful

Same old from Wales, majority of possession and shocking defending. 1 nil down.

Ball watching in the penalty area , shocking

We could do with a couple of decent strikers (no sh#t Sherlock!)
And I'm not talking about Kieffer Moore

Terrible first half from Wales. Same issue with no quality up front. I don't see how this team can improve without better quality players. Frustrating as the effort is generally there, probably hard to get motivated tonight after last week's defeat.

Not olaying badly, but little threat upfront. Like watching. City without Salech - Cymru without Moore.
I thought Wilson should have been subbed against Bosnia instead of James.

He has been pretty anonomous apart from taking corners and free kicks. He is technically good, i usually is dagerous at free kicks, but I defo dont see him as a captain! Captains lead from the front and give 100%. Like making. Robinson Cardiff captain!!

Lawlor having a positive impact on the game. Looks like he had a little knock, hopefully walks it off.

Lawlor off , you could see he rolled his ankle in the tackle earlier and was limping the rest of the time he was on , that's a few weeks out ffs