By Darren Walton
November 21st 2009 @ 2:21am
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Knives Out said | November 21st 2009 @ 3:03am | Report comment
‘The orders to play a typically dour northern-hemisphere brand of rugby are coming from the top.’
You not been watching much Wallaby rugby over the past two years, Darren?
pothale said | November 21st 2009 @ 7:28am | Report comment
I think the Australian journalists are trying comfort and fool themselves with this weak attempt at blaming the NH teams for the way they’re playing.
The irony is that only one team was playing open and exciting running rugby last week, and it wasn’t Australia. Endless kicks from their backline because according to their 10, they didn’t want Ireland in their half cos they knew what they could do.
Knives Out said | November 21st 2009 @ 8:20am | Report comment
Quite, but any such comment obviously illustrates Irish bitterness. The Wallabies are all right and are a very good young team et cetera, et cetera. In reality, having failed to do much against England ‘B/C’ and offering slim pickings of positivity against Ireland Australia has to thrash Scotland otherwise this tour will have seriously gone off the rails. Especially with Wales yet to arrive on the scene. Having said that I do recall an interesting perspective offered from Cattledog that the draw reflects far worse on Ireland than it does Australia. Watch out all come 2011.
Nick S said | November 21st 2009 @ 9:17am | Report comment
That rubbish about dour Northern Rugby is just that… rubbish. Anybody who wants to see exciting running rugby combined with winning only has to turn to one country this weekend… France. They did it in New Zealand and they did it against South Africa, ball in hand, exciting outside backs, tries and all the rest.
I remember sitting there watching it wishing that Robbie Deans had his notebook out…
Wix said | November 21st 2009 @ 10:55am | Report comment
Nick S in on the money to draw attention to French running rugby. That may been to case in the days of Philippe Sella, Roland Bertranne, Jo Maso, and later Serge Blanco, Guy Camberabero, not to mention mobile forwards like Jean Peirre Rives (the flying thug). But alas today I fear they have fallen victim to the disease which has blighted all rugby, NH and SH.
International players, both forwards and backs, have to be built like Schrek in order to be selected. There are a few exceptions like the mercurial Will Genia. But the Schreks dominate and they are not real mobile so kick and rush becomes the norm.
The French now also have their share of Shreks
Scotty iin Devon said | November 21st 2009 @ 6:09pm | Report comment
Its a wonder you guys have any time for life with the family after spending all your time building up straw men.
Knives Out said | November 21st 2009 @ 10:40pm | Report comment
That’s supremely ironic.