Wallabies to face tough England front row

Iraqgoals was always good but I don't know if it runs anymore. P2P should give you a list of links. Good luck.

thanks mate !

I really don't understand this Australian response to the scrummage. Every time England turn up it's the vogue thing to talk about, and yet hardly any of the Roarers seem to have any real connection with the subject. Instead of accepting the issue, and considering improvements you get sneering chip on the shoulder comments about cynical English play, as opposed to self examination or queries as to what on earth the coaching panel is doing? Maybe people are taking their lead from Greg Growden? Wales and Scotland probably have a superior scrummage to England and yet I didn't read one respectful article about the talent of the Welsh tight five prior to the Test, nor any following the game. It's as if the scrummage doesn't exist beyond Tests involving England, and that anything beyond the English scrummage isn't relevant. England played some really wide and penetrative rugby in Australia, as they did in Paris prior to the summer tour, and as they did last week, and yet all we hear about is the scrummage. The most bizarre facet of this obsession is that it isn't reciprocated by the England side. Johnson has purposefully picked a mobile and athletic unit, and that's why Payne, Thompson and Borthwick aren't starting in the tight five. All the talk is about Sheridan and yet the danger man is Dan Cole. Sheridan has never been selected to scrummage. He's been selected due to his work rate. England want players like Hartley, Lawes and Palmer carrying the ball and then off-loading, not trudging from set piece to set piece. If England gain an advantage so be it, but it's pretty poor form to see the usual pre-match comments about cynical play and poor referees being trotted out. I'd be very surprised to see any big advantage to England.

p2p? Worth a try. Justintv too.

Does anyone know how i can watch this tour from the USA ? are there any decent internet streams i can check out?

mmm, actually sounds like a frighteningly familiar and plausible nightmare! You only forgot the missed kicks at goal.

Based on what?

Give it to Kurtley.

Biggest test of the year yet for the ever improving Wallabies....any views on what Robbie's tactics might be?

Wow. That's pretty in-depth.

So it looks like England 56 Australia 9.

Craig Joubert is the ref. He will penalise the Wallabies everytime it collapses just on suspicion (after a couple of warnings). Then England will drop it intentionally, then Wallabies will be given 1-2 yellow cards and a penalty try until we get uncontested scrums since 2 props are yellow carded. Also England will not roll away from the breakdown, hold on and slow it down illegally. They will also constanlty leave their feet at the ruck. Wallabies will get a few penalties from this but not enough, and England will be warned about it multiple times. Finally with the game won by England with 5 minutes to go an English player will be yellow carded so Joubert doesnt look too biased in the stats.

I thought it was interesting to read him say that they don't coach that sort of stuff, but no real explanation as to how it's occuring. This game will be decided by what pace it is played at. Quick and fluent as in Perth and England are toast. Slow and drawn out and the Wallabies will be pythoned again like in Sydney. The Wallabies are a lot more cohesive than earlier in the year and arguably have a better front row than they did then although last week's performance flies in the face of that suggestion. Should be an interesting encounter. I thought Courtney Lawes was very impressive when down here in June. Good to see that England have retained him and are ready to roll out Sheridan just in time. My thoughts are that the Wallabies fitness will be the telling factor. The Welsh looked shot at the end of the first half and with about 15 to in the match. Again though, and i always consider this - who is the ref?

I see Wayne Smith in "The Australian" today must have been reading the comments from Spiro's last 'On Song' post. He put some questions to Noriega concerning the SA article on our scrum deficiencies and also commented on the 'meerkats' in the back row. Hopefully they sort it out fast..

Wallabies by 15

Wobblies will have to be very efficient with the ball as they won't win much up front, if the rustiness is ironed out in England's backs and they don't make too many errors i can see them winning this one. Should be a good game.

I have a feeling that England will take this one. They have a vastly superior pack and some of their backs are beggining to look very fluent eg Foden / Youngs / Ashton. They rattled the ABs last week and are starting to look like the most threatening northern team. Sure you never know which France side are gonna pitch up but I'd prefer to face them than England at Twickers anyday of the week. It will be close in points but I dont think we will ever look like winning on Saturday. Sheridan and Cole will trample our front row into the mud.