Australia's Super sides missing rugby fundamentals

Add to that the attitude of the Brumbies this year, we don't appear to be frightened of any team, and as the last minute drive down field showed last week, the boys attitude seems to be "It ain't over til the fat lady sings"......I for one am loving it, after the past few years, win, lose or draw.

6oclock, Schalk Burger is a confidence player. Niggling him would be counter-productive. You say, “vigorous forward play has short-term rewards and long-term disadvantages”. Well, Shalk’s been around a long time, so too the retired Brad Thorn, so too the retired “iron claw”, Victor Matfield. I think the Wallabies would have loved to have all three “passionate” players. I know the Kangaroos overlooked Thorn’s penchant for “vigorous forward play” and selected him anyway.

6oclock, Schalk Burger is a confidence player. Niggling him would be counter-productive. Then you say, “vigorous forward play has short-term rewards and long-term disadvantages”. Well, Shalk’s been around a long time, so too the retired Brad Thorn, so too the retired “iron claw”, Victor Matfield. I think the Wallabies would have loved to have all three “passionate” players. I know the Kangaroos overlooked Thorn’s penchant for “vigorous forward play” and selected him anyway.

There is plenty of talent in Australia. You only have to look at what the Brumbies have brought through this year after a clean out of 14 plus players. The right coaching, selections and recruitment will help you get the best out of a team. There are too many individualists and egos in Australian Rugby, players aren't physical and aggressive enough

Sam, I don't think there is any hiding from that this year. Over on other threads the usual voices are complaining about the lack of cattle but I really like what sixo has written here showing up issues with the basics. I think it is very telling that Jake White has come in and worked such a change with the Brumbies, it speaks to the quality of coaching. The Brumbies mauling in particular has been a stand out. This is an area that the Brumbies have never really been strong in throughout their entire history. Meanwhile the Waratahs should be awesome at mauling as they have one of the heaviest/strongest packs in the competition and they are comparatively poor at it. Their strength got them going forward against the Chiefs but they didn't gain the advantage in this area that they should have done and the Sharks bossed them around in this area. The issue against the Sharks was the Tahs did not bind together and work as a unit (the one time they tried to bind together and drive, the Sharks changed their angle, went around them and scored). At least in attack they are protecting the ball well, but they are slow to start moving forward meaning when they push it is against a set unit, at that point there is not enough foot movement to try and build some momentum - the old little steps move still works wonders in this department, and their height packing on each other is way to high. The number of times I saw guys bound across the man in front back instead of back and under the guy in front's *rse on the weekend had me seeing red. Basic skills that these guys should be much better at.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/03/20/aussie-conference-the-weakest-its-a-myth/ What was this guy drinking? I bet you he wishes he never wrote this article. Aussie Conference the weakest, a Myth? More like cold hard fact.

And basketball!

There was plenty of cheer here in the West last weekend with the Force's outstanding effort, backed up as it was by victories for WA sides in AFL (both teams), soccer and netball.

i got your point i was referring to the Gregan of 1999-2002

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/reds-revival-has-shown-the-way-forward-says-oneill-20120206-1r1xg.html Just found this Article again and couldn't stop laughing. Does he have the kiss of death....!!!!

Levelheaded The A,R,U. have won 2 world cups so where did the cash go. Marketing yes the sevens concept should be plasted across all T.V.channels its a Olympic sport now and remember it was Bob Dwyer who kicked the hongkong tournement befour the I.R.B took control now look what it has achieved so they do have the personel to do the marketing. Rugby fanatic yes i want rugby union too succeed in Australia as it is a great sporting nation.

Totally agree with the lack of work off the ball. That's why players get isolated. It's an attitude thing. They're just lazy. I'm starting to froth up about them keeping Mumm starting too so I'd better quit now...

Almost all cutout passes don't work - all they do is a llow all the defence to drift on to the recipient. You have to send a crisp one landing on a flying chest. Agreed QC can do it.

I'm with PeterK: I agree with you absolutely, save in regards to Gregan (don't get me started on his bad habits late in his career). I also heartily concur with Billb about the lack of work off the ball. Further to that - what I don't get is the lack of pace in support. None of this is rocket science. Can your 10-13 pass accurately, 8-10m, off either hand at a near-full gallop within two (max. three) steps of taking the pill? If not - why the hell not? Schoolboy teams can! Can your hit-up men catch the ball at pace off a shallow pass at the ruck and go into contact? If they can't they should be dropped. If they can, why aren't they? With the Aussie Super teams I see some great angles run off the ball to create space and draw defence in certain areas. It's mesmerising. And then I see the basics done shockingly.

you had me until you mentioned Gregan. The last 5 years of Gregans play he avoided contact, he sat on the ball at ruck time like he was laying an egg, it was an enternity, then when he did pick it up went sideways 2 steps by which time the defence was on the backline and then he passed. At the beginning of his career yes he did give quick ruck ball ie before 2002.

I agree, and I think a large part of the problem is a lack of work off the ball. Kiwi teams always seem to have runners at pace and options on both sides of the ruck for the halfback. This ensures that defenders are unsure of where to commit, momentum over the advantage line is maintained, and less numbers need to be committed to each subsequent breakdown, whilst maintaining quick ball. Pick and drive is also an essential part of this. Australian teams can maybe do this for two phases before there is only one, flat-footed option for the halfback, and the defending team waits for a big hit. It is usually obvious which direction the ball will go from the ruck, and so very predictable for the defence. I am not sure if this inability of Australian teams in general is the result of just poor strategy, or in is part misdirected fitness training. Our teams also seem to go missing around the 65 minute mark, and again in the last five or so minutes of each half - all critical times of the game. The other area that we seem to lack is in restarts - both in attack and defence. How many times have we all cringed watching after a great try only to see the team give away possession from the restart, lose momentum, and often gift points back to the opponents?

Bob that what i have been telling everybody about-the stationary ball, our 1/2backs just couldnt get the ball quick enough to our backline, the longer the ball stays in the rucks the easier for the defense to realign and adjust, fast ball will no doubt make them panic and thats when penalties and yellow cards come in. Gregan was the master of quick ruck ball no matter who's standing at flyhalf.

All the Aussie teams have a lot of stationary ball. It gives the opposition time to set, compose and realign. We seem afraid to keep possession and pass in broken play, run on and pass in the tackle or generally run onto the pill at pace. There seems to be a lack of both situational awareness and handling skills that mean that both the lazy runners off the ruck and the three-quarters don't instinctively hit the line at pace and pass or recycle at speed to break the defence down. So we face a wall, run out of options and kick the thing away. (It's particularly noticeable since Cooper went off form and was subsequently injured). It's happened since the Eddie Jones era, but there at least you had magicians like Larkham who revelled in broken play. Now our best uninjured broken play exponents are in the back three. Things are stuffed by the time it gets there. You need your 6, 8, 9, 10 to have the ability to read the defence and either put the ball into space or be the man running there. We can only hope.