I have read many articles, blogs, comments, posts – you name it. Yes, I am a Kiwi, but what would that matter? I live in Australia.
So, let’s get to it; Bledisloe 1 – quite simple in my eyes.
Australia. Stop spending money on rugby league players.
Invest in grassroots rugby from the very early grades in schools to high school. Invent in an NPC competition – duplicate New Zealand’s System. It can’t be rocket science.
Let’s talk about management, the skills coaches and, of course, the coach.
In the first game, Australia were clearly the team upsetting the All Blacks for the first 30 minutes. Then, fatigue set in around the 35th minute and you could see it unfolding.
Lack of points – two conversions for six points, bad decisions being made, and phases not completing.
You can go on all you like about the tackle on Folau, even if Waisake Faholo got 10 minutes, the All Blacks were on fire.
I’m just a bit taken aback at the criticism thrown at the All Blacks for their first-half performance. Yes, they lacked clinical execution on attack but the formidable defence they put up against the Aussies was also exceptional.
A lot of talk about the Aussies was that they were spent after 30 minutes, but there were no comments to reflect the defence that wore the Australians down.
By the same token, a lot of talk put down the Aussies for their fitness but, in reality, it’s more on the superior fitness shown by the men in black.
There’s no way Cheika would’ve thrown those boys in the Lion’s den without giving them a base of fitness and stamina to execute their plans.
Just before the All Blacks scored their first try, there were a lot of Aussie forwards with hands on hips and breathing hard.
More so Michael Hooper and David Pocock, who didn’t do their stamina and fitness any favours by constantly being in the referee’s ear – the equivalent of doing compound exercises with free heavyweights and singing at the same time.
The Aussies had fantastic line speed for the first 30, it literally choked the All Blacks set pieces.
I made a comment during the game just before halftime that the team that scores before and after halftime usually comes out on top. That was more evident with Jack Goodhue’s try.
Right back from inside their own 22, as Barrett saw numbers out wide with a double miss pass to the centres and the rest was majestic to watch.
The point is, the Wallabies couldn’t scramble in time, they had just thrown their kitchen sink to get upfield only to see the likes of Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane make a mockery of their efforts.
With stamina fading, that kind of mental imagery only adds to the drawn-out fatigue.
It’s time to acknowledge the coaching staff not just from fans but from the ‘naive’ wannabe sports journos who wouldn’t be able to grasp this vital element of rugby.
It’s much easier for them to dream up rubbish from their couches then to think about the quality conditioning that the All Blacks displayed.
So, Australian rugby, it’s time to invest. Acknowledge your opponents and invest in your future.
The time to start is now.
Pauly
Guest
They are popular for a reason. Listen, lets all face it,professional rugby in Aus is in strife right now because it is a diificult-to-understand, complex, stop-start game. AFL and NRL are not. Personally I love Rugby and have done so since I first played it at primary school in 1967. I think it is the best of all the football codes. However, it's not everyone's cup of tea and I believe our biggest issue is thinking that the solution is to have a better national team. No! The solution is to make the game appeal to more people at a local tribal level. Just like in NZ, SA and the UK.
No Arms
Roar Rookie
I’m hearing something about Australia needing to invest less in the popular codes of football
WBGL
Guest
'...Australia but we still thrash you at rugby and many others'......last time I looked AUS beat NZ in League, Soccer, Netball, Softball, Basketball, Hockey (men & women) Baseball and the list goes on. Cricket is about the only other sport that NZ competes at the same level as Australia, but not consistently. While Australian rugby is run but inept trough feeders, the situation is not going to change, look at the recent contract for Hooper, good player but not worth the Million plus a year, and good on him for negotiating the contract. Rugby is a business and its product is the game, its ingredients the players, good ingredients start at the source, develop and cultivate good junior rugby all through the age groups and you have a constant source of good players coming through, you don't have to worry about having 'stars' to build a team around (stupid concept) as you have good players in almost every position and the pressure that if you don't perform someone is waiting to fill your spot. Remeber how the news papers reported concerns with the retirement of McCaw, Carter, etc, didn't matter, Read, Squire, Barretts stepped up for the opportunity.
Kiwi in us
Guest
Nice comment class. I think when people leave their home country and go somewhere else it takes a few months to get that “In NZ” as a start to sentences out of them. Same goes for Ozzie’s or any one I would think. Early 90’s in UK was where I became aware of it. Sometimes you would cringe when someone would start a sentence like that and think holy cow what are they going to say. Thankfully I had done six months in North Queensland working on banana plantations and realized that union and the all blacks did not make the world go round.
Fionn
Guest
I have a sneaking suspicion about who it might have been ;) And I don't think it was Drongo!
ClassAct
Guest
You poor confused little men People don’t like you not because you’re from NZ - but because of the way you conduct yourselves and harp on about how much better NZ is as if you were All Black yourselves. Kiwis are very thin-skinned generally as Die-Hard will attest to bearing his 40+ year chip on his shoulder. Time for a few of your ‘bros’ to look in the mirror or head back to the burbs in Auckland. They certainly punch harder in the pubs down there i’m sure ??
Sage
Roar Rookie
Me too. It wasn't me.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
It may get help if notice was taken.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
I think this is the biggest oversimplification I have read on the roar. There is a wider range of sports available in nz than Australia but we still thrash you at rugby and many others.
Jim Ball
Guest
Well said. More please.
Fionn
Guest
I am baffled.
Fionn
Guest
It would depend if I moved over short-term as an expat or if I migrated and stayed permanently. If the former, I would support Australia, if the latter, I think would support England eventually, although not immediately. Likewise, the same applies if I ever migrate to New Zealand. And, honestly, I really like the thought of migrating to the South Island... My old man lived in Ireland until he was 30, has lived in Aus since, and it took him a while, but he now supports Australia too.
piru
Roar Rookie
Would you support England had you moved there Fionn?
Fionn
Guest
Can't agree, Piru. Obviously, I'm not a Kiwi, but I've never felt like that with my own background, nor have the rest of my family who immigrated here. It also doesn't explain why most of my mates born in South Africa/England or to parents from those countries go for Aus, but most Kiwis do not. It's something distinctly Kiwi. It could be the geographic proximity to home, it could be the big brother/little brother thing, it could be because the All Blacks are so easy to support/are important to Kiwis or it could be due to the Australians, but I've not found it to be the same, generally speaking, with immigrants from Britain, Ireland or South Africa.
piru
Roar Rookie
Read Wal's comment, perfectly put.
Fionn
Guest
Yeah, I generally support the SANZAAR guys against the NH guys, but I think double agent is fair in his assessment that Kiwis living in Aus are rarely willing to start supporting the Wallabies – even when they are Aussie citizens and have lived here for over half their life. I don't really mind, but I do find it interesting how many friends of mine that are Kiwis who moved here as small children, or perhaps were even born here, but have Kiwi parens support the All Blacks. Whereas most of my English or South African friends who are in the same boat tend to be Wallaby fans. Just an intriguing cultural difference.
piru
Roar Rookie
I always support them except against NZ
double agent
Guest
I've never met an expat kiwi that supports the Wallabies. I've known a pom and a Saffer that have but never a kiwi.
Wal
Roar Guru
Mine, unfortunately, was the late nineties when the Wallabies kept kicking our arses.
Die hard
Roar Rookie
I still sting from the treatment I got when I arrived in the seventies.