Okay rugby fans, you know what time of the week it is: we need your questions for the next issue of Coach’s Corner.
For those of you who aren’t aware, Coach’s Corner is the weekly article where, every Friday, our resident rugby analyst Nick Bishop answers your questions about the game they play in heaven.
Miss the latest instalment of Coach’s Corner? It’s not too late to catch up now.
As seems to always be the case, the weekend past has offered up an abundance of talking points from Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, not least from the Reds’ drought-breaking win over the Chiefs in Townsville. In the other four games it was business as usual for the Kiwi teams, who with just two rounds to play have only lost one match in the competition.
This weekend the Brumbies return home for their first match in Canberra since Super Rugby AU when they take on the Hurricanes, while Queensland will be hoping to make it two on the bounce as they face the Blues in Brisbane.
So, if you have any questions about the games from last weekend, the ones coming up this round, or anything else rugby-related, drop them in the comments section below, and make sure to come back on Friday to see what answers Nick has for everyone.
Chully Bun
Guest
Gordon? LOL you want the bloke who has led the tahs to ZERO wins in 2021 starting Wallaby scrumhalf. ? No wonder the Wallabies are losers. :laughing:
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Allowing side entry gets my goat. Very sadly, with less than 60 seconds on the clock London Irish managed to concede two penalties to Gloucester to lose a match they should have walked in. One of those penalties was Adam Coleman, off the bench ion his comeback match after a long injury lay off, diving in from the side and being pinged. Glad to see it penalised but sad it was LI those circumstances.
Harry Jones
Expert
Yes, I mean in the red zone. Any solid, rehearsed variation is golden in the 22 because defences have studied all the normal LO and phase attacks, given that LO is the launchpad for most tries.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Certainly a poss Bob, Jake has looked good in a poor team and that is never easy.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Consistently hard to understand, for sure.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
To be fair I don’t mind it in Football. At least the decisions are consistent now.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Thanks mate. As an Assistant Coach / Strapper / half Time Orange Boy, I won't be at all surprised if Gordon starts with Whitey pulling splinters
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Small gains so far EFF, still leaking far too many points and tries!
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
The scrum is about manipulation of perception at the top level - the ref's perception.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
This happens already. I recall England using Barrie-John Mather (a 6'5 League centre) in the lineout back in the early 2000's, so it does occur very rarely... But only close to the line when you have a specific play in mind!
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Huge probs with the tech in Soccer though TJ - players being given offside for having a toenail ahead of the line etc... It has not improved matters at all.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
How many does he want KK?
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
White starts, Gordon bench.
CW Moss
Roar Rookie
Yes, it was but there's the more philosophic nature of culture where a win-at-all-costs culture would include cynical or illegal play as no-fault as long as it helps to win. An example might be the destruction of Brian O-Driscoll in the Lions in NZ as within the AB's cultural norms at the time and was air brushed away in Richie McCaws book. On the other hand you might think about a team like Fiji wanting to win and win well without cynical play. It's hard to think about this, I have to admit without feeling biased against NZ rugby culture. It's already in Super Rugby AU, not sure about the Wallabies, lets see.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
NB, there appears to be 3 halves in contention. White, Gordan and McDermott. As Coach, who starts and who rides the pine (of course crystal ball gazing into that other Coach’s anticipated game plan). Thanks Bob
Obes
Guest
Yes ive noticed that Jack avoid contact in defence. He must get that out of his game if he wants higher honours.Marky Mark is a shadow of his former self.I dont know what's wrong with him.
Kevin Kranston
Guest
Coach why does Scott Johnson want so may deadbeats Tahs in the Wallabies as they have not won a game in 2021 and WONT win one in 2021 ? Is the Cheika poor selection policy we had for 6 years still around ?
In brief
Guest
Thanks Nick, that’s so interesting to me. In effect you are saying that scrum penalties may create an incentive for teams to collapse. In other words, scrum penalties may be the problem not the solution.
Exile In Oz
Roar Rookie
Hi NB, Some sides look to concede one less point than the opposition (defence focused), others back themselves to score one more point than the opposition (attack orientated). How much of the variation in defence performance is system based vs how much is focused based? I.e. some teams will have a poor plan (Wallabies musical chairs) that no amount of training will rectify (system deficient), others will have an ok plan (Hurricanes) but seem to lack the polish to execute it for 80+ minutes (focus/training deficient). Given a team only has so many training hours in a week what is the spread in hours devoted to defence work?
Cheers. Yep needed the glasses on but found it eventually. I just believe that if they were a "Play on advantage" from scrum penalties it yet again leads to more rugby.