Wallabies DIY player ratings from Bledisloe 2: TWENTY fails as TRC finishes with a whimper, Samu still shines

All valid points. I guess the main frustration is that because the underlying structures and processes are hidden to the average supporter like myself, I can't reason why the results of everything that the administrators, selectors and coaches are doing and have been doing are not the results that they have promised for 20 years.

I think team culture is definitely up there. Finding the balance in attitude and behaviour on field. Depth of realistic selection options. Having to negotiate with Japan paymasters and look to see who is free in Europe is a challenge. This is getting worse. Lack of development pathways. The dissolution of the NRC. The states working against each other. NSW, or rather Sydney clubs working against themselves (other Sydney clubs). The top management levels being far too antagonistic with essential partners. The list is bigger. Now I don’t have answer. It’s above my pay grade. I do know the answers are complex and will take time and need to involve a changing of some personal, and be resilient. A lot of these problems are not unique to RA either. Team culture and identity, balance of attitude and behaviour on the field. And antagonistic management at the higher levels: all can be attributed to the ABs and NZR too. We also do suffer from an abundance of talent overseas (a problem we have delayed solving but will need to be addressed sooner rather than later).

What are the issues that you in particular think are facing the Wallabies that need to be fixed? If you can tell me, I can probably discuss some fixes. The problem I would've thought that is most fundamental is a lack or absence of team culture. This is very much something that coaches can be responsible for and can change but it requires a group of players who want to be led. I will note that I believe the current state of the Wallabies is largely due to the adversarial and dissenting culture that both MacKenzie and then Cheika worked so hard to implement within the team. Well, good job, you both win. They basically ruined Australian rugby and DR has been put into a difficult and challenging position as the man who has to fix this while also delivering high-performance results.

In general, I think the feeling is mutual. Such is the nature of a rivalry between brothers that has existed for over a century. Some hate mongers here and there to be sure and just some downright d*ckheads, but overall a grudging respect and mutual desire to see a great game. I don't see selections alone being the cause for why there has been so much disarray in the Wallabies across this TRC. And, as you say, the insanely high level of injuries to Australian players with very low minutes played can surely only be put down to a management failure. The problem for the players is that the lack of NPC-style competition for most players to engage in outside of Super Rugby and national duties means that the entirety of their conditioning comes off the Super Rugby and that just isn't enough sustained intensity to properly condition them for the level that DR wants them to play at or the level that perhaps the TRC demands. And by forcing the players to train as high intensity as DR expects them to put out on the field every week, it doesn't leave the players with enough time to recover before game day, meaning that any damage suffered at training is likely being carried into games, then resulting in injuries. And any niggles from games becomes exacerbated by the training. Aside from the prejudicial commentary regarding his nationality, I believe that DR is as committed to the Wallabies as any other coach has been or would be. You don't take over the 3rd most successful rugby program in the world because you don't care about it or you want it to fail. Kiwi coaches generally get brought in by Australian teams because 1. they are adept at building depth, even with a relatively shallow talent pool, 2. they build teams and 3. they know how to win. Deans both created depth and built a team and the results of this were that he took the Wallabies to a RWC semi-final. His successors, MacKenzie and then Cheika, completely undid all of his work, wasting the depth he had created and destroying the team culture he had built by reinstating state partisanship. i can only imagine it was out of the false belief that it would generate performance by creating competition for positions within the team. All it has done is undermine the cohesion which is required to perform at the top level. I think this latter point is the bigger cause of why the Wallabies have become and remained so inconsistent now for so long. Look at how uneven our performances have been overall during the MacKenzie-Cheika stewardship. It has been a rollercoaster since 2011, a systemic problem that neither coaches nor RA are addressing in any way. DR is having to essentially reinvent the wheel whilst being hamstrung by the legacy of these two failure Australian coaches and I honestly think that's why he has been pushing so hard for results. I can only imagine the pressure that being Wallabies coach puts on you and it must be rather confronting to come to from such a competitive but positive and forward-thinking environment as exists in New Zealand. I would love nothing more than for Australia to return to the smart and positive rugby that we were once capable of and respected for. And I'm sure that would be your feeling as well if only so that the clashes between us continue to have meaning. I can only hope that DR is able to have some success in remediating the damage that his predecessors wrought and that when his tenure ends, AUstralian rugby is in a better position than where he found it.

He’s already done that. They know he will take contact, and maybe isolate himself. Rarely kicks, and rarely takes the safe option of picking a weak shoulder and making a few meters with someone to support him.

except then you'd have an even bigger gap from the local competition to International level.

Yes you did say that but made no mention of the numerous other players from that u20s squad in the wallabies squad and who have had runs. To think they've been neglected or not given a proper run is ludicrous. You should also check the french team to see how many of the u20s are regular starters, you might Be surprised.

I am a bit over the lambasting of players - most have had good and bad games this season. The question is why are they so inconsistent and I look to the NRL where the top coaches like Bellamy turn rocks into diamonds and get a lot of consistency game to game and year in year out. Some more light needs to be shone on the coaches and the game plans they are developing for each game and each opponent.

Stay in school kids, illiteracy is a killer. I said Valetini is the only starter. Read it again.

All fair points. What the answer at 10? Do you think Noah should get another crack? From where I sit I haven’t seen many other players putting their hand up. 9 I think has more options as you point out.. but with White now one of the leaders and sometimes captain, it’ll be hard to swap him out consistently. Again though, that is DR creation too. And I don’t think NW should be given free rain as Captain to talk to the ref - no wonder refs are fed up. So essentially this is two-fold. Lack of players putting their hand up (or available due to being over seas), and poor management of the players he has? Poor management might also be included in the root cause of so many injuries? I mean injuries happen, but to have basically a whole team worth of players out with a limited pool to start with creates massive headaches. I think this is a symptom of the problem, not an excuse for it. Some Kiwis do care about Aus rugby. Obviously we want to beat you when we play. But I said before last week, I hoped it was a hiding either way, so if it wasn’t us it was you in the running for RC. A lot of Kiwis feel that way. Inspite of some of our respective vocal minorities.

You said it was only bobby V. There are clearly more than that in the wallaby squad and who have been capped.

Holloway at 8 with Valetini at 6?

Sounds like a good reason to abandon super format and concentrate within.

There is a big gap between run on props and the replacements. The locks are unsure or eachother and made worse by the united teamwork of the AB's locks. I like the loose forwards, but after 6-8 weeks playing club rugby, Wilson was unfit. Get rid of the baby fat anf get fit and he will be first choice No 8 for some tome. Jake Gordan and Nick White are average at best. What does Tate have to do to be a permanent 23. Foley can kick for goal, but that's about it. AB's knew his defense was a weak link and took advantage. The center pairing was unfamiliar with each other and showed. Jordan Petaia is over rated at Super Rugby and test match. Hooper's return is a pity. I think McReight showed more involvement that the extra back as where Hooper plays. The refereee was also ordinary and got a score of 4.

When Harry Wilson rates above Valentini it’s a joke . Hodge somehow above Petaia . Petaia two passes but plated well , Hodge did nothing .

Holloway is not a workhorse and not a physical in close style player. Never has been and never will be. You either get him out wider where he can use his footwork, size and ball skills or you don't select him. But when you already have that backrow selecting Holloway as well was just stupid.

Agree. Wouldn’t that be something the coach would analyse and respond to?

Let’s start at 10. Anyone who watches rugby in Aus knew 10 was a problem for us in the lead up to RWC 2019. DR has persisted with a rotation of the the old guard particularly in 2019 and 2020 but continuing. So now we don’t really have a starting 10. Similar story at 9 but with one bloke dominating game time since 2019. So now we have one starting 9 and 2 back ups with little game time. At some point the coach has to own the results - he should be accountable. That seemed to be the case when Cheika was in charge. All those Queenslanders really believed in accountability when Cheika was the coach. Where are you all now? Tell us - after about 3 years, what has DR achieved?

And not one of them is a regular starter for the wallabies.

Because they know he’ll probably lose the ball in contact