Roar Guru
Joined August 2014
50.8k
Views
25
Published
409
Comments
Ex junior coach ex no 10. 63yo retired IT Mngr. Win with tough style in the Michael Cheika fashion is Australian Rugby at its best.
Published
Comments
Obviously, another Bledisloe thrashing is hard to swallow. So much gnashing of teeth and all sorts of panicked solutions are flying about. Apparently, we…
By 2018, the new Super Rugby format still stumbled along, but the real tragedy was becoming apparent. Super Rugby was then a shadow of…
Back in 1996, there was huge excitement when rugby went professional and Super Rugby and the Tri-Nations tournaments began. Super Rugby was then the…
Looking at a 0-36 scoreline is not a pretty sight for the Wallabies, so what really went wrong? After beating NZ 47-26 the week…
In 2019, for the first time since 2015, we have a live Bledisloe series after the first Test. Defeating the All Blacks in Perth…
The current Super Rugby format doesn't seem to be working. Four of five New Zealand teams are dominating, while Australian teams still languish, with…
It was one match too many probably for the Wallabies in 2017, but the interesting thing in Test rugby is the closeness of standards…
This is an overview of the recently completed 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, with some analysis of the way things panned out and…
The 2015 Rugby World Cup is near the end of the round-robin stage, with one round left to play, and many memorable matches have…
The 2015 Rugby World Cup kicks off on September 18, with England against Fiji at Twickenham. There are matches to be played, pools to…
Initial reporting on the result of the Wallabies versus Springboks in their Rugby Championship clash in Brisbane last Saturday night was telling us that…
We hear a lot about refereeing errors leading to results that could or should have been different, but who is making the biggest noise?…
A variety of factors are generally considered necessary for a rugby team to have a winning edge. My list would include player quality, player…
To make it in rugby, you need a mix of attributes. Of course you need skill, size and speed - but what separates the…
The Wallabies are on their end-of-year-tour for 2014, and so far they've played one match, against the Barbarians at Twickenham last Saturday. This was…
The Wallabies and ARU have been receiving massive publicity for, unfortunately, all the wrong reasons, since the inflight slanging match on route to Argentina…
“Oh woe is me”, they cried. “We'll all be rooned” they said after the Wallabies stared down an improbable victory. The Springboks blew away…
Only 14,000 people at Cbus Stadium on the Gold Coast last Saturday for the Wallabies versus Argentina match was a poor result for a…
Before the Rugby Championship 2014 began, I wrote an article on my burgeoning optimism for the Wallabies possibilities at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.…
The relieved face of Ewen McKenzie after the Wallabies clinched a 24-23 victory over the Springboks in Perth said it all. He was a…
Good stuff, El Presidente.
I thought DHP would have been the man for fullback in the rain at Auckland, and during the WC sharing with Beale depending on opposition and conditions. Wing is not so good for DHP, though, because he has made some bad defensive choices out there. And I agree with your opinion about Koreibete. I much prefer Jack Maddocks, who has silky skills, speed, and reads the game brilliantly. Hodge has been playing well in my opinion, and I can forgive him the one overrun. As a smart player, he will do better next time. His defensive retrieval of Mo’unga’s kick to the corner, getting down and under the oncoming Lienart-Brown, was inspirational stuff!
As for Naisarani, he is certainly pretty one-dimensional, and Pete Samu offers a whole lot more around the field. He gets steals as well. Samu can’t bust over the gainline as well, but being a whole lot smarter player, he is the better bet.
Now the dust has settled, what really went wrong?
All Wallabies and their coaches need to read your comment Shed.
Now the dust has settled, what really went wrong?
Another important point!
I wonder at the Wallabies psychological preparedness. Some players inherently produce their best under pressure, while others just can’t do it. Those that can’t need assistance in their ability to handle the pressure, or, as you were inferring, be replaced by someone else who can.
Now the dust has settled, what really went wrong?
Thanks Ozrugbynut.
You’ve said what I was getting at.
The Wallabies were in it until the runaway Mo’unga try and had defended well near their line to keep the ABs to 0-3. Their attack was good as well in that period, but the finishing eluded them at those critical moments.
I think Genia’s arrival was the beginning of the real headless chook stuff, and I thought keeping White and keeping the score respectable was a better option for future confidence particularly. It’s often the case that replacement players overplay their hand, and Genia’s recent downgrading to second choice halfback isn’t a comfortable position for him.
The other important thing, however, is that I’m not a “doom and gloom” merchant. Optimism is best, and the Perth result was good enough to mean that there are possibilities for the Wallabies at the WC. The general opinion among the experts seems to be that the NZ aura has slipped, and there are a very close group of teams who could win at the WC on their day.
Now the dust has settled, what really went wrong?
Well he may have got away with passing it forward to hit Hodge properly, but probably not. Best would have been not to pass at all, but his decision time was short.
Now the dust has settled, what really went wrong?
You’re right that he should have kicked that goal. Lealiifano’s kicking has improved a lot this year, probably back to where he was prior to his medical problems put him out of the game for a period. The luck I was referring to was in relation to how close he got but failed. His next kick looked a lot worse. He struggled with confidence with those kicks, and it affected his game I think. Had the first one been marginally further to the right and went over, his game would have most likely been way better. I criticised his aimless kick that lead to the second try. He looked like he did not have the confidence to run it back and so retain possession. He may have made a different decision had that first kick gone over. Is that fragility good enough? No, but in Perth he played well.
Now the dust has settled, what really went wrong?
No, not just a massive whinge against the referee. But take a look at the aerial shots of Joe Moody scrummaging before you give Jaco Peyper a big tick. I saw the first penalty differently to you, but if I’m wrong I’ll accept that. It created a period of good attack from NZ, but also good defence from Wallabies with the end result that Wallabies down by 1 penalty goal. Not a bad result for them in the circumstances. the following 2 tries were the killer blows. They were created by Hodge overrunning and Lealiifano’s aimless kick.
Now the dust has settled, what really went wrong?
Without doubt. Pace, silky swerve, size, anticipation, absolute determination …
Bledisloe 2 - now we're interested
You’re right, SMI, that the stupid penalties are generally given away by the team under pressure, and that’s been the Wallabies in most matches in recent times. Referees play a big part on the 50-50s and the “big calls”, and there are a few people here saying that Jaco Peyper is a worry for the Wallabies on past form. I think I agree with them.
I have a suspicion that the Wallaby scrum may cause NZ trouble, and that is a bellwether area of refereeing regarding referee attitude towards teams. Often the so-called loser at the scrum cops it elsewhere as well. But we will find out on Saturday.
NZ by 5 could well be the result. But it could go the other way too. I don’t think this 2015 all over again. There was something about the Wallaby team harmony and execution that hasn’t been seen for a long time.
Bledisloe 2 - now we're interested
I hope it’s not like 1991 when the Wallabies won in Sydney and then NZ won 6-3 at Auckland in driving rain. KB has improved a lot and looks pretty good now under the high ball, and his defence was good last Saturday. DHP would be better under the high ball. Tom Banks too I think, but both can be dodgy in defence as well. I often wonder why fullbacks don’t defend like Matt Burke used too – move forward late and sharply to take away the oncoming attacker’s evasive timing.
Bledisloe 2 - now we're interested
Ben Smith at 15 means Barrett at 10 and Mo’unga on the bench I suppose. Still need a replacement for Goodhue and a wing to fill in for the Ben Smith move to 15.
And yes, the AB tight 5 are the main problem for NZ.
Bledisloe 2 - now we're interested
The defending team could still jump for the ball if lifting was disallowed. The kick still has to be good enough to favour the attacking jumper, who is almost always a single attacker, while the defenders have a number of potential catchers.
Penalising Folau is really rewarding a tactic to stymie the potential aerial superiority of the attacking player. The Irish used it cynically, and used POM without any consideration for his welfare.
Folau suspension: Let's applaud, not sanction, skilful feats
Folau is just an example of a player who has aerial superiority. There are others, like Ben Smith for example.
The point overlooked is that the lifting for restarts can never be properly safe because the attacking player is coming at speed. Totally different to lineouts. In POM’s case, trying to catch the ball after the trajectory had beaten him by bending over backwards so the lifter could no longer support him was really his own fault.
Having Folau penalised was probably the Irish aim, rather than trying to win the ball, which never really looked likely for them in the three restart cases in the frame.
Folau suspension: Let's applaud, not sanction, skilful feats
The Folau problem has occurred primarily because of the legality of lifting at restarts to counteract Folau’s aerial superiority.
Lifting was legalised for lineouts where it is quite safe to do so because there are attacking and defending lineouts each stationary until the lineout commences, and both are lifting their catcher. The lineout is a relatively confined space and the sort of bent over backwards falls by Peter Mahoney can’t occur in a lineout.
In effect, Peter Mahoney has brought about his own problem due to his desperation to attempt to take the kick restarts, even though he found himself in the wrong position to safely catch the ball (forward of the ideal catching point forcing him to bend over backwards in his lift to an unsupportable position). If there was no Folau jumping, it would even then be most unlikely that Stander, his lifter, could have held him.
Lifting for kick restarts, on this evidence alone, needs to be banned because it is inherently dangerous.
In the case of Ireland using this tactic, while it is within the laws of the game, it was a very cynical approach that was putting Mahoney’s safety at risk. Even with the dangerous lifting tactic, Mahoney never really looked likely to defeat Folau.
Unhappily, I believe that the Irish knew that prior to using those tactics as well, and their aim was to put Folau back in his box via extracting penalties, or yellow or red cards. Mahoney was simply cannon fodder.
Essentially, the Irish have used the dangerous lifting tactic in a manner that is against the spirit of the game, which in this case has penalised the superior athlete and rewarded the inferior ones.
Folau suspension: Let's applaud, not sanction, skilful feats
I also think transport to the SFS in Sydney, ticket pricing and generally underwhelming ground catering options are a bit of a turn off for watching the Waratahs.
There was a better crowd at Brookvale Oval last round than those previously held at the SFS this year. I think Newcastle would be absolutely perfect to stage Waratahs home matches on occasions .. maybe twice a year, and Wollongong as well. It appears that there is very little real thinking going on in terms of attracting a matchday crowd. There are payment incentives I believe from the SCG Trust (who manage the SFS as well as the SCG) for playing at the SFS, but if the filthy lucre comes at the expense of the long-term health of the game, then the administrators are derelict in their duties to the game and the bigger picture.
Can Super Rugby get tribal too?
Excellent idea! I have always thought that would do some good. At least it is logical and least confusing for supporters and potential supporters particularly.
Can Super Rugby get tribal too?
Your blood pressure seems to be rising, Julius.
Maybe you’ve misread the irony in the comments that you’re griping about.
Can Super Rugby get tribal too?
Who asked NZ to help?
We just want a competition that’s interesting, and the SR original 1996 format was really good.
Can Super Rugby get tribal too?
That ties in with my suggestion that the original SR format and rules (re bonus points) was the best. It worked well, but the formats involving conferences just haven’t.
But the SR comp could still work with the Rebels IF there was all home and away and NO local derbies.
Can Super Rugby get tribal too?
I said that the local derbies format favoured the stronger NZ conference because their teams play the best teams (themselves mostly) more often.
I also said that the NZ teams have an advantage because they are the same teams that started the Super Rugby competition in 1996. No adding or removing teams in NZ. This means that their conference and support hasn’t been disjointed by the changed SR formats.
Aus Rugby was in total meltdown last year over the Force dumping, and the SA loss of two teams to the Northern Hemisphere caused them grief too.
Can Super Rugby get tribal too?
Just because there is an interpretation that local derbies were somehow going to help the weaker teams doesn’t make that prognosis correct. It isn’t. Local derbies are boring as well. Playing the same team about 3 weeks later seems ridiculous.
But if NZ want to dump Australia and team up with SA and Argentina for another new competition. Whoopee! , good luck to them.
I have to say that would be pretty good Julius.
Maybe in Australia we could just have NRC up in a longer format on free-to-air TV as well as club rugby. Or maybe just club rugby and tests.
Can Super Rugby get tribal too?
Assistant referees are referees and should have the job of policing offside and lazy returners to their side.
It's time for a rule change