Roar Pro
Joined May 2009
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[caption id="attachment_22059" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Australian rugby union backs Quade Cooper, Adam Ashley-Cooper, James O\'Connor, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell remove the tape they used…
It would be easy for a Wallaby supporter to get carried away after the impressive victory over the Boks at Suncorp Stadium. After suffering…
[caption id="attachment_20193" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Lachie Turner of Australia scores a try during the Australia v Italy Rugby Union game at the Ethiad Stadium in…
This weekend provides the Wallabies with a golden opportunity to get one up on their traditional foes. For the first time in a number…
While this weekend’s game may not carry Test match status, it will be treated as such by players from both sides. With international places…
Tuesday saw the unveiling of the much anticipated overhaul to the Super Rugby competition. Whether it is a positive move remains to be seen,…
At the end of a tumultuous time for rugby league, round 10 of the NRL provided a spectacular distraction to the recent scandal. It…
2009 has been a turbulent year for the Western Force and this has possibly been reflected in their inconsistent performances. However along the way…
This season the Waratahs have continually defied the wishes of their fans and insisted on playing boring, unattractive rugby. As they prepare for their…
As the Super 14 winds to an end, you can’t help but wonder what might have been. Throughout the off-season, the option of an…
I like the sound of whoever suggested we should simply expand the Super15 home and away series, for a starting point anyway..
Also creating a Ranfurly Shield type situation would create higher interest for the inter-state games and this could eventually be built on if numbers started to improve..
EG. Could initially just be fought out during the S15 between NSW, QLD, ACT, WA, VIC. The holder of the “Ranfurly” shield has to put it up for grabs at every home match as is the case in NZ.
This could then be extended after the s15 to possibly include other sides or even just another home and away series amongst the s15 sides – however they would be without their Wallabies players which would allow for development of players from club rugby etc.
For this home and away series each side could even be allocated feeder clubs out of the Shute Shield or Qld comps similar to NRL??
Still don't think we need a national competition?
Judging from the comments regarding Genia’s combination with Barnes it seems Barnes may spend more time at 10, particularly on attack
Genia, Pocock named to start for Wallabies
Back 3 is still abit small and inexperienced but thats largely due to injuries
Appears to be a better team than the one for Perth
Genia, Pocock named to start for Wallabies
Back 3 is still abit small and inexperienced but thats largely due to injuries
Appears to be a better team than the one from Perth
Genia, Pocock named to start for Wallabies
Hynes definitely appears the most comfortable under the high ball
Give Quade a crack and move Giteau, pleads Horan
Wallabies side changes just been announced:
Smith to 8, Pocock to 7, TPN 2, Genia 9, Barnes to 12, AAC to 13, Mitchell 11, Hynes, Moore and Burgess drop to the bench. Cowan and Palu come onto the bench also while Baxter and Brown out of 22.
Deans gave an indication that Barnes may be playing 10 on attack by referring to his combination with Genia
The Boks are a good team, but the Wallabies can beat them
Wallabies side changes just been announced:
Smith to 8, Pocock to 7, TPN 2, Genia 9, Barnes to 12, AAC to 13, Mitchell 11, Hynes, Moore and Burgess drop to the bench. Cowan and Palu come onto the bench also while Baxter and Brown out of 22.
Deans gave an indication that Barnes may be playing 10 on attack by referring to his combination with Genia
Give Quade a crack and move Giteau, pleads Horan
I disagree..the likes of O’Connor, Genia, Alexander, Ioane and even Cooper all possess huge potential IMO. It’s a matter of whether this potential can be extracted successfully before 2011? These guys will all have 20-30 tests by then and mixed with the likes of Smith, Elsom and Giteau i think they will (should) be far better than they are now.
Put it this way – i think a number of the new players in the current Wallabies side will go on to play for Australia for 50+ tests and this should bring with it more consistent performances
Springboks thrash Wallabies by playing real rugby
If i’m correct 15 players have made their test debuts under deans and maybe a couple of others played in the 2 baabaas games (eg hodgson)..i believe the resulting lack of experience is a contributing factor to the slow progress being made. Most of the players are just trying to get up to speed with tests let alone dominate the likes of carter, mccaw, matfield, du preez.. Come 2011 may be a different story though as some of SA’s (to a less extent NZ) best will be on their last legs. Only time will tell
Springboks thrash Wallabies by playing real rugby
The one thing that side has which is severely lacking in this one is the ability to rise for the big occasions and moments within a match. Perhaps that comes with experience – something this side is still in the process of acquiring
Clueless Wallabies lose again
Agree totally. Well said. This is the perfect time for Australian rugby to address its structural problems and if they don’t then this losing trend is only going to continue and multiply
Clueless Wallabies lose again
I agree changes should be made but i also think they should be tempered. Since the beginning of last year there have been a huge number of changes and debutants..Maybe this has contributed to the fact that this side looks as if they have never played together before? I dont know but whatever the problem is i think Genia definitely deserves a run and Ioane desperately needs to recover from his injury and provide some aggression and penetration to this backline. Apart from that Giteau to 12, Barnes 10, AAC and Hynes on the wings, O’Connor at fullback and i’d be happy we have the best possible chance to create something in the backs
Clueless Wallabies lose again
it seems to me that the players havent realised what the entire australian rugby public has – they arent that good.
so they dont deserve to be prancing around like the worlds greatest players they should be knuckling down and showing a bit of ticker to try and turn this around
Clueless Wallabies lose again
True that selecting MacDonald at CENTRE for the 03 semi was a bad move – but that ABs backline of 03 also put 50 points on us at ANZ if i remember correctly
carter, muliaina and rococko all debuted that year and now provide the valued experience in the ABs current backline
Clueless Wallabies lose again
strongly agree with everything you have said – the fact that such a young side is managing to cling on to the top 2 in the world is one positive. also the improvement in the scrum gives the team a platform to build on. last nights match was the first time all year that the wallabies have consistently managed to put 7+ phases together and this is a good sign also. while it is painful to watch at the moment, i am of the belief that this side is steadily improving. it seems deans is still in the process of establishing the side he wants and by the end of this year he will know those he doesnt want in his side. but he must decide soon
i think the addition of Ioane when he is back from injury will solve a lot of the problems in the backline – at the moment they are lacking a penetrative ball runner which makes it much harder for them to get over the advantage line and build an attack.
genia, barnes, giteau, ioane, hynes, AAC, o’connor would be my backline come 2011 and i think it has a nice balance to it.
bring back vickerman to solve the lineout and toughen up the forward pack and i think we have a very very strong side
Clueless Wallabies lose again
This is a very inexperienced side, particularly in the backline, and i think tearing shreds off them publicly will cause far more harm than good. I do agree that privately some of these guys need to be reminded that they are representing their country and should do so with a little more pride and passion. Perhaps the fact that some of these guys are sp young means they think they have succeeded just by making the wallabies? if they truly want to be regarded and remembered as wallabies then they need to start performing and succeeding
Clueless Wallabies lose again
sorry for my ignorance but i am new to the roar and am curious, where are you from OJ?
Clueless Wallabies lose again
I don’t think it would be the correct move to be making more changes than have already been made
From the side that competed the first TN game in auckland there have already been changes made (admittedly most through injury) at 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15. That is almost half the run on side so to be calling for more changes seems to be asking abit much of a side that already lacks continuity
Springboks need to be off their game for a Wallaby win
I agree with regard to how they should play but i dont know if they are capable of it
we rarely saw that sort of play during the S14 and i believe their lack of fitness, skills and confidence to attack is what prohibits this current group from playing expansively.
how many times have we squandered a lead in the final 20 mins, it is becoming painfully inevitable
Picking over the carcass of yet another Bledisloe loss
All well and good to say we must make wholesale changes but there aren’t a lot of other options.
Also, of Saturday night’s side, the backs had 6 players who debuted last season (burgess, turner, o’connor, genia, cross, hynes). Barnes is still relatively green at international level for a 5/8. Ashley-Cooper and Mitchell have hardly been regulars and Giteau is still finding his feet as a 10 at international level (should possibly be at 12).
In the forwards one gets the feeling that the old-timers in the forwards are on their last chance and the new generation will start to see more game time before the year is out (Baxter-Alexander, Sharpe-??, Moore-TPN, with Pocock and Kepu/Cowan on the bench)
The lack of composure shown by the Wallabies can be partially attributed to the fact that a large percentage of the side is not accustomed to closing out and winning important tests. Smith, and to a degree Giteau and Sharpe, are the only ones remaining from a time where we had a successful national side. The young guys need to acquire the winning habit and this could possibly relate back to the fact they aren’t winning at S14?
Just my thoughts anyway
These Wallabies aren't good enough
Even the Australia A jersey that was worn last year looks considerably better because it does not have that white stuff on it
It's all about pride in the jersey
A recent study in NZ apparently showed rugby was at its least popular since surveying began in the early 90s. Given that rugby is undoubted NZ’s national game, this is a telling and worrying statistic
Wallabies crumble in Capetown
I like the sound of whoever suggested we should simply expand the Super15 home and away series, for a starting point anyway..
Also creating a Ranfurly Shield type situation would create higher interest for the inter-state games and this could eventually be built on if numbers started to improve..
EG. Could initially just be fought out during the S15 between NSW, QLD, ACT, WA, VIC. The holder of the “Ranfurly” shield has to put it up for grabs at every home match as is the case in ANZC.
This could then be extended after the s15 to possibly include other sides or even just another home and away series amongst the s15 sides – however they would be without their Wallabies players which would allow for development of players from club rugby etc.
For this home and away series each side could even be allocated feeder clubs out of the Shute Shield or Qld comps similar to NRL??
Still don't think we need a national competition?