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Bentnuc

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Joined May 2019

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True that it is tough Geoff but my god we were lucky to get away with a home series win versus an undermaned French team. I’m sure Dave and the other coaching staff would have been looking at 3-0 when they saw the French weren’t sending alot of their top players due to the finals. It could have very easily been 3 nil to the French!

I’m just frustrated like a lot of fans I guess. Just don’t actually see a light at the end of the tunnel now when I had such high expectations after watching the beautiful counter attacking rugby of the Chiefs title winning teams

The Wrap, Scott Johnson exclusive: How Rennie's 'humility' sets solid foundation for Wallabies

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Rugby
 
3d

Had soo much hope for Rennie as a coach but this just seems like clutching at straws a bit already. Seems like a nice bloke but it has been a pretty disappointing coaching stint so far. If you look at Schimdt with Ireland, Jones with England, Erasmus with SA or even Galthié with France by this stage in their coaching stint they had already started to achieve good results. The clock is ticking on Rennie in my opinion to start acheiving actual results. We as fans can’t keep making excuses like ‘building a team’ because the examples mentioned before had already acheived results by now.

The Wrap, Scott Johnson exclusive: How Rennie's 'humility' sets solid foundation for Wallabies

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3d

As a Reds fan I was wrapped with the Quade of 2011. I think he lost a lot after he got a knee injury in the 2011 World cup match against Wales. Unfortunately, wasn’t the same player since. Had brief spells of consistant play like with the Rebels but never got back to those heights.

'If my number's called I'm ready': What Quade has been told he must do for Wallabies return

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3d

Yep Donaldson looks like good 10 prospect. You hit the nail on the head. What we need is good option taking not ‘strong ball carriers’ / ‘x-factor players’ / ‘big bodies’ or any of the slogans that have been thrown around. Not too many players in our team are good decision makers where as NZ basically 1 – 15 are.

Quade Cooper added to Wallabies squad as 'mentor' but available to play in Bledisloe Cup

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4d

It just looks like we are still play way too much footy in our own half (particularly around the halfway mark) and are still way too passive at the defensive breakdown. Same problems for years. I actually think we play better when we are forced to play more territory like with the weather in bledisloe 1 last year or the red card the other day. We over run it too much otherwise

Where would the Wallabies be without Michael Hooper?

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1w

Yep, and it hasnt been a overly successful strategy over the last 2 seasons either. Wright was excellent in TT versus top opposition too. Although I’d hoped for some changes, i don’t see a massive change in gameplan or selections from Cheika to Rennie. Do you??? Hopefully not another 2 years of similar results

Where would the Wallabies be without Michael Hooper?

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1w

Yep more long kicks from 9 would be greatly appreciated

WILL GENIA: Why I'm impressed with Rennie, and how we shape up against All Blacks

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1w

Mogg coming back is great news. We need a goid tactical kicker at the back. I have always though banks would be better on the wing

WILL GENIA: Why I'm impressed with Rennie, and how we shape up against All Blacks

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1w

I know that he isnt on Rennies radar at all Nick but would love to see Liam Wright at 6 and Hooper 7. Think they would compliment each other very well???

Where would the Wallabies be without Michael Hooper?

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1w

Yeh you are right. Great to get a series win and was entertaining but as you say, we beat the second team of the 5th ranked nation in a home series (which the french gave us the first game). I dont see much change in selections or gameplan from Cheika unfortunately. Would love to be proven wrong with the bledisloe though

Where would the Wallabies be without Michael Hooper?

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1w

Tate played well. Always thought he had a good kicking game myself too

WILL GENIA: Why I'm impressed with Rennie, and how we shape up against All Blacks

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1w

Still pretty much no jackals in the forward pack. Expect much of the same at the ruck as the last game. How Swinton would get the nod before Liam Wright is beyond me

'Deserves a crack': Everything Rennie said on Tate, tactics and his Wallabies overhaul

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2w

Good read Brett. We haven’t been contesting the defensive breakdown enough for years. It has been one of the main reasons for our slide in the work rankings. We can do all the work on the attacking breakdown we want but when you come against a team like the french or kiwis (or pretty much any of the top teams in the world) if they are contesting the ruck hard you are gona lose ball if you play such a possession dominated strategy as we do. We have to fight fire with fire and go back to a more balanced game plan which will involved more tactical kicking and more contesting of the breakdown. Holding the ball till the bitter end has never been a successful long term strategy in rugby.

French breakdown precision must be the Wallabies' goal in 2021

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2w

Hi Will, great read as last week. 🏉 You touched on how dominant the French were at the breakdown. Can I ask your opinion on what has happened to Australian Rugbys attitude to competing at the ruck? In 2011 when you won the title with the Reds you were highly competitive at the ruck and almost every breakdown had at least one Red fighting to get the ball back. Your team then was a joy to watch and played great intelligent rugby. That type of gameplan is non-existant in the Wallables and all oz super rugby teams nowdays. We got absolutely smashed in Trans Tasman in this area and now just about every top 10 team in the world is more competitive in this area too. Most of the Wallabies players (and forwards too) wouldn’t of even attempted one pilfer or counter-ruck in the last game. Any insights as to why all our teams keep up this strategy when the defensive results of the last few years speak for themselves?

WILL GENIA: 'Absolute machine', 'Slow under pressure', the Wallabies' good, bad and ugly

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2w

Would love if the Wallabies adopted a similar gameplan Nick. Kick when there is nothing happening after a few phases, then follow with strong defence and go hard over the ball. Any chance of Rennie changing tact? Looks like he has adopted a very familiar possession oriented gameplan that failed in the Cheika era

How will the Wallabies break down the blue wall?

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2w

Good read GE. I think Banks needs to kick long a bit more. He is a bit predictable with running the ball back most times if he kicks more often it will actually help his running game. Latham was an expert of winning the game of force em backs. That is what we need more from Banks. As you say he has all the attributes but just needs to get the tactics right. Ps. He is brilliant at running off the inside ball from 10, more of that please!

Can the Wallabies bank on Banks?

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3w

Great write up Will, brilliant to see you on the Roar 🏉 So true about Hunters kick, just inches between success and failure. Can I ask a question off topic that you may have some particular insight into? What has happened to Australian Rugbys attitude to competing at the ruck? In 2011 when you won the title with the Reds you were highly competitive at the ruck and almost every breakdown had at least one Red fighting to get the ball back. Your team then was a joy to watch and played great intelligent rugby. That type of gameplan is non-existant in oz rugby nowdays. We got absolutely smashed in Trans Tasman in this area and now just about every top 10 team in the world is more competitive in this area too. Most of the Wallabies players (and forwards too) wouldn’t of even attempted one pilfer or counter-ruck in the last game. Any insights as to why all our teams keep up this unsuccessful strategy?

WILL GENIA: Why I'd opt for Noah and Tate, and loved Hunter's 'ballsy' play

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3w

Great points Bodger. We are missing players who have are defensively oriented in the Wallabies especially the forwards. If you go through our forwards almost every one would have a stronger running game than their defensive game.

Traditionally, forwards job primary jobs were the set piece, defense and creating turnovers. This whole ‘big ball running forwards’ idea is a new and very unsuccessful idea in oz rugby. The skill sets of the Crusaders forwards look very different to the wallabies

Why the numbers lie in the curious case of Michael Hooper

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3w

Good read JC. I think that a lot of the criticism of Hooper stems from a bigger issue that has plagued oz rugby for over 5 years now – lack of pressure at the opposition breakdown. We have far too few players (and forwards in particular) contesting the breakdown. It makes players like Hooper and Pocock easy targets for opposition cleanouts.

This resulted in a lot of injuries to Pocock and I think has made Hooper less efficient than he might have been in teams with more breakdown pressure.

In the end, the captain will suffer more angst from fans when the team is losing (myself included). But as you say, Hooper is overall a very good player.

Why the numbers lie in the curious case of Michael Hooper

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3w

Hope we dont see the same failed tactics that we saw from oz teams in TT – continuously run the ball one out in our own half and stand out of every ruck in defence and give the opposition a free run. By the looks of the team I dont see many ball poachers and the entire forward pack are basically running players so it looks like the same ‘australian way’ tactitcs we have seen since the Cheika era. Would love to be surprised but that team would be nowhere near any of the top 4 if we keep up the same gameplans that the super franchises have all year

'He'll boss the big boys around': Dave Rennie's verdict on close selection calls

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3w

Agree, unfortunately he has never really impressed

'He'll boss the big boys around': Dave Rennie's verdict on close selection calls

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3w

Very true and sad. Thor wouldnt get near an all blacks 23. He only plays half the game and just saves himself in defence for his runs, gives far too many penalties away too

'He'll boss the big boys around': Dave Rennie's verdict on close selection calls

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3w

Great read Nick. Where do you stand on the effectiveness of boxing kicking by halfs in general? By the figures there of white and mcdermot you get the ball back roughly 20% of the time. Doesnt sound like a great risk reward ratio when most kicks dont gain much more than 20 metres?

Last man standing: Can Tate McDermott seize his day against the French?

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Jun

Kolbe is just brillian!

Cheslin Kolbe nails 50m drop goal and he's just getting ridiculous now

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Jun

True. Bell is ok over the ball from what I have seen. Dangunu is very underrated like Speight was before him. I noticed in you clips above showing the ozzie cleanouts vs NZ that 5 different forwards are making attempts on the ball (8. Savea, 7. Cane, 6. Frizell, 5. Whitelock, 4. barrett). It has been many years that I have seen an australian lock consistently contesting the ball (Horwell probably). What has happened to our forward play???

Coach’s Corner Issue 18: Come back number 7, your time is not yet up!

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Jun
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