Switch Waugh to hooker for Wallabies
Phil Waugh’s never-say-die attitude and his ability to lead and lift those around him can never be taken for granted. I’d take it any day over Smith and Pocock.
cookie
Roar Guru
Joined March 2009
2.8k
Views
2
Published
517
Comments
Published
Comments
The answers for SANZAR on how to improve rugby
Would you like to see Argentina, Fiji, Samoa and other teams genuinely competing regularly against Australia and New Zealand rather than just at a World Cup made up of players who could get a release from their European clubs?
Bit of a catch 22 isn’t it?
The realignment of Australian Rugby’s Structure will only happen once the Messiah has a proven track record of competence with a very clear plan that sets out the structure that clearly shows how it benefits all.
Those who have to relinquish power will have to feel assured that the plan is clearly in the best interests of their club.
Only God knows when the Messiah’s coming ????
The Wrap: No Super Rugby off-season while World Rugby gathers in Sydney
Geoff
I think you’ve nailed all that is wrong about Rugby in Australia.
Is it possible to fix ? I sadly sincerely doubt when you’ve got a bunch of egotistical incompetents at all levels.. But those who are doing a good job at their clubs or associations.. why on earth would you relinquish control to egotistical incompetent cronies at the top?
Australian rugby’s core problem is that it comprises a complex, disjointed array of organisations that for the most part have low regard for where each other sits or for rugby as a whole. These state, school and club bodies exhibit little understanding that without being part of a larger, purposeful, integrated coalition – such as that adopted by other successful nations – Australian rugby is denied a governance and operational structure fit for purpose in the professional age.
The Wrap: No Super Rugby off-season while World Rugby gathers in Sydney
Ahhh.
Is it Pooper
Is it Sooper
Is it Poopersam
No it’s
samcock or cocksam or mupo or pocsam or sampock????
Hooper out, Pocock to captain at No.7
How SOOPER is that!
What’s the obsession with playing two 7’s..
Sure Samu plays 6 for the Saders, but he has the body of a 7.
He defiantly isn’t a conventional 6 let alone an 8.
Pocock out: Wallabies hit by major injury blow ahead of Springboks Test
Beale at 10 will only work if his pack is not dominated.
Beale has a tendency to crab when under pressure at 5/8 thus crowding his centres and locking his wingers out of the game.
Toomua at 12 should help straighten things up.
But there is no doubt that everyone has worked out the wallabies backline with Foley at 10.
All you have to do is defend multiple phases and wait for them to turn the ball over and counter attack against a team that’s lost all defensive alignment.
On the other hand Beale could provide that unpredictable X-factor to keep the defence guessing.
Upfront it’s good to see Arnold back..
Wallabies team vs South Africa: Cheika rings the changes ahead of South Africa clash
Well Spiro, Matt O’Connor is available immediately.
He has been Sacked by his club.
My coaching panel to restore the Wallabies to success after the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Does Chieka surround himself with ‘YES’ men?
My coaching panel to restore the Wallabies to success after the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Not entirely convinced about the coaches nominated at least not by the arguments put forward.
It is a refreshing change no doubt from suggesting old heads such as McQueen, Dywer et al.
I find the notion of Cheika ‘grooming’ Larkham to take over as nepotism or cronyism like, it emphasises all that is wrong with rugby administration at the top end of town.
Does anyone have a decent understanding of NZ’s coaching structure or plan if they even have one?
NZ literally have factory line producing professional coaches, rather than a lot of ‘ I played I’ll give it a go’ coaches.
Just how far the wallabies are off the pace is debatable but they could no doubt do with a sports physchologist whispering in their ears.
My coaching panel to restore the Wallabies to success after the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper has made the extraordinary claim he wouldn’t swap any of his players for any All Black in the wake of another Bledisloe Cup failure.
Beauden Barrett is the All Blacks' conductor and David Pocock is the Wallabies' Lone Ranger
Players with dodgy hams often have poor running technique and muscle imbalance.
poor conditioning, tightness, fatigue makes them vulnerable to overload particlulary when a player is put in an awkward position/motion.
Wallabies unveil new-look prop pairing in side to play All Blacks in Bledisloe 2
Hanson rates him highly enough to select him.. so he can’t be all that bad?
Even if he doesn’t make the team he has been around the team that won two World Cups and helps keep standards high and shows the young pups the ropes.
Wallabies unveil new-look prop pairing in side to play All Blacks in Bledisloe 2
Hi Nick,
Great stuff as usual.. whilst most of the squad had been in camp for 4 +/- weeks, I believe latu and TPN only 2 or less?
What did you make of the wallabies running out of steam by 5 min into the 2nd half, was it fatigue as a result of over training, lack of fitness or unrealistic gameplan ?
How the 'Guzzler’ chowed down on the Wallaby lineout at Sydney
Question for those who are calling for heads to roll.
Who on earth do we replace them with?
I can’t see anyone offering much more than Hooper as captain.. The only alternatives would be Genia or pocock and I think your kidding yourself if you think the team will transform overnight as a result.
As for the coaches.
Calling for past coaches or players on whim does not address the underlying issues.
Australia realistically don’t have anyone that could be the messiah.
Australia does not have anyone coaching basic skills to talented players early on ..
It’s too late by the time they make senior rep teams.
RA needs to find coaches that can teach the basics to talented youngsters as they make their way through the age groups to ensure that when they have the skills.
The all blacks have the skills so Hansen can spend his time running them through the motions and going over strategy…
Michael Cheika should take a leaf out of Alan Jones' Wallaby captaincy book
Yeah no doubt..
The backline was given plenty of front foot ball and lacked any sort of imagination or smart lines.
The all blacks just had to sit tight and wait for them to come to them.
Until Australian Rugby invests in grass roots and proper coaching for those talented juniors to ensure that they have the base skill set we are just going to see repeats of this.
When you play 1st grade rep rugby it is not unreasonable to expect the players to have the basic catching, passing kicking, tackling techniques to a certain standard.
To often someone like Taquile navarayo would get a run because he could score tries.. but they’d forget about his poor defence, inability to pass or kick or catch a high ball.
It is RA responsibility to ensure that the rep pathways provide such coaching of basic skills so that by the time the juniors make it to the senior rep teams they have those basic skills.
They should be a selection prerequisite!
Bledisloe déjà vu, but were the Wallabies really that bad?
Possibly..
So your suggesting along with a number of others it was fatigue.
I guess it’s a genuine possibility but surely the coaching group can’t be that dumb?
A few other comments are in regards to skills and technique..
Sure possibly to some degree .. you could argue it’s one of those 1 percenters that adds up..
Bledisloe déjà vu, but were the Wallabies really that bad?
I was at the game pretty close to the sideline and they looked utterly rooted by 5 minutes in to the 2nd half.
The inability to realign the defensive line was exploited at will by the kiwis.
Cheika had a public meltdown last year bemoaning the lack of fitness of the SR teams,
Chieka has had the bulk of the team for 4+/- weeks so why on earth are they so unfit?
Bledisloe déjà vu, but were the Wallabies really that bad?
Well the Kiwis where only as good as the Wallabies allowed them to play.
But the reality is that…
Fitness and the Line out was a major fail
The scrum a fail particularly on the tight head side.
Take the line out and scrum out of the equation it was poor fitness that cost them the game.
It all fell apart in the 2nd half when they could not get up and realign the defensive line.
It was then that the kiwis ran riot.
Bledisloe déjà vu, but were the Wallabies really that bad?
No Alternative game plan???
Sure they may or may not have had game plan A either..
Positives …
– Defense was well organised and executed in the first half.
– The attacking play of the forwards was great in the first half
– Tui could well become the 6 or 8 we’ve been looking for.
–
Otherwise.. you Gotta wonder..
– Fitness… Chieks had em for 4 +/- weeks.. Why where they so unfit that they couldn’t last past half time?
– Gotta wonder if they even practiced a single line out or scrum in the last 4 +/- weeks
– Backline lacked any imagination or killer instinct in first half when their pack gave them plenty of front foot ball against kiwi team that was on the back foot much of the time.
The Wallabies had Plan A. The All Blacks had Plan A and B
The biggest thing that stood out for me from the sideline on Saturday was that the wallabies had nothing left in the tank after half time.
They simply could not get up and realign the defence and started falling off tackles.
Cheika had a public meltdown about the poor fitness levels in 2017 of SR teams and he has had the bulk of the squad less the Tah’s for a good 4 weeks?
So why where they so bloody unfit?
Did they spend the weeks sipping Pina Coladas’ by the pool?
Banks to start at FB and Maddocks on the wing.
The Wallabies had Plan A. The All Blacks had Plan A and B
Robertson has really come of age this season … His scrummaging has been solid but not dominating at SR level. His general play has been quite impressive too…
For the past two years thought I’ve been bamboozled by his selection as he couldn’t even hold his own in club rugby.
Just got to watch for the all blacks dark arts at scrum time…. partially boring and angling.
If the All blacks turn up with anything less than their A game they may well lose.
Hodge in shutdown mode leaves little to give in attack
Yeah I was wondering that too..
Looks very much like the same team…
Unless Maddocks and Banks get a start. . along with Hodge at 13 ..
Otherwise it’s looking very much the same as last year..
If the wallabies play out of their skins and are disciplined they are a chance if the all blacks bring anything less than their A game.
New-look Wallabies hope to catch All Blacks on the hop
He still refuses to answer questions about whether he will stay in Australian rugby after 2019, and which Super Rugby team he will play for if he does sign up for another stint.
Again Matt Burke is right when he says that “for Folau to be undecided about his future at this stage of the process I find quite bizarre.”
No doubt he is holding out to see if he can bleed a few more quid out of RA.
Come on.. really he is gonna jump ship and forgo playing in the World Cup?
given he is supposedly asking for a 1 yr contract says it all… RA should stick to their price.
Rugby Australia's Bledisloe effort? Send in the clowns
Great Stuff Nick
Thanks for outlining reality rather than perception.
What are your thought on PooperSam?
Many anti-pooper fans moan about lack of balance.
Samu has a similar height / weight to hooper and pocock.
Playing PooperSam is virtually playing three 7’s at the back.
I admit I haven’t watched enough of Samu and from what I have seen he appears to play above his size.
What are your thoughts?
Why Michael Hooper is the Six Million Dollar Man
Many clubs pay the junior fees for them..
I know of a number of local soccer, afl and league clubs that do.
My sons rugby club instead gives out a kit … jumper, shorts, hoodie and socks instead.
My daughter played a bit of soccer one year… not only did they pay the fees they gave out a kit too.
Many clubs where actively using the NSW Govt’s ‘get active’ handout to cover for it.
The Wrap: No Super Rugby off-season while World Rugby gathers in Sydney