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I think you’ll beat Wales because they’re in a major transition period. But, talk of ‘annihilation’ is mighty big coming from a side teetering between 9th-11th in the international rankings.
Wallabies in danger of losing Hanigan to ambitious French club just as forward enters his prime
But, good sides still consistently dominate the breakdown.
ANALYSIS: Single biggest issue causing Brumbies headaches - and why it can be traced back to Fisher's departure
‘The Brumbies are a great side, they have great players…’
Seriously? The article makes much of the number of Wallaby players at the Brumbies (a mixture of some likely starters and other relatively peripheral squad players).
But, the Wallabies have been doing poorly at international level for a long time. If they lose the upcoming two match series against Wales (unlikely but not inconceivable) they’ll be ranked 11th in the world below Italy and Fiji.
At SRP level you divide this failing squad across 5 franchises with little incoming supplementation from foreign players and a number of the squad actually playing abroad.
Why the puzzlement at the results?
ANALYSIS: Single biggest issue causing Brumbies headaches - and why it can be traced back to Fisher's departure
Unless the ‘Wallaby duo’ they’re welcoming back is John Eales and Michael Lynagh, I’m still going with the Canes.
Brumbies to welcome back Wallabies duo for 'Canes clash after week of soul-searching, Tahs to tweak side for Chiefs
But, we know, with absolute certainty, that you don’t watch northern competitions because just after the weekend in which dozens of breathtaking tries were scored in the European Champion’s Cup you were telling us all that it’s a ’10 man kicking game up north.’
'Definition of madness': Rugby reform must start with total cleanout of RA board - and this should happen next
The last 16 onwards of the European Champions Cup is a higher standard than Super Rugby. Given the time differences I can watch two Super Rugby games in the morning then Champion’s Cup/English Prem in the afternoon. So I can compare in real time.
Here’s a few of my observations. NONE of the Aussie Super rugby sides would make the last 8 of the Champion’s Cup. Three of the current Kiwi sides probably would. None of the SA sides have made it through to the Champion’s Cup SF. Munster, who Northampton beat home and away in the Champion’s Cup went down to a fully loaded Bulls on Saturday and beat them at altitude. Do you think the Brumbies could do that?
None of this is surprising. The best players in the world no longer play in Super Rugby. Pick a world 23 – there’d be no more than two or three SR players in it and they’re all Kiwis. If the Wallabies lose to Wales in July they’ll be ranked 11th in the world. Does that not give you a hint about the quality of rugby across the Aussie franchises?
'Definition of madness': Rugby reform must start with total cleanout of RA board - and this should happen next
What puzzled me is why play your strongest side in the last 16 of the European Cup, at home, at altitude, when you know Lyon are going to bring a weak team and have their eyes on avoiding relegation from the Top 14, then send a weakened team to Northampton in the QF?
It makes no sense.
Five things: What Beale has over other golden oldies, double pain for Brumbies as Blues expose Australia's biggest weakness
Didn’t a poor Ospreys team just beat the Stormers in SA?
There’s a difference between ‘using the squad’ in a league game and doing it in the QF of the European Champion’s Cup.
Five things: What Beale has over other golden oldies, double pain for Brumbies as Blues expose Australia's biggest weakness
I haven’t seen the teams but I suspect virtually every key Leinster player was in a spa in Dublin when the match was played.
Five things: What Beale has over other golden oldies, double pain for Brumbies as Blues expose Australia's biggest weakness
Is that the Sam Carter who was 4th or 5th choice lock for Leicester 3 months ago?
Five things: What Beale has over other golden oldies, double pain for Brumbies as Blues expose Australia's biggest weakness
‘The utter dominance of the Blues pack whose physicality was just test level immense…’
Was it? I found that impossible to judge given the powderpuff pack they were up against. You need two packs going after each other to talk of ‘test match intensity.’
I expect to read in the next few weeks of the latest multi-million dollar NRL winger ARU are after.
Brumbies 'systematically taken apart by the Blues' in 'non-contest' as Larkham's men cop huge reality check
Where’s the evidence for this ‘quality?’
Brumbies 'systematically taken apart by the Blues' in 'non-contest' as Larkham's men cop huge reality check
It’s not a ‘choke’ to get beaten by better teams. It’s a ‘choke’ to lose regularly to inferior teams in big games. As an outsider with no dog in the fight, the Blues are a significantly better team than the Brumbies – albeit I don’t think as good as they looked against absolutely woeful opposition.
Brumbies 'systematically taken apart by the Blues' in 'non-contest' as Larkham's men cop huge reality check
Having watched the game it’s difficult to judge how good the Blues in general (or individual players individually – with the ABs in mind) are. I thought the Brumbies looked little better than a pub team.
Brumbies 'systematically taken apart by the Blues' in 'non-contest' as Larkham's men cop huge reality check
Sensible sides like Saracens and La Rochelle ensure they harness Skelton’s strengths and balance the back five with other lineout jumpers.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
None of the top rated coaches in the world at the moment are Australian. Once again, you’re about 20 years out of date.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
The numbers are misleading as I’ve suggested. They’ve still been to four RWC finals, and were recently one penalty kick away from a fifth, which suggests they’re never too far away. Certainly, if the sport was as big as in, say, SA, you would have expected more periods of dominance and another win or two at the RWC.
I would say the big underachievers, given the numbers, is France.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
😂 😂 😂 😂
The last time anyone thought the rugby culture in Australia was ‘sophisticated’ was in about 2003.
At the moment, Australia’s reputation for rugby culture is as about as low as it can go.
The NZ situation is a simple one. All the best athletes in that country will at some point attempt rugby when they’re young enough to show what they’ve got. In addition there is a constant stream of immigration (and the sons of immigrants) from the part in the world genetically set-up to produce the best rugby players on the planet – Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
All I know is that the locks that seem to be rated in Australia get creamed when they play any of the other top 10 sides.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
There may be a number of reasons for that. Pretty much everyone outside Australia rates Skelton and Arnold very highly.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
Ask the Welsh would they rather be up against Rob Simmons or Skelton and Arnold in July.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
I’d be surprised if it’s a blowout. I think player for player on paper it will look one-sided – but rugby isn’t played on paper, and the cohesion thing is very important.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
Arnold and Skelton as your locks would be a significant step up from any other lock pairings the Wallabies could field.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
You’ve got 12 tests before the Lions arrive – time to get a bit of a shift on.
Aussie-born England capped rake Nic Dolly signs with Force ... and he'll soon be eligible for the Wallabies
You might need to explain that one, Jimbo, because one interpretation of what you said is that you think the quality of second and back rowers in the NH (presumably that means the entire 6 Nations) is inferior to Australia’s.
I’m sure you can’t mean that, because most objective rugby observers would get writer’s cramp listing all the locks and backrowers from the 6 Nations that would walk into the WBs.
Wallabies in danger of losing Hanigan to ambitious French club just as forward enters his prime