Roar Pro
Joined September 2009
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Too often on The Roar we are negative, and that includes me. So following the Waratahs lead from Friday night, here's something positive. Last weekend…
After attracting so much negative publicity over the past few years, I feel that the Wallabies scrum has finally come of age. It started…
Two weeks ago, I made the eight hour drive to Sydney to watch the Wallabies and All Blacks test. I am a whole-hearted rugby…
I also remember him moving to the Mexicans being refered to as a good move at the time, to get away from bad infuences in Sydney? Maybe he needs to show a bit of ownership for his actions and stop using the bad influences as an excuse.
Kurtley Beale: a wrong to be righted
My main gripe re mauls is that you don’t have to roll away from a collapsed maul. It seems to have bacome a very negative defensive tactic.
Inconsistency of the law relating to the maul
Isn’t this an article on Quade? What’s Cheika got to do with it? Nice win by the Rebels by the way.
Has McKenzie cost Cooper the Lions Tour?
Its also me and everyone I talk to. You would think that ladder position would be direcly proportional to the number of players in the Wallaby squad. It seems the opposite is the case.
Australia, time to get behind the Wallabies
I can’t understand picking O’Connor at 5/8, he hasn’t done enough of it. Is Hooper still topping the missed tackle count for the comp? What else does Jesse Mogg have to do to get in the squad? He outplayed Folau the other night and for the season for that matter. What’s Dave Dennis done this year and Timani for that matter- a non jumping lock Imagine a not throwing hooker!?!?!? And all this talk about Burgess, I can’t fathom it. Slow delivery amazingly annoying in interviews and harbour bridge passes, Quade needs to impress with S15 form but from the sounds of Deans yesterday Burgess doesn’t. What does Nic White have to do to get picked. The backs with Horne seem a bit too predictable, at least Lelifano (sic) is there and shame Tapuai has lost form And I’m not a horse man.
Good to see Mowen finally getting a look in. Props look pretty solid, will be interesting to see if Palmer makes it into the Dirty Half Dozen and interesting again weather they pick props for their work around the ground or at scrum time. I’d pick MMM as since Kev grew up a few years back no one has that “he may stomp my head’ crazy factor to keep the Lions watching out for them The loss of TPN has me a bit worried as I have my doubts of Fainga at test level, he isn’t the best hooker at the reds and this isn’t the time for a green hooker. Barnes seems to have given up stupid ineffective kicks, hope it stays that way.
Wallabies 25-man Lions squad: analysis
Top article Kev. One thing myself and the rugby brainstrust here at work have noticed is there seems to be a sense that he has grown up a lot since his comments last year. Don’t worry, we were lighting the torches and grabbing the pitch forks at the time. I think he should be the Wallaby 5/8, he plays 5/8, he’s the pick of the 5/8’s and has shown that he is adaptable in the variety of game plans the Reds play. His biggest improvement has been the realisation that he doesn’t have to do everything himself and underplays himself much more than he used to.
Quade shouldn't be fly half against the Lions
Dead right on that Folau try, any back at that level should be able to score that. As someone on here said a few weeks ago re everyone banging on about Folau .- “My postman managed to deliver my letters to my house, and yet I don’t feel the need to shout about it from the roof tops.” He hasn’t done anything too special.
Folau v Mogg next week should be worth watching. I now feel dirty, mentioning two backs like that
SPIRO: Happier days are here again for the Waratahs
So were now picking Wallabies based on one good game? Against the Kings!? Mog has had one ordinary game and he’s on the outer?
SPIRO: Beale and Folau brilliant, Mogg subbed
Pleanty of reasons there as to why I know more Reds and Brumbies supporters in Country NSW than tahs.
Can the Waratahs support the whole city of Sydney?
Any coach can change the game plan. Doing it well is another thing. Credit should go to the players for being able to make such a change, having the discipline and smarts also to the coaches for preparing the players to be able to change the plan and creating the belief in the plan. This could come from having a relativally stable squad for a few years too.
Good points about loosing Ioane. He seems to be bit of a clown trying to get into a pub with no shirt one etc and jumping on twitter. If the situation was to become toxic you wouldn’t want him around. The Reds seem tohave the talent coming through F’Sautia, Browning etc are possibly more useful into the future.
Game theory: It’s not the size that counts
How can you compare George Smith with Falou?!? 114 test caps vs 0. GS has earnt the right to play the Lions if available/is picked. Best 3 back 3 players. I’ll need some serious convincing.
The history of rugby's territorial fans
I’m an Auela fan, but he is bit of a specialst. To play him the team and coach need to be clear on the game plan, something the WB’s haven’t been in recent years.
Big fan of MMM, he has a bit of that nut bag factor. Bit like Melon used to have, that sense that he might stomp a head. That and he was playing the house down. In picking their pack they need to be clear on what they want to do. Do they go with a LO general like Simmons or make do with two stronger 2nd rowers? Do they grind them down with Mowen/Shatz at #8 or try and bash them early with Auela? They just need to be clear on their aim an then select.
Above all, I hope the team is picked on form.
Wallabies must meet Lions with bash and barge
Another point is that Link seems to be able to get the best out of his players. QC is the main example, but there’s many more. Beau Robinson, The Fainga’s just to name a few, have improved immensly under Link. It’s not all coaching, but it’s got a lot to do with it.
He also seems to be a very intellegent coach who is somehow able to get buy in from his players on his/the game plan. One factor that sticks out for me in 2011 is how they were able to play totally different game plans (as mentioned above) from week to week. One minute running from everywhere then the next week playing for territory with a solid kicking game, agianst the Stormers? in SA. I don’t reacall a coach/team doing this so well. Again, it’s not all coaching but it’s got a fair bit to do with it. If he’s able to do this with the WB’s, it’d be a great breath of fresh air.
Ewen McKenzie is the coach to beat the All Blacks
that and unlike RD, Link seems to be able to get the best out of his players
SPIRO: Ewen McKenzie raises the ante on Wallaby coaching job
and he won’t pick a team based on form
SPIRO: Ewen McKenzie raises the ante on Wallaby coaching job
Scrum calls- Its gone back to a 3 call system as it was prior to th epause been bought in. Happends around 2007 from memory. Going back to 3 calls ahs been positive and my thinking is it’s led to less resets. 5 seconds at the to pass the ball has also ped things up, good moves.
I read an article some time ago on how the ELV’s came about. They basically had 2 teams of 15 and threw a ball in, trialing rules as they went. One such trial was with hands alowed in the ruck. There’s a good reason it’s not alowed. A lot of it isn’t the rules as such, it’s how they’re enforced. If anything the IRB needs to clarify how the rules are enforced
Rucking was a fantastic way of freeing up the breakdown. Particulary at lower levels where the standard of ref’s isn’t always that flash. I can’t recall any serious injuries and no one really got hurt.
Rules and refs: their part in rugby's downfall
I’ll stand corrected. I thought Holmes and Shepherd were the starting props that day.
The Insider Selections: Locks, props, hooker
Kev, How do you rate greg Holmes? good enough to be considered for the Lions at LHP? Surely he’s served his pennance for the 07 WC debarcle.
The Insider Selections: Locks, props, hooker
They’ve got to pick a tight 5 that can get the set piece right. Kev is a shoe in, probably Madness in there with him for his edge and does have test experience. For me he has a bit of that Melon crazy factor. Running the lineout form lock isn’t a must. Surely Ben Mowen will be there (but probably not), he can run it, Kev has in the past.
Moore has to be hooker as you know what you’re going to get and ever reliable and is not prone to brain explosions. Although not perfect, lineout is much better than TPN.
The Lions are going to be strong scrummagers, Palmer is our most technically correct THP, has to be there. There are better props around the ground but that should come secondary to scrummaging, besides he isn’t too bad around the ground and work rate is pretty good. As I said earlier, Robinson got dished up a few times against Australian opposition. One telling thing for me was when both he and Ben A got sin binned, walking off the ground together one looked fit and lean, the other wearing blue isn’t. LHP- it’s a shame that Slipper plays at 3 for the Reds, but I’d stick him in there, with Ben A covering them from the bench.
He’s only started one game but Scott Sio had a blinder. I know that one stubby does not a carton make, but he looks the goods. However the Lions isn’t the best place to make your debut, just ask Nick Stiles and yes I have included DP. One prop making a debut is enough
The Insider Selections: Locks, props, hooker
and he’s a lock that is hopeless in the lineout
The Insider Selections: Locks, props, hooker
So the salary cap applies to NSW?
The Cheika message isn't universally embraced yet