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Joined August 2014
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Strong looking bench but I have some concerns about the starting XV, especially the backs. Hudson Creighton has not impressed for me previously, and Sapsford looked horrendous when he started on the wing last year. Would have preferred Sapsford at 13, Creighton to the bench and a specialist outside back starting, like Meredith or Ben O’Donnell if he is fit.
Super Rugby teams: Tupou benched, Jorgo back for Fiji trip, Petaia sidelined, Swain surprise
Flyhalves are the least likely position in the starting XV to be a planned substitution. Barring injury or on-field form, not playing the 80 is rare, and being replaced at 55 minutes is confirmation that things are not working.
There’s no evidence that Lolesio was alwasy going to come on in the second half. Donaldson wasn’t going to come on the week before against Italy either, until Lolesio was absolutely ‘hooked’ in the last 5 minutes in a last-ditch effort to secure a game that had not gone to plan.
Joe Schmidt's search for a 'cold-hearted bastard' - and the issue he'll lose most sleep over
“usually blocking the advancement of the Reds or Tahs because they are masters of accumulating regular season points.”
Yes how dare the Brumbies consistently prevent the Reds or Tahs being higher on the ladder by *checks notes* winning more games than them in a season, and beating both specifically in head to heads.
Joe Schmidt's search for a 'cold-hearted bastard' - and the issue he'll lose most sleep over
I haven’t seen any of Anderson but hear good things. I thought he was a 13 more than 12, would love to see him get time at 12 if he is as nobody had nailed the role yet. Sapsford works hard but doesn’t excel at anything, Tua bends the line well but has errors in the rest of his game.
Brumbies lose gun trio but news better than expected for Test prop, Reds rising star ruled out for season
Great read Harry, much appreciated.
Just one question re commentary on Donaldson: “His highs (the Wales comeback)” wasn’t that the game where Donaldson was hooked early and Lolesio led the come from behind win?
Joe Schmidt's search for a 'cold-hearted bastard' - and the issue he'll lose most sleep over
“The Sydney Roosters have emphatically denied making a formal offer to rising NSW Waratahs star Max Jorgensen”
So other than the fact that this probably didn’t even happen (that it was reported in The Australian lends even more credence to the assumption that it is entirely fabricated), is a cash strapped agency not being keen to pay $1.8 million for an 18 year old who is already showing concerns around being an injury magnet really some factional conspiracy?
Strong custodians or factional hacks pushing state agendas? The numbers that will decide future of Australian rugby
Spot on. The issues have been far less with balance and more with a drop in player quality. Nearly an entire generation of players moved on after the 2019 world cup, and what we had left were a combination of experienced provincial players who had never made the step up to Test rugby previously (the likes of Holloway, Neville, Porecki) and a generation fresh out of u20s who weren’t ready.
'Talent can be fickle': Schmidt avoids rushing to conclusions as JOC calls for 'Reds-heavy' Wallabies
Fardy played most of his tests with the Pooper. They were stronger players overall but if anything even more imbalanced.
'Talent can be fickle': Schmidt avoids rushing to conclusions as JOC calls for 'Reds-heavy' Wallabies
At some point you have to mature beyond the failings of youth.
Of the notorious three amigos, Cooper and O’Connor have talked very candidly about their shortcomings and attitude problems during their younger years. At 35, I am yet to hear a word from Beale that demonstrates he has learned a single thing.
'I'd love to see him back': Beale set to take first step in rugby comeback, targets milestone event
Can anyone explain to a non-gambler?
Wouldn’t golden point reduce the number of betting options? Surely bookies can’t accept bets for an outcome that is not actually possible anymore?
'Let's see what the worst thing about rugby league is and do that': Loathsome blight union never needed
I really shouldn’t engage as it’s clearly just a Murdoch rag seeking out any mouthpiece who will deathride Australian rugby.
BUT:
1. If we aren’t spreading talent across 5 Australian SR teams, we will be spreading it across far more teams. European teams and Japanese teams, specifically.
2. “and we are coaching the wrong things” is the real issue. Even our best are not at the skill level of NZ.
3. “The vast majority of our players still come out of New South Wales and Queensland” and if the largest junior player base correlated with strength of professional players and teams, the Waratahs would have more than one SR title in the last 27 years.
4. “The Australian previously reported that the Brumbies are also at risk of going under” which still appears to be completely baseless accusation. The Brumbies are running right on the edge for sure, but that is consistent with the state of Australian rugby. If broke is the word they insist on using, one can only imagine what word is needed to describe the financial state of RA.
'Our talent is spread too thin': Ex-Wallabies captain urges Rugby Australia to cut Super teams
He wasn’t consistent. He showed some absolutely great moments but plenty of mistakes.
He seemed better due to the inherent tendency of Aus fans to desperately overhype every new young flyhalf that comes along, with unachievable expectations. Within two season, if not sooner, he will still have gaps in his game (because what 24 year old playmaker doesn’t?), and fans will turn on him and move on to the next 20 year old saviour.
'There is noise': Rebels get psychologist's help as they try to prevent Super Rugby spiral
Support has been an issue in one form or another for as long as I have watched rugby. Even during the golden age of late 90s early 2000s, when the breakdown security was top notch and the skills on display from Australian backs were absolutely sublime, the All Blacks support runners were a level above, and they were more likely to convert a break or half-break into a try than the Wallabies whose breaks would likely end as a new breakdown phase.
In terms of the breakdown security, for the last 15 years the Wallabies have tended to be far too reliant on individual brilliance making up for systemic weakness. Pocock in particular was not just a defensive breakdown jackal, he was a master of securing clean attacking breakdown ball, often singlehandedly.
'Laurie brings that': Why 'there's no one better' to help Joe Schmidt restore key trait to Wallabies
Moore and Hoiles yes, I wouldn’t agree with Mowen though. He was little more than a role filler at the Tahs and would have been struggling to make the starting side behind Elsom if he stayed. I doubt he would have ever made the Wallabies let alone captaincy without his move to the Brumbies.
Five things we learned: Aussies given early Super Rugby warning, Lolesio's timely reminder
D) Lolesio has been around the longest of all the current generation of flyhalves and so has naturally progressed from the “huge potential, next long term Wallaby” phase of the Australian rugby fan flyhalf assessment to the “completely useless, will never improve, kicked my dog” phase.
Five things we learned: Aussies given early Super Rugby warning, Lolesio's timely reminder
On points but not by much? If Lolesio had the game that Carter Gordon had on the weekend, Roarers would be demanding he never set foot in Super Rugby again.
Five things we learned: Aussies given early Super Rugby warning, Lolesio's timely reminder
Hooper should not be that different to Neville as a lineout jumper, solid but not dominant. Swain is their strongest but gives up a bit in other areas. Presumably Cale is also seen as a third option like how Samu was.
Jahrome Brown is a real work horse, but Reimer has shown more in both attack and defence and had been delivering big clutch plays, he just needed to build on his consistency. If he has achieved that in the off season then I think he will be the first pick going forward.
Super Rugby teams round 1: Fresh Rodda blow, Tahs forced into backline move after Foketi drama
Solid wrap. For the Brumbies I agree they do need to keep expanding the variety of their attack, to allow points to keep coming when their strengths are matched.
But I think that defence needs a far bigger immediate focus. While finishing 5th in Points Against doesn’t sound too bad, they were so far behind the other 4 teams that defence was almost a 2-tier competition last year. You can’t leak 50% more points than the top two teams and expect to be meeting either of them in next year’s final.
The work-on and upside of every Aussie Super Rugby team - and why they bode well for Joe Schmidt
In a world of classically trained musicians, the Wallabies are the kid teaching themself Master of Puppets off the radio.
'Blew everybody's minds': The Rennie tactics Nic White expects Joe Schmidt to relaunch with wounded Wallabies
The more articles that come out like this, the more we can finally put to bed the baseless accusations that the Wallabies are over-coached.
'Blew everybody's minds': The Rennie tactics Nic White expects Joe Schmidt to relaunch with wounded Wallabies
Toole’s 9 tries aside, I was amazed by the number of times he created tries just by beating his man on the outside, drawing the last defender then passing back inside to a support runner. Even knowing it was coming there was little most could do to stop it, his pace off the mark is just that good.
Larkham’s Brumbies must gallop to fifth gear to be title contenders - and address two key challenges in uncertain times
Surprised that the biggest issue the Brumbies had last year is not mentioned at all – defence.
While work is still needed in adjusting their game plan for teams who can match them in the forwards, the Brumbies attack was a lot more varied last year and they were 3rd overall for Points For, and only 13 points behind the top of the table Chiefs. But in Points Against they not just fell to 5th, but gave away 50% more points than the Chiefs, and still over 100 points more than the 3rd rated Blues defence. You cannot leak points like that and expect to be in the front runners and close out tight games come finals.
Larkham’s Brumbies must gallop to fifth gear to be title contenders - and address two key challenges in uncertain times
When you see someone next to you jogging along, in that moment sure tell them to hurry the f up.
But if you are addressing a pattern of behaviour, recognising and understanding the reasons behind it are the most important part of the whole thing, it is the only way for any change to be long term/permanent.
Not having that in any analysis is purely amateurish, and we may as well just be trying to sort out any issue by running players up more sand hills.
What has been said up to now? Probably “just work harder”.
'I noticed it': Why Eddie could still play a part in Aussie rugby's turnaround - and the 'hard conversations' driving Brumbies
I am going to be optimistic and suggest this is one of those situations where they review footage regularly, but Eddie has come in from a different angle and said “This right here. These two players specifically. This is not a structural issue, this is evidence of what I am saying, it is a lack of urgency that is purely mental and stems from becoming accustomed to losing”. A shift of focus toward why it happened, which left AAA more conscious of that when he is training and sees similar things.
This wouldn’t be a bad thing, sometimes when you are doing the same thing constantly it is natural to get into routine, and it helps to just get that occasional reminder of why back into your head to help your focus and drive.
I really hope that is all this was, because I’d be pretty concerned otherwise.
'I noticed it': Why Eddie could still play a part in Aussie rugby's turnaround - and the 'hard conversations' driving Brumbies
Exactly my thoughts. For years the expectation was that an Australian coach go and learn the ropes in a ‘lesser’ club, or even ‘lesser’ Test nation, in Europe before earning the right to coach here.
If an Australian coach goes and demonstrates themselves capable of winning the ERC with an English/French club, they won’t be coming back to Australia unless they are paid overs, something RA cannot afford to do (though continued to do anyway chasing NRL wingers at 50% over market rate).
Set up to fail: The gaping hole in Aussie Super Rugby coaching CVs - with one clear exception