Roar Pro
Joined April 2017
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I am a man on a mission to save Australian rugby.
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Just to get the unpleasantness out of the way. Eddie Jones is a snake. The players and fans didn’t deserve to be treated the…
Soon after Eddie Jones came back onto the scene for his second stint as Wallabies coach, he echoed some wise words about selection and…
First of all it is important to just acknowledge what the millstone inclusion of Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika means for rugby in our…
It is a recurring theme among my mates and family that nearly every game we watch together (or nowadays in a rugby-themed group chat…
Every year when the summer draws to a close and we start preparing ourselves for the cooler months, one thing brings warmth to my…
Throughout the whole Super Rugby AU season and now into the international fixtures it has been fantastic to watch the standard of rugby skills,…
The outcome of the Aratipu report out of New Zealand, the increasing likelihood that 2021 will remain COVID-affected and the excellent rugby being played…
It is no secret that Australian rugby union is in trouble. In fact, it has been in trouble for over ten years and it…
In the wake of a World Cup, sometimes provincial tournaments can seem lacklustre. With so much talent and experience inevitably moving on to the…
It has again been another tumultuous year for Australian rugby. Just when you think there may be a sliver of light to latch onto,…
The group stages are over and we have had a bit of everything. Massive upsets, one-sided drubbings, refereeing controversies and game cancellations. But I…
First of all, congratulations to the Springboks, who came away the strongest from the Rugby Championship and deservedly so. South Africa are in threatening…
It is official, rugby in Australia is a punchline. It seems everywhere you look Australian rugby has been copping it. At the recent Logie…
Who would want to be a Super Rugby coach? In a world of competing club and international priorities, cash strapped clubs are all desperate…
Last year, Australian rugby was in the midst of its worst debacle in recent memory. Results were horrific, clubs were at loggerheads with administrators…
Of nine games the Lions have played at home this year, they have lost only twice – both times to New Zealand opposition – and…
Ever since Michael Cheika took the reigns at the Waratahs in 2013 he has strived to build a clear rugby identity for his teams…
The Melbourne Rebels have had an up and down year but their weekend win against the Blues in Auckland will go down as a…
At the start of the season among all the obligatory predictions and rankings of sides I noticed a trend. Everyone was playing it safe.…
In last Saturday's win over the All Blacks, the Wallabies' back row stood tallest. Jack Dempsey was industrious after a few initial mistakes, Sean…
Yep lets hope they get that aspect right and its not just all talk
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Good call John, Duncan Paia’aua is an excellent young talent and was a bright spot in a dreary reds Super Rugby season. Lets see how he develops under the wing of Brad Thorn but he definitely has the skill to make a good 10.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Hi Cookie, agreed, 5/8 is a bit of a worry. I know they have been training Reece Hodge there a little bit so may look to him as a 3rd option but this isn’t really ideal at all. Super rugby is also not offering much hope for another option either with Aussie stocks looking really thin apart from the usual suspects like Cooper and Foley, although Jono Lance has improved a bit since he went to the force last year but not sure where he will end up now. Lets hope that some young gem is unearthed next year so he can be brought into the Wallabies set up with enough time to learn the system. If not then i think we just need to pray that Foley doesn’t get injured.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Hi waxhead, thanks for your reply and as we all know hope has usually been a precursor to failure in the last 15 years and you are correct that the game against the ABs this Saturday and the spring tour will really be where the Wallabies need to put wins on the board but i have to disagree with you on the depth front. We have certainly improved depth since the start of 2016 just look as the list of players i mentioned in my article, they are all new to the Wallabies group and can contribute in a big way. As for the squads from my point of view Cheika has been looking for good talent in Australian rugby by giving youngsters a go, unfortunately due to the obvious lack of depth in Australia has has had to blood players before their time but you have to play the cards you are dealt. Overall i prefer to be optimistic than pessimistic but hey i guess thats just me.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Hi Nick, yes it will be extremely important who Cheika chooses next. Our first choice front row is pretty settled and experienced so i am not too worried about them getting their technique and style mixed up in the transition. Nick Stiles has always been good at set piece but i really don’t see him being brought into the set up especially considering his win record for the reds last year. Laurie Fisher is extremely experienced and has done it all before so that would be my bet as well although the fact that Dan Palmer has been selected as an interim coach for the scrum for the spring tour (or at least some of it) may be an indication of the way they are leaning. Either way I do think that bringing a young coach like Dan into the Wallabies set up at this stage of his coaching career is extremely valuable from a coaching development standpoint, so that even if he doesn’t get the nod for the full time role he will have gained some valuable insight for the future.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Each World Cup is definitely tougher than the last and I think its important to note that even some of the Minnow rugby nations are growing in skill and talent (take Japans win over the Springboks in 2015 as an example). The northern Hemisphere sides have undergone a recent resurgence as well, particularly the likes on England, Ireland and Scotland so even though Australia have a favorable draw in the group stages things will get particularly interesting in the play offs.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Certainly Beale and Genia are key players that have genuine game breaking talent and but all is not lost without Beale as i think Karmichael Hunt is a player who has been ear marked as the back up for that role. Hunt has a good all round skillset and doesn’t have the elusiveness of Beale but is a much better defender. Genia is a real leader on and off the field and we dont have much depth in half back so losing him would be quite a blow. Really Australia always has a backline that can be threatening but you also need at least three or four world class players in the forwards in order to win a world cup, one person who i think will be key in the forwards is Adam Coleman, he is the type of aggressive and dominating player that the Wallabies have missed in recent years. We still really need to fill number 6 and get more front row depth but i think the forwards will be where the world cup is won and lost for the Wallabies.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Cheers Connor and i agree with KingCowboy that a good star wars comment never goes astray.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Yes they did and I thought that the ABs might be a bit venerable with the amount of test caps that left but again they seem to have got even better. The depth of talent in NZ is just ridiculous and something that is the envy of all teams in world rugby.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Yes the world cup draw is very favorable for the Wallabies indeed, we should get through that group pretty easily but I just hope that they don’t go in underdone to the playoffs like the All Blacks did in 2007.
Is there hope for the Wallabies in 2019?
Fitness is exactly what the Wallabies need and i am supportive of Cheika running the squad through their paces. After all we are trying to play a running game and there is no point in that if you cant bloody run. The very foundation of a good modern team is fitness. Unfortunately the Super rugby franchises have not made their players work hard enough which is extremely disappointing, a strong fitness regime should be the first thing they get onto in pre-season. Without top level fitness there is no way that we will be able to execute the skills needed to win anything in the rugby championship. Players need to be able to play a full 80 mins of international rugby and still have fuel left in the tank. This is the root cause of our terrible skill execution towards the middle and end of games, skills like backing up, contesting rucks and getting up off the turf to join back into the defensive line all rely on fitness. I reckon that every rugby player in Australia needs to really focus on their fitness levels over the next year if we have any hope at the 2019 world cup.
Wallabies need drills and skills, not shills on hills
I think Beale’s ball playing ability is too valuable to shift out to fullback, however he is a great fullback. I think your point about Hunt is valid, i have thought about him being a 12 and he certainly does have the ability to do well in that position. It would be worth a go giving him a run there this June especially now that DHP has recovered from his injury and declared himself available for selection.
The Wallabies' road to the Rugby World Cup starts now (Part 2)
I would think that yes, Pocock would be the 7 and Hooper goes to the bench. Pocock can stifle the flow of the game early by disrupting the breakdown like noone else can. Hooper can come on after 55-60 mins and add extra pace at against tired legs at the end of the match. Exactly right about Folau, while he is great in open space teams know how to kick to him and can expect a poor exit as long as the chase is good. Folau to wing and the fullback spot opens up to some quality players.
The Wallabies' road to the Rugby World Cup starts now (Part 2)
Like with anything the first step is to fix the product. We need to get Australian Super rugby up to a standard that warrants free to air interest. If the product isn’t good enough then you are right, this would represent a reduction in revenue for the ARU. Free to air should be a long term goal, the immediate need right now is to get the overall standard of Australian rugby up to a place where it is competitive with SA and NZ rugby. Free to air does represent a bigger audience and is a way to attract interest from people who don’t usually watch rugby. If the product is right and support for rugby is building both in terms of TV audiences and attendance at games then, in an ideal world, the ARU could attract bids from both pay tv services and free to air. This is more likely to be a 2024 type deal but it should be thought about long and hard from a strategic point of view.
The solution to the shambles that is Australian rugby (Part 2)
Thanks Timbo, i definitely agree about he stoppages and liked your article. I am a former number 2 and love a good scrum but completely agree that there are far too many resets. A short arm is a great way to get the game moving especially if the ref is given the right mandate to speed up the game and has the short arm penalty as the incentive. Also i like your idea about each team handing over a game to play in another state. A much more fair approach i think.
The solution to the shambles that is Australian rugby (Part 2)
The NRC has certainly been entertaining and stoppages are definitely a sticking point for non-rugby folk. While i agree with some experimental rule testing i think sometimes it gets a bit out of hand. One thing i think we need to do is empower refs to speed up the game and penalize teams for taking to long at stoppages.
The solution to the shambles that is Australian rugby (Part 2)
Great point Kelvin and i certainly agree, getting free to air coverage in prime time is a must for Australian rugby.
The solution to the shambles that is Australian rugby (Part 2)
I agree that Super 18 was never the way to go, there was expansion that was simply not needed. Not sure it needs to go broke in order for it to start again but significant changes are needed from top down as well as bottom up. Some of my points from the first part of this article a couple of weeks ago touched on the bottom up solutions like doubling grass roots funding as well as developing a good grass roots training pathway for coaches.
The solution to the shambles that is Australian rugby (Part 2)
As PeterK already pointed out Hooper still has quite a long time left in him. McMahon can definitely be a good open or blindside breakaway but for the foreseeable future, especially as Cheika has made him Captain, Hooper will be the number 7.
Back to the future for the Wallabies back row