I’m fine with that, makes the occasional win all the more exciting. I also think you’re overestimating where Los Pumas were at when they started. Since they were floated in the old Tri Nations to date, they’ve only won 9 matches, and about half of those were in the last 4 years. Still exciting to see them play. This is how teams enter the so called Tier 1.

Both Italy and Argentina were opportunities for comfortable wins and to rest a few key players in their respective comps, until they weren’t. I’d welcome Japan doing it tough for some time before scratching out the odd win. I think regular top tier competition would boost participation too.

I wish Stan still showed League One matches. Loved watching the Aussies abroad and getting a feel for where Japanese rugby was at. At a minimum they’ll be included in the Rugby Championship in the near future, so I think it’s worth getting to know who their top tier players are.

The whole team looked sluggish and of the pace from the start. I remember wondering early on if food poisoning or something had torn through the team the day before.

Lolesio had a poor game but wasn’t helped by what I think was Lonergan’s worst game ever. He should have been subbed at half time, even though the game was already lost, because every minute is precious to a reserve scrum half.

I like Brown’s physicality, but when he’s trying to play the traditional 7 role he’s a penalty magnet and does little to kill the opposition momentum. I think Reimer’s rugby smarts are far more valuable to the Brumbies defence.

I think the Brumbies will put in a better showing next week. Hopefully they learn something from this absolute pantsing!

I tipped against the Reds because I thought they would suffer without McDermott bossing the team around. Thomas found his voice and kept the momentum in attack the Reds needed. Like most scrum halves he’ll live or die on the quality of his passing game in the long run, but last night he did exactly what they needed him to do so I thought his performance was good.

I hope the game also finally puts to bed the idea Creighton is a flyhalf. Both he and his brother are centres. The Brumbies knew that from the get go and his brother has had the better games as a result. Let them both develop in the centres.

Could not agree more.

I’m ok with it. I don’t recall Kayo being that much different or showing more games. Just wish they’d show the Japanese rugby again.

Looks like Stan is only showing one preseason game a week. Anyone know where I can catch the others?

Thanks Geoff, as always a well considered and structured dive into the corporate side of our game. My question is, do you think the gradual progress being made on centralisation and alignment would stall, continue or even speed up if HM is sacked?

I always find thinking about the structure of the sport, top to bottom, a depressing exercise. The current CEO, and stacking this review with two arguably unqualified and/or conflicted former players, stinks of more jobs for the boys. We were assured those days were behind us.

She was great in the last game too. Once she gets a little momentum she looks unstoppable. They need to start calling her The Juggernaut!

Loving these matches, and it’s notable that the women can pull off bone crunching tackles that stop momentum and prevent the offload while still bending at the hips. High tackles are much more of a rarity in the women’s game, so cards decide almost none of the results. I hope young players are taking their cues from the women rather than the men!

I tend to agree with HHB. There are certain players who fill me with dread for my team when they take the field, because you know they singlehandedly have the ability to turn a game. Once upon a time that was Schalk Burger, particularly towards the end of his career. Definitely Ardie Savea. A couple of years ago it was PSDT but he just hasn’t sparked that in me since his injuries. Perhaps it’s hard to stand out in an all-round great team? I would have said the way Courtney Lawes stood head and shoulders above every other player on the field, not just his own team, would have sealed his spot for me.

Also, Kriel did a better than serviceable job most of the time, though that was largely in defence because you’d have a hard time pointing to too many occasions where he unlocked defences with smart play. Doesn’t help that the Boks largely bypassed the midfield by kicking to the wings. But not too many people would have been familiar with Waisea Nayacalevu before the tournament, but I bet they are now. And like Lawes, he lifted the whole team around him.

Was going to make a comment like this if no one else did. I’d take legal actions for a preferable outcome over a constant flow of tactical penalties on your line any day.

I’m tired of the justification that high school rugby will allow players to easily slot into a professional rugby environment a decade later. Even if the program was an imitation of professional sport, any rugby skills or knowledge they had has well and truly atrophied. At the top level they should not need to teach players skills and tactics. Please stop throwing good money after bad.

How can we have alignment when the vested interests of a couple of states can roll the entire organisation?

On the other hand, I read somewhere that the AFL and NRL requires their board members to hold relevant qualifications, particularly in sports management, while RA do not and consequently have an inordinate number of former players and people without qualifications relevant to professional sport appointed to the board. Is this true? It would certainly explain how a glorified team leader from a bank became CEO.

I hope the states do roll the entire board, a properly qualified board is appointed without a single former player, and then the sport is centralised and the states are delegated an appropriate level of power to manage the non-professional aspects of the sport.

I know this won’t happen, and sadly it’s starting to feel like the death throes for the sport in Australia to me.

This is the part that gets me: “The appeal committee accepted submissions on behalf of the player that the Ireland vs England match on August 19, for which the player was voluntarily stood down, would be included as part of the sanction.”

So now players can bank non-selection to mitigate suspensions? No wonder Swinton is such a thug, all the matches he hasn’t been selected for lately will allow him to get away with just about anything!

Article missed the most important part of the ruling: “After reviewing all the evidence, questioning the player in detail and hearing submissions from the player’s representative, the Committee concluded that the Foul Play Review Officer was wrong… The Committee believe this is in contrast to the Foul Play Review Officer, who was required to make his decision in a matter of minutes without the benefit of all the additional material including hearing from the player and his legal representative.”

Should have just asked Farrell! Failing that, a call to his lawyer would have cleared things right up.

Let’s just hope the Aussie Committee have some reciprocal arrangement in place, in case Gordon shoulders someone in the head.

I would say Wright is more likely be competing with Jorgensen for the backup fullback role, while Pietsch is a more like-for-like replacement for Koroibete. Jorgensen is definitely the future, but I would personally prefer Wright for this tournament given Jorgensen is in his first professional year, has not played a test and is returning from injury. I feel for Pietsch, but he was always likely to be a casualty of limited numbers and his time will come.

I think you’re right that Petaia and Hodge play a similar role, but I can’t help but feel whatever is keeping Vunivalu in the squad has come at the expense of Hodge. Hodge has all the requisite skills and is super reliable, but was the victim of a new and confused gameplan that didn’t suit anybody in that first test. I think the Wallabies are losing more than just a utility by excluding him.

Bell was in great form, Poreki is the glue that holds the front row together, but if our top two THs are out we could struggle to get past the group stages of the WC. Frost was busy but I’m not sure we’re getting enough impact from him, and I don’t know if Skelton is being used to full effect. Valetini solid as always, and I thought Leota made his mark on the game from the moment he came on.

I see the White haters are out in force, but his passing looked so much sharper when he came on and his kicks are more accurate. I’d love to see him start with Gordon to give him more accurate service and take some of the kicking pressure off him, and then introduce McDermott’s energy in the second half. Kerevi is obviously good, but he isn’t the beast of yesteryear. And Marky Mark and Petaia are dangerous on attack but each have some frailty in defence, they stay too upright and grasp at the player rather than putting the shoulder in. We need a defensive 13, and if Ikitau isn’t fit it needs to either be Paisami or Perese. Finally, Kellaway is the smart, cool head that had been missing at the back.

Some more direct, tight forward carries, better kicking from the get go, and a new TH or two who’ll stand up and be counted, and maybe we can struggle through the coming months.

Will Stan be showing the two games mentioned above this weekend?

That’s a shame, always hate to see a player’s career quietly end.

Didn’t BPA pick up a bad injury at the end of the northern season? He would have been my first OS pick.

Yeah I would probably say Flook too, and I suspect right now it’s a combination of Hodge, Petaia and Perese, but none of those four or Walton quite have the organisation skills or defence the Wallabies have come to rely on.

I probably would have preferred a little more experimentation. There are precious few matches before the World Cup to bed some combos down and expose some rookies, and you don’t want to be doing that against the All Blacks. Holloway needed to come back in to run the lineout, glad McReight gets a chance, Nawaqanitawase was always flagged to come in but it’s a huge relief not to see Vunivalu anywhere on the team sheet. Great to see Bell and Leota returning from the bench, and I didn’t realise Philip was in the squad but it’s good to see him back too. Best of luck to Kemeny. Would have like to see Gordon get a start and Faessler definitely should’ve come in for Uelese. Also would’ve liked Talakai brought in instead of Pone but hopefully he plays a blinder for Australia A. One thing is becoming increasingly clear, should Ikitau pick up an injury there really isn’t a plan B!

Yeah, blue sky thinking for the World Cup. This weekend, considering the current squad, I’d like to see Gordon starting and Cooper rested completely, McReight starting and Hooper rested completely, Holloway starting and Kemeny on the bench, Kellaway returning from the bench and Hodge at fullback, Nawaqanitawase replacing Vunivalu until Petaia is fit, and maybe even Koroibete rested and Pietsch given a shot. We either blood these guys now and try to get the combos a little more comfortable, or risk having to do it next week against the All Blacks, or potentially during the World Cup. Worth the risk now.