Roar Rookie
Joined October 2011
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A passionate, yet moderate view on all things rugby. "grass is the basis of all rugby" Sometimes ref, sometimes coach, rubbish player and always will believe in the rugby family.
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The third Bledisloe Cup match went the way the cool heads in rugby thought it would, with the All Blacks putting the Wallabies to…
I may be cynical with the following views but this has been my rugby experience from player to referee over a 30-year career. Coaches…
With the World Cup over for Australia, the men in gold are arriving home justifiably disheartened by their failed mission and the prospect of…
Isreal Folau is the story that just keeps on giving, but let’s take another look at the issues and possible outcomes. First, what is…
We spend our time watching brilliant players. We marvel in awe of their skill on the paddock. We want to hope the skill they…
PK, I get the sense that DR is building up a culture of expectation and competition. Possibly Hooper is the only one that has an anointed position and if you’re not firing you’re not selected. DR has introduced a very high expectation of what it means to be a test player in the Wallabies. Complacency has always been a cancer in Wallaby squads. AB’s have never let that develop and when it did start to show it was stomped on TJP was a great example of it as a young player. Perhaps a “No Dickheads” type policy is now in the playing group. I love the new humble approach of this playing group, it’s a great culture to have.
TEAM CONFIRMED: McMahon on bench, Holmes becomes oldest Wallaby in pro era, Tate rested
M’Chook! Nothing, I mean nothing, is better than beating the POMs! The closer we get to this the more excited I become. The icing on this Rugby Pie is the way Rennie has moulded the squad to be humble and resolute while getting better without ego. Man I want to feel the Dawn……. 👍 👍 👍
Wallabies pre-dawn: Why learning from the Townsville win is another important step
Funny Harper said I should concentrate on mine as well.
Will there be two sets of slippers under the table at number 10?
TLN you attempting to nick my job as Harper’s Headline writer for Roar? BTW the pay sucks!
😛
Will there be two sets of slippers under the table at number 10?
Rob, It was a TEST MATCH! AB’s and Bokke were both tested. The contest was fantastic. Bokke proved that if you bash the AB’s enough in defence they crumble, passes go astray and they lack cohesion for a number of the phases. Bokke’s have been poor up until the last hit out. They have plenty to improve on and nowhere near their brutal best. Although it was not a game for the highlight reel for those who love the contest, Wow it was good. The other point worth noting is the ref prevented a lot of the little cheats which give teams the edge. The Ref showed real class and my MOTM!
'Predictable, boring and primitive' or a 'win for the Springboks'? Media reaction to Boks v All Blacks
Woah Iain, don’t get ahead of us, will you? The RA board has plenty of talent and depth in the “lets f&*%-it up department.
Three more overseas players set to join Wallabies on spring tour as Giteau Law sidestepped
Hey Chris, You should watch some games of Willie of late. Not the same player, not even close. I think Rennie will want him so much…. Not saying that the other lads had dropped the ball so to speak. But I do like the depth and competition for the spots for the men in gold! Rugby needs regular heavy-duty earthmoving type players in 4 & 5 for some games. WS has things to offer! Perhaps not for every game but I would have him in my squad.
Three more overseas players set to join Wallabies on spring tour as Giteau Law sidestepped
NB, I notice Rennie’s team tried a few different attacking options in the last bargies game. Kellaway seems to be quite popular as a optional ball player and Hodge injected on a “short cut play” for a try.
Is this Rennie working some of the old smart wallaby magic for the northern hemisphere?
Get your questions in for Issue 28 of Coach's Corner
BW, back in the day when God wore shorts! I was a damn fine 15! But as the years the went by so did the speed and I found myself looking for “easier” jobs of which none exist except for the “Lose head prop” who spends all their time on the wing without any expectation of covering the backfield. So I slowly moved by necessity to being somewhat of a pathetic lose forward leaning against the strange thing called a scrum. I have a greater expectation for young Kellaway even though his old man looks much more like a Front row piggy! (I do realise a bunch of readers are going to beat down on me! :0 )
VOTE: Wallabies player ratings from first Test vs Argentina
I thought some of the performances we capable without some of the gloss of the elite. What did stand out for me was two things, 1) Northern Hemisphere referees are closer to the law book and they are less influenced by the material effect and our obsession with keep the play moving and accept cheeky little cheats along the way. Having said that I think advantage gets stretched a little bit too much. All teams on the night struggled with their little cheats being picked up. That will help us with our EOYT and WC. Actually, I am a big fan of the POMS reff’n and the Penalty Count will come down when coaches/players adapt. 2) Rennies coaching team did a number of new attacking plays which really showed the potential of this Wallaby squad given another six months. Kellaway and Lenny (13&14) excited me the most with their ability and growing into their positions. Kellaway also showed his ball-playing skills, he reads the play well. A possible 10 in the future? Maybe.
VOTE: Wallabies player ratings from first Test vs Argentina
Yeah, it’s Geek humor! Trying for a job as a headline writer for Harper! He thinks I break the internet! 😱
Coach’s Corner Issue 27: Who is really the number one team in the world?
KCOL, Rennie has been a class act so far. Killed the “whinging!” & “every other person’s fault!” stuff. Calmed Hooper down with the refs! Being a KIWI he doesn’t have to navigate the NSW V Qld rubbish. Picks players via a quorum and they get the most of it right. Young players tried and struggled against the best, good for their ego. Gets Johnson to unpick the restrictions on getting the best players we have back. (well as many as he can anyway) Repairs the toxic culture. Now surprise surprise the team is a team and starts to function and we return to a more predictable ranking. Now he just has to win the spring tour with the new-look team and set up for a final in the RWC. We could really get behind this new rugby feeling!
Coach’s Corner Issue 27: Who is really the number one team in the world?
So Nick, back to the big question. “as Coach!” for the Bokkies, Is the key point to 1) slow the ruck time down. 2) Keep attacking in close and brutal. 3) Kick for territory and back the lineout/maul/try
Coach’s Corner Issue 27: Who is really the number one team in the world?
Sharing time with Quake Cooper and cover for 12 & 13
Coach’s Corner Issue 27: Who is really the number one team in the world?
Spew_81 a good comment in its own right. 👍
Coach’s Corner Issue 27: Who is really the number one team in the world?
Soft Let Down! Ouch….
WALLABIES TEAM: Leota the No.6 bolter, McMahon overlooked, Hodge starts and JOC on bench
TH,
Try “fittest guy in the squad, left out!”
Dave Rennie goes for line-out strength over aggression at the breakdown.
Geek needs a new job! Headline writer for Roar Rugby! 😂
WALLABIES TEAM: Leota the No.6 bolter, McMahon overlooked, Hodge starts and JOC on bench
PK, Is McMahon really just a 7 and we are just searching for a position to put him in? (Rugby Australia’s greatest pastime!) Perhaps just have him as a great finisher / Hooper cover.
WALLABIES TEAM: Leota the No.6 bolter, McMahon overlooked, Hodge starts and JOC on bench
PK, what is so fantastic about your post is…. The depth and choice DR is starting to get. How good is that….. BTW McMahon had a “negative” placed against him in the Deans and Cheika era over his size (Kgs). In close with the Bargies, Hooper and McMahon could be seen as a little light on in the big cattle with the ball in hand department irrespective of the “fight in the dog” argument.
WALLABIES TEAM: Leota the No.6 bolter, McMahon overlooked, Hodge starts and JOC on bench
PK, Truly insightful! It’s been a long time since the Wallabies were known for their technical/tactical play. I do feel for Hodge, he has been the fix-it man at a cost to his own career. I would like him to have a second go at FB to see if he can own it for a bit. I just love the long boot. It really hammered the SA positional play. But, in saying that selection also needs to be ruthless in who earns the right to wear the gold jersey. BTW have you enjoyed the lack of QLD V NSW selection bias chatter. For me, it’s just beautiful silence. 😊
A bullet pass from a lock, and other wonders from the Wallabies’ Brisbane win
Piru,
I think the Bokks needs less change and better focus. The box kick will just hurt them as we did them last weekend. But the Kiwis have a defensive weakness close to the ruck. Big Saffies running channel 1 will cause a bunch of problems for the Blacks. I think their best chance is to grid it out in close and make the Ab’s play their game. Because if they don’t the Saffies could go for a 50 pointer against.
NZ reaction: All Blacks take 'physically fearless but mentally fragile' Boks No.1 ranking. Is their dignity next?
The Bok’s very existence as a unit is now clearly on the line. They are wounded and angry with themselves. The more times they watch the replay of Saturday’s game the more determined they will be. On the other hand, our across-the-ditch mates, who are possibly the better all-round team have clear deficiencies. If you had the gig for Saffies, what are the key pillars on your game plan to bring down the AB’s.
Get your questions in for Issue 27 of Coach's Corner
Tony, So an improving Wallaby side, just dakked the Bokkies! To me, it’s a bit like nicking a game off the ABs! You do so at your peril. The Bok’s very existence as a unit is now clearly on the line. They are wounded and angry with themselves. The more times they watch the replay of Saturday’s game the more determined they will be. On the other hand, our across-the-ditch mates, who are possibly the better all-round team have clear deficiencies in the 10-20 defensive ruck space. FDK will be let loose to exploit that with some very big wildebeest targeting the D pillars with a very unsophisticated approach of getting around their man! (straight over the top) The Bok Scrum needs Marx in the run-on side, scrum, lineout, and the old ruthlessness will find its home. If the Bokkies hold onto the ball and kick for territory they will force the AB’s to clear to touch when trapped in their own 22. They have a good show of attacking at lineout time. NZ has a dangerous level of confidence and these guys will be up for redemption. Personally, I am loving the prospect of this game.
NZ reaction: All Blacks take 'physically fearless but mentally fragile' Boks No.1 ranking. Is their dignity next?
PK coached more than one game where the stats guy burst my balloon! Wallabies key performances where based around 1) maul defence diffused tries that would have seen the Boks win “IF” they had scored. 2) Wallaby passing accuracy and speed was a big step up, which made them very hard to stop in attack. 3) Locks, Our guys were the serial pests at the brake downs in both attack and defence. 4) If you follow my logic the team that loses the Penalty Count win the game. Exactly why? (thats another story)
But what I did notice, we looked and played more like the AB’s than we have for a long time. Given DR is as good as I believe, the WB’s are going to worry AB’s far more than the rest of the world as we get back on our feet at world ranking of 2/3 going into the RWC. All I hope is that RA can bring in the last of the outliers home to be in our RWC squad. Skelton in particular excites me. McMahon will be good to see in the next week or two against the Argies. That will bring Swinton and other losies into hard focus on the way they play. The same way Quade and Samu have the backline. Hunter may not get a game again until the Spring tour mid-week games. Noah may not get another game this RC especially when JOC comes up to speed.
What becomes of the broken Bokke on the tour from hell?
Dave Rennie is demonstrating a level of wisdom not seen in our coaches for a while now. Tate gets a break and will work super hard on his pass, Jake Gordon has the reward of a “chance”, Quake and James show continues. Hodgey gets a chance to build and JP has a chance to get some game time experience (I hope he doesn’t try too hard and bomb it!). Loose forwards need to be vigorous and aggressive! McMahon adds pressure and Swinton will need to really work on his game. Samu gets a reward! Looking to see if he can cement a spot! I suspect his lineout performance will be the area he needs to focus on! Swain has been rewarded and Philip will need to keep out of the refs gaze for a bit now. The Proping department seems ok and nothing like giving a chance to someone who earned it. HOOKER is my only concern, so there is still work to do. Best Wishes go to MK as he gets with the new family.
TEAM CONFIRMED: McMahon on bench, Holmes becomes oldest Wallaby in pro era, Tate rested