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Scott has been a rugby contributor with The Roar since 2013. After taking some time out to pursue other roles in the game, including coaching Premier Grade with University of Queensland and the Wallaroos at the recent World Cup, he’s returned to give us his insights. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottA_ to hear more from him.
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With the Wallabies unbeaten in seven matches, Bledisloe 1 in early August seems like a distant memory. The team's defensive performance in the first…
Last week I wrote about the Wallabies' continued struggles with their basic skills. There were some really interesting comments on that article but unfortunately…
I hope so but some comments from Michael Cheika this week worry me. There are very few successful organisations in history that haven’t had…
Mark Ella is a legend of Australian Rugby and when I picked my best Wallabies team for The Roar in 2014, I chose Ella…
Michael Cheika was sure they didn’t when he was interviewed early in the second half of the recent Test in Canberra against Argentina. When…
The first match of this year's Rugby Championship, in Sydney, was one of the most painful I've watched the Wallabies play – the performance…
Hello everyone at The Roar – it's been a while since you've heard from me! No, I haven't been writing anywhere else, but I…
And so ends 2014 from a rugby point of view in Australia, and what a tumultuous year it was! My first experience of rugby…
As coach of the Waratahs, that is. Not because I believe that Michael Cheika has any conflict of interest in coaching both teams - purely…
While the Wallabies suffered another loss against Ireland, it was their best performance on this tour. In all areas, apart from the scrum and…
I didn't think the Wallabies could take any further steps backwards - but against France they somehow managed to do so. One of the…
It was always likely that the Wallabies would struggle in their first Test under a new coach, particularly given that the coaching change came…
When Robbie Deans was shown the door after the British and Irish Lions series in 2013, Ewen McKenzie had two weeks with the Wallabies squad to…
Ignoring what happened after fulltime in the third Bledisloe Cup match between the Wallabies and All Blacks, it was a pretty good night for…
Kurtley Beale will face an independent code of conduct tribunal next week over ARU allegations he sent "highly inappropriate and deeply offensive text messages…
This week I had the pleasure of going back in detail over the Springboks match against the All Blacks two weeks ago - it…
I don't think the Wallabies loss to Argentina on the weekend was as bad as those against Scotland and Samoa in recent years. The…
After the Wallabies loss to the Springboks on the weekend, let's examine what constitutes a good outcome - should it be judged on wins and…
In a positive sign for the NRC, Brisbane City have defeated Queensland Country 29-13 in front of a very strong crowd at Ballymore. The…
A couple of weeks ago comments on one of my articles moved to the topic of how to balance selections in a team based…
Should also add that the expanded program has included a squad of 50 players we selected late last year who have been (and still are) in the Super Rugby gyms around the country working through a national S&C program in addition to the coaches getting around the country to run training sessions with the girls and watch them play.
Women's sport weekly wrap: Where are the women in rugby?
Hi Mary – good to see the clarification on the Tests we’re playing this year before the World Cup.
There are lots of other things going on in the background that are also positive.
You’ll have seen the news earlier this year about Vodafone joining Buildcorp as sponsors of the Wallaroos. Together with some extra ARU funding we’ve been able to expand on the program we had last year.
To confirm, here’s the Wallaroos program for 2017:
* May 11-14 Nationals at Runaway Bay, Gold Coast – 28 member squad selected shortly thereafter;
* June 2-18 Three Tests in New Zealand – we’re playing England, New Zealand & Canada (the top three teams in the world). The tour includes a week before the first match which we’ll use as a camp;
* Mid-July 28 member squad selected for WRWC;
* July 30-August 29 In Ireland for the WRWC which includes 10 days before our first match for preparation in camp.
The opportunities to be in camp and tour before the WRWC will help us build on what we did last year. The improvement we saw from the first test to the second test in 2016 just by having time together was really positive so we’re aiming for further improvement this year based on the expanded program.
Women's sport weekly wrap: Where are the women in rugby?
Well done Paddy – was a pleasure working with you and I also enjoyed reading your stuff
A long time in sport: Reflecting on the best of the last three years
Thanks for the article Conan.
Love watching NFL and all the tactical variations. Your article explained a coupe of points for me really well.
Spent some time yesterday working on some tactical rugby plans for this season and your article gave me some new ideas.
Hayne and the Chip Kelly offense
I have no doubt Heeno could step up to Super Rugby level. I’ve seen first hand how he gets the best out of players, both professional and amateur.
He has coached three of the last five premierships in Brisbane and has coached a large number of the Reds squad.
He works in a high level management position and has three young kids but I think could be persuaded to take on a professional rugby role.
SPIRO: Richard Graham's reign of error at the Reds should end
Hi Digger and Rob
It’s great to see a discussion like this.
One thing I will comment on is the LH not popping their shoulder out.
Very few good LH’s pop their shoulder out. It is a much stronger position to keep your shoulder in behind the hooker which reduces the possibility of the opposition TH being able to split the LH away from the hooker.
It also sets the LH up on an angle in which given the natural offset of the starting position is necessary if the LH is to get the back of their head under the sternum of the opposition TH (which is the ultimate aim of a LH). As a result very few good LH’s actually scrummage straight.
This is also what creates the head to head situation that referees pull scrums up for.
So, while the law says players must push straight, that’s not what happens in reality. This is what most teams do – it’s just that some do it better than others.
This is the classic case of coaches and players doing what they can get away with even though it’s not playing to the laws. At a coaching seminar last year Andrew Blades confirmed that’s what he coached the Wallabies to do (as confirmed by the video here showing Slipper doing the same).
The opposite is true for a TH, who wants to stay as square as possible to counter the pesky LH angling in, so they always pop their shoulder out.
Scrumma-mogram: Wallabies scrum (Part 1)
Good thoughts.
I think the ‘Games For Understanding’ thing is a bit overdone. It needs to be balanced with a prescriptive approach or the technical nuances are not properly developed. That is one of the problems in Australian rugby – poor technique.
Your third point is spot on.
A curriculum for Australian rugby
My pack with reserves in brackets would be:
1. Slipper (Sio)
2. Moore (TPN)
3. Kepu (Holmes)
4. Simmons (Carter)
5. Have to pick someone but no-one is standing out – certainly not Skelton, certainly not Horwill – probably move Simmons to 5 and Carter to 4 with Arnold on the bench
6. Fardy
7. Pocock (Hooper)
8. McCalman
Select for size must be the Wallabies' World Cup scrum mantra
The keys to the scrum in order of importance are:
1. Attitude
2. Individual body position
3. Coordinating the angles (both horizontal and vertical) between all members of the pack
4. Coordinating the timing between all members of the pack
5. Individual technique
6. Size
It all starts with 1. Attitude – not just to how to scrummage but in accepting the importance of scrums in our game and the right attitude to selections.
Items 3 and 4 above generate the power but you are correct that power means little if it can’t be transferred to the opposition, hence item 2 above is so important.
The Argentinians are the best example of how size is actually not that relevant.
It is simply not true that a big player with good technique will beat a smaller player with similarly good technique.
Select for size must be the Wallabies' World Cup scrum mantra
Disorganized, not following game plan (I happen to know there is one which suggest players don’t believe in it), poor execution of basic skills (the A. Faingaa pass over the touch line was telling) and unlucky with injuries.
But overall, terrible. Position on table is a genuine reflection of where they are at the moment.
SPIRO: Michael Cheika needs to leave the Waratahs now
Hi Spiro
Agree that Cheika must resign from Waratahs as I did last year http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/12/03/michael-cheika-must-resign-poor-eoyt/
The Wallabies need 100% of his time dedicated to them. It was a bad decision from ARU and Cheika at the time to think this dual role would work.
On the halftime chat I don’t consider it cheating but agree it must be a breach of the code of conduct. Very poorly handled by SANZAR.
SPIRO: Michael Cheika needs to leave the Waratahs now
James O’Connor is a decent #10. Just can’t be thrown into that position at test level like he was v Lions and expect a dominant performance.
Duncan Paia’aua not available due to concussion and Jake McIntyre out for some time with a shoulder injury so neither of them were options anyway.
Hunt as second play maker from fullback gives the team more options.
The right selections made by Richard Graham.
O'Connor and Thomson named to debut for Reds
Thanks Peter for refereeing our great game. I tried it once and will never go back (not that the players in that match would want me back anyway!).
You guys have a thankless task but without you, there would be no game.
Well done, and enjoy the retirement 🙂
Thanks for the memories, it's been a pleasure refereeing rugby
Absolutely Rickety. The best thing that has happened in Australian Rugby since … the ARC (if the costs had been controlled).
Already we are seeing the benefits of players who went ahead in leaps and bounds in last year’s competition. The benefits will be seen this year and in coming years.
The naysayers will keep bleating but this competition is here to stay.
The knock-on effect of the National Rugby Championship
Really good initiative Ben. Hope everyone gets behind the charities you choose.
BEN DALEY: 'Be great, Do good' - Bringing positivity back to rugby
Thanks Spiro, an interesting piece.
I went to a coaching session with Robbie Deans in 2010 where he repeated almost word for word the first two paragraphs you quote from Wendy Buswell about space on a rugby field.
Reading it in her words is much more useful than hearing it from Deans.
He expanded further and turned the concept into the most complicated discussion on rugby I’ve ever heard. There were a small number of coaches there that day and when Deans had finished many of us were turning to each other in bewilderment.
He illustrated his thoughts on a whiteboard and I wrote down what we’d been told. To this day, every time I happen to look at my notes I shake my head in amazement that any coach would ever try to explain the concept in that way to any player. I’ve certainly never tried to use his explanation as I expect players may laugh at it.
The message Ms. Buswell obviously conveyed to Deans got well and truly lost in translation.
SPIRO: Australian rugby needs some of 'that spatial shit'
Maybe – I may start my doing a compilation of previous technical articles I’ve written
FAREWELL ROAR: Bickering a symptom of troubled times
Thanks everyone. I’ve just come in from pre-season training. Before I left the computer I was overwhelmed by the response but now I’m blown away.
I really appreciate all the comments. I’m not going to reply to each and every one but I want you to know that I read every word of every comment up to this point.
When the guys at The Roar asked me to write an article detailing my reasons rather than just leave quietly or make a passing reference, they hoped that my decision might be a catalyst for improving the place and may encourage some people to walk into the room of mirrors and take a good look at themselves.
I sense that they were right and I’m glad I put my reasons out there and hope some good will come from that.
FAREWELL ROAR: Bickering a symptom of troubled times
Thanks Spiro. As I’ve said elsewhere the experience at The Roar has overall been positive for me.
I joined The Roar because I felt it was the best fan based site in Australia and I still believe that.
All the best to you too.
FAREWELL ROAR: Bickering a symptom of troubled times
Thanks Paddy – it has been a pleasure for me too working with you. Thanks for your support.
FAREWELL ROAR: Bickering a symptom of troubled times
Thanks Garth, I’ll take that one “the Mark Ella of rugby writers” 🙂
FAREWELL ROAR: Bickering a symptom of troubled times
Thanks Tristan – I’m glad you got in touch in the first place.
It has been a positive experience overall for me here at The Roar and I leave on a high seeing all the supportive comments posted here.
FAREWELL ROAR: Bickering a symptom of troubled times
Hi Mary
The Test program and the announcement of Vodafone as sponsors received pretty good media coverage in the mainstream media and through the ARU in February so hopefully the message was seen by most people.
Women's sport weekly wrap: Where are the women in rugby?