Roar Rookie
Joined August 2014
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The proverbial Wallabies, Waratahs, Easts (Roosters), Swans tragic.
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On Saturday night, I revisited the SCG to see rugby for the first time in ages. Well done on the promotion of the heritage…
Watching the NSW Waratahs this year has created a few long moments for reflection on the team's obvious troubles. As the Aucklanders continually bent…
Reading Spiro's piece on the attributes of Michael Cheika, I couldn't help but agree with at least one of the sentiments that Mr Cheika…
Putting aside the Wallabies' win over the Blacks, which was simply excellent, one of the most noticeable bits of the construction puzzle has been…
Well, here we are at the run in to the finals and lo, the Rebels are genuinely in the mix after their stunning win…
Do some coaches influence the performance and motivation of players better than others? This question came to mind recently when considering the relative performances…
Well, amidst all the chatter about the timing of Kurtley Beale coming off the bench, two very nice points should be made. The first…
Even McKenzie should have been dancing jigs as Michael Cheika developed his team through the winter. What an inheritance! Not only were they winning,…
Kurtley Beale you added a lot to rugby over the years. Thank you and all the best in France.
Kurtley Beale leaving Waratahs for French rugby
Not sure if anybody noticed … Japan was in front of Scotland in the world rankings before this game. And the result leapfrogged them over France to number 7 … only one behind Australia’s number 6 ranking. Such a joyous team playing the sort of passing footie Mr Chieka dreams about.
Japan into RWC quarter-finals after beating Scotland 28-21
Pretty good article. My little group agreed on two basic things re this performance.
First, the Tahs seemed to think turning up was enough. They really didn’t go to work that night. The lack of support for the Jake G bust mentioned was an example. A bigger one was probably the lack of support for the Kurtley B bust. Looking around, he saw no friends but four foes. Ant then there was the poor defence. Enough said.
Second, the performance seemed to lack brain power. The waste of Taqele N with those pointless hit ups in the middle where he was easily double tagged was the biggest example. Once or twice, maybe. But the entire crowd saw he needed to be out wide where he has been devestating.
22 blot in the second half. Not even close.
The Waratahs' pointless performance begs questions
Can’t help but see the irony of white Christians taking their faith to Polynesia and then some of the white people changed their minds about gays.
Took a while to spread said faith and maybe it’ll take a while to spread the change of mind too.
The Folau case is a public relations disaster for Qantas and Rugby Australia
On the Nathan Grey issue, I went to all the Waratahs home games and was continually frustrated by the number of tries scored against us from overlaps. I think this is a problem with the Wallabies too.
We don’t seem to score tries this way very much so it would seem most of the other defensive systems are superior to ours.
Years ago the ARU brought in John Muggleton to fix the defence. Maybe it’s time for another leage expert.
Let's face the facts, the Wallabies were walloped by the All Blacks
Thanks for this article. I’ve been mumbling into my beard for a few weeks on why the Shute shield season doesn’t run to September like the NRL and the AFL. I suppose the NRC can fill a gap though it’s a pity for all the other players of lesser talent and all ages that they don’t get to run around after mid winter.
Anyway, the piece of the article I found most tantalising is the matchup between the Canberra and NSW country backs. Just excellent and surprising no one picked Country as they have some genuine scoring potential out there.
NRC Round 2: The prodigal Wallabies return
An excellent article. Thank you. Though I don’t agree with its entirety, the theses is well put.
Cheika's premature appointment hurt him and the Wallabies
Very much like this story and can’t think of a single reason to slag off at JOC. I wouldn’t be in the least surprised to see him follow a Matt Giteau type trajectory in a couple of years. Or maybe he will become an artist. Either way no harm is done to anyone else.
Once-in-a-generation O'Connor is a loss to Australian rugby
A quick one to say thanks for the work you’ve put into this. To paraphrase a world backgammon champion, if you’re not right in your selections and order, you’re not wrong by much.
Rugby's Top 100: 20-11
We’ve watched the Blacks being able to field two quality teams for years, with the ability to rotate half a dozen players in and out. Never seen it done before with the Wallabies and am absolutely chuffed to see it now.
Basically, if the forward selections work, Michael Chieka will have two forward game plans at his disposal.
Will they work? The pack looks a lot like the style of pack used by the Waratahs for the last two seasons – big ball runners and aggressive defenders – which was pretty successful in NZ. Beating the Hurricanes in Wellington was similarly daunting to beating the Blacks in Aukland.
As for the backs, the only real gamble is Quade Cooper and if he lives up to Michael Chieka’s hopes the backline is formidable in offence and pretty large in defence.
This is the biggest Wallaby team I can recollect. Not a bad option for a wet track on foreign soil.
Michael Cheika's Russian roulette selections for Eden Park
Never seen an analysis like this so thanks for that.
The obvious question to a non South African is whether it applies to rugby coaches generally or whether it is a SA phenomenon. And whether it applies to other games.
A few local examples come to mind of coaches who came good in two or three years and then flattened. Darren Lehman in cricket, Wayne Bennett at St George, Michael Chieka at the Waratahs for that matter. By contrast, there have been some great long run coaches and Steve Hansen is as good an example as any. Mind you, Wayne Bennett at the Broncos and Craig Bellamy at the Storm also fit the bill.
But there is something intuitively appealing that your premise applies more broadly than to South African rugby.
In either case, it might seem you could do well to put Jake White back in two years time. The best of both worlds.
The stats suggest Meyer's peak as Springboks coach is long gone
Quite like that the Wallabies can actually make 7 changes without putting a second string team on the field.
It wasn’t so long ago that many fewer changes to the starting 15 would really debilitate the team.
I suppose the fact of five provincial sides has added to the talent pool. And better injury management perhaps.
Wallabies team to play Argentina: Cheika rings the changes
There’s been quite a bit of chat about ‘Hooper of Pocock’ of late.
The presence of both on the field together was great on the weekend and it seems obvious both should be in the starting 15.
A main point is that Pocock weights in at 115kgs.
That’s a good deal bigger than Higginbotham or McCalman. Bigger by the same margin than McCaw for that matter.
Michael Chieka likes big players and I reckon Pocock and Hooper are a lock for next weekend.
It also wouldn’t surprise to see a gargantuan winger on the Wallaby edge either.
The Roar's Wallaby selections were right on the money
Anyone else think this is all a bit bizarre? Having no inside information, I assume the column written by Georgina Robinson is as close to the truth as any in the public domain.
Based on that, it seems no one was assaulted, no one was driving under the influence, no one took a bribe or bet on a game and the issue is around the customs of communication and there could be some damning rudeness in there too.
So, the process to adjudicate includes appointing a judge after a verdict of sorts has been issued from on high in the form of a suspension from all forms of rugby.
An odd process.
Beale facing Wallabies sack over texts
In the final bits of the Africans test and the Eden Park disappointment, the Wallabies looked good when the forward subs came on and when the Phipps, Foley, Beale combination was playing in their franchise positions.
This backs combination seems to me to be a no-brainier for at least half the game. Seven minutes is not long enough.
As for the forwards and totally from left field, what about reinventing James Slipper as a number 8? He carries and tackles well, and is big. He seems to cover the ground well too and would be better for not having to spend so much energy in the scrum
Kurtley Beale the difference as McKenzie finally gets his selections right
Hi all
This was my first post and I read all the comments with interest. Thank you for your ideas. Taking the feedback into account, this might be the Wallaby team.
Slipper, Polota-Nau, Kepu … Robinson on the bench in case of scrum problems
Skelton, the other is your pick, but someone big and aggressive and who can call line outs please … Scrums don’t tend to go backwards when Skelton is in them
Hooper, Palu, Hodgson … Palu is bigger than the other contenders
Phipps, Foley
Beale, Ashley-Cooper … or Toomua for Beale in the first half if you prefer
Horne, Folau, Kerindrani … or Tomane for Horne if you like
So, there’s a team, quite a good one
Work out Wallaby woes with Waratahs
Just thinking NSW for a moment, there seems to be a ruling group who hanker for the amateur days when the best in the GPS comp could wear sky blue with a few pros to toughen up the team. Though the second half of that equation seems to have been forgotten in 2021.
Only once in 25 years has NSW won super rugby and it took a coach recruiting a team based on professionalism.
Frankly, if the amateur administrators leave the Waratahs alone, fine by me as a spectator. If they insist on their boys being on the team, well … we know how that goes.
And for goodness sake, can we please recruit some players the next tier down from the State of Origin Penrith boys? What suburb players … and selections aren’t racially based either.
Is rugby really a classist and elitist sport?