Roar Pro
Joined February 2008
7.9k
Views
2
Published
277
Comments
Published
Comments
Many of us have applauded Michael Hooper’s play at 7 for the Waratahs and Wallabies during the last two years. He rarely has a bad game and his style of play certainly fits the bill required by Michael Cheika and Ewen McKenzie.
At the beginning of June, Robbie Deans anointed James O’Connor as his Test 10 and all must have seemed right with the world for the man we call JOC. Fast forward six weeks and the garden is no longer rosy.
My thought to beat this English defensive system is to drive up the middle, picking and driving, inside where they station their defensive pods. Hammer it for 5, 6, 7 phases until you have displaced the wider defensive pods and back peddle that fast moving defensive line enough times that they get used to not coming up and then move it wide, seeking the wider channels. Mind you it also requires all your forwards to work in tight, picking, driving, cleaning out, being driven and directed by the halfback. The result is you disorganize the defence and create opportunities at worst, or splinter the defence and create better opportunities at best ….. or you earn penalties.
The New England way: The John Mitchell defence
A smokey for LH Prop could well be big Harry from the Tahs. I am expecting him to have a real good year.
Wallabies misery means more at stake in Super Rugby
No Rodda mentioned ….. for me he is our first lock picked …. he is good in the loose, his set piece is good and he is rapidly becoming a defensive lineout specialist.
Wallabies misery means more at stake in Super Rugby
I noticed against both Ireland and France that England are running “blockers” that appear to my eye to be outright obstruction. I have also wondered why the ref, ARs or TMO cannot see them.
Will England rule the world in 2019?
Nope. So much depends on the forwards winning ball, securing ball and gaining the ad line with quick presentation. Otherwise the vaunted backs, including Cooper, will be on the backfoot all season and go nowhere fast.
Super Rugby 2019 preview series: Melbourne Rebels
Good call on Pocock. I am wondering if that neck issue will see him play bugger all rugby this year. Am also expecting every team to target him at the RWC. Hope not but this year could well be the last for Pocock.
Super Rugby 2019 preview series: ACT Brumbies
Wright ?? No one mentions him. Does no one rate him??
Super Rugby 2019 preview series: ACT Brumbies
I agree with Rugby Wizard in that losing Godwin will hurt, especially in defence. I will say the backline defence will struggle this year without Godwin.
Super Rugby 2019 preview series: ACT Brumbies
I think these 2 tests have cleared the murky water. A long shot prediction but I see the Ashes squad as:
Batsmen – Smith, Warner, Burns, Khwaja, Head (vc), Patterson, Pucovski, Handscombe (also back up keeper)
Bowlers – Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Hazelwood, Richardson, Tremain, plus another spinner who could be anyone
Wicketkeeper – Paine (c)
I have deliberately left blank a couple of spots for late season form, smokies etc.
Burns and Head cement Ashes spots
Well it had to happen and you can only say he has brought it upon himself. He is a worse offender than Todd Carney.
In addition, the Super League has closed the door to him going back there.
Seems like the young man might have to sign up for Centrelink.
So much talent wasted. However, he is not the first and will not be the last.
"Find a new vocation": Barba officially deregistered by the NRL
My read of the game was that Ireland actually had the better of the first half and except for the handling error just before half time that allowed England to take the lead, Ireland were slightly predictable were hitting softer in defence but were also causing the England defence quite a few jitters.
You can put England’s first try down to a bonehead play by Toner. The Irish defence has Vunipola No 8 held up and going nowhere. Toner ignores adding his body to holding the man up, wrapping up the ball, and moves to get back into the line (that was a robot play), meanwhile Vunipola with his arms free off loads, England spin it and May scores. Should never have got that far.
Itoje gets off what should have been a yellow card, taking out a player in the air while nowhere near the ball. England being down a man for another 10 minutes might well have cooked their goose.
Give England their due their second half was very good but I also reckon Ireland started to panic a little, and yes they did at times look predictable and robotic.
Farrell is still standing a mile offside. Why can’t the AF help out the man in the middle? England’s scrum did not look all that solid but I suppose they did enough.
I thought Stockdale had a great first half. He was wearing 11 but seemed to be playing 13.
Predictable Ireland bore themselves into a shock defeat by England
Fair enough comment Carlos but what about the loss of Sanchez?
Unpacking Super Rugby: South African conference
Agree Jeznez but they seem to be leaving it late
Karmichael Hunt to make Waratahs debut in trial
Yeah I agree Hoy. I cannot say I disagree with this decision, although we do not know who disagreed with whom and about which attacking philosophies they disagreed. Clear as mud.
However or whatever, Larkham was the attack coach and he clearly could not coach what he played.
The Brumbies displayed very little attacking skill when Larkham was head coach, relying on mauls to score tries and the Wallaby attack has gone backwards under his attack tenure.
Stephen Larkham sacked as Wallabies assistant coach
Yeah there is video footage and on the surface that would appear clear however as with everything there are extenuating circumstances.
Apparently both BB and his wife had been drinking at the casino for 7 hours prior. But aspects of that just raise more questions.
I have seen a report where BB’s wife has asked for him not to be sacked. Why I have no idea.
The CCTV apparently shows BB throwing rocks at his wife.
I don’t condone any of that behaviour and I agree with the Cowboys decision to terminate his contract simply because he has displayed prior bad behaviour and his contract no doubt stated he had to be totally clean and well behaved.
If there are to be any more charges come out of this incident then so be it but I suggest that BB has been sacked because he breached his contract conditions and as far as the Cowboys are concerned that is the end of the matter.
Cowboys sack Ben Barba for 'significant' breach of contract
I would suggest that Patterson’s performance means he has locked Wade out of the 6 position and long term Patterson will be 3. Also Pucovski’s potential and youth also lock Wade out of a test 12. Pucovski will be the reserve bat and long term 6 replacement.
I reckon Wade’s time has been and gone no matter what he does.
Patterson ton a welcome addition to Ashes intrigue
Michael Wells is currently playing for the Oz Sevens team ….. is he coming back to the Tahs or is he making a play for the Olympics?
Karmichael Hunt to make Waratahs debut in trial
Yep, 15 kgs means a whole new wardrobe ….. I’m thinking its a beat up. But I also agree that GI should seriously consider retirement. I reckon he will struggle this year, chiefly because many of those opponents he used to fend off are faster and just as big now.
Greg Inglis set to miss first two NRL games
Nick I don’t think we need to look for an individual player to spark things. I reckon we just need a change of focus on our attacking skills, where to stand, where/when to run, have people actually running onto the ball, passes out in front, no one standing static when the ball comes, people running offering over and under lines, no hail mary passes on the way to ground, etc etc …… we seem to have lost all those skills and that is the fault of coaching.
Who will be the King in the North in 2019?
Yeah I would put money on a Farrell sit down at the RWC for a ‘no arms’ tackle. If anything is a sure thing, that is.
What the Rugby World Cup contenders need in 2019
Nah Jacko you got there …. Lienert-Brown at 12 and Goodhue at 13 with Laumape on the bench …. yep I reckon that is the correct path, although if you swap Laumape and ALB around then I would not argue.
I reckon 10 is of greater importance …. Hansen will no doubt give Barrett the first call but he has a REAL serious contender in Ritchie snapping at his heels, also arguably a better game manager.
What the Rugby World Cup contenders need in 2019
Hmmm your conference finishing order confuses me. I reckon the Jaguares without Sanchez and Ledesma will revert and finish last.
I reckon 3rd and 4th will be fought out between the Lions and Bulls. The Lions will struggle for set piece ball and the Bulls will rely on forwards for position and Pollard for penalties.
1st and 2nd will come down to a battle between the Stormers and Sharks with I reckon the Stormers having too much experience and depth in the end.
However, most tellingly the four SA teams could take so many points off each other that only the conference winner will make the playoffs.
Unpacking Super Rugby: South African conference
If Starc can get his swinging Yorker operating he will be very effective in England
Richardson stars on Test debut
Top 5 in the Brownlow? You sure? He played bugger all games.
Ross Lyon finally has the cattle to score more, so let's see it
Jed Holloway impressed me. He has a way bigger engine than I thought he had, played strongly the whole 80 minutes. He should be the Wallaby 8.
Hunt played well, AAC for me looked slow but he did a lot of talking in defence, organizing.
Rory O’Connor looked the goods, not so sure about Talakai but both did ok.
Send Latu back to club land. He has learnt nothing discipline wise and his throwing was terrible.
A vast improvement in defence from the Tahs but still some very sloppy handling issues.
There's a lot to like about the Waratahs, but the bad elements are still bad