@Lachie

Yes agree mate but …..Rennie has picked another poor 23 for Ireland imo.

They will get hammered tonight with Foley, Paisami, Wright, Robertson, Fainga’a, Petaia selected again. And no Hodge in the 23 either.

Rennie appears to have totally lost the plot on Flyhalf, Centre and Hooker positions with either non Test standard players preferred, and/or no attempt to develop good backup.

After another heavy loss to Ireland likely tonight another loss to Wales is likely next week imo.
That’ll be 1 from 5 on this tour, nobody developed except Mark N, and the RWC looks bleak.

@Tim

Yes agree he’s lost the plot on Hooker too.
Porecki is the best we have and also nothing great.

I thought the guy from Force, Kaitu’u, was worth developing but he didn’t even make the tour squad.

QC is unlikely to return so WBs are stuck with Foley now – and he’s not even Test standard. Ditto at Centre with Paisami. Aust has Kerevi (great but not often available) and an injured Foketi – that’s it at centre.

WBs have a better Centre than both Paisami and Foketi in Hodge but he’s not picked either.

WBs will get flogged by Ireland today, will probably lose to Wales next week and the RWC looks bleak.

Good thing I’m also an AB fan 👍

@Matt

good article – thanks for posting 😊

As a WB fan I can’t see them progressing past quarter final at 2023 RWC and then Rennie and Eddie will be off contract.

I’m hoping Eddie returns to head coach position with WBs and RA should pay whatever he wants imo 👍

ABs are still a good chance of winning 2023 RWC imo but appears likely Razor will be their next coach at some stage.

@Tim

Late comment 😂

As always major responsibility lies with the players imo.
But the coaches/selectors must choose the right players.

I’m a Rennie fan and think he’s improved the WBs forwards particularly.
Game plans are better and WB kicking game has greatly improved imo.
With all their best players on feild WBs are now sometimes a top 5 in world team.

But Rennie is not perfect obviously and I think he’s made a few mistakes.
He’s lost the plot on both Flyhalf and Centre positions imo.

Repeatedly selecting Foley and Paisami are major errors imo.
Doing nothing significant to develop Test quality young flyhalfs is another error.
And backrow balance is rarely good either with continued selection of the passive Hanigan.

I’m not suggesting Aust has a better alternative coach though.
And RA have repeated the same stupid error in agreeing to let the coach be sole selector.
Bring back the selection panel of 3 I say.

Meanwhile, both Fozzie and Eddie are hanging on by skin of their teeth 😂

Yes probably right Nick and we need that to change also 👍

@Deano

Under normal circumstances your 3 reasons would be right but….. the current lack of quality Aust flyhalfs is anything but normal.

Have you noticed Aust has only 1 good Test flyhalf – and QC is seriously injured and 34 – so unlikely to successfully return.

For 6 years WBs have desperately needed 2-3 excellent Test flyhalfs.
And we’ve been asleep at the wheel the whole time imo.
So fully blooding Donaldson on this tour was essential imo.

Lolesio and Donaldson should have played every game on this tour.
Donaldson should have got 60-80 mins against Italy and they should have brought Edmed also 👍

@Rhys

Well I think you know more about rugby than D. Mitchell 😂

As has been proved many times, just cos someone has played 50+ Tests doesn’t mean they are a good rugby analyst, or coach. Mitchell mainly just uses his platform to talk up his failed old mates like KB and Foley – plus anyone from NSW.

Rennie is neither and being a Kiwi he was always going to be on Mitchell’s hit list. He’ll soon be talking up Coleman as next WB coach.

While injuries play a big part I do think developing combinations is important and WBs are not good enough to play a B team against any nation in top 15 in world and expect to win. So taking that poor WB squad against Italy at home was very big risk imo – and they payed the price.

I also think Rennie has managed Donaldson and Lolesio poorly so far. Donaldson was thrown to the wolves with 5 mins against Italy. It was pointless and will only have stunted his progress. I also think Rennie has lost the plot on the flyhalf selections. Foley has been a dud since 2016 and there’s been no attempt to properly develop 2-3 good new flyhalfs.

Given the WB lack of confidence, and poor results in 2022, the Italy squad should have been picked to win imo. If they got more injuries to key players so be it. They were never a realistic chance of beating Ireland anyway and a 50/50 for Wales. So Rennie’s risk failed and WBs are now looking at a 1 from 5 result from this northern tour.

Then watch Mitchell and co pull out the knives for Rennie.

@Harry

Yes a brutal game to be sure and the score was close which created tension until the end.

But as usual I thought the spectacle was ruined by SA who, as usual, played 10 man rugby and kicked the leather of it.

I’m increasingly weary of Faf de Klerk 😔
And outside of SA, everyone was happy to see France win.

@Nick

ok another great article.
I was a big Larkham fan and am dismayed to see such a demise in WB flyhalf play.

I’m not expecting QC to return successfully from injury.
And his Test career was ruined by Cheika (same as he did to many fine players) and then B Thorn.

Foley could never be trusted to run an attack well from 2016.
Lolesio is the best WB flyhalf currently available but he’s obviously not trusted by the coaches, nor was JoC.

Donaldson could be great but we just don’t know atm cos he’s not had any significant opportunity.
He was thrown to the wolves in a pointless 5 in warmup against Italy – and that will not have helped him.

Why was he even brought on this tour if not to be properly blooded ?
Another opportunity lost imo.

Which, as you explain, leaves WBs only with QC for the RWC – an unlikely option.
A sorry state of affairs caused by Cheika, Thorn and now Rennie imo.

To see the exact opposite look at the ABs – they have Mo’unga, Barrett, D’Mac, Hunt, Banks, Gatland, Perofeta. And all 7 of em are better flyhalfs than any Aust has (QC excepted). You could slot any of those 7 into an AB run on team with confidence 😂

@Brett

Yes good article – I agree with all.

Also agree there’ll likely be a positive reaction from the players this week.
But it still won’t be good enough to beat Ireland.

Then there’s Wales?
WBs are looking at a likely 1 from 5 outcome on this tour imo.
And almost certainly a quarter final loss in 2023 RWC.

Mr Doran says

“While RA Hamish McLennan as recently as September backed Rennie through to the World Cup, a source says “everything will be on the table”.

Yeah – what’s the “source” ?
Then we get

“It is also understood the New Zealand coach has been lukewarm to the idea of an external selector being involved”

Right – who understands that – anyone you know?

Then Christy says…
“As one person close to the situation said, “An interesting battle looms between famous ex-Wallabies and a Kiwi coach. They are headed for a showdown.”

Why should we beleive “a source”, an unidentified who allegedly “understands” or “one person close to the situation”??

@Mirt

ok……. so of Aussie flyhalf’s currently available who’s better than Lolesio ??
And don’t say Foley hehehehehehe.

We simply don’t know if Donaldson is atm.
That’s why I’m saying this tour should have been used to find out !!

@Jameswm

All I’m saying is that, with injuries and lack of development opportunities for Donaldson/Edmed, Lolesio is the best WB flyhalf currently available.

I agree he’s not great, and probably never will be, but he’s much better than Foley.
Foley should never have been on this tour.
And QC likely will never return.

So Lolesio is the only viable option atm as run on flyhalf with Donaldson getting 20-30 mins per game before getting a run on start..

This tour was the perfect opportunity to blood Donaldson/Edmed and plan for the future.

Good summary again Geoff

Re Australia – yes agree with your 6 ways to lose but on selections I have a few comments.

a) Yes agree there’s been too much changing/experimenting and WBs are simply not good enough to run 2nd teams against any nation. But… many of the selection changes have been inclusion of players that have been tried, and failed, previously and who we know are not Test standard. These include Foley, Hanigan, Robertson, Paisami, Fainga’a. And Lachie Lonergan is a good player but just not big enough for a Test hooker.

b) Skelton was one of the few good players against Italy but he presents a backrow balance issue. Including him means you need a good lineout jumping no 6. And Aust doesn’t have one. Hanigan, Leota, Wilson, Holloway have all been tried and proven to be not good enough.

c) The backrow combo didn’t work well against Italy but we also know Samu is a lot better than Hanigan. Holloway is the best of the lineout jumping No 6’s but is just ok. WBs need a Frizell, or Jacobson, but we just don’t have anyone of that class.

d) Why are people criticing Lolesio when he’s clearly the best flyhalf Aust has. Donaldson and Edmed are the 2nd and 3rd best flyhalfs so hurry up and develop those 2 asap. Donaldson was thrown to the wolves with 5 mins against Italy. He should have got 20-30 mins or nothing imo.

@Mike

LSL had about 40-50 Tests at both no 6 and lock.
And he proved to be another Test dud.

He was wrongly selected by Cheika as a no 6 and we found out he was both too slow and a poor defender. As a lock WBs have better in Arnold, Rodda, Swain, Philip, Frost, Skelton imo.

That’s not a surplus of locks – you need that many good one’s to be top 3 in world 👍

Ahhh Jim

I agree except for the comments on Lolesio.
you said “unfortunately, they’ve backed the wrong horse in Noah Lolesio.”

You’re wrong there imo.
Noah is the best Aust has atm so there were no better options – no better horses.
Noah is a lot better than Foley and played ok against Italy – no major errors.

But Noah will never be a world class Test flyhalf.
And WBs need 2 or 3 great flyhalfs anyway to be top 3 in world – ABs have 5 of em.

The 2nd and 3rd best in Aust are Donaldson and Edmed atm
So why haven’t they both been blooded in Test rugby?
Why have we gone back to a failed old dud in Foley?

Donaldson finally got a gig in last 5 minutes against Italy and was thrown to the wolves imo.
He should have been given 20-30 minutes or nothing imo.
And he should have got 40 minutes against Scotland and played a full 80 against Italy imo.

Cheika did nothing to develop flyhalfs in during his WB career and Rennie so far is doing far too little imo.

Otherwise, after improving against France WBs were due for a poor performance. And I agree WBs can’t afford to run a 2nd team in any Test match from now on.

I agree Skelton played well but he produces a backrow balance issue.
With Will in you need a good lineout jumping no 6 to compensate.

And Aust doesn’t have one – Hanigan, Wilson and Leota are all Test duds.
Holloway is the best of them but he’s just ok.
WBs need someone like S. Frizell or L. Jacobson but we just don’t have one – same issue as flyhalf.

@Brett

You still don’t get what a corporate takeover is 😂
RA were News Corp – past and present since around 2005.

The present CEO and Board directors of RA are ex NC employees.
Most of the previous Board (R Castle excepted) were then current NC employees.

Raelene was not NC affiliated and that’s why she was kicked out in a brutal coup…

@Rhys

yes agree but he’s not the 1st ex NC Roar editor – he’s the 2nd.
And there’s several ex NC journos been working here for 1-2 years 😂

@Brett

News Corp never saw it that way obviously.

They did what they always do – conducted a corporate takeover of RA and ran it in their own best interests. They never knew, or cared, what was best for the code, players and fans overall. Why would a multi-national ever consider that?

They lost out in end cos they were out bid by Stan in the market place and they lost the Aussie pay TV war to competitors. Ultimately, rugby in Australia was small beer for NC and their business as usual policy failed on this occasion.

No biggy for NC cos most of the time this parasitic infection works a treat – for them. And everything else is just collateral damage of no concern to NC. They expand by swallowing up smaller entities, sucking them dry and then leaving a shell behind…

Was Marko an ex News Corp employee too 😂
And will the new guy also delete polite member posts he doesn’t like ??

@Jack

no I don’t have FB and am just a reasonable person who has enough knowledge to see obvious reality. Being another puppet in the News Corp army of sheep is nothing to be proud of 😂

@Nick

ok you’ve convinced me on the Cane v Papali’i debate.
It’s best for Sam’s health if he gives way to Dalton anyway imo.

As for Skelton I again repeat he did well against France and that was the best game I’ve seen him play for the WBs. To fully convince me he’s a better alternative than Arnold, Rodda or even Swain, he needs to again perform big against Italy, and in every other game on this northern tour 👍

@Christy

I agreed with you until you got here…..

“While rugby fans like to blame News Corp for the game’s failings, it is time for them to look in the mirror.

News Corp lost interest in the game for the poor administration of the game, which contributed to millions being wasted and young talent choosing other sports. They lost interest in the game because the wider public did.”

“Fans” are the millions who watch all the games. Fans are the millions who subscibe to pay TV channels, play, coach and volunteer on weekends. Fans are the people who have no power in administration and promotion of the game.

Around 2005 News Corp saw that RA was not always acting in the best interests of New Corp so it took over RA. That was the reason for the demise of R Castle but RA had already long been in News Corp’s pocket. Yes, millions were wasted, and public support declined, and News Corp were a large part of the reason for that. They ran the game in their own private interests – not the fans or players.

News Corp then lost interest only because they were out bid by Stan in the market place. News Corp originally took over the code in Aust without reference to fans, drove down fan support and their own subscriptions, lost the pay TV war to competitors and then spat their dummies out and refused to even mention the code in their empire. Business as usual for NC. They were a parasite on rugby, like they are everywhere else.

The fans had no power, or influence, in any of that. We just looked on with dismay and continued watching, supporting and volunteering. It’s an insult to fans to suggest we had any role in rugby’s demise in Aust.

We’re still here. Don’t tell us to look in a mirror 😂

For the people who do have power, they are one’s who need to lock themselves in the room full of mirrors and honestly admit their failings, and the history of the News Corp disaster 👍

@David

Tom Wright hehehehe 😂 😂

News Corp tentacles go very deep Colin.
They own 100’s of companies.

Karen Penrose, Phil Waugh, Pip Marlow, Mathew Henning, David Codey, Hamish Mc Lennon all have previous links to News Corp. The previous RA Board much more so. It included several who were current NC employees 😁