Midweek team. Time to put the disappointment of last week behind us as we start to focus on what might happen this week. Two big games for both the ABs and the Wallabies. Lose this and your tournament is looking toast, win and there may yet be some redemption. Lots of discussions and the question will be; “Will anyone in charge of the different teams actually listen to the fans?” Somehow I think not.
Bad day at the office’: Jones confident Wallabies can beat Cheika’s Pumas
As written here in SMH by Tom Decenty, Jones is adamant the Wallabies can bounce back from the loss to the DDF last week and beat the FISM in Parramatta win Saturday night.
Describing the game as “A bad day at the office” Jones said “There’s a game next week and we’ll be better next week, I can guarantee you that,” Jones went further saying “I don’t want to make any excuses. We’ve got to front up and play better than that. I’ve got no doubt we’ll bounce back.”
With little time to waste, the Wallabies scheduled a training run on Sunday in South Africa, less than 24 hours after taking the field in Pretoria. Although it was always going to be a lighter session than normal, Jones clearly wants to get as much detail into players before a tricky clash with the Pumas.
It’s obvious to Jones what the team needs to do as he endeavours to chalk up his first win with the Wallabies during his second stint as coach.“Win against Argentina. That’s the only thing we’re going to do,” Jones said. The only major injury concern out of Saturday’s match – at this stage – was a shoulder injury to back-rower Tom Hooper. “He’s got a whack on his shoulder and we’re not sure how bad it is,”
With the scrum being a big issue last week Jones has moved to shore this up bringing in props Blake Schoupp and Pone Fa’amausili to his squad while releasing Taniela Tupou to play for Australia A. Schoupp, has played well for the Brumbies this year and if he was to make his debut, it would continue his remarkable year where he went from overlooked at the Waratahs to cult hero at the Brumbies.
The real issue for me in this is how Jones reviews the game and whether he can let his ego go and make some changes. I’m not sure I agree with his statement about possession being dead. The top 4 teams all seem to play a game that relies on possession and taking the ball into contact. Sure they kick a lot but they don’t kick for kicking sake and their kicks seem better executed, supported and contested.
The other thing will be if he can make the changes to the team that last week seemed to indicate were required. Personally, I can see him keeping both M Hooper and Vunivalu in the team and starting with both Arnold and Skelton. I think he’d see changing them as having to admit he was wrong and I think he sees that as a weakness and something he doesn’t like doing.
Former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg announced his retirement from rugby with immediate effect on Sunday just months before the World Cup.
As written here in rugby.com.au the 31-year-old had already announced his intention to hang up his boots after the tournament in France, which begins in September. But the Exeter full-back, who won 100 international caps, said he had to admit defeat to being fit enough to compete in a third World Cup.
“It is difficult where to start but with great sadness and an enormous amount of pride, I am announcing my immediate retirement from playing rugby,” Hogg said in a statement released by the Scottish Rugby Union. “I fought with everything I had to make the rugby World Cup but this time my body has not been able to do the things I wanted and needed it to do.”
Hogg made his international debut in 2012 and went onto become Scotland’s all-time top try scorer with 27. He captained his country between 2020 and 2022 and was also called up to three British and Irish Lions tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021. But his landmark 100th Scotland appearance was also his last against Ireland in the Six Nations in March when he was forced off early on due to an ankle injury.
This will be a real blow to Scotland as they do not have a lot of depth in their squad. Hogg on his day could be sublime and even on a bad day his leadership and presence seemed to raise the rest of the team up. Ollie Smith is likely to take his place in the start on team and I hope he goes well.
Former All Blacks captain Umaga to coach Moana Pasifika
As reported here in rugby.com.au Tana Umaga has departed the Auckland Blues to take up a 3 year deal coaching Moana Pacifica in the Super Pacific series from next year. Umaga will take charge next year of the combined Pacific Island side, which is based in Auckland and comprises players of Samoan, Tongan and Cook Island heritage.
Umaga faces a steep challenge to bring success to a team who have finished last in the 12-team competition in each of their first two seasons. They have won just three of their 28 competition games.
Tana’s coaching career began at French club Toulon and he was the Auckland Blues head coach in Super Rugby from 2016 to 2018, before continuing as their defence coach. “What it means to a lot of people, what it means to a lot of players, the opportunities for our Pacific Island nations, the purpose was strong, and it drew me to it and made me put my name towards it,” Umaga explained via Zoom call from Samoa, where he is working as assistant coach with the national side.
Moana Pasifika Chair La’auli Savae Sir Michael Jones said. “Tana provides direct connections to our Pacific home nations given his current coaching role with Manu Samoa which supports the ambition of Moana Pasifika to provide high performance pathways for players who want to represent Pacific Island nations.” He further went on to say”As the first All Black Captain of Pasifika descent and with a significant history of coaching both at international and Super Rugby levelTana brings a wealth of experience and mana to the role,”
I think this is a good move. Tana will understand the players and what makes them tick and as a former AB Captain of the same or similar heritage he will inspire them in ways that McDonald, for all his good points, just couldn’t do.
I think we’ll see a lot of improvement with the team next year, although a lot may depend on who he manages to get in as his assistants.
Referee Corner
I thought I’d add a referee perspective in each of the Bloggs I did. The intent is to look at the one or two controversial decisions that were made in the previous week and look at providing an explanation from e referee perspective. That is totally neutral and completely correct. For reference see law 6.5.a.
To be fair there wasn’t a lot of controversy in the first weekend of the TRC. Two Yellows to the Wallabies and not a lot else that seemed to ignite the fans. Not a bad result to be honest.
On the Wallaby cards I actually thought Porecki was a bit hard done by. I’m not so sure he pulled down the maul as much as he was on his own trying to hold it up and just got overwhelmed. hen I saw the replay I thought the defence of the Wallabies fell apart and he was almost the last man standing. A bit rough and maybe could have been let go. The trouble was it did cause the DDF to collapse and stop a try from being scored and I think that’s what won in the end.
Vanavulu’s card was a bit clearer. He was – yet again – completely lost in the defence and found himself in a two or three on one and was going to be found out again. I actually feel sorry for the guy. He’s been rushed into rugby with no real chance to learn the role before having to demonstrate he’s got what is needed at super level and now international level. Unfortunately, despite playing rugby at school level and let’s be fair about this, he played schoolboy rugby in Fiji, was picked up on a scholarship to Saint Kentigern College in Auckland at 16. Not a bad school but not the best rugby one in Auckland. He made the Blues development squad at 17 and was signed by the Melbourne Storm at 18. Now about 60% of the development squad go nowhere in NZ rugby so while he did play rugby and showed some potential, he was never up there with the best of them and didn’t have a lot of time to gain any real skills. I’m not sure why people are surprised he is struggling so much, I’d be more surprised if he wasn’t.
Anyway back to the refereeing. Not a lot to report or comment on for the first week of the TRC. Happy to look at any issues you may have had. let me know in the comments.
