Author: Bob Dwyer

I spent the last few days trying to reconcile my thoughts as to whether the Waratahs played very well, or not as well as I think they potentially could, and I guess it depends on exactly one defines “well”. I left the ground thinking it was a comprehensive win, but I think they an do a lot more. People may have read my comments on a number of occasions about the collective game versus the individual game. For a team to play very well they’ve got to play the collective game well and on top of that goes the individual ability of their…

All in all the series against France was a success. We’re not all the way to where we want to be by a long shot, but there were some real positives to take out of the series. Twelve tries has got to be considered successful, as has a 3-0 win. The real positives for me were that the selectors introduced a number of new players – both to the squad and starting lineup. Some who had been there before played better than they had for some time. Carter and Skelton were real positives as were White and Foley in the starting…

If we were to talk about specific players in yesterday’s Melbourne test it would be a short article! There was so much said last week about how this is a situation where the French are their most dangerous – having been so bad last week, they often will pull out a great performance the next. So much so that maybe the Wallabies were determined not to risk losing. Quality attack invariably requires you to risk failure – not necessarily defeat, but for attack to be successful against a quality defence you’ve got to threaten it at the line of the contact.…

Australia’s reputation in sport has been based on one significant characteristic (perhaps it’s a national one) – having a go. This means different things to different people. For me it’s based on a belief that one should risk failure in order to achieve success – to seek to improve the detail of our performance until we can achieve greatness. It’s important that every sporting team should understand that. The performance was certainly based on having a go. The instantaneous reaction to the opportunity to quickly move the ball in the search for space was evident throughout. This was a really…

I think the focal point for me on the weekend is that I dreamt on Saturday night about the previous 14 weeks of Super Rugby in which a number of our quality players had been playing very poor rugby. But when I woke on Sunday the clouds quickly lifted because in the previous nights footy I’d seen quality rugby from potentially quality players. The first one was Will Genia. His performance on the weekend was a transformation. Suddenly we had a scrum half playing the role properly and his undoubted ability overlaid a quality fundamental performance. Perhaps Queensland’s transformation comes…

When I played and then when I was a young coach, an old player and old coach – also a famous wallaby and Waratah, Cyril Towers – tried to teach a difficult young player/coach about rugby. Cyril used to say a few things about the nine and ten position. The first was that the scrum half should “tack himself onto the ball”. He also said that it wasn’t important about how long the scrum half’s pass was  – it was about how soon between when the ball was available and when it was in the fly half’s hand. So the…

Bob Dwyer gives his two cents on the Brumbies vs the Sharks and who’s contributing for their super teams

That Wallabies squad I picked a couple of weeks ago is going to require a bit of cut and paste, but over the last two weekends following it there are a lot of things that have cemented my view in terms of outsiders who have been picked and some first choices omitted. From the omitted group my view is strengthened on Kepu, Horwill, Alexander, Cooper and Higginbotham. What I’ve seen in the last two weeks definitely assures me that these non-selections are accurate. On the other hand the selected on Alo-Emile, Jones and Woodward have strengthened. There have also been…

I want to pick a team based on who I think could be part of a winning world cup team, but for this year. In doing so we have to get rid of some people who might seem to be the best now, but won’t win the cup. We need to find who will get us there. In the past we’ve picked those who weren’t the best at the time, but could get us there; Phil Kearns, Tony Daly, John Eales, George Gregan, Horan and Little. That’s the attitude I’ve adopted. There area a few I’m not 100% sure of…

Attitude, commitment, determination and courage are all admirable aspects of rugby performance and in at least two games in the weekend these were in large supply. The derbies had them in large quantities, as they were with the Rebels performance against the chiefs. In the case of the Waratahs and the Reds, you have to say, threw everything they possibly could against the defence commitment wise – for the Reds especially in the second half. However, I’ve said quite often that attack is asking questions of defence; the more difficult the question the more difficult it is for the defence…

I talked last week about lazy coaches allowing poorly formed habits to continue – no such problem in Canberra where Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher keep control over the ongoing accuracy on all facets of the Brumbies game. As a result we see that the Brumbies could feasibly provide in the Wallabies twenty three: A scrum half in Nic White (who also brings a great kicking game) Two fly haves in Toomua and Lealiifano Three inside centres with Toomua, Lealiifano and McCabe Two outside centres in McCabe and Kuridrani and Two wingers in Tomane and Speight. I wouldn’t see Jessie…

An old second rower mate of mine commented to me recently that last year Nic Stirzaker could pass off the ground from either hand without lifting the ball or taking a step, and yet this year the Rebels halfback can’t. How is that possible my mate asked? Any player can pick up bad habits, but what leaves them there is lazy coaching – not taking the trouble to address the faults and ensure they’re seen to. This has been a trend in world rugby of late, although less so in New Zealand because their coaches address the problems and correct…

After a very positive weekend last weekend for Aussie Super rugby teams, this weekend – although there were some points to the contrary – was on balance another good one. It’s fair to say that the Australian Super Rugby teams are playing better than the New Zealand and South African teams. They’re playing higher quality rugby with good pace, accuracy, fundamentals underpinning them as well as individual performances. First of all the Brumbies were pretty good to get a four try bonus point win. In fact, the Hurricanes first try shouldn’t have been one and the second was in the…

Bob Dwyer talks though some of the great aussie performances of Super Rugby 2014 Round 3

Ireland against Wales. A big game with the outcome sure to be in the balance throughout.  Both teams strong chances in this Six Nations Championship. Ireland at home, perhaps with a small advantage. That was the pre-game scenario; but the reality turned out massively different. Ireland completely shut out a strangely lack-lustre Wales, who seemed totally devoid of any ideas. 26 points to 3 is a real shellacking in any language. So complete was Ireland’s domination that Leigh Halfpenny, perhaps currently the world’s most deadly goal-kicker, was given only one shot at goal in the entire match (highlights below). How…

Bob Dwyer gives the lowdown on the Six Nations main game, France v. England

If you’re a regular reader of G&GR, then you just my have seen me comment on the Wallabies’ poor support play over recent years. The key to support play is simple – you do whatever the ball carrier wants you to do, and by doing so leave all options open to him. In this way, support play is a lot like being a parent; you need to be on hand when and how needed, but not to interfere! Last weekend Leinster travelled to Northampton in the Heineken Cup, a place where the home side had only lost twice in the…

Bob’s happy!

Bob Dwyer gives his view of the Wallabies versus Scotland 2013

Bob likes what he saw against Ireland