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I love this line from the rugby news today: That sums it up in a nutshell. Apparently it is always someone else's fault with these guys.

I don't want to rain on your diatribe but but the reality is that Simmons turned the ball over twice to Read's 5. Simmons made more runs, more metres and more tackles. He won more line outs. He was (surprisingly) effective. (Sharpe,) Deans and now McKenzie keep picking him, and he delivered...

Thats nothing! You should talk to my Oh, too far. Sorry.

3. Simmons 2. Hooper 1. Lealiifano

I agree. All Blacks are going down. I haven't been this confident since Eden Park last year. :oops:

Cruden was limping like a gimp when he went off, 10 to go. Unfortunately even as a gimp he was steering the ABs around the park with aplomb.

Pretty hard to sweep in composure with a new broom, hopefully they can learn it. McCaw is amazing. He and Hansen really used the scuttlebutt about his fitness/age/lack of game time recently to motivate a really complete performance though he does it international after international. 14...

Thanks coach. Knowledge translation can be a problem. I think that aspects of your theme are being addressed already, Link has had a pretty good go at selecting on form.

McCalman at 8, Mowen at 6 is fine with me. And a backrow focus that gets them to rucks and mauls fast enough to free the ball up from McCaw. The wrecking ball at this level is something of a myth. Quick ball.

Simmons was good - by the numbers and in terms of efficacy in his role he was arguably the best Australian forward. Horwill had ample tackles, runs and rucks/mauls also. The Australian back row was, as a unit, ordinary. The pace/intensity was beyond MMM. Hooper was good but McCaw was superb -...

To'omua is obviously a debutant and I guess there is a (pretty skinny) chance it could all go off the rails. But I think the real reason is that between Cooper and To'omua the wallabies have two completely different approaches to play the game, which is an awesome changeup to have from the bench...

Hansen doesn't give a hoot. And I like that the 'foxing' hasn't worked. Though it may be better to decide that after the game than before. From the NZ Herald

From: Iain Payten 1. James Slipper 2. Stephen Moore 3. Ben Alexander 4. Rob Simmons 5. James Horwill © 6. Hugh McMeniman 7. Michael Hooper 8. Ben Mowen 9. Will Genia 10. Matt To'omua* 11. James O’Connor 12. Christian Lealiifano 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper 14. Israel Folau 15. Jesse Mogg...

I woud love to see To'omua or Foley start just to blindside the ABs. Maybe Link has been playing the long game. A gameplan running at Cooper would be less useful at To'omua. Seeds of doubt...

As far as I can tell, and I regard myself as a completely impartial observer, this is the fault of Robbie Deans.

Not much to argue with in the backs. Beyond the initial de-Horne-ing. And the back row seems pretty solid - nice to see Fardy! Pyle will get his chance. Personally scoring tries is not one of the criteria I would pick my locks on, he certainly looks good running in the centres but it may be...

If Jim McKay plays, the issue of bias will be unavoidable. Maybe if you squint Harris looks and plays like Carter (I'm not suggesting anywhere near as well) and Anae looks and plays like a Franks, so they're useful in opposed training. A 40 man squad is pretty big and I doubt anyone would...

I don't know what the go is with Horne missing out. Harris is surprising - it's not like Link has had much use for him at the reds this year. He did help the wallabies scrape out a couple if wins - clutch kick against wales last June, Argentina away last RC - and I can see that he can be a...

Put Cooper at 10 (he can place-kick), swap Folau and Mogg. Tell Cooper to fling or kick it to Folau at every opportunity and have the honey badger pop up on Coopers shoulder for that inside forward pass. We will beat the Lions, I tell you! Oh, wait.

I hope never to see Cooper play that way again - but not because he was bad. It was one of his more solid (if nowhere near brilliant) performances tackling, kicking and even carrying. But his pack was getting stomped bludgeoned and the crusaders had incredible line speed and impact in their...