Search results

Re England: on the contrary, Ritchie has said England will wait until it can secure a head coach whom in their view is the best possible candidate, based upon a proactive global search process. If by chance White was their target and he said he'd come to Twickenham in, say, November 2012, they'd...

The UK Telegraph has generally very good RFU sources. And the RFU maybe trying to entice White by flattering leaks. The new RFU CEO is an impressive operator that, as he's said, won't muck around in securing and patiently waiting for the right world class talent, and he knows this call will be...

Yes, indeed, I think the various ARU committees you'd need to get through would see a HCup appointment as the next step in your pathway home. "Tower of Power" looks an impressive start though.

Gagger, whilst a number of us have profound concerns re Deans, I am not sure you are quite ready to come back to Australia in the event of a calling from the ARU. Enthusiasm and a passion for Australian rugby counts for a lot, but perhaps heading up a regional English team would be a sensible...

Well done Mr T. Well known Tahs supporters here have elsewhere been terming this a 'lucky' try in a game the Reds were 'lucky' to win. Yeah, right, just a win by over a 2 converted try margin, we were lucky.

Thanks Richo. Yes, I feel it was extraordinary for Deans to relinquish an apparently key support coach ('skills' and backs) 10 months out from an RWC. If as Head Coach you were delighted with that support coach's performance, I'd have thought you'd fight tooth and nail to keep them through that...

Have to argue. A player that kicks, what, 25 points at 100% success rate in rainy, always wet ball conditions from all places in the field, has to be right up there for 'easily the best player'. When people kind of sideline this huge achievement, it just strengthens my conviction as to how...

Waylon, I sense you're 100% right on this, in general. The near unique WA-based challenges of building a successful and potentially championship or S15 Finals team (as distinct from the Force of 2010-12) and a great rugby State base in WA, clearly requires a combination of substantial capital $s...

Agree but I don't conclude it's Quade's long bullet pass, jinks etc that are the current try-reducing ingredient in the 2012 Reds. It's generally poor, rushed passing overall, backs positioning rusty and hesitant, poor handling (see Simmons last night), etc. I honestly don't think a returning...

As Schad has said, Morahan's tackling intensity and application was embarrassing, he should be dropped as punishment. He's not playing well either. After watching that game last night, I came away convinced of the view that, despite Link's assurances, the 2012 Reds are subtly complacent and...

Is it really 'experience needed' or more likely 'Harris is back from injury and is kicking 100%'. I doubt we'd have won v Tahs with QC (Quade Cooper) kicking. And the pressure on the Force was relentless from Harris' boot. The fragile and inconsistent manner in which the Reds are currently playing...

Thanks daz, most gracious of you to take the time, I can sense the wry satisfaction you feel at the end of these posts as the wit and message builds paragraph by paragraph. You do remind of the poster that grumbles: 'Watching as I do every episode of The Rugby Club, I detest every damn one.' And...

Re the No 2 ranking. Meh. The vast majority of 'everyday' rugby fans I know - not the raging passionistas typically found here - don't give a flying fuck about IRB rankings or even know what they are (or the odd way they are often calculated that can defy common sense assessments). Instead...

Gagger, what you say is perfectly logical and fair, and I have no inside data on this matter. RG might have wanted out, perhaps as one strongly suspects - and as has been leaked - Foley did from 2009 after his 'disagreements' with Deans. The countervailing point though is this: if Deans had...

Well, yes, quite so Barb. Just to add to this I'd argue that issues with competence in Wallaby backs' coaching under Deans were latently - or perhaps even obviously - there throughout most of the 2008-2010 period. See for example Scott Allen's 2010 blog essays on Wallaby backs' performance and...

IMO, the real 'tell tale' signpost to RG's actual coaching capability level came when Deans was more than willing to zap him off the Force just pre a RWC year. Would Henry ever have done this with one of his core group at such a crucial juncture, assuming his core group were all making major...

A note to certain posters here: may I plead that we/you do not engender yet another myth in the long lexicon of apologia, excuses and post-hoc rationalisations for the bewildering and hapless decision-making of The Wallaby Master Coach that has culminated, inter alia, in the 'disappointing' RWC...

Bruce, not quite just with yourself. I recall in both 2010 and 2011 posting that (as non-expert) I for one thought there was much in your viewpoint re this S&C dimension that went to at least in part explaining why the remarkably consistent pattern of the Wallabies being able to create 1H leads...

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/australian-teams-at-super-disadvantage-20120209-1rqyt.html JO'N confirms in the above the Man City approach and terms it a 'normal business reaction' to consider it, etc. Not only embarrassing for the reasons rightly noted by Gagger what with JO'N...

Two current links worth a read in this context: http://www.redsrugby.com.au/NewsEvents/NewsArticles/tabid/581/ArticleID/5257/Default.aspx and...