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Just wrong. Study Link's own 2010 and 2011 articles and writings, by his own admission, his framework for thinking about the game, its fans, the 'role of exciting, entertaining play', the role of a rugby brand, giving his players more freedom of expression, etc, has altered considerably over...

Putting aside player talent and its application etc, these astute and largely highly effective, varied game plans designed by Link and his specialist coaches (let's not forget them, because no one who matters at the Reds does) were the decisive contributing factor to the Reds' 2011 success...

Much agree Gagger. There is a basis for more rational hope for our team at Eden Park than has existed for some considerable time, even though equally rationally based doubts linger too, given history. I find it at once a delicious prospect of a game, and, just as much, utterly excruciating. FFS...

Agree Cyclo. But it has to be said: after multiple years of the above deficiency of, either, fitness, mindset, team cohesion, culture, weak bench, whatever, it's appalling that we are still all here, saying and observing and worrying about the same ol' syndrome and anxiously anticipating its...

Respectfully RR, I was right in line with that (short) Gits pass, and I have little doubt it was forward. Uni was close to scoring too if it had been allowed. I have to admit it was quite surreal seeing Gits there in Uni colours. Yeah, agree re Shipperley. He's high class in the making...

The fluency, low error rate, speed and fast realignment of their back line was also very impressive. Wallabies' defence will need to be exceptional for all of 80 to deal with it. And QC (Quade Cooper) will need be far more disciplined this time around. ABs looked very well coached in all departments. That...

The big development in England 2010+ is: their backs have not only gotten better, but, in parallel, lights seem to have gone on wrt England's approach to coaching them, and the dynamism and quality of their attack has markedly improved - see, for example, Sydney 2010 Test. It was not just...

Yes to the power of 16. Bring back Foley, all will be well. We have IMO adequate 2011 forwards talent at our disposal, what we require now is what Foley delivered in 2008 and has since delivered so impressively for/with the Tahs. And I'd like Muggleton back for defence please - I did not...

Points taken TBH, bit you are having to go back some considerable time to find the support data that indicates 'look, Robbie's no worse than some well regarded others in the past' ;). The question that then arises: is that a useful reference point for modern rugby, 2011-version? I do think...

Thanks for that Cyclo, good points all, I was probably giving too much weight to the purple patches you and Gnostic note. But those patches do prove that a material period of Wallaby-AB w-l % improvement IS possible and was delivered, these were in fact solid 4 and 5 year periods, they weren't...

Good that you point that out Gnostic. There's not some 'truth of the ages' that the Wallabies can't attain a reasonable w-l% ratio vs the ABs. Most of our more post 2004 problems vs the ABs have come from (a) poor coaching (b) our most serious endemic, long-term problem of poor forwards work at...

Couldn't agree more. Samo may have 'lazy moments', but, for example, twice vs the Cru forwards this season he often made the right instant judgement at the breakdown or in the tackle, and thus his actual yield (vs impressive activity that gains little) in advantages gained and key moments won...

IMO, tq, that's not fair to Bruce, nor to the facts that Bruce references. Whatever one's assessment of Deans, it is a cold fact of significance that his Wallabies w-l % ratio over a 3+ season coaching period (i.e., an absolutely fair period for objective assessment) is poor to very poor in...

Thanks, but I was not referring especially to last Saturday's match but rather to a number of the preceding posts (eg LG's) that rightly lamented how in recent years the Wallabies have almost made a habit of fading in intensity or application in 2H (or some part thereof) of key games, and we...

Playing with skilful, high intensity for all of 80 (and/but with a very good bench use) was a key attribute of the 2011 Reds. Indeed, it's one of the big reasons they won so many of their crucial, close matches. If they can do it, why can't the Wallabies? That could be a question worth...

3. Cooper 2. Genia 1. Ioane There could be HMs all over the place, but, the hard truth is, if these three were replaced by our next best down the order, we'd be back to the level of Wallaby team we had in approximately mid-2008, maybe a tad better, but not a team that could win a...

Cyclo - of course, going from the tortuous history of recent Wallaby matches, you are 100% right. Nearly every year there has been a 'we're building something special' after a single exhilarating win, only for a Scotland, or England (multiple times), or a 1H star performance v ABs, and then the...

WJ - they seem to be saying today he'll play tonight. How anyone recovers adequately in 24 hrs from 'the flu and gastroenteritis' he was meant have developed yesterday is interesting.

The legitimately serious point here is surely this: this ego-gratifying, saccharin-laden rubbish in an obviously authorised biography would not be being put out there in print without the subject's general concurrence. Such self-indulgence, vanity and poor judgement reflects negatively upon...