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I have felt - do you agree? - for some time now that there is something seriously odd about this slavish Giteau lifetime-preservation-society-independent-of-evidence-in-support whose President appears to be one RD. Coming out immediately as RD did yesterday with these type of OTT 'defences' of...

Perhaps you're teasing...but anyway....not in the slightest, I just think Lee is one of greats and deserves a bit of praise when i see someone having a sideways chip at him...

Size and weight calcs and mongrel assessments all relevant, but wasn't this thread about: considering all factors, do we need a dedicated defence coach - perhaps a Muggleton, or someone else?

Cyclo, you are quite right to broaden this out. I deliberately said 'kicking strategy' vs individual skill as, yes, I still find quite a bit of our in-play kick forwards and for the line inconsistent or rushed and feel sure a kicking coach working with all the players ever likely or needing to...

Lee - your outstanding knowledge (present and historic), fine prose, and thoughtful, always balanced and fair commentary is one of the big reasons many people I know come to GAGR.

RR - great, consistent defence across the whole 22 players is about many dimensions, right?: technique (multiple forms), physical conditioning, mental conditioning, repetitive training, formation design for multi-player defence structures, etc. Surely the complexity and skills required in all...

TBH: Perhaps a quote from one Sean Fitzpatrick in today's NZ Herald may add usefully to the debate, and adds to your assessment above:

Gagger, in the live blog, just at the end, you asked me if things were now demonstrably coming along well/coming together well, for these Wallabies (or something similar). I had to leave then, but it's very fair question, as I am certainly a 'Deans naysayer' post 2009's performances. So, my...

If these games are on some form of accessible UK or EU TV or cable, there's a super piece of technology called Slingbox (see below, UK site version, it's a US sourced product) that permits you to simply connect it to that home TV source, and then any internet user anywhere in the world can...

As I recall SOO III this year, ANZ, c.62,000 gate; Aus v England rugby Test ANZ, c.47,000 gate. There is absolutely nothing 'manufactured' about NSW-QLD olden and golden rivalries, or a 'product' based on them! Just look at the chirping and chipping that goes on here Tahs v Reds. If we assumed...

Hmmm, good point. Perhaps A Mundine as an Assistant Coach somewhere?

RF - you can find it on (fm memory) pg 67 of the ARU's 2009 Annual Report, obtainable from the ARU HQ section of rugby.com.au. Beware these figures - they need pulling apart per group type - some trends are good, some are driven by category changes, they include 'golden oldies' and some group...

Yes, it would be fantastic fun, and I bet the players would relish it as well. Plus I guarantee it would bring a quantum of league fans in and, assuming tolerant reffing and the new tackle interpretations, many of them would come away agreeing rugby as a game had obvious qualities over league...

Yes...the ARU have absolutely lost the art of working up a Wallabies Test crowd (lost the art of a lot of things, actually), compared to say the atmosphere the QRU drove in most of the Reds' home games this year. It was only the terrific Irish supporters that created any atmosphere whatsoever at...

RR- that's an excellent post, and one I hadn't seen. I have long thought a rugby SOO is a fine idea. We _have_ to find ways of increasing the code's income before we find more innovative ways to spend it, and we have to bring 'local' everyday fans back to exciting, fun, rambunctious rugby, your...

I agree, a bloody good set of picks fp. I would advocate very considerable 'experimentation' vs at least Italy and the mid-weekers. Pre-RWC, take 40+ players as needed to really assess further talent. We must not stint on cost at this key juncture. Crucial we beat France and England, and bet...

Bruce: Whatever the technical subtleties of this important debate, I'd like to thank you for such a considered, thorough and enlightening post. A gold standard of posts. As you note, these 2H performance stats over _10_ games over 2+ years are both highly compelling and statistically...

Groucho - are you sure the no of home Wallaby games for, for example, 2008 and 2009 is not 6 and 7 respectively vs 5 and 6? See http://www.rugby.com.au fixture and results section, that's what it seems to be from my reading. Perhaps I have missed something? It would also be interesting to track...

Scotty, I believe your arguments above are entirely the right ones re the matter of Giteau. The issue is essentially a forward-looking one, and there'll no forward-looking growth unless other alternatives at 12 are solidly trialled. I have expressed profound concerns re Giteau for months, so my...

Turner should have been in the squad for months now. This being his first run, what would he have achieved if started in Melbourne and given a few games to build? Austin!! How could a commentator/analyst of your calibre indulge Giteau/this team with 'Giteau not bad (apart from his kicking)'...