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Absolutely Cyclo. The immediate retreat to ref-bashing is a road to nowhere but a soft analysis of the loss that won't stand scrutiny in 24 hours.

Yes Scarf...Giteau's inconsistency in pressure games - now well established over 2 years - back in force again, just when it really mattered. Stating the obvious, you cannot become a genuinely top team without Steyn or Carter level place kicking consistency in the big games. Of course, the...

Indeed, I'd almost certainly pick them. But this is not my/the point, and it is: whilst I'd pick them, I am far from convinced this injured group's absence is anything like the most important core problem the Wallabies have, and I don't believe the 'return of the injured' will be the...

Scotty, a problem I have with the thesis that this bunch of players will likely transform performance, and we profoundly miss them, etc is this: did they not (from memory) all (incl Palu) play extensively in the 2009 EOYTs, along with many of our current players? That package of Euro Tests was...

First: 'apart from Giteau vs England'...well, leaving that unforgivable debacle out the debate in an absolutely crucial match is rather like not noticing the lions in the zoo, but, second: whilst I could never - who could? - disprove your suggestion that '(no) established players costs us...

What I can add here is that when I chatted with numerous Reds players at a function recently, many (of the best) spontaneously sung VH's praises as a key man behind the revival. They highlighted his phenomenal work rate, tough as nails, never say die, great motivator on the field, mongrel +++...

All good TBH. But what Gnostic, Scarf and me (and others too) argue is that when the cries of 'injuries are killing us' and 'there's no alternatives, no more players to select' etc are combined into a soup of excuses and explanations for Wallaby mediocrity, it lacks rigour and some credibility...

Indeed. The other dimension that must be aired here is that 'who is Test standard' is a rather subjective matter (as the raging debates here affirm) before the player in question has actually played in a Test (or more). I remember vividly in S14 2009 that many commentators said, with utter...

Excellent Lee - best 10 lines on this team I've read in a month (or more maybe). And, unquestionably, it's a mental and skills thing. This team, to date, has a soft mind, and is easily made fragile by the warpaths of others. Once this dark, chronic problem is conclusively fixed, then a justified...

JO'N quoted today as saying the HKG RU has badly stuffed up local marketing of gate sales! Admitted sales were 'below expectations' for 30/10. Also that game was certain to proceed as planned in HKG, but 'definitely no more 4th Bledisloes'.

TOCC, really hope you're right, but web shows all tickets/all categories very available except couples and more in platinum...maybe that just reflects the 20,000 or so you infer are not yet sold...

I could not agree more! This topic - as you so rightly raise it above - deserves much airing and debate. There could be many more 'enduring' and imaginative and fresh ways to monetise the Wallaby playing group/brand.

Thanks TOCC, hope that's the case and better. Moreover, delighted to see a post that recognises the massive financial importance (to the ARU/Oz rugby) of the Wallabies winning, winning well, and often, and NOW, and not every hoped-for moment of readily evaporating glory every 4 years.

The core issue of course being: this entire 'played in Asia 4th Bledisloe game' was 80% about incremental $s to the NZ and Aus RUs, and 20% about 'growing the game in Asia'. I was told by a senior Aus rugby figure today that the key problem with this year's HKG match is a dramatic decline in...

Not sure I totally agree about the foreigners part (and sometimes great players do not equate to great coaches as you know), but otherwise, absolutely. We are completely under-using these types of guys in both S14 and Wallabies coaching and support infrastructure. Just for example: I cannot...

Spot on fp! And the latter support coaches have proved themselves way less than competent. Foley's departure was the first serious mistake, we now have (generally) mediocre forwards play (bar Pocock, but that's absolute talent and mental strength, not coaching, and bar Sharpe), and our backs...

Not sure what you and others saying similar are saying here TBH: that things are now so good that no kicking coach is needed?....or...? If you can spare a sec to read the link I pasted in above, you'll see it's possible that Van Stratten may have already been adding valuably in this role.

If this is correct, it is, along with the chance to now quickly replace Richard Graham, one of the very best pieces of news in the cause of improving the Wallabies' coaching infrastructure and its long-term contribution to elite Australian rugby. Perhaps, after all, the ARU is waking up. The...

Scarf the pretty: excellent, and very fair, points IMO as an overall JO'N assessment. (Remember though that the general ARU income declines you rightly highlight are in part correlated with the Wallabies continuing, dangerous decline as an excitement and winning machine.) The S14 decline is...

Yes, see the downloadable ARU 2009 Annual Report (which contains all sorts of gems btw), JO'N's income went from (fm memory) c$ 900K pa in 2008 to c$750K pa in 2009. Must have been tough.