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rsea - I think a problem with G that we are all debating is that, in say the last 12 months, G's 'confidence is up' better overall games have tended to come vs the easy beats, as distinct from the genuinely tight and high-pressure games vs the top teams we have played where it is often the case...

The most remarkable turn of events in my morning today was RD's revelation to Wayne S that he was actively considering bringing back the 'old guard' (Baxter, Waugh, etc) for the RWC 2011 and that 'we are well on track for that (RWC)'. I know the Deans fans will see in this some complex hidden...

Perhaps you're spot on there Daz. IMO, it'll be a dark day for Oz rugby if we all (supported by the great GAGR) don't find a way to get to (d) sometime soon.

As the Deans era is (at last) being hotly debated here and elsewhere, we are soon going to enter one or more of the following states: (a) the Deans critiques will be done and there won't be too much left to say (until things get much worse or a lot better); (b) we'll just get angrier and...

Yes to Giteau Watch. But shall we now start a thread on your mental state, in anticipation of G's next lapse? ;-)...

Scarf, umm, probably yes. I hope G's mother is not on the thread. Actually, the topic of G deserves a fresh thread I think. Not to tear the man down in any sense, but rather to explore what is really going on with/within G. In a sense, the case of G over the last say 12 months is a problematic...

Groucho! Now you're talking! May I lend my support to this perspective, and I am yearning (no doubt like others) for a positive new view towards the light. I think we must now accept that there is a serious risk that, for whatever reason (being nice here), the Deans period could disappoint. In...

Painful to read, but superbly accurate in thought and content. For me, a model post LG.

Lillee would never mind giving up the ball if he was starting to lose the Australian team high-pressure games. He only ever expected it if he knew he was performing for the team.

Thanks for posting this. It's just encouraging to see the apologists wilting and some really hard, fact-based questions being asked; in my view, Spiro asks a lot of the right ones, especially: what we can usefully learn from NZ, and a clear need to do something radical with deep forwards...

Yes, Hawko, so right. I was blown away to see U20 forwards play that superbly over 80. Unfortunately, the men in black. This is no downer on our guys, they held up and we can be proud of them getting to their first U20 Final. It was Rolls Royce vs BMW though.

Thanks MrMouse. Yes, yes and not sure (re U20 final, but try and find a recording on www.irb.com...in fact there is one there, just seen it). I totally agree re the need for the type of 'bulked up, all States coaching skills together, plus foreign coaching input' enhanced forwards coaching...

hahaha

...and how often is that same story repeated with virtually every loss the Wallabies suffer at the hands of the ABs in the last few years....there may be other stories as well, but that one is nearly always there... ...and in about 1 in 6 games the Wallabies seem to understand it would be great...

Daz, IMO, if we play like we did v England in Sydney, the Irish could conceivably beat us. When you have a sec, check out how well Ireland played in the second half v ABs recently in NZ, when, with 14/13/14 men that half they put on multiple tries, some very well worked I thought. The ABs slowed...

Drat Langthorne, you beat me to that response ;-).

Thanks topo, much appreciate your feedback and data. I have no doubt as you say there have been 'years of neglect' of both props and our forwards capabilities in general. I guess I just believe it's not only been in the Jones era. IMO the BaasBaas games vividly showed the limited depth (and its...

Chief, not sure, others may know more. He seems to have sort of faded into the background. Gee, I did remember him though on Saturday night at the ANZ Stadium, all those points in the 03 RWC and Final.

...oh, and Richard Harry co-coached my son in Sydney and we shared many a good rugby conversation...he was terrific with the boys and as a person.

My son plays for Brothers Juniors at Crosby Park. John Eales' and Elton Flatley's old club. JE has been there twice (watching Juniors games) since we've been playing there and, needless to say, he's been great to the boys who circled him, including mine. Same with EF.