Search results

I couldn't help contrasting Foley's poor efforts to pick the ball up in that instance and after Izzy took the quick throw near the line, with the pick ups by Barrett and SBW at full pace in the ABs v Lions test. Chalk and cheese.

The defensive patterns were quite poor. Remember all the overlaps that opposition teams were creating and the criticism levelled at Henry Speight for getting lost in the 13 Channel? (and Sefa Naivalu suffered the same when he came on). It was only the covering defense that kept the scorelines...

IIRC also played No 15 for the NRC Barbarians (?) in their win over a NZ lower competition side in 2015. And played pretty good.

So again, why should the Tahs get all the spoils?;) Can't the Wallabies also get a reprieve?

BH, my comment re Horwitz was more to the situation last year or at the beginning of this. In 2018, he will probably still be the first choice No 12 for the Tahs, though there might be a bit more competition from Simone if he continues to develop. The state of our No 10s nationwide though...

Wing looks like it could be well covered next year with Henry, Taliauli, Toua, Dargaville, Muirhead and Morseu all in the mix. Are they all signed?

Don't know the contract status re Horwitz, but begs the question why one of the other franchises hasn't offered him a deal to pay at No 10. After all, I'm sure that was where he played for Randwick when he first broke into Super.

Moreso imo the ruck would become more like an improvised scrum where the way to win the ball would come back to the side moving forward over the ball.

My recollection is that the involvement of the Vikings in the SS didn't fail. It was believed in some quarters that the Vikings were too competitive against most of the SS sides and that led to them being excluded. In any case, so much for the SS developing as a national competition even when...

My starting point is definitely giving the opportunity to the attacking side to continue their attack with quick ball from the breakdown. So, yes, I am saying that the first attacking support player only has to legally join the ruck, which means binding on any of the defensive players there...

It really is what I'm suggesting BH and I have no problem with that at all. My other point is that if the opposition haven't secured the ball when the first ball carrier supporter joins the ruck (legally), then it has to be "hands off 7", otherwise a penalty to the team in possession. No need...

If they remain within the playing area of the ruck, then yes. It should be sufficient that once a ruck forms then no hands on the ball at all. If the supporters of the ball carrier are too slow then the opposition on their feet should have all rights to the ball.

Great comment about Cane. It reminds me of the difference between Pocock and Hooper at the Wallabies. Maybe we need to rethink the way players are more suited to one form of the game over another. Never had a doubt at all about Ardie. His attitude was amply illustrated in one incident where he...

Wouldn't it be good if there was no collapsing in the ruck? Maybe the first to ground should be penalised until it becomes standard for the ruck to remain on its feet? Dreaming?

Don't want to under-sell you TSR, but I suspect there aren't many thousands of people hanging onto any tidbit of performance you can eke out in your job. Not the same at all with the coach of the national rugby team.

Wow, do we want foreign players or not? It is on record in other threads that the Rebels need to have virtually unlimited access to foreign players to be competitive at Super level. Where does that leave us? If foreign players are a net positive, it should help with the performance of the...

I think he is in denial about his own lack of contribution to better performance by the team. Spends a lot of time now putting out excuses, and none of them relate to himself or his immediate assistants.

You're right TOCC. I can't see too many No 10s waiting to be discovered, but I think the situation with No 9s is a lot more promising. We have Powell, Gordon, Louwrens, Ruru, and Roos all playing well at Super level and looking promising for the future. Just hoping Lealiifano kicks on next...

And barring a few of us who have a blue, white and yellow eye open, this site is lately filled with whole hordes of blind men.:(

I don't think it will happen, but couldn't either of Garden-Bachop or Hawera be Wallaby eligible after playing here the requisite time? If they choose to do so, of course.