2010 Wallabies End of Year Tour (EOYT)

[DPK]

I think it's fair to say Giteau has been majestic with the kicking tee at times (usually after having a shit one the week before).

I agree that he is inconsistent but he is the best kicker in the team unless maybe Mortlock has a surprise resurrection of form.

I'd say that Barnes and Beale are ahead of him as kickers. I really, truly and honestly believe that Giteau should not be the first choice kicker for the Wallabies, and this is not a belief that I have only taken up this year. Previously there haven't been any decent alternatives, but now we have one that is in the starting 15 and another that arguably should be.

 

[Gnostic]

There is just no way that Giteau can be regarded as the best kicker in the squad. He cannot perform under real pressure and hence why the flaw in his technique comes out time and again when the pressure is on (and sometimes when it is not).

I couldn't care less if he kicks 100% from everywhere on the field in training. The facts from the last three years prove that he is not a test standard kicker. Show (or name) one instance of Lynagh, Burke or Mortlock missing a kick from 25 metres right in front in any major game. Giteau has done this in test and not just once.

I have no doubt however that Deans will gain hand Giteau the tee as form and results have no bearing at all on selection policy.

 

[Scarfman]

Show (or name) one instance of Lynagh, Burke or Mortlock missing a kick from 25 metres right in front in any major game.

You had to go and bring that up. I had almost forgotten. Waratahs v Highlanders, losing the game from about 20 points up with 20 to go. Burke misses penalty from directly in front after the siren.

I kept the back page of the paper the next day. Headline: YOU MUST BE CHOKING.

 

[Scarfman]

On the other hand, sack Giteau for every reason.

 

[Crow]

Lynagh had an off game at eden park in 1991. Missed 6 from 7.

 

[barbarian]

Im sure all of the three kickers you suggested had off days at some point Gnostic, its ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I think Giteau is still our first choice, his work in the republic was first rate. Yeah he has off days but they all do at some point. Saying that I don't think Barnes, Cooper and JOC (James O'Connor) are far behind, certainly close enough not to warrant keeping Giteau in the side for kicking alone a la Morne Steyn.

 

[fatprop]

if Ben Alexander stayed in his "correct position" he wouldn't be playing TH for Australia though right?

I still think this development should not need to be happening at test level, S15 & club sure, but by the time they get into the test squad we should have units ready to rock and knowing their job

 

[Hawko]

You had to go and bring that up. I had almost forgotten. Waratahs v Highlanders, losing the game from about 20 points up with 20 to go. Burke misses penalty from directly in front after the siren.

I kept the back page of the paper the next day. Headline: YOU MUST BE CHOKING.

And if I recall correctly, Burke got his marching orders at the end of the year and went to England. I was there that night and I still shudder when I think about it. Every kicker has one of those nights. But Giteau has had three (three!!!) and the coach still thinks he should be the kicker. Madness. We will just keep losing key games untill he is replaced. Langthorne is also right - Giteau won't be replaced any time soon, sadly for our chances.

Ruggo is 100% right, our best backline performance was the first test against England. Cooper and Barnes at 10 & 12. One of our lesser backline performances was the second test against England. Cooper and Giteau at 10 & 12. There is a pattern here, its just that the coaches can't see it.

 

[Langthorne]

I saw the Munster-Toulon match yesterday.....I guess it will depend on the team they put out, but Munster are not a team to take lightly, especially by a Wallaby B (C- ?) team. I have grave fears that Thomond78 will be making things miserable for Wallaby supporters if we aren't careful.

Leicester are no slouches either.

 

[Thomond78]

Have my ticket for it, btw - any of you guys going?

 

[Blue]

I saw the Munster-Toulon match yesterday.....I guess it will depend on the team they put out, but Munster are not a team to take lightly, especially by a Wallaby B (C- ?) team. I have grave fears that Thomond78 will be making things miserable for Wallaby supporters if we aren't careful.

Leicester are no slouches either.

If I were the Wob coaches I'd be looking at that Munster pack and shitting myself. T78 will most of those guys play or be pulled for training with the Irish squad?

 

[Lee Grant]

I saw the Munster-Toulon match yesterday.....I guess it will depend on the team they put out, but Munster are not a team to take lightly, especially by a Wallaby B (C- ?) team. I have grave fears that Thomond78 will be making things miserable for Wallaby supporters if we aren't careful.

Leicester are no slouches either.

No newsflashes there. Munster won't have their full strength team because of national duty with the Ireland squad though they will get a few back who are not required for the test the following weekend. Then they have foreigners like Howlett, Mafi, Tuitupou plus Aussie Paul Warwick who is not the same limited player as he was before he left our shores. Maybe we can get him to play for us.

It will be similar to the Munster leftover team that nearly rolled the Kiwi dirt-trackers a few years back.

Our inexperienced lads will meet fellows like Alan Quinlan and Mick O'Driscoll, the likes of whom they have never played with or against before and probably never will again. They are two of the hardest, trickiest guys around and wonderful cheats.

Our lads will work them out but it will be some time after the game when they ask each other: "How did they do that?"

Leicester always have a good team but hopefully most of the internationals like Castrogiovanni, Croft, Youngs, Tuilagia, Chuter, Coles, Amorosino, Flood, Murphy and Hipkiss will be needed for international duty.

Old Julian White will be licking his lips looking at the CVs of our props and his propping mates Ayerza and Stankovitch will be peering over his shoulder.

Some of the fellows in both mid-week teams we play will not be household names to the general rugby public in Oz but most of them will be the kinds of fellows we don't have a lot of: hard nosed experienced professionals who have seen it all before and know how to get the job done on the park, and are as least as tough as any of our guys.

They will slot in a few inexperienced players to give them some game time and even maybe a couple of promising Academy lads, but I suspect they will play from the bench.

Our best shot at winning these games is to get a bit of go forward then move the ball wide and run them off their feet in a high tempo game.

It's the go forward bit that may be the problem.

 

[Crow]

Our inexperienced lads will meet fellows like Alan Quinlan and Mick O'Driscoll, the likes of whom they have never played with or against before and probably never will again. They are two of the hardest, trickiest guys around and wonderful cheats.

Our lads will work them out but it will be some time after the game when they ask each other: "How did they do that?"
...

Old Julian White will be licking his lips looking at the CVs of our props and his propping mates Ayerza and Stankovitch will be peering over his shoulder.

Some of the fellows in both mid-week teams we play will not be household names to the general rugby public in Oz but most of them will be the kinds of fellows we don't have a lot of: hard nosed experienced professionals who have seen it all before and know how to get the job done on the park, and are as least as tough as any of our guys.

If the object of the midweek games is to throw in a few 'might-bes' to gain experience and try new and interesting combinations, then this is the type of team to play against, old dogs with tricks to be learnt. If that's what you're hoping to achieve, then is there a requirement to win the mid week games?
If they are going to be presented as an 'Aus-Barbarian' team, such as against England, we probably wont even lose any pride.
It's always nice to have a win, but surely these games are for experiments and experience building, rather than upping the win/loss ratio.

 

[Sully]

I saw the Munster-Toulon match yesterday.....I guess it will depend on the team they put out, but Munster are not a team to take lightly, especially by a Wallaby B (C- ?) team. I have grave fears that Thomond78 will be making things miserable for Wallaby supporters if we aren't careful.

Leicester are no slouches either.

We could always ban him if we lose! :fishing

 

[Lee Grant]

If I were the Wob coaches I'd be looking at that Munster pack and shitting myself. T78 will most of those guys play or be pulled for training with the Irish squad?

I think they will look at it as an opportunity, which is what EOYT mid-week games are. They will find out a lot about the players as will the players about themselves.

Since T78 will probably be tucked up in bed and I am a Munster tragic I'd say the following will be required for the Ireland 22 plus emergencies:
1. Horan
2. Flannery
3. Buckley
4. DOC
5. POC
BRow: Leamy, Wallace
9. Stringer (TOL out)
10. ROG
Utility: Earls

May be in the squad but probably released for the midweek game:
2. Varley
3. Hayes
4. Ryan

Still injured probably:
11. Dowling
9. TOL

A few assumptions there, but they'd need digressions to explain them and I hate to digress. :lmao:

 

[Hawko]

Maybe they'll play Ma'afu at THP and Robbie will finally get the message. One can but hope.

 

[DPK]

Maybe they'll play Ma'afu at THP and Robbie will finally get the message. One can but hope.

And what happens if they play Ma'afu and he happens to be solid or dominate? If the Munster pack have a bad day?

 

[Lee Grant]

The Munster scrum is OK but it's not like some of the good French scrums. Wian du Preez is a good enough LHP but he had a bit of trouble with Hayman on Saturday, as you do. THP Buckley will probably be with the Ireland squad so T78's favourite, Bull Hayes, will probably play 3.

Hayes was the guy who put his hand down on the ground during the last scrum of the Ireland v Oz test last year and BOD waltzed through to score. He should have been penalised. He's not a great scrummager as big as he is.

There is more to scrummaging with the Munster forwards but at least 5 of them and maybe 7 will be missing.

 

[Groucho]

Giteau is our first choice place kicker - which equals automatic selection.

That is very rarely true in Australian rugby. It sustained Flatley for a while, but Wallaby teams almost always pick the best kicker from the best XV, and often have kicking tests before a game to determine who that is.

 

[Groucho]

I saw the Munster-Toulon match yesterday.....I guess it will depend on the team they put out, but Munster are not a team to take lightly, especially by a Wallaby B (C- ?) team. I have grave fears that Thomond78 will be making things miserable for Wallaby supporters if we aren't careful.

Leicester are no slouches either.

It may not be up to Munster to decide that. Last year the IRU didn't release any test players for midweek games, IIRC.