2012 Rugby Championship Game 1 Australia vs New Zealand - 18 August

[fatprop]

Forwards have to work off genia - if they work around Barnes we are more stuffed. Hoping for hard tight running and uptempo game around genia in tight.

Centres are their only to defend and recycle ball in the mid field. Attacking play will revolve around Beale setting up ioane and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper).

Barnes to kick everything else with the odd inside ball to ioane.

I have serious issues with the ability, through lack of fitness for our tight forwards to be able to continue at a high enough tempo, so hope we see reserves early and no injuries!

I would be happier if they had done that against Wales

 

[scaraby]

I would be happier if they had done that against Wales

If Barnes kicks it has to touch turf preferably behind the wingers,if we mid field bomb(cringe) or box kick(shudder) Carter and co. will leave us camped on our own 5 metre. If the ABs decide to kick deep and central for mistakes after regathering near there own line Beale,Digby and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) could cause some real damage but it will be very hard for Beale to come forward unless we have the phase play and ball rentention to allow he and Barnes to switch.

 

[Blue]

Me too. Surely Steyn won't last?

Watch this space. Odd things have happened in rugby.

Unfortunately I think Steyn will do okay against the Argies, which will prolong the inevitable.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

...snip... Carter and co. will leave us camped on our own 5 metre. If the ABs decide to kick deep and central for .....

Have the Lords of Darkness named the team with Carter starting at 10?

I would not be surprised to see Cruden start. He was the form playmaker of the Super 15's. I know that S15 form does not always directly translate to the Test Arena, but iIt is not as if he is inexperienced at Test Level. If Cruden can get some good front foot ball and decide to run, then who knows what the score may end up, but it probably wouldn't be pretty for the Men in Gold.

Carter is likely to play revert to a more structured and tactical positional game.

 

[liquor box]

You could argue for Simmons over Timani, but I don't think Rob has really seized his opportunities with both hands. (Mind you, I'd be happy if Timani could just catch the ball with both hands.)

I think Simmons only performs when he is either "in charge" of the locking, either the other starter is removed from the field or injured or he is in charge of calling the lineout or if he is coming from the bench and under pressure to keep his spot.

I think he can be great, but seems to just do enough to get by, when allowed

 

[liquor box]

Which is reflective of participation in the 3N, having regular exposure to consistently highly ranked teams on a more regular basis than many other sides.

And to counter-balance, there's the under-performance of the Super Rugby franchises and a national side which is dropping games to minnows like Samoa and Scotland.

I reckon a little bit of expectation management might be in order.

Is it a mental thing? Do we not have the ability to see a gold jersey and realise we have to do every thing we can to ensure we win?

With the more games you play in a season the less importance there is placed in winning, there is always next week and you are contracted for a few more years on good money anyway, so if you dont win it is not so bad.

Maybe (and sadly) the Wallabies need to get someone like Steve Waugh to have a chat to the players about wanting to destroy an opponant and nothing less. Would he be able to inspire passion in the Jersey/Country or does the background and birthplaces of some of our players preclude them from being 100% passionate to the cause, and just to a game?

 

[What2040]

Talk a little about Robinson's form.
I just don't see the Ben Robinson of old, and would prefer Slipper at loosehead.

Robbo is not the Robbo of old. No tackle for first 65 minutes at least in last Welsh game. Don't give a rats about only scrummaging ability - he hasn't been dominant consistently there either
We need our forwards to be workhorses, plenty of mongrel, agressive AND FIT to run AT LEAST 60minutes - blokes like Pocock, Kepu, Higgers, Moore, Slipper generally play 80 so bench will be crucial. Backs will only get an opportunity to score if we have as least parity up front.

 

[brumsfan]

What a week for Michael Hooper, we are very sorry to see him leave the brumbies. 20 years old and selected to play against the All Blacks in his 5 straight test match of the year. Won the 2012 brumbies forward of the year award, and was just pipped into 2nd place by Steven Moore for the players player of the year award having played 3 less starts. Also one of only 2 aussies picked in the planet rugby super rugby 1st and 2nd teams, Only Genia and Hooper picked. Good luck to him going home to Sydney

 

[biggsy]

Scrums and line outs in trouble already with TPN. And all the selected NSW players had a cracker of a seasons... Better pull there finger for this game.

 

[Quade Cheapshot]

I would not be surprised to see Cruden start. He was the form playmaker of the Super 15's. I know that S15 form does not always directly translate to the Test Arena, but iIt is not as if he is inexperienced at Test Level.

Carter/Cruden/Nonu is a configuration that may have been considered if SBW wasn't available and may very well feature later in the tournament when he isn't.

It's reminiscent of the Carter/Mauger or Carter/McAlister configuration of ~2007 or the Mehrtens/Carter configuration of a few years earlier, by which I mean a nominal flyhalf playing at inside-centre.

I've always attributed this tendency to the fact that inside-centre has not been a position of particular strength in NZ rugby. All-time All Black XV selections for instance, almost invariably include Bert Cooke in this position, who played his last match in 1930 and for whom no footage of his exploits exists.

 

[Quade Cheapshot]

Is it a mental thing? Do we not have the ability to see a gold jersey and realise we have to do every thing we can to ensure we win?

I know that I'm going to get blasted for this but here goes anyway:

I reckon it's your national failure to evolve with the game over the last nine years.

Say what you like about Clive Woodward (and you could say a lot) but that guy schooled New Zealand and Australia in 2003 in Wellington, Melbourne and of course the final in Sydney. And the lesson was: Stephen Jones and all the other NH commentators who were saying that Super Rugby/3N rugby was powder-puff basketball rugby were right. NZ and Aus could no longer rely upon superior athleticism in slick attacking interplay to subdue other countries.

NZ took the lesson onboard and focused on providing a solid platform, particularly from set piece, particularly the scrum.

In contrast, Australia didn't and continued to rely upon gamesmanship from Gregan and co. to con referees into obtaining near-parity (then) and importing personnel from other Unions to make up for the inherent deficiencies (now.)

You'll hear from time to time people describe the 2000 Bledisloe in Sydney as "the greatest game ever." 74 points were scored in that encounter and it wasn't, it was a game of glorified 7s. My opinion is that your lot have largely failed to move on and are pretty much playing the same game.

 

[ChargerWA]

That's a pretty insightful comment from someone with a pretty inane username.

 

[Hawko]

Running Rugby has no meaning. It's a vague notion ignorantly expounded by old farts who are sexually aroused by the colour Myrtle.

Guilty as charged on both counts.

The idea that running rugby has no meaning except to old farts is like saying that telex never existed. Just because it hasn't been seen for a few years only means that it might be extinct, not that it has no meaning.

Someone should pull the old ABC tapes of the Shute Shield between 1965 and 1985 out of the archives and replay them on one of the digital channels. Old farts like myself would tape them so we could watch them again and again. Some of the younger brigade might see a game or two and understand what we rave about.

PS. I still enjoy the odd game or two though. The game between NZ and us in 2000 had the odd bit of running rugby in it. So did the game against France a couple of years ago. There are a few others too, but Oldtimers is taking its toll on my short term memory.

 

[The Red Baron]

I'm holding TT responsible if these selections go pear shaped. He was employed by JO'N to (among many, many other things) prevent Robbie from making selection stuff ups.

Samo in the 22? Really? I mean, really? Hang your head in shame TT.

 

[cyclopath]

Yeah, you help a lot, biggsy.
Both of you ought to let the personal stuff re Deans and his wife go, it's cheap, it's unnecessary and really not on.

 

[Slim 293]

Timani and Samo both in the 22.........

There's at least half a dozen better options running around.........

 

[Inside Shoulder]

..And when it turns out like the July 2000 Test at the same venue between the same nations, you will be very happy with the $800 bargain.

I have some sympathy for that view, however: I am, at this stage of the so called Wallabies development, looking for wins not 24 nil after 6 minutes or a courageous loss.
I remember my despair when they got to 24 nil - only matched by my despair when I realised I'd never be a wallaby.....

 

[biggsy]

Yeah, you help a lot, biggsy.
Both of you ought to let the personal stuff re Deans and his wife go, it's cheap, it's unnecessary and really not on.

Your right. But Slims reply was a good one and true
Should just let TPN do the talking on the Weekend with his Rugby..

 

[Braveheart81]

The Polota-Nau vs Moore situation can easily be explained by The Simpsons.

When Homer had hair, he got a promotion and the key to the executive washroom.

When the hair fell out again, he went back to Sector 7G.

 

[Slim 293]

That is quite easily the best, and most logical explanation for such a selection.......