2012 Rugby Championship Round 3 Game 1 Australia vs South Africa - 8 Sep

[Richo]

Palmer is hurt, I believe.

 

[RugbyReg]

What are peoples thoughts on Ryan from the Waratahs being called up to the squad to cover Kepu. Is he more deserving and a better choice than Holmes and Palmer.

Palmer is injured so take him out of the equation. I would have gone for Holmes, but let's compare the two props in 3 critical areas.

Both are born in the country - brilliant.
Both have beards - crucial.
Ryan is 120kg v Holmes around 115kg.

Slighty edges him. At this stage, let's give him a shot. Happy to see him get a run. But I'd love to see Palmer back soon.

 

[fatprop]

The only logic I see is giving squad time to a youngling with some potential and a "mature" player

 

[Brumby Jack]

Palmer is hurt, I believe.

Only just back but no chance of playing in TRC

 

[Braveheart81]

Palmer is injured so take him out of the equation. I would have gone for Holmes, but let's compare the two props in 3 critical areas.

Both are born in the country - brilliant.
Both have beards - crucial.
Ryan is 120kg v Holmes around 115kg.

Slighty edges him. At this stage, let's give him a shot. Happy to see him get a run. But I'd love to see Palmer back soon.

You forgot to subtract points for Paddy Ryan's beard being decidedly ginger.

 

[Blue]

You forgot to subtract points for Paddy Ryan's beard being decidedly ginger.

Careful now.

 

[The Red Baron]

THE INSIDE BACK

ARU unimpressed as Cooper loses his mojo


In the words of Chopper Read, Quade Cooper looks to have done himself a mischief. After an ignorant eight-second media conference last week, the Wallabies No.10 neither talked the talk or walked the walk. And the Australian Rugby Union isn't impressed. Were it not for James O'Connor's injury, it's unlikely Cooper would have earned a recall against the All Blacks. And after his showing last week his contract negotiating power with the ARU is at an all-time low. Cooper has never performed on the game's biggest stages against the All Blacks and is fast running out of chances.

Distracted Digby
Another Wallaby who did not perform on Saturday is winger Digby Ioane. While some of his counterparts shared a laugh with the opposition and prepared for a night on the town, The Inside Back understands Ioane was nearly in tears in the dressing room. Few players try harder than Ioane. Meanwhile, Ioane's awkward performance outside Kurtley Beale as he laughed with Sonny Bill Williams after the game conjured up memories of Ioane's foray into the music video world last year. Still viewable on good old YouTube tagged Digby Ioane in Come Close by Fortafy, the video is a perfect example of where Australian rugby has gone wrong. Can you imagine John Eales, George Gregan or Stephen Larkham starring in their own video clip?

Hammy Jimmy
James O'Connor's attempt at acting on those Swisse ads has not gone unnoticed, with Gruen Transfer host Wil Anderson nominating the playmaker for the show's inaugural Brown Logie in recognition of the worst performance by an athlete in a commercial. O'Connor is set to return for the South African and Argentinian leg of the Rugby Championship. Inside centre Pat McCabe is also expected to return with Sekope Kepu for the tour, while James Horwill is in line to join his teammates for the end-of-season spring tour.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/aru-unimpressed-as-cooper-loses-his-mojo-20120829-2514m.html


Seems a bit of a stretch to segue into the bit about Digby by saying he also didn't perform on Saturday. He's one of the only players who has consistently performed.

Josh Rakic is Growden's protege, isn't he? What a nonsense article.

 

[TOCC]

That article is rubbish...

Show me a player who has regularly performed against the AB's in recent years... QC (Quade Cooper) actually has one of the highest winning ratios against the darkness...

As for Digby, so a mate of his asks Digby to be in his music clip because he figures it could increase the clips exposure, this happened 18months ago and is now the reason Digby is distracted... He is one of the few current wallabies actually performing well.

Rakic, don't call yourself a journalists, you write tabloid crap

 

[cyclopath]

Sounds like Danny Weidler. That pretty much sums up its value as journalism.

 

[scaraby]

Groucho, I want to see him playing the same calibre of rugby that he was in 2010 and early 2011 as much as the next bloke. I just don't think he is going to get there by sitting on the bench or in the stands.
If he's fit he is good to go. If he is not then release him from the squad and give someone else a run. I thought the same with Cooper leading up to the Sydney test. It should be this way for all in the squad.
Leading up to the test last week TPN decided to pull himself from the test 22. What was that about? Shouldn't the management be making these decisions in conjunction with the medical staff?
If Beale is fit, he is fit. Simple as that.

Problem is who does he play for?..can't remember last club game he played but memory says Randwick..if its not them it will be Uni...don't bite me you rabid students

 

[Hawko]

What are peoples thoughts on Ryan from the Waratahs being called up to the squad to cover Kepu. Is he more deserving and a better choice than Holmes and Palmer.

It's good for Ryan to spend time in the squad, but I'll scream if he is put into the match day 22. He's a THP with L-plates at this level. Our THP stocks would be OK except for the fact that half our total squad is out injured at any one time. We have, in order of merit:

1. Palmer: Injured, but our best scrummager by a good margin.
2. Kepu: Injured but may be back for next test.
3. Slipper: I like him at LHP, but he can play this side. Good bench player.
4. Alexander: At test level has been found out at THP when opposed to a good scrummager. Only had Crockett last weekend.
5. Holmes: Same comment as for Slipper. Should be in the squad now Robinson is so kack.
6. Ryan: Young and has huge potential. Scrummaging used to be a weakness but he went OK in the Super comp this year. Deans loved him this year because he had impact around the park when he came on for the Tahs. Should not make the 22 for at least another 12 months so he can develop properly.

There is something wrong with the level of injury that is being sustained by our forwards (and backs for that matter). I am inclined to think it has to do with being less dominant than our opposition. The weaker player, one on one, is always likely to be twisted the wrong way because their line of momentum gets reversed in the tackle. Joints and muscles don't like that.

Look at our theoretical best pack and best back-up (IMO):

1. Slipper/Holmes
2. Moore/TPN
3. Palmer/Kepu
4. Horwill/Timani or Douglas
5. Sharpe/? (but they're all fit)
6. Higgers/Dennis
7. Pocock/Hooper
8. Palu/Auelua

Of those 16 players, five have long term injuries and two have short term injuries. That's almost half. Last week the NZ team was missing Woodcock from the starting pack and I think no one from their back-ups. This is not just luck, we have consistently had long term injuries to our first choice team for years. I wouldn't agree that NZ players have better genetics. My theory, yet to be disproven, is that the S&C programs in NZ, along with their ITM third tier, develops players who don't get injured as much as ours do because they are harder and able to dominate their collisions.

Until we have an S&C program that will allow us to have forwards who can dominate the collisions, we will continue to be consistently playing with third and fourth choice players.

 

[Braveheart81]

How bad is Robbo's injury?

 

[cyclopath]

Problem is who does he play for?..can't remember last club game he played but memory says Randwick..if its not them it will be Uni.don't bite me you rabid students

Norths

 

[Hawko]

How bad is Robbo's injury?

I didn't know he was injured, but it might explain the level of intensity.

 

[Richo]

Sounds like Danny Weidler. That pretty much sums up its value as journalism.

I don't know. Rakic did get that inside scoop of the Gaffney email sent out to Waratahs members. Sure, it was three days after the email was sent out, but a scoop is a scoop.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

How bad is Robbo's injury?

I think it was a head clash with kevin mealamu and he is fine was just dazed.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

 

[Brisbok]

Jake hammers Heyneke

30 Aug 2012
Jake White says Heyneke Meyer’s game plan for the Springboks is not a winning one.

The Brumbies mentor was speaking at a fundraiser at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, according to Die Burger.

‘Heyneke’s coaching style is not a style that will help the Boks to win,’ said White. ‘If you can’t score at least four tries against Argentina, then there is a big problem.’

White said Meyer’s long stint with the Bulls has inevitably influenced his approach at Test level.

‘Heyneke was always going to get criticism because of his background with the Bulls. He was chosen as [Bok] coach because of the success he achieved as Bulls coach and it will naturally play a role in the way he coaches the Boks.’

White said that the more pressure Meyer was put under, the more he would revert to what worked for him at the Bulls.

‘If, for example, he must choose between Gio Aplon and Zane Kirchner, he will choose Kirchner every time,’ he said.

http://keo.co.za/2012/08/30/jake-hammers-heyneke/

Interesting comments from Jake and he makes some very valid points re: Heyneke's conservative approach - 'when in doubt, go with the Bulls player'! Although it does makes me wonder whether there is still some anger bubbling under the surface with Jake after Victor Matfield told Jake that Meyer was the best coach he'd ever played under, AFTER Jake and the Boks had just won the RWC in 2007.

 

[Scotty]

Beale has two problems.

One, he couldn't run on his hamstring, which impeded his fitness. This meant he missed most of the SupeRugby training season that the national squad relies on.

Two, he has the aboriginal body shape that many indigenous sportsmen struggle with when they don't train. For Beale, this is an unfortunate combination of circumstances that he is likely to struggle with for his career. The fact he's got fat may not be a result of pies or getting on ths piss.

I think we should get behind him, instead of treating him with the utter contempt we usually do for Wallabies that are out of form for some reason.

I struggle between work and family to fit in 3 fitness sessions a week (not to mention dodgy knees). Sometimes it might only be one or two. If the session drop, then I reduce tend to cut down on the high calorie stuff.

I can only dream of what it would be like to be paid big bucks to keep fit. Give me a break, the bloke doesn't deserve our support if he can't be bothered with a basic requirement of his profession. He is old enough, and has enough access to trainers, physios and advice on how to keep in shape when he has an injury.

If he can't be bothered, why should we be bothered by him?

 

[fatprop]

Beale has two problems.

One, he couldn't run on his hamstring, which impeded his fitness. This meant he missed most of the SupeRugby training season that the national squad relies on.

Two, he has the aboriginal body shape that many indigenous sportsmen struggle with when they don't train. For Beale, this is an unfortunate combination of circumstances that he is likely to struggle with for his career. The fact he's got fat may not be a result of pies or getting on ths piss.

I think we should get behind him, instead of treating him with the utter contempt we usually do for Wallabies that are out of form for some reason.

nah bad discipline makes a current professional footballer go to fat.

As he said after he got fit with the Tahs (paraphrased) "only I can not drive through a KFC drive though on the way home from training".

If the guy has "natural" weight issues, he just has to be more disciplined. (I know the issue) If that means staying off the beer it may have a multitude of positive effects on the guy actually.

 

[Shiggins]

I was chatting to some kiwi mates who said on kiwi radio Richie Mccaw spoke about the day of the first Bledisloe in Sydney. He was asked what he did during the day, he said something along the lines of they had the morning off, so he went to his room and watched tapes of Australia v wales in the hope of picking up some more tips on how Australia plays. He then met the team and was with them til gam time.Kurtley got his hair cut and went for lunch with JOC (James O'Connor).

It's not a crime, but when the guy that is on a ten year Bledisloe winning side worries about the game and does extra study, you can see why we havnt closed the gap.

good point. But what did pocock do? What did dagg do? Isn't that what u expect from your captan. I'm not saying pocock studied more but maybe he did