2012 Rugby Championship Round 4 Game 2 Australia vs Argentina - 15 Sep

[Ignoto]

I actually think Beale should be picked there despite the fact that I dont think he is a long term proposition in that position.

I can't see anything that suggest Beale should be picked over Quade? Quade had one bad game (admittedly he hasn't really shone in his past couple of games, but who has?) while Beale hasn't had a decent game since prior to being injured.

I've got no idea why there's this constant need to change the backline week in week out. Surely it was more than obvious that the current team needs more time to play and settle with one another.

 

[TOCC]

Apologies the Ella's didn't attract him to the school, but Ella was his manager from Year 11 at least

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Agreed Ignoto. Other than injury, I'd like to far fewer changes in the backs than is currently the case. You can't build combinations and patterns of play (don't laugh you lot) with the personnel changing all the time. The pack seems a lot more stable and I think we're starting to see the benefits of that.

 

[Braveheart81]

We need Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Karmichael Hunt, Cadel Evans and the rest of the Swisse Vitamins team to get between James O'Connor for the 10 jersey now.

 

[TOCC]

Our of curiosity, how many full lineouts did the Wallabies throw on the weekend, it seems to be a common trend to go with short lineouts and use forwards in the backline to hit the ball up..

But this is making it difficult for the Wallabies backs to attack with opposition forwards plugging the gaps in the other teams backline as well..

Is it due to a weakness in our lineout or a weakness in the Wallabies backs.. Either way it's shit and we need to stop it.

 

[Sully]

I was metres away from where Beale warmed up and he looked anything but unfit.

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[Scotty]

How long will he need? He's had 4 years and 37(?) caps..Ella won 25

The dogs are barking: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/r...ative-at-flyhalf/story-fn8ouw0e-1226475092781

I actually think Beale should be picked there despite the fact that I dont think he is a long term proposition in that position.
If we were serious we'd give Harris a start (assuming he isnt injured).

Beale has been having a similar 'mare in his favoured position, and you think we should put him in at 10?

 

[TOCC]

I was metres away from where Beale warmed up and he looked anything but unfit.

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lean/ripped doesn't equate to fit...

Maybe we should say he is not-conditioned rather then unfit..

 

[Braveheart81]

There is a definite improvement in Beale's fitness over the last few weeks. He no longer has the pudginess around his face that he had at the Sydney Bledisloe.

I think he just needs more game time now and he will get back towards peak form.

He needs to learn to catch the highball though. It has been sorely lacking from his game.

Barnes has given himself every chance of holding onto the 15 jersey just by cleanly catching a few high balls under pressure.

 

[Tangawizi]

I think if the ARU want to go for a Gold Coast Test next year, they should schedule it as an afternoon match.

Like a 3pm kick off to be played prior to the AB's game rather than after it.

Would've been a nice sunny afternoon and that will avoid a clash with the Nrl finals so maybe they'll get free-to-air coverage.

Also a large percentage of the crowd on Saturday had gone down from Brisbane which is 80 minutes on the train to get back to Bris Central so making that trip at 5:30pm would be a lot better than 10pm.

 

[TOCC]

There is a definite improvement in Beale's fitness over the last few weeks. He no longer has the pudginess around his face that he had at the Sydney Bledisloe.

I think he just needs more game time now and he will get back towards peak form.

He needs to learn to catch the highball though. It has been sorely lacking from his game.

Barnes has given himself every chance of holding onto the 15 jersey just by cleanly catching a few high balls under pressure.

That's the biggest thing.. I can deal with him being a little chubby, but his current ability under the highball is seriously hurting the Wallabies.. And his kicking game as well, every time we engage in 'force and backs' with the AB's or Boks, we were coming off second best and losing significant ground...

Catching and kicking to a fullback is what passing is to a halfback...

 

[Lee Grant]

Our of curiosity, how many full lineouts did the Wallabies throw on the weekend, it seems to be a common trend to go with short lineouts and use forwards in the backline to hit the ball up. Is it due to a weakness in our lineout or a weakness in the Wallabies backs.. Either way it's shit and we need to stop it.

The Boks are doing the same; they have lost their mojo in the lineouts and are throwing shorter than they did in the days of Victor Matfield.

The further back you throw the more accurate your thrower has to be and the more complicated the choreography. Most put the short throws down to a lack of confidence in the throwers but lineout callers can lose confidence in the ability of the pods (lifters and catchers) to execute and deceive.

Oz needs lifters and catchers who are as tough as Springsteen but move like Jagger.
.

 

[Braveheart81]

Oz needs lifters and catchers who are as tough as Springsteen but move like Jagger.

Worth repeating. Nice one LG.

 

[Tangawizi]

Looks like Test rugby will be coming back to the Gold Coast, after maybe a year off next season.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/09/17/438305_rugby-sport.html

22,000 hit Skilled Park for rugby Test

Emma Greenwood | 08:44am September 17, 2012

AUSTRALIAN rugby bosses have revealed Test matches will return to the Gold Coast after a respectable 22,000 fans descended on Skilled Park for the city's first rugby international.

A 2014 or 2016 return is on the cards after ARU chief executive John O'Neill declared the organisation was "thrilled with every aspect" of Saturday's Rugby Championship clash against Argentina.

After basing its initial budgets on a crowd of 20,000, the ARU was more than happy with the turnout of 22,278, despite it being almost 5000 short of capacity at Skilled Park.

"It was a success in every respect," O'Neill said.

"We'll be back again with Test matches -- I think the next one might be either 2014 or 2016 -- but it's not a once-only, we'll be back regularly with Test matches here on the Coast and, of course, the Gold Coast Sevens here every year.

"It was a pretty special occasion, the first Test match on the Gold Coast and the first time Argentina have played in the Rugby Championship on Australian soil."

O'Neill admitted the match lacked quality but said he was content with the atmosphere at the venue.

"The crowd was just over 22,000 people, a great atmosphere, the game was, at times, probably not such a high -quality game in the end, but in terms of the event and in terms of the Gold Coast and the stadium, it lived up to all of our expectations," he said.

The majority of fans also went home happy after the Wallabies mounted a spirited fightback from 13 points down in the second half to win 23-19.

"It was a night of great theatre," O'Neill said.

"Coming from behind and Sharpe, a TSS boy, led the team at the age of 34, sensationally well.

"Everyone went home last night, punters and officialdom, happy.

"And were very grateful to Events Queensland, the Queensland Government, the Gold Coast Council, the Queensland Rugby Union."

As a boutique stadium, Skilled Park will never host an All Blacks, Springboks or British and Irish Lions Test, with those matches drawing crowds of more than 50,000.

But O'Neill said the Pumas were not the only team that would visit the Coast.

"I wouldn't rule out some of the northern hemisphere teams," he said.

"We have regular Test matches with Italy and Italy on the Gold Coast would be the right kind of fixture.

"Also we took Scotland this year to Newcastle. Newcastle's about the same size as Skilled Park.

"Even Ireland. Any team that would look like getting you about 30,000 (fans) could come here to the Gold Coast."

An Argentinian return is also not out of the question.

"I went into the Argentinian dressingroom, and whilst they were bitterly disappointed with the result, the compliments about the stadium and ground (were overwhelming)."

 

[Scotty]

The lineout is going alright along with the scrum. Hardly the worst area of our game right now.

Three worst areas:

1. Poor and inefficient clean outs requiring additional numbers to each break down and slowing our ball
2. Positional kicking
3. Catching the high ball

Fix the above up and we won't be talking about our backline not penetrating enough or being creative enough.

 

[Ignoto]

Oz needs lifters and catchers who are as tough as Springsteen but move like Jagger.

Fair point Lee. Do you think that means we shouldn't opt for Timani and Samo (especially having both of them in the same 15)?

There was one lineout in particular which we lost because even though TPN threw the ball at the right height, it went straight throw Samo's hands as he was still on the way up. While Higgers might not bring the same work-rate around the park as Samo does, he has to be one of the quickest line out jumpers going around. But I suppose you could swap Dennis with Higgers for a game if you wanted that quick front man jumper?

 

[BDA]

Re Article on Kane Douglas (written by Jim Tucker), I don't know who Jim Tucker is but I'd wager he's a Tahs supporter. Not that I don't think Douglas had a good game on the weekend. I do. But Douglas has only played one game and it was at home in front of his friends and family. He should be judged more-so on whether he can replicate that performance, particularly on the road. A good start but Id like to see him repeat the performance before the Sydney Journos start praising him as a born "test player"

 

[Braveheart81]

Until Palu is fit, I think starting Samo and finishing with Higgers should continue.

We've now been getting impact across the 80 minutes from the number 8 position. I think this is crucial to the overall physicality and effectiveness of our forward pack. Whilst we could start Higgers at 6, I think he is a better option at 8 than Dave Dennis. If we start Higgers at 6 and move him to 8 when Samo comes off, we will lose that fresh player grunt that he's been providing at number 8 in the second half.

Dave Dennis has been improving every test at 6.

 

[Scotty]

Re Article on Kane Douglas (written by Jim Tucker), I don't know who Jim Tucker is but I'd wager he's a Tahs supporter. Not that I don't think Douglas had a good game on the weekend. I do. But Douglas has only played one game and it was at home in front of his friends and family. He should be judged more-so on whether he can replicate that performance, particularly on the road. A good start but Id like to see him repeat the performance before the Sydney Journos start praising him as a born "test player"

Ha. Pretty sure you will find that Tucker is Brisbane based and likely to be a reds fan!

 

[No4918]

Re Article on Kane Douglas (written by Jim Tucker), I don't know who Jim Tucker is but I'd wager he's a Tahs supporter. Not that I don't think Douglas had a good game on the weekend. I do. But Douglas has only played one game and it was at home in front of his friends and family. He should be judged more-so on whether he can replicate that performance, particularly on the road. A good start but Id like to see him repeat the performance before the Sydney Journos start praising him as a born "test player"

Jim Tucker is a rugby writer for the Courier Mail.

And given our lock propositions at the moment i'd say Douglas's stocks went up about 300% on Saturday. He and Horwill would make a very good combo. While Timani has surprised many, myself included, I'd take Douglas any day of the week. Timani doesn't look like a lock and i'd personally like to see him get a lot of time at 8 next season.