and so onto France

[Spook]

I would never have blamed Waugh for a penalty try conceded from a 5m scrum that disintegrated and was orignally caused by our half back ;D ;D

You hate Smith. Admit it!

 

[Cutter]

Nick you are absolutely right, its Smith's fault our scrum got nailed. If only he had pushed a bit harder. Was he the reason we steamrolled the poms last week? He took a chance that he might give away a try that would be scored anyway but that it might save a try and just give away 3. Not that big a deal.

Hynes seemed to be the only one of the back 3 who could catch the high balls. Ioane is good to have out there because he, sometimes at least, tries to run it back. The kicking is turning me off watching the Wallabies.

Lineout solid. Scrum ok but it was screwed regularly (not always the way we would have wanted) and nailed once. When its the backs ball the two options are Mortlock crash ball in midfield or kick it to their back 3. That must improve.

It was a scrappy match. I didnt particularly enjoy it.

 

[Spook]

Why oh why isn't Lucas on tour? :-\

 

[fatprop]

Why oh why isn't Lucas on tour? :-\

He was injured for most of the season and as such didn't deserve selection.

The Aus scrum was pummelled for a lot of the game (lots of 1/4 turns to keep Smith out of the game)

That said the Hynes try was one of the best constructed tries of the season. Solid punches right and left until a numbers miss match, quick hands = try.

Burgess was very frustrating, he does so many good things and then throws a pass to the crowd and if Mitchell could kick quicker it would never had been needed.

 

[Scotty]

The commentary from the whiny Pom was pathetic, again. He thought Hynes was Cross and Mitchell was AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper).

He managed to call Ioane three different names before he got it right. The only dark skinned guy in our back line and he was called Hynes, Mitchell and Cross before he finally got his name right in the 25 minute.

He must be an embarrasment to guys like Tune. I could forgive a few mistakes, but he clearly does no homework on the players at all. Not to mention that he doesn't seem to have much idea about the rules of the game.

 

[Scotty]

There just doesn't seem to be any chance of our backline making breaks, apart from the odd half break from Mortlock's crash balls. We look much more dangerous with Gits at 12, and someone who can provide a long pass such as Cooper or Barnes at 10. Playing Mortlock at 12 is never going to give a chance to our outside players to make a clean break. Mortlock has played well this tour, but he is very limited and I think his time in the Wallabies is also limited - probably to the end of 09. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) can also crash ball, but he has the added benefit of a great step and good speed off the mark.

Of course, picking Cooper a 10 could also backfire, but he has all the skills to play at this level (including a longer pass and kick than Giteau as well as a better step), we will just have to hope he has the composure.

 

[Spook]

Mortlock has been the best player on tour IMO with Sharpe and Moore. He isn't a 12 but that's not his fault.

 

[TOCC]

Why oh why isn't Lucas on tour? :-\

He was injured for most of the season and as such didn't deserve selection.

he was injured for most of the season? my memory is a bit scratchy, but he played nearly all the S14 game and PNC (Pacific Nations Cup) games this year..
He pushed Cordingley to the bench at the Reds, which is merit of his ability.

He was inured in August which is probably what kept him off the tour.

 

[naza]

There just doesn't seem to be any chance of our backline making breaks, apart from the odd half break from Mortlock's crash balls. We look much more dangerous with Gits at 12, and someone who can provide a long pass such as Cooper or Barnes at 10. Playing Mortlock at 12 is never going to give a chance to our outside players to make a clean break.

A lot of the backline ball we got was off lineouts. The Frogs stacked their forwards at the back of the lineout so had us outnumbered when we pushed the ball wide. Without a maul to drag in forwards, that's what happens. Luckily we were awake to it and sent Mortlock on the crash ball. Apart from that, Giteau is not a 10, we still go the up and under too much, and there's little in the way of counter attack from our backs.

Our attack looked its best with Burgess marshalling the forward pick and drive, with the pack working as a unit. I wonder if anyone is finally willing to admit how magnificent a halfback Gregan was ?

 

[Scotty]

I don't think anyone doubts Gregans place as one of the best halves of the last 20 years. It is last few years form that is doubted, and his mortgage on the jumper - something that you could argue may be biting us now.

 

[disco]

That said the Hynes try was one of the best constructed tries of the season. Solid punches right and left until a numbers miss match, quick hands = try.

I agree Fatprop that was a brilliant team try Sharpe & MMM both drove well over the advantage line as did Moore of the short Palu pass & then two quick passes & Hynes was over.

It was so good to see them set up off the pick & drive rather than going wide off 1st phase every time, thats when Burgess comes into his own quick ball,quick service & short passing.

 

[mark_s]

This is probably the 1st time I have seen Joubert ref a game dead sober, I previously thought he was always biased against my team (usually the tahs) but I think someone captured it well earlier when they said he is biased against rugbyy.

As for Burgess, if there was anyone other than Cordingly available I would be happy to give Burgess a week off versus the wellies. But I still can't see any value in promoting Cords given he has 1-2 games left in Wallaby colours max. Still, Burgess has much to do to prove that he is a worthy long term Wallaby no. 9. At the moment, he is equally capable of winning and losing a game, we saw that today when Burgess won a turnover when the French were hard on attack close to our line, but unfortunately we didn't get the clearing kick away and Burgess's pass from he ensuing scrum will haunt him (and maybe Deans) for a long time.

I can't understand the criticism of Smith, I thought he did well (Joubert penalised all the loose forwards that got to the breakdown) and his contribution to the penalty try was neither here nor there. BTW - our goal kick was also off in this game - I think we missed half our attempts.

I actually thought we looked ok with ball in hand, the problem was that it didn't happen often enough. All of our backs from 12 tro 15 made handy breaks at various times.

I don't think MMM is a 2nd row, he should stay on the side and Mumm should go to the 2nd row if they are on the field together. I can't say I was impressed by Kepu's technique either when he cdome on - he was at a pretty awful angle even before he packed most scrums.

 

[Lee Grant]

Disagree about Smith mark_s,

I thought he had an absolute shocker for cynicism in the game - the worst I've seen from him. When the scrum went over our line Smith dived in and got his hand on the ball and it popped out towards the touchline. He was bloody awful on other occasions too.

It should have been both a penalty try and a yellow card. We were bloody lucky. We all moan, or at least I do, about the All Black captain being the invisible man to the ref, well George must have had his Harry Potter invisibility cloak on in Paris.

And to those ning-nongs who came in from the side parallel to the ruck and pretended that they were going through it - don't do it because it is so bloody obvious to Blind Freddie let alone Joubert.

As for the ref: he may need a new pea for his whistle but he did exactly what the IRB have prescribed in their protocols - making people stay on their feet and not kill the ball - enforcing the laws.

Young-uns - this is how rugby used to be played - I won't say in the good old days because the game is a lot better now despite its warts - but in the main people stayed on their feet most of the time. People will say bring back rucking as they used to do, but although typing out the words may make you feel like a man, don't bother - it's like pissing in the wind because it's never going to happen.

I don't mind too much if all the refs have a blitz on transgressors like Joubert did, so long as every ref does it. The players will learn not to leave their feet and not flop on the wrong side of the ball - but they won't if they get away with it more often than not.

End of rant.

Geez I know that I've said Giteau is not a very good flyhalf at the international level and is better as a 12 but I am bloody glad he has been wearing the 10 jersey in the last 2 games, as we would have been like headless chooks without him.

I think he and Moore have been our best players.

PS another player I bag a bit is Ioane because his spectrum of skills is narrow, but he looked lively, didn't he?

 

[mark_s]

Lee, are you basing that comment on that scrum or other indiscretions by Smith?

The penalty try was appropriate and I wouldn't have complained if he got a yellow card (and I would have insisted on it if he did the same thing for the brumbies v tahs). However France would have scored anyway so I do not begrudge him for trying the only thing he could to save it. Otherwise I don't think Smith was anymore or less cycnical than any of the other loose forwards in this game.

 

[Lee Grant]

He should have got a yellow because of what he did in that scrum.

I don't like the practice of refs not giving cards because the penalty try is enough of a sanction. It's a cop out, and I applaud refs who give both.

Disagree that Smith wasn't worse than others - he was bloody embarrassing.

Compare his game with two of the Frog backrowers whose names I can spell without looking them up - Dusautoir and Harinordoquy - plus the little bloke - they were like bloody choirboys by comparison.

 

[TOCC]

He should have got a yellow because of what he did in that scrum.

I don't like the practice of refs not giving cards because the penalty try is enough of a sanction. It's a cop out, and I applaud refs who give both.

Disagree that Smith wasn't worse than others - he was bloody embarrassing.

Compare his game with two of the Frog backrowers whose names I can spell without looking them up - Dusautoir and Harinordoquy - plus the little bloke - they were like bloody choirboys by comparison.

dammed if you do, dammed if you dont

if Smith held back and didnt push the boundaries as much as he does then he wouldnt be the awsome player that he is, he treads a fine line,sometimes his a legend sometimes his a villain

 

[mark_s]

I am surprised their isn't more discussion of the penalty against the french that led to our 1st try. At worst it was accidental offside, is that a full arm peanlty under these rules? The pommie commentator clearly didn't think so but it changed the momentum of the game.

 

[Spook]

THe penalty try was given because of the collapsed scrum. Nothing to do with Smith. You blokes really need to get over the Waugh - Smith thing. It's over.

 

[Sully]

THe penalty try was given because of the collapsed scrum. Nothing to do with Smith. You blokes really need to get over the Waugh - Smith thing. It's over.

Yeh agreed I'm failing to see how the try had anything to do with Smith when most of our forwards were watching the French scrum trundle towards the try line from the French back line.

 

[Spook]

What was Smith to do? Just let them score? Burgess is that person at fault in this situation. To suggest otherwise is absolutely ridiculous and smells of a smokescreen created by our resident NSW supporters. :thumb