Argentina v Australia, Mendoza 4/10/14

[Hugh Jarse]

Considering it has only become part of his game in the last three matches I and the fact it also became a part of pre-planned moves it looks to me as if it is a "tactic". Do we blame the player for executing what he has been told to? Some do, but they are those who do not look past the obvious actions of the individual, much like McAbe was accused of being a one dimensional bosh merchant on the back of Deans RWC game plans.

It is happening too often for it not to be a planned tactic.

It would be nice if they preplanned a tactic to take the ball from a scrum 25 metres out, and spread it to the wing to score in the opposite corner, with the backs running forward to isolate their opponent before passing to another back running forward at pace to do the same.

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

On a side note, what's the deal with sports psychology these days? After every Wallabies loss, stories immediately hit the media avenues with such quotes like "the team would not allow themselves to dwell on the result" or "it’s important that we don’t walk around kicking stones" etc. It appears that after every loss the Wallabies are told to forget about it, pretend it never happened, just look ahead to the next game.
From what I remember, getting beaten gave you motivation to work harder to win next time. obviously things have changed over time. Is this how sports psychology works these days?

Its not Sports Psychology - I remember well in the days of Gegan, Mortlock and Latham; the myriad back-to-back losses. upsets and 'non-shows' with a smirking Mortlock at the post-match interview, going on about how they are "improving, but fell a bit short today... are improving... need to put a few things together"... and on and on... Its how those blokes made their Living, at the time. The Disease is still in the Camp.

 

[Moono75]

Congrats to the Argies they have been knocking at the door for that first win for a while now and showed guts to come back from 14 down.

The Wallabies I agree with most posters. Just ill discipline and a lack of ideas on how to respond to the possession and territorial pressure. At this point in time I'm writing the Wallabies off for the WC. We are still stuffing around with the team when it should be settled who are the number 1 players in each position. We need continuity......and yes I know we have injuries, but the recent games have only cast doubt on if we have the right guys at 9, 10 and 12 and I fear we will see the return of the constant swapping of players in and out of those positions creating a further culture of clusterfuckedness.

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is being wasted on the wing while we wait for a decent option in Speight to be finally cleared to play for the Wallabies. The shining light so far has been Kuridrani who gets better and better and is the tackle busting runner we need.

The effectiveness of Folau seems to be dimishing as the confidence of the team wanes. A couple of his grubber kicks have got us into real trouble on the turnover, he needs to pick and choose his opportunities better.

The scrum well thats the same problems it's been for so long now it's not even worth talking about. One more game against the AB's and lets hope that if by some miracle we end up getting up that we don't kid ourselves as to the problems still surrounding the Wallabies.

 

[Mr Doug]

for someone who was poached to play AFL he is surprisingly poor with his kicking..which is probably why he doesn't do much of it..very unusual for a fullback.

And in the recent past, a couple of members had the audacity to say Izzy (or Wazzy?), was a better #15 than Chris Latham!

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

who is Le Fuse... and Why?

 

[KOB1987]

Fuck me posts upon posts about how shit To'omua and how his involvement (or lack thereof) cost us the game today is up there with watching Dingo Deans press conference.

The fact that the emphasis of a lot of posters is on individual performances rather than the collective ill-discipline which has been a HUGE constant in this team speaks volumes. You would have thought that as a country that was sunk in the 2003 WC final based on penalties and field position would have a better idea at what really cost us the game today.

Find me a post that blames him for today's loss or even criticises his 20 minutes..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

And in the recent past, a couple of members had the audacity to say Izzy (or Wazzy?), was a better #15 than Chris Latham!

I would take Folau over Latham every day - Monday thru Sunday... and twice on Bledisloe Cup days... (Burke on the other hand, well Israel has some way to go)...

 

[cyclopath]

who is Le Fuse. and Why?

Al Baxter.
I think it was ironic - he never seemed to lose his cool.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

who is Le Fuse. and Why?

Don't like quoting Grumbles, but scroll down to the bottom of this Rugby Giggle and Snitch media piece.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...-hate-factor-20100401-ri7c.html#ixzz1WfMIHoHn

- Waratahs players plan to mark Al Baxter's 100th Super appearance by bringing in wrestler Chris ''The Hammer'' Haseman for a bit of pre-match face slapping. Baxter decked Haseman at a 2007 Wallabies training session to earn the nickname The Fuse.

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

Al Baxter.
I think it was ironic - he never seemed to lose his cool.

Thankyou both - It seems i have already managed to block those particular years from my memory...

 

[MrTabua]

Really?! He's been below-par for too long and needs to be benched in Brisbane to give him time to contemplate, but ARU will use him to promote match in a "League-mad" Brisbane!

Brisbane is league mad? Maybe.

Quite good crowds for the Reds in comparison with the Broncos.

 

[Lorenzo]

I don't mind that folau's decisions are not always optimal. Shit, buy a leaguie and you should be expecting that.

It's his fucking indecision that irks me. Either step on the gas and run towards the space (or straight up the paddock), or put in a tactical kick, or up-and-under, or hell even the occasional chip kick. Just don't slowly meander back to the line with the pill because you don't know what to do. It just gifts the opposition field position.

Willie Le Roux doesn't slowly jog back to the action once he collects the pill, he steps on the fucking gas. Dagg is the same. They do it with a sense of bloody urgency.

 

[Gnostic]

My considered view on this game:-

1) All players but especially Kepu, Slipper and Carter looked buggered 20 minutes into the game.Not an excuse as it should have been planned for as this was always the schedule. If the bench had to start with the "starters" seeing out the last 20 or 30 so be it.
2) The kicking game as it has been for years is very very poor. After last week I asked why is it still poor and where is the kicking coach (not just goal kicking) to correct this fundamental problem. I can see that the tactics are to keep the ball in play (they didn't even attempt touch on too many occasion for it not to be a tactic) but even when they attempted to find touch they missed far to often. The less said about stupidity of the grubber kick tactic the better, but in all my years of Rugby the grubber was an opportunistic option, not a defined tactic. As for the execution, how many actually made it past the defensive line into space? 20%? FFS.
3) Attack. There remains absolutely nobody in support of the ball carrier. There is no attack in depth or second wave past the first phase. If anybody wonders why the Wallabies do not break the line, there it is. They rely totally on "X" factor players to do it all such as Folau, Beale etc. None of the forwards in this match and in past matches only Slipper have committed players in defence and offloaded. Look at how many offloads were made by Argie forwards and back in contact.
4) Defence - the only point of success in the last two games, though I suspect the issues on the wings remain with no real top end pace in the back three and the structures offering the wings to the opposition. Against the ABs in two weeks I expect this will be exploited again as it was in the 2nd Bled test.
5) Selection and bench use. The title says it all.

The illusion that some have had that the Wallabies have progressed since 2013 EOYT has been cruelly shattered. If they are advancing they need to turn around and look that they have been going the wrong way.

I was a strident critic of Deans, not because of results but simply because of how the Wallabies were playing. Well after the EOYT I dared to dream. My awakening has not been pleasant and Link had better make some changes in the office because if the Wallabies continue as they are they will not make it out of the Pool stages next year.

 

[MrTabua]

I hate the loss as much as the next Wallaby fan.

However, Argentina are not a bad side.

Brisbane now becomes a HUGE game. A big loss and McKenzive might get sacked. I'm a huge fan of Link and really hope the Wallabies show their mettle.

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

My considered view on this game:-

1) All players but especially Kepu, Slipper and Carter looked buggered 20 minutes into the game.Not an excuse as it should have been planned for as this was always the schedule. If the bench had to start with the "starters" seeing out the last 20 or 30 so be it.
2) The kicking game as it has been for years is very very poor. After last week I asked why is it still poor and where is the kicking coach (not just goal kicking) to correct this fundamental problem. I can see that the tactics are to keep the ball in play (they didn't even attempt touch on too many occasion for it not to be a tactic) but even when they attempted to find touch they missed far to often. The less said about stupidity of the grubber kick tactic the better, but in all my years of Rugby the grubber was an opportunistic option, not a defined tactic. As for the execution, how many actually made it past the defensive line into space? 20%? FFS.
3) Attack. There remains absolutely nobody in support of the ball carrier. There is no attack in depth or second wave past the first phase. If anybody wonders why the Wallabies do not break the line, there it is. They rely totally on "X" factor players to do it all such as Folau, Beale etc. None of the forwards in this match and in past matches only Slipper have committed players in defence and offloaded. Look at how many offloads were made by Argie forwards and back in contact.
4) Defence - the only point of success in the last two games, though I suspect the issues on the wings remain with no real top end pace in the back three and the structures offering the wings to the opposition. Against the ABs in two weeks I expect this will be exploited again as it was in the 2nd Bled test.
5) Selection and bench use. The title says it all.

The illusion that some have had that the Wallabies have progressed since 2013 EOYT has been cruelly shattered. If they are advancing they need to turn around and look that they have been going the wrong way.

I was a strident critic of Deans, not because of results but simply because of how the Wallabies were playing. Well after the EOYT I dared to dream. My awakening has not been pleasant and Link had better make some changes in the office because if the Wallabies continue as they are they will not make it out of the Pool stages next year.

As of today, we are not going to make it out of the Pools - that may yet change. Any Australian side that Fumbles the opportunity to eliminate the Poms in the Pool of THEIR OWN World Cup, should simply not be allowed to come home - management included - and mean that literally. Be sure, the Welsh will NOT fumble this same opportunity.

 

[Tomikin]

The longer he is out for, the greater the legend becomes.

Pocock was great but his not a legend yet. Gerorge Smith was a legend and a massive loss. But like Smith I don't think Poey Or Hooper have shown there great Captains..yet Hooper's young and learning he will grow and if kept with could be an amazing captain.

 

[Tomikin]

Hasn't played for 2 and half years and people still think he's the best openside in Australia.

2013 I didn't even think he was the best in the Brumbies . I just want him back playing and available the more guys like Poey Moore Cooper Genia Taf even Dave Dennis fit the better.

Will he be the 7 he was who knows..but I'd love to see him playing

 

[MrTabua]

Hopefully George Smith plays in the RWC next year, for Tonga.

(I haven't followed the very latest rule tweaking by "World Rugby", aka IRB, on eligibility as I got so excited by the initial rule tweak and didn't want to get disappointed.)

 

[Tomikin]

Hopefully George Smith plays in the RWC next year, for Tonga.

(I haven't followed the very latest rule tweaking by "World Rugby", aka IRB, on eligibility as I got so excited by the initial rule tweak and didn't want to get disappointed.)

I don't seriously he has had his chance he chose Australia and some poor Tongan bloke who picked to stay home loses his spot.. Fuck that if he wants to go to the world cup he came back here and play for oz

 

[Slim 293]

So our lineout functioned alright, and Horwill went ok...........

Simmons might have to work his way back into the starting team..........