Australia v Italy, Suncorp Stadium, 24th June 2017 @ 3:00pm

[KAOPointman]

It took Foley 3 years to try a cross feild kick to Folau.

Although his inside ball on the 16th min was a beauty, very well-timed, he held off just long enough - so he's finally developed an inside ball game, something that Cooper has been doing from day 1 of his career.

He's also a great runner of the ball, and still a great support player.

But a play-maker he is not. Poor passing, poor vision. poor back-line management.

Don't even get me started on his kicking. Is he the worst kicking flyhalf at international level, or even super xv level?

It's alright tho, it's not like kicking and playmaking are the basics of the position. Next we'll have a halfback who can't pass... oh wait.

Totally agree....when Cheika played Quade at ten and Foley Inside centre...I thought...FINALLY.....exactly where Foley is more suited. Good straight running game and a solid backup to the main playmaker.
I shall continue this season with FOLEY analysis after each game until all traitors below the border are converted to my opinion

 

[Micheal]

Totally agree..when Cheika played Quade at ten and Foley Inside centre.I thought.FINALLY...exactly where Foley is more suited. Good straight running game and a solid backup to the main playmaker.
I shall continue this season with FOLEY analysis after each game until all traitors below the border are converted to my opinion

Haha. Finally?

What about last year?

I thought you were the only one who watched the games?

 

[cyclopath]

See now this is what irks me.I'm all for a fair debate.but let's keep to the facts.
The 1min knock on was NOT Alan A...its was Foley on the clean up...the Reff called playon after Alan A drooped it backwards...then as Foley went back to clean up he knocked on. Your just listening to the commentators who called it wrong.
And the offside did involve Foley as the "replay" frozen clearly shows, but your right.the actual penalty wasn't given to any particular player as more then one were offside..but my analysis was on Foley..who is shown in an Offside position when he shouldn't be. Even if it wasn't Foley pinged..he is still shown offside and therefore risking a penalty right on our try line. (Foxtel replay 2:07)

And your comments about cheika playing two playmakers is out of context. FOLEY plays 10.. Our playmaker position. He is expected to have solid handling skills and dangerous attacking skills. Neither have been on show for awhile now. Hunt is a inside centre and is our 2nd playmaker.and offered far more on attack then Foley did..always does. Maybe Hunt should play 10 then...

Sorry, but I completely disagree on both those points. Pass went to Alan A, bounced forward out of his hands to the ground, which I think is a knock-on, and he called offside against players without even looking at Foley who was further back than other players initially and then actually out of the ref's view when he blew the penalty. So to attribute those as errors to Foley is rubbish. I don't think Foley had a great game, but a pass game. I don't think many players were better than a pass.
The playmaker issue is not out of context - you just expect that the 10 does all the playmaking, whereas the coach clearly plays it differently, rightly or wrongly. So it actually IS the context.
Let's face it, you prefer Quade. If Quade was playing at his peak, I'd be more than happy to see him starting. But he isn't, and it isn't just me who thinks so, read many of the Reds match threads. Whether it's injury related or not doesn't matter - he is down on form and confidence.

 

[KAOPointman]

It is bizarre in the extreme that Larkham cannot identify and groom a good young Aussie 10. If he cannot, who can? And if he cannot, what on earth is he doing in the Wallabies coaching set-up?

Well he did u earth Joe Powell who's is exceptional at super level. A real legit prospect as a wallaby for years to come. Perfect timing if he aprentices to Genia...
I feel the NRC has done amazing things for unearthing players.....it just needs MORE time. One less super team will slow this whole process down even more ;(

 

[cyclopath]

Mate the first 10mins were horrible and against the All Blacks that would have been an easy 14 points, his first two passes went to ground which gave Italy territory twice, first one was 3 points to Italy and second one was a disallowed try where Foley fell for a dummy

His clearing kicks are poor, going for touch he barely made 20m(why is he even kicking for touch), why hasn't Cheika delegates to someone with more distance

Alan A stone cold dropped it. His pass to Horne was poor. He got done by a dummy. Agree on those.

 

[KAOPointman]

Haha. Finally?

What about last year?

I thought you were the only one who watched the games?

Sorry that's actually what I was referring too. Didn't make it clear. I'm referring to game starts...not ten minute cameos off the bench fitting in wherever....

 

[KAOPointman]

Alan A stone cold dropped it. His pass to Horne was poor. He got done by a dummy. Agree on those.

He DID drop it. Reff ruled PLAY ON......then Foley knocked on trying to clean up. Excusable under the circumstances of course....but at the end of the game there's another clear pattern you can't deny.
Please don't forget cyclopath.....my comments were on FOLEYS performance....not those around him. He is meant to have great hands....he's not a prop forward!

 

[cyclopath]

He DID drop it. Reff ruled PLAY ON..then Foley knocked on trying to clean up. Excusable under the circumstances of course..but at the end of the game there's another clear pattern you can't deny.
Please don't forget cyclopath...my comments were on FOLEYS performance..not those around him. He is meant to have great hands..he's not a prop forward!

OK, now I have to watch it a 3rd time because I'm sure the knock-on was called on Alan A.
And it's inhuman to make me watch it a 3rd time!!!!!!!

 

[Twoilms]

Shit go for Sefa Naivalu. Best winger in Gold for ages.

 

[Quick Hands]

On the rugby we've seen over the past 3 weeks.

BIL would beat Wallabies by 25-30

ABs would beat Wallabies 40-50 (conservatively)

 

[TOCC]

KAOP is correct, Alan dropped it but ref called play on, Foley knocked on when he tried to clean it up.

 

[TOCC]

Shit go for Sefa Naivalu. Best winger in Gold for ages.

Said it during the game, but he is the best specialist winger in Australian Rugby, a real shame for the bloke

 

[TOCC]

Anyway that's enough about Foley, he wasn't the only player who played poorly, just one of the more contentious.

I'm almost at the point where I think they should give Latu a shot, his discipline is poor and could cost the Wallabies, but Moore and TPN are a shadow of their former selves.

 

[Brumby Runner]

A few comments earlier on about four foreign No 10s playing in Aus Super Rugby. I know of Hawera, Garden-Bachop and Grant, but can't put my finger on the fourth. Anyone help?

And then there are the posts criticising Larkham for failing to unearth or manufacture a No 10 of test match standard. Do people need to be reminded that Larkham is far and away the most successful Super Rugby coach currently in Aus? Which team is way out in front on the Aus conference table? Which team is the only Aus side to have a positive points for and against? And which team lost its two No 10 options at the beginning of the year, one to overseas and one to severe illness?

Just what has any other Aus Super Rugby coach done to identify and develop a No 10 this year? SFA.

As far as I can see, apart from the incumbents Foley and Cooper, the only players who are showing any sort of game management and creativity in their play are Hunt and DHP. Neither has been developed as a No 10 by their Super Rugby coaches or by the Wallabies' coaches. This is not an issue that can be sheeted home to one person only. (See the analysis of the tries scored by the Wallabies v Italy. Apart from Foley, DHP played a big part in three of those tries. He could be an option for playing closer to the centre).

Anyway, I am hopeful that Christian Lealiifano will be back on deck next year and we'll really have another option to be considered.

 

[TSR]

On the rugby we've seen over the past 3 weeks.

BIL would be Wallabies by 25-30

ABs would beat Wallabies 40-50 (conservatively)

I will say that Cheika's comments indicate that he is playing the long game and he has really seen these tests as a preparation for the RC.

I know that it would seem we are in diabolical shape on the evidence presented but if it is true he has been flogging the players physically and if he gets the support of the super teams to continue a fitness focus we may be pleasantly surprised in the upside.

I am not so optimistic as to say it'll work - but I hope that my read on it is correct. At least that might mean we'll be competitive.

 

[gel]

I'm assuming you don't actually watch every game but get your run downs through media dribble..because if you think quades form this year wasn't heavily injury effected, while still being pretty good in an often unluckily beaten team, your joking.
That Foley game run down I did wasn't the first time and it shows how horrible a game Foley had..yet around here..not a peep about it. Me thinks far to many comments and opinions are heavily swayed by what ever the media says..I'm assuming not many actually WATCH the players to see form? :0

Not worth it.

 

[KAOPointman]

What a ridiculous "holier than thou" attitude:

1. Even if Quades formed has been affected through injury, it has been affected. These persistent injuries don't magically dissipate come test season.

2. Foleys form has been "pretty good" in a similarly beaten team. I don't think you can categorise the Reds as unlucky - they have systematic issues across the park as all Australian franchises do.

3. Foley, by any stretch of the imagination, didn't have a "horrible" game.

4. Asserting that you are the only person who actually watches the game isn't helpful, nor is it even slightly consistent with the truth. You do not have a divine insight or ability to interpret the game that we don't have, nor are the rest of us just mindless sheep, it just happens that we have different opinions on the game. It isn't as black and white as you'd like it to be so the dogma isn't suitable here.

Lastly, in regard to your assertion that we were playing a "minnow" - we weren't. Italy is the lowest ranked tier 1 nation but they are still a tier one nation. That being said, the gap between tier 1 and Fiji / Japan / Georgia is closing.

Yes his form did magically pick up in the 3rd last round and on where if you do your research...he finally overcame his foot injury. Before that it was his niggling shoulder and knee. Quade has made a habit of making players look good....this year it's the young winger Isiah Pareesee. His form of Quade this year has seen him catching long cut out passes for 80m sprints...to Folou like catches from Quade cross kicks. To continue bagging Quades form....when the guy in focus is Foley, and performing horribly...and somehow still remaining under the radar....is Ridiculous. And I certainly don't claim I'm the only one who watches the game.....just a thread full of blind Freddie's who think a guy who played a terrible personal game...deserves top 3 highlights.

 

[Micheal]

A few comments earlier on about four foreign No 10s playing in Aus Super Rugby. I know of Hawera, Garden-Bachop and Grant, but can't put my finger on the fourth. Anyone help?

Volavola.

 

[KAOPointman]

I wouldn't say Foley played horrible, but based on his error count and game management I would say he played poorly..

i do wonder what the reaction would be if Quade had made the same number of errors, people seem to be more forgiving towards Foley for his errors, perhaps because historically he has a lower error rate where as Quade has been known to crumble.

Mate you know exactly the reaction......but respectfully......we wallabies fans should lift our expectations if we think our playmaker can get away with that much and nothing said......blows my mind.....

 

[mst]

Its interesting to consider the post match comments from Moore and Cheika in relation to fitness.

Its interesting to ask the question if the comments stem from a comparison which is actually a misconception in relation to comparing (the benchmark) how they perceive the pressure and pace of the AB's attack that presents as fast moving and very active (the stats suggest its more of an accumulation of small meters by many spreading the workload in well coordinated phases).

This on top of being on the receiving end of what appeared to be a smart game plan that exploited the Wallabies own issue against them. Italy kicked a lot (21) of times during that game and a quick look at the run meters indicated the Wallabies did a hell of a lot of running for little yield which would take a toll on any team. Kicking like that results in making the whole team have to cover a lot of meters to reset /re-aligning and that is what wears any team down.

I am tending to see these comments as more of 20% fact and 80% clutching at straws cluelessly for more excuses.