Australia v South Africa - Perth - 6 September 2014

[Brumby Runner]

I'm not sure Foley really played any flatter than Beale and Foley played in the first two tests. They both start standing quite deep so they can run onto the ball.

It's all in the pass from Phipps. He forces the player to run onto it.

It was chalk and cheese compared to White in the previous two tests. Flatter passes along the front of a group of receivers forcing one of them to commit and run onto the ball and catch it rather than the pass being fired directly at a stationary player.

BH we'll disagree on the 9s and 10s until the cows come home. You are apparently a White-hater and I am a Beale@10 hater. I would dispute that Foley doesn't stand flatter than Beale, but the real issue is the combination of 9/10. Phipps/Foley is a huge step up from White/Beale but I would suggest from any 9 in the world/Beale.

 

[Colin Windon]

Phipps had a great game and deserves to stick in the Wobs for a time. I like what he does and it ignites the backline with runners in motion ahead of receiving the pass. He is an energiser bunny out there and the interplay with the Waratahs based players worked well against the Bokke.

Kuridrani put some real steel in out wide for us as well.

A word of support for White though.... When the Darkness are at their best they can make anyone look out of sorts. Ask QC (Quade Cooper) KB (Kurtley Beale) etc. Pressure and power can do that. I think with Phipps, White and Genia in play our halfback stocks are in good shape.

Phipps has the opportunity at the moment to cement his place.

If he can unleash his running game in amongst some tiring Argie forwards he can really put a stamp on next weeks game.

Lets hope our forwards can hold the Argies so they don't dominate before they tire.

 

[MarkJ]

We would get 40000 plus to an all blacks game easy.

If you don't want the Bok games in Perth anymore we'll be happy to have them in Canberra.

 

[Braveheart81]

BH we'll disagree on the 9s and 10s until the cows come home. You are apparently a White-hater and I am a Beale@10 hater. I would dispute that Foley doesn't stand flatter than Beale, but the real issue is the combination of 9/10. Phipps/Foley is a huge step up from White/Beale but I would suggest from any 9 in the world/Beale.

I don't have any issue with White. I just think his most recent form has been terrible.

White was poor in both Bledisloes and notably wasn't brought onto the field against South Africa when we were trying to win the game.

Phipps has plenty to work on but the pace he brought to the game is critical to the way we want to play. We don't have the forwards to get us on the front foot if the play is slow and defensive lines are well set.

Aside from creating an excellent try to win the game in the final minutes, I don't think I'd be taking too much away from Saturday's test. I think if we'd played like that in Auckland two weeks before we would have lost by 20-30 points again.

 

[Joe Blow]

Genia is back with the squad and will be back in the 23 as soon as he gets match fitness I would think. He is easily the best all round halfback and hopefully comes into good form soon. Phipps is an excellent bench option who is able to inject real energy and speed into the side when he comes on.
We are very lucky to have 4 test standard halfbacks.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'd like to think that Genia has to earn his way back in and there is something to be said for the quick ball that Phipps has been providing this season.

 

[Pfitzy]

Not to mention Genia was pretty ordinary for a lot of the season.

Luke Burgess must be a bit put out.

 

[Joe Blow]

Genia has to earn his spot for sure.
I think he'll do it sooner rather than later.

 

[Beefcake]

Genia has to earn his spot for sure.
I think he'll do it sooner rather than later.

One thing that Genia has in spades is sound decision making under pressure, a trait that is neither present in the games of Phibbs or White at a level to close out games. Phibbs made sum outright poor decisions neither enough to balance out the positive but hopefully he gets better with more time as will all the other hbs. Hopefully Genia returns speedily.

 

[Braveheart81]

All good reasons why Patrick Phibbs never played for the Wallabies.

 

[A mutterer]

simmons should have got the chop after the bled and he needs some time off the park to get it into him that he needs to stop. giving. away. stupid. penalties.

the AB's and saffas have clearly done their homework at nullifying cliffy - make sure he gets through the defensive work to keep him out of attack. it will be interesting to see if the argies adopt the same tactic.

we need to shake things up in the locks (the front row did well) and start getting some bang for buck.

 

[Braveheart81]

The question for our forward pack needs to be how we can get a better workrate out of our forwards who aren't good ball runners so we can get Palu doing more running and less tackling.

It's interesting that Palu is least visible when he's our highest tackle count player.

The aim for this week should be to have him in the bottom half of tacklers amongst our forwards and give him more opportunities to run with the ball.

 

[chasmac]

What was the story in the lineouts on the Springbok throw. It seemed there were no lifters for Simmons and he was up about 1-2 seconds after the ball had been won. Lead to the penalty for handling Matfield in the air and it happened more than once.
Was the instruction for Simmons to try and disrupt while his lifters were told to position early to counter a lineout drive from the Springboks.
Remember that we had 2 tries scored against us in that fashion at Eden Park. What were the tactical changes made? Were they successful?
I'd like to understand this aspect of play before casting aspersions on Simmons' game. IE was he asked to take one for the team.

 

[Slim 293]

The question for our forward pack needs to be how we can get a better workrate out of our forwards who aren't good ball runners so we can get Palu doing more running and less tackling.

It's interesting that Palu is least visible when he's our highest tackle count player.

The aim for this week should be to have him in the bottom half of tacklers amongst our forwards and give him more opportunities to run with the ball.

Good point.

Last year Fardy was often our most effective defender, topping the tackle count with amazing completion stats............. now his numbers are low-middle amongst the forwards as all his efforts seem to be clearing out at the rucks, and often playing a lot wider.

And, despite being pretty good with ball in hand, Slipper is being relied on too often for ball carries.

Link needs to fix up the roles of our forwards as the balance is clearly not right.

 

[Rugby Is My Life]

Simmons has to go - he continually gives away dumb penalties that gift opposition teams territory or points. He needs a major kick up the a$$ or a ticket back to Brisbane.

I'm also sick of our blokes going soft when a bit of push-shove happens. No one else cops it yet we pussy foot around. I loved the way the Pumas gave as good as they got when the AB's tried to bully them around the ruck/maul - sure they didn't win the game but they had a crack and were physical from start to finish.

Unfortunately some of our blokes go MIA once the anthems finish...

 

[Pfitzy]

It would be good if we could get "first 3 to ruck" stats for each player. That would tell us a lot.

One thing that Genia has in spades is sound decision making under pressure, a trait that is neither present in the games of Phipps or White at a level to close out games.

Like the game that Phipps closed out on Saturday, you mean?

 

[Lorenzo]

Link needs to fix up the roles of our forwards as the balance is clearly not right.

What's mildly amusing is that "balance" indicates that we've too much of one thing and not enough of another.

We've not really got too much of anything....

 

[Braveheart81]

What's mildly amusing is that "balance" indicates that we've too much of one thing and not enough of another.

We've not really got too much of anything..

The guy who is meant to be our best ball runner has topped the tackle count two games in a row but done bugger all ball running.

That seems to be the balance we need to find or create.

 

[Slim 293]

It would be good if we could get "first 3 to ruck" stats for each player. That would tell us a lot.

From memory, particularly in attack, it was generally Hooper and Fardy first ones over the ball............

 

[Micheal]

For me, its amazing that Simmons has had the amount of caps for the Wallabies that he has. I personally wouldn't even have him in the Waratahs 23 nor would I have him in the Rebels or Brumbies 15 95% of the time, yet somehow he is one of the two 2nd rowers chosen to play for Australia.

Carter's not much better may I add. If any player from any international side looks at our lineup and is intimidated by the presence of their names, I'll eat my hat. I understand that they are seen to get through a lot of work, but I'd prefer for my 2nd rowers to have an actual impact upon the game as well. They're supposed to be the biggest blokes on the field, yet you wouldn't know it from the way those two go into contact.

Give Horwill or Fardy another shot, bring back Kane Douglas and whack Skelton or Jones on the bench. We need Eben Etzebeth-like physcos in our tight five and at the end of the day, neither Simmons nor Carter have the required mongrel.