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Australia vs British and Irish Lions 2nd Test (Melbourne)

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maxdacat

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
kind of weird that we seem to run out of puff at the 60min mark after having to string a few phases together for the first time in the game. I, a) would have thought there would be a lot in the tank and b) surprised they managed to close out the last 20.
 

jollyswagman

Ron Walden (29)
1-off runners. Why is everyone upset about this? Every team does it. It's supposed to either a) bust/bend the line b)set-up quick ball c) force more defence into the middle or the ruck area which creates more space out wide.......

I agree with you in principle BR but I think what let us down in this case was that the support players weren't being accurate enough. Yes, they need to be deep enough in a support line sense but as soon as that player hits the ground they were too slow, or ineffective at cleaning out. This is what allowed Warburton to run amok, get some steals, slow it down or we were pinged for holding on.

I will be hugely disappointed if we don't see George Smith next week. His presence on the field alone let alone around the ruck would be huge....especially with the likelihood of Horwill not being there.
 

Bairdy

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Not a great spectacle thanks to Joubert. Wont go into his decisions like the Poms did last week with Pollock, but will say 'Joubers' was the MOM as he consistently killed the game.

What fucking heart by the Men in Gold; never give up and play until the 80th minute. Absolutely proud of this team, and the scenes after the game where Kev was in tears - immense! Lost my voice screaming at my tv!
 

CTPE

Nev Cottrell (35)
Robbie Deans - "Small steps in the context of the tough conditions"... Blah Blah.. "Its part of the process" Blah Blah.

I think I'd rather listen to Julia Gillard, probably has a better idea of what is going on and can actually communicate what she wants the audience to believe.
Was hoping that Rudd may have had the numbers to roll Dingo as well - at least until the end of the Lions series before a fresh ARU election.
 

ACT Crusader

Jim Lenehan (48)
Go back two years and you will see people discussing just this aspect. It is the whole game plan. Take no risks that could cost the game. Don't play basically.

But is it the gameplan or the nerves and what's happening out on the field that causes a large number of the players to play within themselves and take fewer risks.

Tomane for example seemed non-phased, still carrying the ball in one hand in close quarters trying to get through lots of traffic. It's risky but it's what he does. But then you have Beale and JOC (James O'Connor) and even Genia at times playing conservative.

It was similar to the All Blacks last week when the game was close vs France, Ranger just went into his shell and played as conservative as I've ever seen him, trying not stuff up but at the same time being pretty ineffective. I don't think that was the gameplan on how he was to be used at all, but it's what happened because of the situation at hand.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Losing the ball in contact is more excusable than dropping it cold with no opponent in cooee.

Rain forecast in Sydney until Tuesday I think. Ground well drain well. Need some wind because not much sun will touch the grass this time of year.

It'll still be better than the fucking cesspit that is Suncorp. Fabulous stadium. Shit surface.

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Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
Wow..another great game to watch. Mrs Bullrush and were jumping outta the couch and fist-pumping a couple of times in that game but the Gill steal at the line-out pretty much launched me directly off the lounge suite and about 2 feet clear in the air via the power of sheer amazement and excitement. Massive play.

I've only browsed the last couple of pages on the thread but here's my $0.02 on the Deans bashing...
1-off runners. Why is everyone upset about this? Every team does it. It's supposed to either a) bust/bend the line b)set-up quick ball c) force more defence into the middle or the ruck area which creates more space out wide. You have to win those tight battles and force the opposition to respect you there to 'earn the right' to go wide. The key, though, is winning those exchanges. I'm sure everyone will talk about how the Wallabies weren't as accurate at the breakdown for the first 40-60odd minutes and we saw the Lions getting good turn-overs and penalties. Once the intensity and accuracy lifted there, lo and behold, space opens up outside and O'Conner sets AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) up for the try.

As Pusser said, Deans wasn't dropping the passes and losing the collusions.

ON O'Conner..nah, he wasn't perfect. But I'd say he had more impact on the game then Sexton did.....


Last week I commented straight after the match I thought we had seen a change in the set up with the runners having more effective close support. Scott Allen told me I was dreaming. Well on the back of today's test I have to say yes I was. On too many occasions the Wallabies runners were truly one out, other sides do NOT do this. There was a clear 2-3 seconds after the tackle before a support player arrives. Hence the turnovers. Now with the runners and particularly the running forwards nobody is running with the intent of fast attack from the run, no offloads (because it adds risk) no mini-mauls and drive, no pick and drive (at pace). It is set up to be ruck to ruck, one out runner to one out runner.

As for Deans no dropping passes etc etc. That has been the excuse for the entire time he has been coach. Considering the Wallabies rarely run a backline play it is shocking that they cannot maintain security of the ball in contact. What do they do at training?
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
was good to see him make a few more yards in his carries and some good hits but not quite a stand out. i think it was a hard game for anyone to standout.

He made two decent runs later in the game, and got mullered the rest of the time.

Mostly he's playing like a number 6. Grunt work is good, but I'd like a line breaker

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Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
But is it the gameplan or the nerves and what's happening out on the field that causes a large number of the players to play within themselves and take fewer risks.

Tomane for example seemed non-phased, still carrying the ball in one hand in close quarters trying to get through lots of traffic. It's risky but it's what he does. But then you have Beale and JOC (James O'Connor) and even Genia at times playing conservative.

It was similar to the All Blacks last week when the game was close vs France, Ranger just went into his shell and played as conservative as I've ever seen him, trying not stuff up but at the same time being pretty ineffective. I don't think that was the gameplan on how he was to be used at all, but it's what happened because of the situation at hand.


When have the Wallabies played differently in the last two years?

As for Tomane, he played exactly like he does for the Brumbies IMO.
 

jollyswagman

Ron Walden (29)
When have the Wallabies played differently in the last two years?

As for Tomane, he played exactly like he does for the Brumbies IMO.

Agree with your there. The difference between tonight and last week was the lack of space out wide - or rather our inability to get the ball to the outside when the space was there. Tomane is of the same mold as Folau in that they need the space to be at their most damaging. When our midfield has nothing to threaten the Lions were able to slide way too easy and shut Tomane & Folau down. Too much crabbing across field by JOC (James O'Connor) when a nice long pass across the face of some dummy runners coming back on the angle would ave down the job on a couple of occasions.
 
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