Tomthumb
Peter Fenwicke (45)
But which goose will they hire to run that
Australian Rugby / RA
- Thread starter Dave Beat
- Start date
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
Not that it will help the wallabies stocks, but I’ve saying this for years, super rugby should allow NZ players to play for Aus and vice versa and still be allowed to play for there national team.
The Rebs and Force will probably just be 6th and 7th NZ sides but who cares at this point. If the Aus sides start winning and getting interest back it will be worth it. Plus a few NZ players may even end up wallabies if they enjoy it here enough.
Of coarse it actually relies on NZ rugby allowing this moreso then RA.
The Rebs and Force will probably just be 6th and 7th NZ sides but who cares at this point. If the Aus sides start winning and getting interest back it will be worth it. Plus a few NZ players may even end up wallabies if they enjoy it here enough.
Of coarse it actually relies on NZ rugby allowing this moreso then RA.
Lorenzo
Colin Windon (37)
I think the major problem in this country is that comparatively few people actually enjoy the game of rugby as it is successfully played at the international level, or at least they think they do (because Australia has rarely played it well), and as a consequence, the administrators and the mouthpieces have watered down our implementation of it over the course of a generation to the point where the athletes we have hold no interest in or knowledge of it.
How frequently do even supposedly ardent rugby supporters moan about:
- kicking (both out of hand and for the sticks)
- the scrum
- mauls
- low scoring games
Nevermind the casuals, who think anything less than an 11 try meltdown that ends 45-44 is boring.
Yet the above are the cornerstones of tournament, and to a slightly lesser extent, test rugby. That was ably demonstrated in the IRE-SA game.
The 'running rugby' myth is still a pervasive corrosion on any attempt to whip the national side - which like it or not has always been the key driver of interest in the sport in this country - into a condition, and with a willingness to do what is required, where they can reliably challenge the top handful of sides in the world, and over time this negativity about the pure aspects of the sport - the breakdown, the scrum, mauling, kicking, defence - has leaked into kids that are now adults. Nevermind the fact that it's all bullshit - the 99 side literally won on the back of big D - only allowing a single try in a meaningless game against the USA - and goalkicking. EVERYONE loved that but to hear people talk about the good ol' days of 'ball in hand' rugby you'd think they were the harlem fucking globetrotters.
You can fuck around 'fixing' whatever you like but we will never WIN until we make our NUMBER 1 PRIORITY WINNING like all the other countries involved are doing.
How frequently do even supposedly ardent rugby supporters moan about:
- kicking (both out of hand and for the sticks)
- the scrum
- mauls
- low scoring games
Nevermind the casuals, who think anything less than an 11 try meltdown that ends 45-44 is boring.
Yet the above are the cornerstones of tournament, and to a slightly lesser extent, test rugby. That was ably demonstrated in the IRE-SA game.
The 'running rugby' myth is still a pervasive corrosion on any attempt to whip the national side - which like it or not has always been the key driver of interest in the sport in this country - into a condition, and with a willingness to do what is required, where they can reliably challenge the top handful of sides in the world, and over time this negativity about the pure aspects of the sport - the breakdown, the scrum, mauling, kicking, defence - has leaked into kids that are now adults. Nevermind the fact that it's all bullshit - the 99 side literally won on the back of big D - only allowing a single try in a meaningless game against the USA - and goalkicking. EVERYONE loved that but to hear people talk about the good ol' days of 'ball in hand' rugby you'd think they were the harlem fucking globetrotters.
You can fuck around 'fixing' whatever you like but we will never WIN until we make our NUMBER 1 PRIORITY WINNING like all the other countries involved are doing.
Members Section
John Thornett (49)
Not a great domestic comp but they have amazing depth
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
I honestly think Aus should concentrate only having Aussie eligible players playing for them, and have however many teams that works out to. I don't see how Aussie rugby paying a portion of All Black player's wages will help at all, unless they got more coin than they pretending. How many players from Force, Rebels, Reds etc are not eligible for Wallabies? I really truly believe that is a short term answer, and will hurt rugby development in Aus in long term.
Goosestep
Jim Clark (26)
This is true, you’d be amazed how many people will jump on a winning bandwagon, no matter if it’s “running rugby” or not .
Wallaby Man
Nev Cottrell (35)
Both sides of the ditch need to change this thinkings. The French sides (although have foreign quotas) still are filled with foreign players and influence and they are kicking our ass. Irish teams have foreign players in them and a lot of foreign coaches, although they use some of these quotas to qualify players. They are kicking our ass.
English Premiership squads prior to last World Cup was full of foreign players. No surprise since they have been smashed financially a lot of foreigners are moving from there. South African players are made up of players from so many different clubs now.
Protectionism isn’t working in 2023 and doubt it will work going forward.
HooperPocockSmith
Alfred Walker (16)
Except every single aspect - tackle, breakdown, box kick - is a genuine contest. I understand your point but overall there is a greater degree of variability in rugby than there is in league.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Ponies fans already up in arms about that. Getting everyone to agree on even the most gentle of streamlining will be a shitfight.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
threaten them with hour long lectures on the fundamental flaws in the Sydney suburban rugby scene.
Lorenzo
Colin Windon (37)
as for overseas players I still think the solution is to open up the floodgates and let the
I've said on this board some years ago that some overseas clubs wanting to pay 1m a year each for our best players will ultimately be seen as a blessin rather than a curse. We actually only need them for a select few months of the year. Let Toyota pay them their bag and we can pay them 15k a test.
I've said on this board some years ago that some overseas clubs wanting to pay 1m a year each for our best players will ultimately be seen as a blessin rather than a curse. We actually only need them for a select few months of the year. Let Toyota pay them their bag and we can pay them 15k a test.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Yep mate, but these clubs aren't using money from their national bodies etc to pay these players, they are are generally paid by club owners etc. I think if the teams were under the same structures in Aus you could quite happily say have the whole team full of foreigners. That's what I meant, see in Aus Qld rugby union pays say Reds players, and really all their money should really be paying Aussie eligible players. Do you really believe that say QRU (as an example) should be paying top $ to ABs or spend it on developing Aus players or helping their club scene. Hey it will leave more money for NZR to develop players over here if rugby in Aus is helping to pay AB's wages.
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I agree, but that team over the years 1998-2002 for example, apart from being defensively very well structured (apart from the ridiculous game in 2000 at Telstra), also played extremely well with the ball in hand. I watched the doco on Stan the other week on the Wallabies 1996-2005 or so and the ability to keep the ball alive, even when tackled, with players almost always on hand (forwards and backs) for the pop-up off the deck, and the support play in general was exceptional. Of course, they had stability in the core of the team which was a million miles from anything we've had lately. And they took chances when they got them.
But yes, structured and effective defence, kicking your goals is Test rugby 101.
Lorenzo
Colin Windon (37)
Yes i've watched a little myself lately and they were streets ahead of the current lot in terms of everything you mention.
And to be sure, many of the highlights from the semi, which was really the final, were Horan et al running up and down the paddock with the pill in hand.
But ultimately 9 successful kicks against 7 with not a single try being scored. I don't remember if Burke missed any that day but it can't have been many.
I was thinking of the Telstra match earlier too when i was thinking about what people valued. it has was bandied about at the time as the greatest game ever played and i always thought from a wallaby perspective the semi against SA was better. How great was the defence in a match that ended 39-35 or whatever?
Yeah, Burke was on fire (what a player he was).
And yes, the RWC 1999 semi v RSA was a classic. Like a gunfight where nobody wanted to blink!
Well, it would be pretty hard for anyone to argue that Eddie and RA have not shat the bed. Did he reference how good he was in 1986? That's Alan's stock in trade.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
Amazingly he has left himself completely out of this article.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
I 100% agree with this and my version of 'fixing' things absolutely sees getting the Wallabies winning as the most important priority - success breeds success. Where do we start with this though?
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
A solid foundation on which to make progressive improvements breeds success. Everyone wants to use success (that we don't have and can't achieve) to build the solid foundations.
Makes no sense to me.
Aren't the Wallabies a perfect example of success not breeding success? First to two world cups and all that.