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Grandmaster Flash
Johnnie Wallace (23)
NTA said:
The guy's a freak - great cover tackle on Habana, up a second later and diving again to tackle someone else. He's got the skills of Smith but seems stronger. Just needs a touch of finesse and he's going to be a great Wallaby.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
It wasn't the win I liked so much as the way they won. They barely let the Baa Baas have a chance when their defensive lines were set.
Bs looked dangerous when play was unstructured and guys like Habana and Shane Williams had their hands on the ball. This was especially true as players tired and as new players came on in the 2nd half. Joe Rock didn't get a lot of ball. Schalk Burger was a handful but McCaw was quiet by his standards.
George Smith was the MOTM (and it's a mark of his excellence that I didn't mention him a lot because one takes him for granted). The commentators gave an honourable mention to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), who was my MOTM. Pocock looked good and Stuart Barnes raved about him.
Ben Tune has just said something I said (at least) 2 years ago - despite being played in different positions by Oz, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is the long term successor to Mortlock. Mind you - I wasn't the Lone Ranger in that opinion.
Top game - win or lose I would have enjoyed it.
Bummers are long term injuries to Dunning and Kepu. Tahs props left are Benn Robinson, Al Baxter, Dan Palmer and Jeremy Tilse.
Bs looked dangerous when play was unstructured and guys like Habana and Shane Williams had their hands on the ball. This was especially true as players tired and as new players came on in the 2nd half. Joe Rock didn't get a lot of ball. Schalk Burger was a handful but McCaw was quiet by his standards.
George Smith was the MOTM (and it's a mark of his excellence that I didn't mention him a lot because one takes him for granted). The commentators gave an honourable mention to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), who was my MOTM. Pocock looked good and Stuart Barnes raved about him.
Ben Tune has just said something I said (at least) 2 years ago - despite being played in different positions by Oz, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is the long term successor to Mortlock. Mind you - I wasn't the Lone Ranger in that opinion.
Top game - win or lose I would have enjoyed it.
Bummers are long term injuries to Dunning and Kepu. Tahs props left are Benn Robinson, Al Baxter, Dan Palmer and Jeremy Tilse.
Agree Ritchie was quiet, but Burger was all boof-headedness, and I actually think it didn't work. You know what he's going to do in attack, and he does it every time. The defense covered him well. If he could offload, different matter.Lee Grant said:
Steyn was just horrible. He may be prodigiously talented, but the brain has some growing to do. Those drop goal attempts were shockers in their timing and execution, and he let attacking ball die time and time again. If the Bokke want him to play 10, I would not be at all unhappy.
Habana tried his heart out but was also well covered.
I think our scrum was generally solid with a couple of exceptions.
The one where Dunning was injured was just unlucky - lost footing after the ball out and did the Achilles; Kepu did his injury in general play I thought but will have to check.
Pocock is the angry Energizer bunny! More please!
Lee Grant said:
In the past AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has been cursed with versatility and earned that odorous title, "utility back". After this tour I hope he never gets picked at full back again. If Shepherd or whomever is selected at 15 gets injured, Mitchell or Turner should step in. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s performance at 12 tonight was illuminating: he can play inside centre. This is a position where we desperately need some depth in Oz rugby.
For me, the salient points of tonight's game were the composure and never say die attitude of the youngsters; our superb defensive effort should be bottled. And Deans has added another tick in his quest to develop depth in every position with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s display at inside centre. But our kicking game still needs a lot of work.
R
rugbywhisperer
Guest
I am going to wait a bit before I give a comment as there just tooo many standout points.
One thing that has roseyed up my cheeks and given a sparkle to my eye is that when you look at all the great improved performances on this tour, the talent still at home that couldn't tour due to injury, those on sabatical in Europe, I am just quietly becomming more and more upbeat regarding our stocks and where Aussie rugby will be in the next 3- 5 years.
NZ on the other hand (IMO) do not have the number of new talent players coming thru that we do and I honestly believe that from about the end of next year we will be ascerting a dominance not seen for a considerable while and the world cup prospects are looking much much better.
One thing that has roseyed up my cheeks and given a sparkle to my eye is that when you look at all the great improved performances on this tour, the talent still at home that couldn't tour due to injury, those on sabatical in Europe, I am just quietly becomming more and more upbeat regarding our stocks and where Aussie rugby will be in the next 3- 5 years.
NZ on the other hand (IMO) do not have the number of new talent players coming thru that we do and I honestly believe that from about the end of next year we will be ascerting a dominance not seen for a considerable while and the world cup prospects are looking much much better.
S
Spook
Guest
Tonight just confirmed to me that AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is one of the toughest players in the world. He's a powerhouse.
Bam Bam superb off the bench and Smith isn't a bad captain is he? Chisolm has come on leaps and bound under Deans as has Drew Mitchell. TPN was also dynamic and his throwing was spot on.
I'm looking to seeing Josh Holmes and Rob Horne grows as players under Deans.
The Barbarians had a number of SA combos out there so it was a top effort.
Bam Bam superb off the bench and Smith isn't a bad captain is he? Chisolm has come on leaps and bound under Deans as has Drew Mitchell. TPN was also dynamic and his throwing was spot on.
I'm looking to seeing Josh Holmes and Rob Horne grows as players under Deans.
The Barbarians had a number of SA combos out there so it was a top effort.
that was actually one of our most impressive performances in quite a while. Well done.
Most people have mentioned them but TPN, Chisolm, MMM, Mumm, Smith, Cooper (at times), AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Lote, Digby all impressed.
But off the bench Pocock was fantastic and Mitchell sealed the fullback spot for mine (although Cam Shepherd might have a say in that). Thought Lote was excellent as well.
What defence! Chisolm did a couple of whoppers. Dunning and TPN also smashed some blokes.
Bakkies Bottha is a dick, although this game wasn't needed to show that, but it confirmed it.
Most people have mentioned them but TPN, Chisolm, MMM, Mumm, Smith, Cooper (at times), AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Lote, Digby all impressed.
But off the bench Pocock was fantastic and Mitchell sealed the fullback spot for mine (although Cam Shepherd might have a say in that). Thought Lote was excellent as well.
What defence! Chisolm did a couple of whoppers. Dunning and TPN also smashed some blokes.
Bakkies Bottha is a dick, although this game wasn't needed to show that, but it confirmed it.
Ash
Michael Lynagh (62)
fatprop; that's exactly what I thought, except we opted to kick too many times despite the players making it back to give the opportunity for the counter. You could identify the Deans style.
Negative stuff first because it's so small: kicking. Cooper, Sheehan, Burgess and J'OC. Sheehan and Burgess is simple: they should be banned from kicking, why they both persist at it when they suck so much at it is a mystery. Cooper was inconsistent with nice sweet kicks and some schockers but needs more range, and J'OC can be excused from the unfamiliar fullback. Same ol' poor Wallaby kicking.
Anyway, fantastic performance.
Smith and Pocock were the two picks of the forwards. How good is Pocock? He is already the second best openside in Australia, and I wonder what might have been different if maybe he'd gotten a few opportunities ahead of Waugh, who was disappointing in the tests he played. Anyway, if Pocock stays healthy I think he can be the premier openside in the world by the next World Cup. Smith, though, was fabulous, and had a lot of turnovers in the first half. I couldn't fault his selection for MotM, apart from the few mistakes at the end.
TPN was also dynamic, and probably the pick of the rest of the forwards. Chisholm, MMM and Mumm got through lots of work as well. I was perhaps a little disappointed only in Brown.
Notably we only had 1 poor scrum, and it got wheeled through Dunning and Chisholm (note it wasn't MMM's fault for a change!). Bet Blake loved getting that one over Dunning. Disastrous injuries to both Dunning and Kepu, which will hurt the Tahs definitely. For whomever asked: a torn pectoral generally needs surgery to get back the full strength. It can be a long and painful rehabilitation, maybe up to 6 months or so. Enter the SuperProp!
Hope Sheehan enjoyed his run, because it's probably the last in gold. Burgess played like he did against Wales: very good apart from his kicking. Gave better service then Sheehan.
Tuqiri has been great since he got back from injury vs Wales. This test season I think he's really stood up and made doubters like me actually appreciate him being around.
Cooper has matured on the test too. He had some bad kicks, made some bad decisions, but generally did very well and shocked some nice tricks. His defence is improving too, but it's still not great. I hope that he'll lose some of his hot headedness as he gets on. Deans can feel vindicated that he made the right decision with Cooper, but in hindsight it doesn't matter so much that we have since seen how tubby and unfit Beale got.
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) was superb. Unlike his last forays at 12 he also spread the ball a bit. Agree that he definitely should never be fullback again: 12, 13 or wing only. Couldn't have argued if he was MotM either.
Oh, and isn't Mitchell a class act when he has some space.
Negative stuff first because it's so small: kicking. Cooper, Sheehan, Burgess and J'OC. Sheehan and Burgess is simple: they should be banned from kicking, why they both persist at it when they suck so much at it is a mystery. Cooper was inconsistent with nice sweet kicks and some schockers but needs more range, and J'OC can be excused from the unfamiliar fullback. Same ol' poor Wallaby kicking.
Anyway, fantastic performance.
Smith and Pocock were the two picks of the forwards. How good is Pocock? He is already the second best openside in Australia, and I wonder what might have been different if maybe he'd gotten a few opportunities ahead of Waugh, who was disappointing in the tests he played. Anyway, if Pocock stays healthy I think he can be the premier openside in the world by the next World Cup. Smith, though, was fabulous, and had a lot of turnovers in the first half. I couldn't fault his selection for MotM, apart from the few mistakes at the end.
TPN was also dynamic, and probably the pick of the rest of the forwards. Chisholm, MMM and Mumm got through lots of work as well. I was perhaps a little disappointed only in Brown.
Notably we only had 1 poor scrum, and it got wheeled through Dunning and Chisholm (note it wasn't MMM's fault for a change!). Bet Blake loved getting that one over Dunning. Disastrous injuries to both Dunning and Kepu, which will hurt the Tahs definitely. For whomever asked: a torn pectoral generally needs surgery to get back the full strength. It can be a long and painful rehabilitation, maybe up to 6 months or so. Enter the SuperProp!
Hope Sheehan enjoyed his run, because it's probably the last in gold. Burgess played like he did against Wales: very good apart from his kicking. Gave better service then Sheehan.
Tuqiri has been great since he got back from injury vs Wales. This test season I think he's really stood up and made doubters like me actually appreciate him being around.
Cooper has matured on the test too. He had some bad kicks, made some bad decisions, but generally did very well and shocked some nice tricks. His defence is improving too, but it's still not great. I hope that he'll lose some of his hot headedness as he gets on. Deans can feel vindicated that he made the right decision with Cooper, but in hindsight it doesn't matter so much that we have since seen how tubby and unfit Beale got.
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) was superb. Unlike his last forays at 12 he also spread the ball a bit. Agree that he definitely should never be fullback again: 12, 13 or wing only. Couldn't have argued if he was MotM either.
Oh, and isn't Mitchell a class act when he has some space.
R
rugbywhisperer
Guest
Not too much more could or should be said.
I think it was Ash who mentioned Mitchell. He is a wonderful broken play runner and I think he has cemented the 15 spot. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - 12,13 maybe wing but he is the obvious successor to Mortlock and that is a relief. Even Cross threw himself in and has us all confused as to who he really is.
I though all those that had their cameo here - Cooper, JOC (James O'Connor), Pocock etc showed that they can mix it as well as the rest at the top level and I am just sooo excited about the coming year.
I think it was Ash who mentioned Mitchell. He is a wonderful broken play runner and I think he has cemented the 15 spot. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - 12,13 maybe wing but he is the obvious successor to Mortlock and that is a relief. Even Cross threw himself in and has us all confused as to who he really is.
I though all those that had their cameo here - Cooper, JOC (James O'Connor), Pocock etc showed that they can mix it as well as the rest at the top level and I am just sooo excited about the coming year.
disco
Chilla Wilson (44)
Yeah he's a gun it's like having an extra backrower in defence with his hits & cleanout.
Probably our best ball running back along with Mortlock.
I don't know what Collins did in the 2nd half but I know he got axed big time by TPN in the 1st half. That was the hit of the season for me as the commentator said it was like a missile fired out of a cannon.
It was even better in slow motion when you see Collins face grind on the surface.
Can't wait to watch the 2nd half tonight & see Pocock in action.
The Chosen
Fred Wood (13)
fatprop said:
A intriguing game to watch -loved it despite the limited try-scoring. Defence by Wallabies just awesome- Chisolm & TPN hadgreat games. From trepidation at start of tower we now have a substantial base to launch from next year. Bring it on!
(Several of the BaaBaas should have their papers marked- particularly Steyn- never to be invited again!!)
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Collins also copped a big hit from Chis in the second half. Takes a fair bit to knock that bloke backwards, though admittedly he isn't in the prime he was a couple of years back. French rugby has made him soft 
I asked. Fuck. Hope Palmer is any good because Tilse is not. Thank goodness we've got Wallaby props to carry most of the load.
Mitchell is a great attacking player, but could still easily clean up those little "one-percenters" in his game I think: kicks that don't find touch from the 22. His hands are still occasionally tits. Still, hard to criticise any of our backs when they utterly bitchslapped their Saffer opposites.
Ash said:
I asked. Fuck. Hope Palmer is any good because Tilse is not. Thank goodness we've got Wallaby props to carry most of the load.
Mitchell is a great attacking player, but could still easily clean up those little "one-percenters" in his game I think: kicks that don't find touch from the 22. His hands are still occasionally tits. Still, hard to criticise any of our backs when they utterly bitchslapped their Saffer opposites.
R
rugbywhisperer
Guest
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article5283104.ece
Not a bad report but was the win actually stolen. I thought we led all the way.
Also, Stephen James has a real big spit in his weekly bulletin http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article5281098.ece
Not a bad report but was the win actually stolen. I thought we led all the way.
Also, Stephen James has a real big spit in his weekly bulletin http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article5281098.ece
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