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Bledisloe 1: 29 July @ MCG

dru

David Wilson (68)
I don't think we've yet solved the back three either.

I'm with you. Mostly.

Skelton I think is locked in. I think the back three is likely reasonably set albeit I'd call it 4 players between starting and bench - adding in Petaia here. Koroibete is a lock and Nawaqanitawase is looking solid. Kellaway continues to be a rock, I never really have high expectations but he never fails to step up.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Do people want Carter or Quade to start this one? If you want Carter to start is the implication he's your RWC 10?
 

LeCheese

Greg Davis (50)
Do people want Carter or Quade to start this one? If you want Carter to start is the implication he's your RWC 10?
I'm 50/50 on it - Quade looked pretty lost with ball in hand and his D is useless as ever, but his kicking would be useful and we know he can spark attack given the opportunity.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
I'm 50/50 on it - Quade looked pretty lost with ball in hand and his D is useless as ever, but his kicking would be useful and we know he can spark attack given the opportunity.
He needs runners giving him options, we are too static and one out
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Why? two good wingers who a proving to be real threats and a 15 who makes solid decisions and few errors? What else do you want?
Agreed. As I posted on the other thread, Marika leads the TRC for tackle busts and metres made in a beaten team, Nawaqanitawase is also one of the few shining lights and Kellaway played way better than the only other option did.
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
ABs are a world class team and a team full of world class players. We had two players who matched or bettered their opposite numbers in Angus Bell and Rob Valetini so those two put in World XV performances.

Two others were close to their direct opponents in Allan Ala'alatoa and Nick Frost. They had excellent performances.

The few who were not at the standard set by their opposites were below par and included Thor (through early injury), Uelese (poor skills and poor ball retention), White (a shocker all round).

Carter Gordon and Tom Hooper were both impressive with some flaws but showed they have the potential for this level.

The rest were fair to middling.

Need to stick with most other of them but imo look to improve the hooking spot and the centres. I don't think we've yet solved the back three either.
agree with most of this except for Frost, I expected a big game from him but he didn't seem to be involved much.
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
Do people want Carter or Quade to start this one? If you want Carter to start is the implication he's your RWC 10?
not sure as Le Cheese saysv50/50, a combination of them would be useful. I would put QC (Quade Cooper) on first and bring on Carter in the second 40 as opposed to the normal bench of 50 or 60 mins.
 

Bullrush

Geoff Shaw (53)
He needs runners giving him options, we are too static and one out
Genia talked a little about this as well. He said that he felt that the skills and the decision making abilities of the current Wallabies might not be at the same level as the ABs, the French etc. To quote Genia

"I had a real good to talk to Samu Kerevi about it. He was someone who really enjoyed the way Dave Rennie wanted to play the game and it involved a lot of moving parts around decision-making and skill execution. I asked him point blank, is it a case where the game style was too complicated or was it just the skill level wasn't up to scratch. He said it was probably a combination of both but leaned more towards saying that our skill level probably wasn't up to scratch to be able to execute under pressure in big moments."

This is the big problem for Australia right now and going forward. (And looking at the big picture....I'll say it's a big problem for Aotearoa as well). If Genia is right, Rennie wanted to play a game that maybe the players weren't at a level to be able to execute. Injuries and unavailability only exasperate that. I think EJ (Eddie Jones) will run into the same problems - at least for the RWC.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Genia talked a little about this as well. He said that he felt that the skills and the decision making abilities of the current Wallabies might not be at the same level as the ABs, the French etc. To quote Genia

"I had a real good to talk to Samu Kerevi about it. He was someone who really enjoyed the way Dave Rennie wanted to play the game and it involved a lot of moving parts around decision-making and skill execution. I asked him point blank, is it a case where the game style was too complicated or was it just the skill level wasn't up to scratch. He said it was probably a combination of both but leaned more towards saying that our skill level probably wasn't up to scratch to be able to execute under pressure in big moments."

This is the big problem for Australia right now and going forward. (And looking at the big picture....I'll say it's a big problem for Aotearoa as well). If Genia is right, Rennie wanted to play a game that maybe the players weren't at a level to be able to execute. Injuries and unavailability only exasperate that. I think EJ (Eddie Jones) (Eddie Jones) will run into the same problems - at least for the RWC.
you look at the Super Rugby teams, we play plod rugby most of the time, very static, slow, prescriptive rugby.

few have ability to call plays,
few of our runners have the ability/want to call lines consistently.
few of runners will consistently run dummy lines
we rarely have the ability to reset after a few phases
we just bucket it to our next pig to run from a standing start
we see a short pass from a pig to another static runner without dropping it as quality rugby
 

Kevin77

Fred Wood (13)
Random thoughts on the game for what it’s worth.

Please bear in mind I was at the MCG but haven’t watched back so maybe alcohol impaired.



  • First 25 was pretty good.
  • As well as Gordon played with the ball in hand his kicking (from hand and the tee) cost us. Harsh on a guy starting his first test at 10 I know but he simply went to pieces and aside from not scoring a penalty to get back to 12 -10 (everyone has one of those) it was the sliced kicks and panic that set in after that miss that caused the havoc. Wallabies went in 19-7 down when if they’d had a controlling 10 I feel it would have been 12-10 max.
  • To be fair for Gordon, that’s some game to make your first start! 84k crowd. Big oval which doesn’t have the regular rectangular lines of sight. Audible groan from huge crowd when he failed to find touch. Tough going.
  • Hindsight I know but maybe playing an experienced 9 with a rookie 10 might work? Playing two fairly young guys (albeit McDermott has been around a while) was a gamble.
  • Pretty shocking luck to lose both tight heads. Not many teams can cope with that.
  • The All Blacks are back. However – this isn’t a vintage All Blacks team yet. The next few months will determine that.
  • The Wallabies maul was pretty disappointing.
  • Was it four tries conceded while down a man from yellows? That’s clinical from NZ!
  • Valetini had a big game.
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
Why? two good wingers who a proving to be real threats and a 15 who makes solid decisions and few errors? What else do you want?
Defence against the top sides is an issue with each of them. MK is like a dud exocet missile. I like hope hits hard when chasing a kick in general play but too often he is caught out by an attacking backline move and all we get is the sight of him flying through the air and missing his target by a metre or more and then having him rolling around on the ground while his opposite is showing a clean pair of heels on his way to the tryline. When he does make contact he's often only cms away from a yellow card for going too high.

Mark Nawaqanitawase still has issues with one on one tackling out wide. His defence seems to have gone backwards this year.

Andrew Kellaway also misses one on one tackles at the back.

I'd like to see Kellaway and Petaia swap in the upcoming test and would be keen to see Pietsch tried out on the wing as well.
 

Tomthumb

Chilla Wilson (44)
Genia talked a little about this as well. He said that he felt that the skills and the decision making abilities of the current Wallabies might not be at the same level as the ABs, the French etc. To quote Genia

"I had a real good to talk to Samu Kerevi about it. He was someone who really enjoyed the way Dave Rennie wanted to play the game and it involved a lot of moving parts around decision-making and skill execution. I asked him point blank, is it a case where the game style was too complicated or was it just the skill level wasn't up to scratch. He said it was probably a combination of both but leaned more towards saying that our skill level probably wasn't up to scratch to be able to execute under pressure in big moments."

This is the big problem for Australia right now and going forward. (And looking at the big picture....I'll say it's a big problem for Aotearoa as well). If Genia is right, Rennie wanted to play a game that maybe the players weren't at a level to be able to execute. Injuries and unavailability only exasperate that. I think EJ (Eddie Jones) (Eddie Jones) will run into the same problems - at least for the RWC.
So Rennie tried to force a team to play a style they weren’t capable of

Must have missed Vince Lombardi’s speech on that
 

upthereds#!

Peter Johnson (47)
agree with most of this except for Frost, I expected a big game from him but he didn't seem to be involved much.
15 tackles in the first half is pretty busy. popular lineout option. Perhaps a bit weak in the scrum? But that workrate is the foil you need with skelton. T.Hooper i thought was doing nothing but ended up with 32 tackles...

Its a good balance. Frost with skelton. THooper with valetini. Ala'alatoa with Bell, Slipper with tupou.

For every workman there is an impact player. So right idea at least in that regard.
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
you look at the Super Rugby teams, we play plod rugby most of the time, very static, slow, prescriptive rugby.

few have ability to call plays,
few of our runners have the ability/want to call lines consistently.
few of runners will consistently run dummy lines
we rarely have the ability to reset after a few phases
we just bucket it to our next pig to run from a standing start
we see a short pass from a pig to another static runner without dropping it as quality rugby
Agree with all of this and it has been going on for a long time. It seems to me the guys are so used to Super Rugby speed Australia style and can't step up to the speed and precision that Internationals demand. You can only play good international rugby if the forwards are delivering lightning-quick ball from our breakdown and pressuring them on their BD. We seem to be running at players and not at gaps or shoulders, have a look at Frizell running with the ball it is mostly to attack a shoulder.

I'd add the lack of support for runners, MarkyMarks run was a classic of lack of support, and a strange inability to dive on the loose ball.
 

molman

Jim Lenehan (48)
Not really so far off his best Molman. A couple of years where he was hindered by injury but last year was much stronger. His inclusion would allow Slipper to move to TH, and would be an improvement over any of the alternatives.

I don't think I agree that shifting Slipper across as being preferable. If Sio was around, I don't disagree that he would likely be getting a look, even just to inject some experience, but I'm unconvinced he warrants a recall.
 

Shiggins

Simon Poidevin (60)
To be fair to @Shiggins, it's not like we haven't seen a number of AR muff their calls even when admittedly staring with great intent at the line. I seem to recall Gardner calling one that looked out on the replay and a couple through the Super Season.
I don't even care. I just pointed it out. We lost by miles. It really didn't matter
 
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