Brumbies vs Reds, week 3 2011

[RugbyReg]

and they aren't as good as Gill.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

and they aren't as good as Gill.

*yawn*

 

[tranquility]

*yawn*

haha

 

[Slim 293]

and they aren't as good as Gill.

At what?

Reciting the works of Oscar & Hammerstein?

Braiding hair?

Poaching an egg?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm looking forward to seeing Hooper in the top grade again. He looks to have some talent, the young fella.

 

[Spewn]

I knew few would agree. I also thought it was too soon for Hooper. Colby seems to have bulked up over one year and is playing well. The focus on these young guys, especially Gill, just highlights how thin on the ground we are with genuine pilferage. And on that note, Colby doesn't fit the bill. Hooper is not too bad but Gill is way ahead on that particular skill.

 

[TheTruth]

I knew few would agree. I also thought it was too soon for Hooper. Colby seems to have bulked up over one year and is playing well. The focus on these young guys, especially Gill, just highlights how thin on the ground we are with genuine pilferage. And on that note, Colby doesn't fit the bill. Hooper is not too bad but Gill is way ahead on that particular skill.

Great to see Gilly get a shot off the bench - has reportedly gone very well in 2nd XV matches against some big boys. This however is at a different level and hope Link injects him at the right time. It will be interesting to see if he rises to the occasion. IMO Gill will. Really looking forward to that aspect of the game.

 

[RugbyReg]

The thing with Gill is that he's played first grade club, he's toured with the national 7s team, he's played plenty of games for the QLD A team, both this year and last. If he's old enough to vote and drink, why can't he be old enough to play professional rugby?

 

[fatprop]

Hoiles on the rugby club last night suggested that the game plan isn't changing for the Brumbies.

Strong forward dominance, kick to the corners (play in their half) and convert opportunities.

Hopefully the "shackles" are off a bit more that that. The Brumbies have been lazy off the ball for ages and their attackers end up being one out and easy pickings. It would be nice to see both wingers getting back to be options in counter and the inside backs actively running lines continually to give Gits options as well

On the Reds, I watched the Tahs/Reds highlights and I am still trying to work out what they are really trying to do as a plan "B". The Tahs and Force seemed to both work the option that Cooper will sit deep until he gets quick ball, so the Tahs and Force forwards smashed the Reds pigs, drove hard competing, slowed it down and Cooper got little ball.

Cooper may need to have a more of a "Larkham" approach and have a pod a bit wider with Chambers or a pig crash balling away from the clutter around the last phase in the manner of Larkham/Mortlock to break up the defensive patterns

 

[DPK]

The thing with Gill is that he's played first grade club, he's toured with the national 7s team, he's played plenty of games for the QLD A team, both this year and last. If he's old enough to vote and drink, why can't he be old enough to play professional rugby?

I don't think anyone is trying to deny Gill his chance to play Super Rugby. I think everyone is just worried about putting someone who had not yet finished physically developing into one of the most physically demanding competitions in world sport.

Also, you don't earn the right to play professional sport when you turn 18. It's a privilege, not a right.

Hoiles on the rugby club last night suggested that the game plan isn't changing for the Brumbies.

Strong forward dominance, kick to the corners (play in their half) and convert opportunities.

Would that be the plan developed by the guy they just had sacked?

 

[fatprop]

No the team decided on that obviously, he has complained about their lazy work off the ball

 

[TOCC]

Having Ben Lucas in the backline will really change the dynamic of how the Reds play... Expect Ben Lucas to be first option 5/8 for the first few touches in the game just to set the tempo for the match...

Ive long been a fan of using Ben Lucas in the backline as a playmaking alternative, the Brumbies and Hurricanes in 2010 both showed how you could shut down Quade and in turn the Reds, similar tactics were employed by both the Force and NSW in the first two games this year.

 

[Ash]

That one hour Tahs v Reds highlights reel also showed why, perhaps, Link dropped Toua back to the 'A's. He looked marvellous on attack with ball in hand, but made quite a few mistakes, including a charged down kick when he had loads of time, the knock on (which actually went back, but never should have been dropped), and poor positioning in defence (several times). I could've sword last night I also saw a few more errors, but they've slipped my mind now.

Thought Lucas went alright, though, but hope he's not required to cart it up in heavy traffic.

The highlights package also showed how ineffective the Reds pigs have been at getting quick ball, allowing opposition teams to slow their ball down, and how bad the Reds have been at effecting turnovers when they have numbers to the breakdown. Quite a few times the Reds had 3+ players to the Tahs one at a breakdown and failed to force a turnover. I think Link needs to get them to spend some time at ruck school.

 

[Lee Grant]

Yep Toua shouldn't have dropped that ball and he shouldn't have been charged down but he shouldn't be blamed for the Turner try, if that is one of the defensive lapses you are talking about.

When Mitchell (I think) went to ground QC (Quade Cooper) was between Toua and touch, but then you can see QC (Quade Cooper) leave touch and go behind Toua's back towards the back of the ruck. Toua thought he was still there and he had to guard against a snipe around the ruck anyway. Then Turner got the ball and Kearns rabbited on about: "There's nobody there."

 

[The Mayor of Perth]

Would that be the plan developed by the guy they just had sacked?

Quoting fatprop View Post
Hoiles on the rugby club last night suggested that the game plan isn't changing for the Brumbies.

With the same starting XV (save for Chapman).

 

[Ash]

Lee, I think Toua was a bit off on positioning in defence a few times, outside of that try.

And yeah, that try was a screw up, where Toua should've been pillar/post and Cooper should've stayed wide, and it was a miscommunication between both players as Cooper should've originally been at fullback and Toua on the wing - which is why I think Quade ran back infield. It was really a bit of a screw up and ultimately I think Quade should've remained on the wing, but I don't think Toua is entirely blameless. I also thought that Toua was a bit wider of the ruck than a pillar / post should've been, so he was a bit in no-man's land regardless.

I enjoyed Toua a lot on attack, though. Would like to see Toua get more time over the season to see if he can get more consistency to his game instead of being a "Mitchell" from a few years ago. I will freely admit that I am being a bit harsh judging him on one game.

 

[Reddy!]

Are the Reds going to reignite the 2010 glory days now that Genia has been rightfully reinstated as captain? Probably.

 

[Tangawizi]

So much has been made of the battle of the breakdown and 10's in the lead up to this match. Expect it might come down to a few other key areas though.

For Reds to win:
1. Will Genia needs to show he is a class above Valentine and Phibbs and make some good darting runs rather than kicking it away all game,
2. Will Chambers needs to put the trainwreck of week 1 behind him and get the job done on AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), &
3. Leroy Houston has to fire up and play like the bigger man against Ita Vaea. Are the stats in the Wiki right because after watching last weekend you'd think Vaea is bigger than Houston, not the other way around? When was the last time we saw some of Vaea's dynamic running from Houston? Have we ever?

If Reds can compete well at the breakdown & scrum plus those 3 contests, I think the $4.10 on offer for Reds 1-12 is very good value.

 

[Finsbury Girl]

Are the Reds going to reignite the 2010 glory days now that Genia has been rightfully reinstated as captain? Probably.

I'm not so sure. Qld need a massive improvement. Hopefully Link has fired a rocket up the lazy pigs.

Not confident at all even against the weakest ACT team in memory. We SHOULD smash 'em, hopefully we can put it together on the park.

I want to see Diggers attack the 10/12 channel

 

[RugbyReg]

So much has been made of the battle of the breakdown and 10's in the lead up to this match. Expect it might come down to a few other key areas though.

For Reds to win:
1. Will Genia needs to show he is a class above Valentine and Phibbs and make some good darting runs rather than kicking it away all game,
2. Will Chambers needs to put the trainwreck of week 1 behind him and get the job done on AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), &
3. Leroy Houston has to fire up and play like the bigger man against Ita Vaea. Are the stats in the Wiki right because after watching last weekend you'd think Vaea is bigger than Houston, not the other way around? When was the last time we saw some of Vaea's dynamic running from Houston? Have we ever?

If Reds can compete well at the breakdown & scrum plus those 3 contests, I think the $4.10 on offer for Reds 1-12 is very good value.

I reckon it's all about the forwards mate! Chambers and Genia will get their opportunities if the front 8 can man up, show aggression at the ruck, be strong at the scrum, hit hard in defence and run with purpose and with support.