waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
Gagger said:
your talking about waugh or palu?
cos if your talking about palu and japan then he isnt likely to go till after the world cup, but he may switch teams for next year
George Smith to retire!!!
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your talking about waugh or palu?
cos if your talking about palu and japan then he isnt likely to go till after the world cup, but he may switch teams for next year
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
unless he is talking about Al Baxter, who still has another 50 - 70 good wallaby caps left in him if the refs get off his back.
TheRiddler
Dave Cowper (27)
Oh Chrissy Alcock, Chrissy Chrissy Chrissy Alcock.
C
chief
Guest
A servant to the game who cannot be forgotten, who I will never forget, and if in the odd chance I have kids, I will ensure I tell them about this guy. I saw him giving autographs to kids after a Wallabies game last year, and he stayed the longest, so happy to do it, taking pictures with them. You didn't have to know the guy to describe him, and that is a great man. He would be the person on the pitch who teams respected the most, the referees even respected his style of play as well as his personality. He's as much as a loss to Australian Rugby as the Gregan, Larkham combination. And I must agree with Biffo, this thread should be preserved only to talk about this guy's great service to the game. It's a big, big shame that after this Super 14 season that I probably won't ever get to see him play. What a bloke this guy was, and will be forever. I think I just saw the William Web Ellis cup fall even further out of our hands.
J
Jeffrey Calder
Guest
He was doing much the same at the Brumbies Meet the Players day today. There was a huge crowd of kids (and mums, dads and folk who had grabbed any passing kid so they didn't look too desperate) around him for most of the time we were there and he was happily chatting, signing and posing for photos. He shook my 4 year old's hand, signed his cap and chatted with him for quite a while (while his mum and I gaped like goldfish and failed to string much of a sentence together). He seemed like a really nice bloke as well as a fantastic player. Being an ex-(rubbish) flanker I do have a weakness for the breed and watching George Smith has been one of the high points of my career as a rugby tragic.
As a diehard member of the George Smith is a better 7 than Richie McCaw society, it's a land-mark to see him go.
How many times in the last 5+ years has he single-handedy either pulled our arses out of the fire, or given us a sniff when we shouldn't have had it? He's always had that ability to come up with the ball out of the ruck when we really needed it (what we then did with it was another matter....)
Pure rugby smarts, which from hearing him speak, makes me think he's a pretty bright bloke all round; and after 10 years of playing rugby for the WBs and in Canberra, you can understand him needing a change of scenery.
I too can attest to his character. When presenting him with the G&GR Wallaby of 2009 on the EOYT, my biggest hope was that he wouldn't actually chuck the prestigious award (flimsy bit of card) into a bin within my eyesight. To the contrary, he seemed genuinely chuffed to have been voted in by genuine lovers of the game and actually asked me for the plastic sleeve that I'd brought it in. (you can hear the interview here http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/the-winner-ggr-wallaby-player-of-the-year/)
He may have just been being polite, but I can just see the G&GR award on his mantle piece now, framed by those lesser John Eales medals.....
How many times in the last 5+ years has he single-handedy either pulled our arses out of the fire, or given us a sniff when we shouldn't have had it? He's always had that ability to come up with the ball out of the ruck when we really needed it (what we then did with it was another matter....)
Pure rugby smarts, which from hearing him speak, makes me think he's a pretty bright bloke all round; and after 10 years of playing rugby for the WBs and in Canberra, you can understand him needing a change of scenery.
I too can attest to his character. When presenting him with the G&GR Wallaby of 2009 on the EOYT, my biggest hope was that he wouldn't actually chuck the prestigious award (flimsy bit of card) into a bin within my eyesight. To the contrary, he seemed genuinely chuffed to have been voted in by genuine lovers of the game and actually asked me for the plastic sleeve that I'd brought it in. (you can hear the interview here http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/the-winner-ggr-wallaby-player-of-the-year/)
He may have just been being polite, but I can just see the G&GR award on his mantle piece now, framed by those lesser John Eales medals.....
S
Spook
Guest
Absolutely gutted by this. I was sure he'd take the world record for most test caps. I can understand why he's off though. What a true champion and gentleman. He will super hot property in Europe or Japan as he doesn't get injured.
Zinzan
Herbert Moran (7)
Sad to see George Smith retire & happy he did on his own terms but can you blame him.
How can the best(most consistent) player for Australian Rugby play second fiddle to up&commer Pocock? I'm no super coach but surely if you wanted to blood a new player you'd give him last 15-20mins in a big test match & possibly start 'em against a minnow like Italt etc. NZ would never do that to Richie McCaw, they wouldn't start a Latimer or up & commer over Richie McCaw.
Robbie Deans is not the super coach everyone thinks he is, he was assistant to John Mitchell in the failed NZ 2003 world cup bid (according to many he pulled the strings and Mitchell was just a puppet). He did this to Andrew Mehrtens at the Crusaders & he did the same to Christian Cullen in the All Blacks. He wants players to die for the jersey but after long service bumps you off.
Next will be Mortlock on this idiots chopping board......it's starting already.
Australian Rugby not moving forward when you lose a 'George Smith' year before WC. Don't get me wrong I think Pocock is great but has very similar game to Waugh, nothing against the new talent just against the Robbie Deans show. I think GS would've played out his contract had he not been disrespected on tour.
I don't think Brumbies will start another openside flanker over George Smith this season in preparation for 2011, they'll show him the respect he deserves & earnt.
Shame on you Robbie Deans your ego killed the Wallabies!
How can the best(most consistent) player for Australian Rugby play second fiddle to up&commer Pocock? I'm no super coach but surely if you wanted to blood a new player you'd give him last 15-20mins in a big test match & possibly start 'em against a minnow like Italt etc. NZ would never do that to Richie McCaw, they wouldn't start a Latimer or up & commer over Richie McCaw.
Robbie Deans is not the super coach everyone thinks he is, he was assistant to John Mitchell in the failed NZ 2003 world cup bid (according to many he pulled the strings and Mitchell was just a puppet). He did this to Andrew Mehrtens at the Crusaders & he did the same to Christian Cullen in the All Blacks. He wants players to die for the jersey but after long service bumps you off.
Next will be Mortlock on this idiots chopping board......it's starting already.
Australian Rugby not moving forward when you lose a 'George Smith' year before WC. Don't get me wrong I think Pocock is great but has very similar game to Waugh, nothing against the new talent just against the Robbie Deans show. I think GS would've played out his contract had he not been disrespected on tour.
I don't think Brumbies will start another openside flanker over George Smith this season in preparation for 2011, they'll show him the respect he deserves & earnt.
Shame on you Robbie Deans your ego killed the Wallabies!
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Steady on mate - take a deep breath. Just consider the possibility that by giving Pocock a chance Deans was looking after the long term interests of the Wallabies as he saw them at the time. It's possible.
And don't forget that until he got his injury Pocock was the best player on the park when Oz played Wales.
I don't think that Smith would be pulling the pin now if Pocock didn't exist.
And don't forget that until he got his injury Pocock was the best player on the park when Oz played Wales.
I don't think that Smith would be pulling the pin now if Pocock didn't exist.
Scarfman
Knitter of the Scarf
Wel, I kind of agree with Zinzan here, if not as strongly.
If it not about the RWC, then I reckon you play the best guy week to week, and that should have been Smith.
If it is about the RWC, then you really really really want experience. These tight RWC games are not flashy, they're about getting done what needs to be done and nothing more.
If it not about the RWC, then I reckon you play the best guy week to week, and that should have been Smith.
If it is about the RWC, then you really really really want experience. These tight RWC games are not flashy, they're about getting done what needs to be done and nothing more.
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