New Zealand vs Australia - Bledisloe 2, 24th August 2013

[Rob42]

Of course I agree that building a great team takes time, that we could not expect to have a world-beating team after a two-week preparation.

It was a bit of a PR slip-up from Link to be building up that first test so much - one of his strengths over the past few years has been his adept handling of the media.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Wallabies:

1. James Slipper
2. Stephen Moore
3. Ben Alexander
4. Rob Simmons
5. James Horwill (c)
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper
8. Ben Mowen
9. Will Genia
10. Matt To'omua
11. James O'Connor
12. Christian Lealiifano
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Israel Folau
15. Jesse Mogg

Replacements
16. Saia Fainga'a
17. Scott Sio
18. Sekope Kepu
19. Kane Douglas
20. Liam Gill
21. Nic White
22. Quade Cooper
23. Tevita Kuridrani

 

[fatprop]

That's not really fair. Link's only had one game.

But he would have been wiser to set lower expectations, talk about the amount of work required, and point out that great teams are built with time, patience, and commitment to development.

Yeah, it ain't fair and he shouldn't

 

[Richo]

Succinctly put.

 

[Richo]

Had he said that, would we have complained about him not aiming to win every game? You can't say it's going to take time to get better without implying that games are going to be lost whilst that happens.

It really just depends on framing. Sure, a bunch of people will jump up and down about "not aiming to win every game". But that's a fairly juvenile position to take -- of course they're trying to win every game! I just think it was a mistake for Link to talk up the return of attacking, exciting, daring, etc. rugby before any games had been played.

It's not a major issue, just not what I'd have advised if I was running his or the ARU's comms strategy. It's too short term -- you get a nice hit or two in the media, but then you set up a failure narrative if you don't deliver. And delivering immediately against the All Blacks was always going to be hard.

 

[Dan54]

Tend to think that Taylor will play much like To'omua, will just be a link player, I don't think he will rip game open, but neither do I really see him stuff up to badly.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Tend to think that Taylor will play much like To'omua, will just be a link player, I don't think he will rip game open, but neither do I really see him stuff up to badly.

With Nonu and C Smith outside him he might not have to do too much.

 

[KOB1987]

Although I personally would have tinkered with the back 3 , I think it shows us that we have entered a new era for the Wallabies with Link backing his judgement and not making any unforced changes to the line up for this week. He is no doubt taking the 'starting with a clean slate' positive approach and giving his selections the opportunity to prove themselves, rather than the negative approach of dropping players after one inferior performance.

We have probably all become too familiar with Dingo's approach of making unforced changes (usually the wrong ones too!) week in week out, and due to this there was the expectation this would continue under the new coach.

No doubt he will make some changes in time but overall I'm a fan of this approach.. it builds cohesion, confidence and stability.

It's a yes from me!

 

[fatprop]

It really just depends on framing. Sure, a bunch of people will jump up and down about "not aiming to win every game". But that's a fairly juvenile position to take -- of course they're trying to win every game! I just think it was a mistake for Link to talk up the return of attacking, exciting, daring, etc. rugby before any games had been played.

It's not a major issue, just not what I'd have advised if I was running his or the ARU's comms strategy. It's too short term -- you get a nice hit or two in the media, but then you set up a failure narrative if you don't deliver. And delivering immediately against the All Blacks was always going to be hard.

We have the same media narrative before every home test.


A players say we are a good chance
An ex player says the ABs are cheats
A player or coach says our scrum will do well and has been wronged in the past

etc etc

 

[Scrubber2050]

My initial thought after game 1 was to drop Moggy, stick Izzy or JOC (James O'Connor) at 15 and bring Cummins in on wing.

A bit more rational thought and reflection of some of the comments on this forum makes me agree with McKenzie sticking with those players.

Although I reckon if Matt T doesn't have a good game QC (Quade Cooper) will start thereafter.

 

[barbarian]

I'm kind of torn on this one.

A part of me thinks it's good Link showed faith in the form Super players, and gave them another chance to prove themselves.

But another part of me thinks that they are already low on confidence, and throwing them into a Bledisloe in Wellington may only compound the damage done last Saturday.

I hope they find a bit of confidence and have good games, and I trust they will. So I back Link's decision. But I hope it all doesn't go horribly wrong.
.

 

[Pfitzy]

If these guys were confidence pussies and couldn't handle trying to atone for their mistakes, then they wouldn't be at the top level

 

[fatprop]

I have no idea again just what will be the game plan, but I have a few questions.

Do we plan to play more field position?

How do we plan to diffuse the ABs kicking game?

How wide are we going to try to play?

How flat will To'omua play?

Will we run some inside runners?

Will we start to work hard off the ball?

 

[Rob42]

It really just depends on framing. Sure, a bunch of people will jump up and down about "not aiming to win every game". But that's a fairly juvenile position to take -- of course they're trying to win every game! I just think it was a mistake for Link to talk up the return of attacking, exciting, daring, etc. rugby before any games had been played.

It's not a major issue, just not what I'd have advised if I was running his or the ARU's comms strategy. It's too short term -- you get a nice hit or two in the media, but then you set up a failure narrative if you don't deliver. And delivering immediately against the All Blacks was always going to be hard.

Yes, I agree, and I was surprised that Link was talking it up. Cheika handled this well early in the Tahs' season by bluntly stating that the team would stick with his game plan until they got it right, because it damn well would work once they got it right, even if it cost them some early games. It at least delayed the pressure on the coach, and I don't think anyone accused the team of not trying hard in those early games. Of course, had they not shown improvement some weeks down the track, the pressure would have been there just the same.

Like an incoming government, I think Link should have been claiming the shocking discovery of a massive, unreported deficit - of skills, attitude, whatever - upon his arrival, to prepare the public for the initial pain.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

We have the same media narrative before every home test.


A players say we are a good chance
An ex player says the ABs are cheats
A player or coach says our scrum will do well and has been wronged in the past

etc etc

You forgot the GAGR video showing how the Wallabies were wronged by the ref. I see that has been put in place now!

 

[Ash]

That's surely got to be one of the weaker All Black benches that we have faced in a while.

Maybe a false hope that we can close out the game a little better?

 

[Muttonbird]

Shag (and Hinton, for that matter) not giving Link one inch.

Wallabies have gone quiet, far too quiet

MARC HINTON IN WELLINGTON
Last updated 11:00 22/08/2013

It's all gone quiet over in the Wallaby camp, and that has the All Blacks on high alert ahead of their return Bledisloe Cup clash in the capital on Saturday night.

The All Blacks are always much more wary of the Australian threat when they're not looking to talk things up. They take that as a sign that focus and concentration is where it needs to be, internally rather than playing the game through the media.

After being walloped 47-29 in Sydney last Saturday night, the Wallaby bravado - so evident in the build-up to the Rugby Championship opener - has gone into shutdown. New coach Ewen McKenzie and his team are rightfully focused wholly and solely on fixing their own shortcomings, which in Steve Hansen's mind makes them a much more dangerous foe this week.

"They're obviously going to be more dangerous," said the All Blacks coach when asked about what he expected this week from a side that must win to keep their Bledisloe hopes alive.

"The first sign of that is they're not talking as much this week. If we were in their situation - and we were eight years ago - we would just shut down and get right into it.

"The mentality would be we've got to go out and prove a point. I'm sure that's what they're going to do, so we have to match that. They'll come out very physical, and they'll get [Will] Genia to kick the ball a lot more than what he did. They'll change the way they play.

"They came out [in Sydney] and thought they could run the ball from everywhere and made a lot of unforced errors. We capitalised on those, so they'll look to reduce them.

Asked if he had any words of advice for McKenzie this week in what is shaping as a turbulent beginning to his test head coaching career, Hansen's smile said it all.

"I probably gave him enough last week. This week he's not allowing me to do that so he's going pretty good."

- © Fairfax NZ News

 

[barbarian]

You forgot the GAGR video showing how the Wallabies were wronged by the ref. I see that has been put in place now!

Normally we just leave that to Bob Dwyer, but on rare occasions we give him some help.
.

 

[Bullrush]

Normally we just leave that to Bob Dwyer, but on rare occasions we give him some help.
.

Hahaha....he had a fair crack in his write-up I think. While most here were saying Joubert had a good game, Bob thought he was terrible...which was a huge surprise to all the kiwis I'm sure!!

 

[Garryowen]

Mogg deserved to ride the pine for no reason other than his feeble 'attempt' at tacking Smith.