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

[RedsHappy]

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.

Precisely Richo.

To which I'd add:

- genuinely confident teams and players don't need lots of raa-raa and big talk re their prospects and convictions of success and so on. They just stress their objectives, and little else, cut out all the fluff. Note the very different ways the ABs handled their media stances re the team pre-Bled 1 to the way we did.

- equally, as you say, by over-stoking fan expectations we set a recipe for rapid disillusionment and being more deterred by failure to win than might otherwise be, or should be, the case. IMO, better to attempt to take our fans on an intended journey of improvement and improved results over time and a story as to what the new coach is aiming to achieve, and then let better actual results - say a Grand Slam win via the EOYT - do the talking.

We all recall no doubt HRH McCaw's statement in his autobiography how he loved it when the Wallabies appeared over-confident and talking themselves up pre-game, as that's precisely when they'd often played their worst and were relatively easily beaten by the ABs.

 

[Bowside]

I would have started Sio and Cooper. Maybe even Cooper at 15. He probably has the most accurate kicking game and the second longest after Mogg. But then again, I still flinch every time he is one on one.

I also reckon Cooper is carrying an injury.

 

[Pfitzy]

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

The truth will set you free.

Love Hansen's comment: "if we were in their situation - and we were eight years ago "

Perspective is a bitch

 

[RedsHappy]

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

Rather, I'd consider that Wallaby/Link silence pre-Bled 2 a very good sign that we've dropped the facile PR and are getting down to the serious business of actually being better, vs claiming we might be.

 

[Bullrush]

I would have started Sio and Cooper. Maybe even Cooper at 15. He probably has the most accurate kicking game and the second longest after Mogg. But then again, I still flinch every time he is one on one.

I also reckon Cooper is carrying an injury.

Strained heartilage?

 

[RedsHappy]

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.
.

I think you raise a great point of interest that will surely occupy Link who's smart enough to know that it's where the team is after his honeymoon period is over than where it's at whilst the honeymoon's still in place, that is the really important variable.

How to use the honeymoon period in a strategically smart and effective manner is the question. Honeymoon periods mostly permit and excuse losses, erratic and changed selections, game plan experiments and so on.

Early wins in the honeymoon cycle that have poor foundations - like Deans' first AB one - will not underpin sustainable success. Too much team change at the outset of Link's early period could undermine team and player confidence and build little of depth and successful combinations. Yet equally too small a rate of player upgrade or game plan change early in the cycle may risk reckless losses that achieve little in terms of team learning as failed selections persist in their failure and a real path to excellence gets built too slowly or too late in the external and ARU expectations cycle that will take hold once the forgiveness factor rapidly fades.

 

[Gurz]

To preface my comments - yes I am sore the Aussies lost but I am trying to be impartial to the best I can.............however....

Having watched the video on home page now - I understand why I was so incensed by Joubert's performance... at the time all I could do was get emotional and yell profanities at the tv.........

In light of the video evidence it seems pretty clear that kiwis have a deliberate 'spoiling' tactic at play - nothing earth-shattering but definitely the repeat offending warrants a yellow. I question if that was Hooper repeatedly penalised whether he would have remained on the field? I very much doubt it.... Mr Joubert?

To add, the lack of TMO referrals by Joubert was extremely frustrating considering the frequency he goes to them in Super rugby particularly Bulls v Reds this year... what's more at least one kiwi try would have been called back IF he went to TMO.

 

[Bullrush]

To preface my comments - yes I am sore the Aussies lost but I am trying to be impartial to the best I can.....however..

Having watched the video on home page now - I understand why I was so incensed by Joubert's performance. at the time all I could do was get emotional and yell profanities at the tv...

In light of the video evidence it seems pretty clear that kiwis have a deliberate 'spoiling' tactic at play - nothing earth-shattering but definitely the repeat offending warrants a yellow. I question if that was Hooper repeatedly penalised whether he would have remained on the field? I very much doubt it.. Mr Joubert?

To add, the lack of TMO referrals by Joubert was extremely frustrating considering the frequency he goes to them in Super rugby particularly Bulls v Reds this year. what's more at least one kiwi try would have been called back IF he went to TMO.

All the video does is show why McCaw is such a good player.
The game is a contest for the ball and all the clip simply shows is McCaw doing what every good 7 does and competing for possession. As he said in the post-match interview, his timing was a little off but looking at that clip - it wasn't off by much!!

Hooper would have to actually get involved in a few more break-downs to even start risking a YC....

edit: I can't stop thinking about this post. Do you really think that the Wallabies don't have a 'spoiling tactic' they would work on? You do know that it is actually good rugby to try and slow-down and 'spoil' the opposition ball as much and as legally possible? That means there are times when you mite get it wrong and concede a penalty but at all those penalties shown in the clip, there is a genuine opportunity to contest and try to turn-over possession.

 

[Tip]

Personally I'm sick and tired of seeing Joubert touted as a great referee by commentator and spectator alike (I've heard Kearns, Horan, Gregan, Eales all say it). He's the most consistent referee on the planet; consistently inconsistent. (IIRC it was he who gave Sir Richie 3 warnings in a test match...)
His free kick for Genia not feeding straight; only then for Smith to feed it as straight as Darren Hayes - and go unpenalized - was the icing on the cake for me.
What made the whole situation worse was that he "didn't see it" ... you could hear him through the ref mike saying "feed is fine".

I don't know whether he's blind or incompetent but either way I've had enough of him refereeing period.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

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!!

I tend to be of the view that whingeing about the refereeing is the last refuge of losers. As much as I love Bob's contributions I find the constant carping about the reffing to be tiresome. I tend not to watch the videos on it either, because they tend to come across as butthurt.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

To preface my comments - yes I am sore the Aussies lost but I am trying to be impartial to the best I can.....however..

Having watched the video on home page now - I understand why I was so incensed by Joubert's performance. at the time all I could do was get emotional and yell profanities at the tv...

In light of the video evidence it seems pretty clear that kiwis have a deliberate 'spoiling' tactic at play - nothing earth-shattering but definitely the repeat offending warrants a yellow. I question if that was Hooper repeatedly penalised whether he would have remained on the field? I very much doubt it.. Mr Joubert?

To add, the lack of TMO referrals by Joubert was extremely frustrating considering the frequency he goes to them in Super rugby particularly Bulls v Reds this year. what's more at least one kiwi try would have been called back IF he went to TMO.

Quite a poor effort at being impartial.

1. Accuse the ref of bias - really your claim on Hooper being YC'd if doing same as RMC is a bit lame.
2. Accuse the ref of being poor (in the face of the entire world saying he did a fairly good job)
3. Call "at least" one of the NZ tries illegal.

What happens you don't try to be impartial?

 

[Dam0]

We all are quick to see the offences of the opposition and very slow to see our own offences. It is an effect of a mixture of confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. Happens in every walk of life where there is an in-group and an out-group, whether it is politics, religion, race and in sports.

2 of the All Black tries were scored under PK advantage, including the first one where where CJ was playing multiple advantages for cynical infringing. Also, the first Aussie try came from a push by a Wallaby on the lifter at the lineout which caused the jumper to get knocked away. And so on and so on. Nobody has mentioned either of those points on here, nor would it be expected.

Everybody sees what they want to see. And then the supporters of the team that lost complains, almost without exception.

 

[ACT Crusader]

I wouldn't begrudge Link too much for his pre-game comments. The media and fans need something. It was either what he said or some fluff about 'being on a journey', or 'building'. OZ have a proud history of belief that playing a test match on home soil is always a winnable one no matter what has happened in the past or the odds against them. Link was obviously attempting to maintain that tradition and particularly after a home series loss to BIL.

 

[Richo]

I've been trying really hard lately not to get the shits with the ref. It's tough in rugby because there is so much grey in the interpretation of the laws. I find that if I take a big fat breath after the game is over, think about why it was won or lost, and then try to reflect on specific decisions, it's very rarely the ref's fault that my team lost.

 

[Scrubber2050]

I normally don't "bag" refs too much in case I start to enjoy the sour taste too much and become a real whinger

 

[lewisr]

I would have started Sio and Cooper. Maybe even Cooper at 15. He probably has the most accurate kicking game and the second longest after Mogg. But then again, I still flinch every time he is one on one.

I also reckon Cooper is carrying an injury.

What makes you think he has le injury?

 

[lewisr]

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

Agree with this. I thought that wouldve been one change that wouldn't have impacted things too much.

 

[Ash]

What makes you think he has le injury?

I reckon he still has knee issues. His pace is down and his knee looked to be heavily strapped when he came on.

 

[Muttonbird]

I reckon he still has knee issues. His pace is down and his knee looked to be heavily strapped when he came on.

Is it the same knee?

 

[lewisr]

I reckon he still has knee issues. His pace is down and his knee looked to be heavily strapped when he came on.

Hmm I mustve been blind... Looking at the youtube videos I cant see any strapping. He doesn't seem too bothered? Played the whole season. May have lost a little pace but I guess thats to be expected.