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

[Bullrush]

Is Rattue worse than the Walrus? I think he would give him a good run for his money:

Dam0.....who wrote this and where can I find it. Ijust read it to Mrs Bullrush and we agree that it has to go on Facebook for all our Kiwi mates to enjoy

 

[Dam0]

Dam0...who wrote this and where can I find it. Ijust read it to Mrs Bullrush and we agree that it has to go on Facebook for all our Kiwi mates to enjoy

That was Rattue himself. Late 2007, just after the decision to reinstate the 3 wise men was announced. It is one hell of a rant. Worthy of an internet rugby forum, but perhaps not for the national newspaper.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Why should Aust be the only country stuck with useless rugby "journalists"?

Keep up the good the good work Chris Rattue, and Gregor Paul.

 

[Merrow]

Got to Wellington Airport this afternoon, and one of the first people we saw was Sharpie. F@ck he's a big unit. Got a photo of him with my oldest. Good way to start the trip.

 

[Dam0]

Dam0...who wrote this and where can I find it. Ijust read it to Mrs Bullrush and we agree that it has to go on Facebook for all our Kiwi mates to enjoy

It must be said that I have looked for a direct link to this article at the Herald website and I have been unable to find it. A google search of some of the words takes me to a post I made at a rugby forum and where I got it from, which was a post at a different forum. I assumed that this article, which was attributed to Rattue at this forum without a link, was actually by him, but now I am beginning to have my doubts.

It does sound like the sort of thing he would write, and the fact that it isn't at the Herald site isn't conclusive proof he didn't write it because not every article is posted online. I also wouldn't put it past them to remove something as embarrassing as this. Until I find something definitive it might be best to hold back.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I reckon Link should give one of those speeches like Jim Telfer gave the Lions in '97 -- about how the local press don't rate us, don't respect us etc.

Seriously though, sports journalists have to be right at the bottom of the totem pole, in a profession that most punters already rate pretty lowly (me included). But let's face it, our cricket press can be just as bad when it comes to arrogance.

 

[Groucho]

Random question, but I would like to hear a few replies.What did we think of John "Knuckles' Connolly as Wallabies coach?

I honestly thought he had the potential to do extremely well with the Wallabies. He along with Link McKenzie are Queensland's best coaches.

Connolly was the worst coach to ever coach the Wallabies. He perpetrated the great turnaround where we switched from a ball in hand style to the half-arsed field position game that we still see today, hot on the heels of an attack-ular 49-0 trouncing of the Boks, for no particular reason other than it was the way he liked his teams to play rugby.

 

[I like to watch]

10 man Rugby,only because piggies can't kick.
The rest was a fucking mystery to him.
I thought he was a good forwards coach.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

It was really only an extension of his style coaching QLD. They, in spite of having one of the best provincial backlines ever assembled, played pretty much territory oriented footy most of the time. They were bloody successful though.

 

[kiap]

It was really only an extension of his style coaching QLD. They, in spite of having one of the best provincial backlines ever assembled, played pretty much territory oriented footy most of the time. They were bloody successful though.

Indeed. Although I say the 10-man rugby claims are from haters. His sides were able to play total rugby. They put on 50 running against Graham Henry's S12-winning Auckland in 96.....

http://www.youtubeclean.com/watch?v=cPucHEFUhxo&time=80

Another old S12 game against Wellington in 98 .....

http://www.youtubeclean.com/watch?v=-Gcl-jB0ygg&time=58

 

[KOB1987]

game day.....pumped!!

 

[Scotty]

Connolly was the worst coach to ever coach the Wallabies. He perpetrated the great turnaround where we switched from a ball in hand style to the half-arsed field position game that we still see today, hot on the heels of an attack-ular 49-0 trouncing of the Boks, for no particular reason other than it was the way he liked his teams to play rugby.

Deans got 6 years in the job to achieve basically nothing, getting the wallabies into the semi final on the back of David Pocock and with an ultra conservative game plan.

Connolly had 18 months as an emergency option when Jones got the sack. He didn't achieve much but he didn't have much time or support either.

How can you say he was the worst wallaby coach ever on the back of that?

 

[Lee Grant]

On Gregor Paul's article: I can't say that one can take exception to the general thrust of the content.

I'm galled to say that it isn't too far off the mark.

I said in my comments on Bledisloe One - that we have the players to challenge the All Blacks but they don't have the same rugby upbringing of the Kiwis and you can see the effects of that in scoring incidents in every Bledisloe game - unless there is an exceptional performance, often matched by an inferior one from the guys in black.

It is no wonder that the South Africans are the All Blacks' fiercest competitors: because their rugby upbringing is similar.

There have been waves of parity between the Blacks and the Golds, when we had a group of very good and great players whose careers aligned - before and after the 1991 and 1999 RWCs - and theirs were aging or were otherwise less good, but mostly we have been in the trough of the waves.

We will have more crests in the future because we will always have periods when the careers of very good or great players align, but to have a sea change—to have more of those crests pounding into the shore—we have to improve the rugby structure in our country.
.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

On Gregor Paul's article: I can't say that one can take exception to the general thrust of the content.

I'm galled to say that it isn't too far off the mark.

I said in my comments on Bledisloe One - that we have the players to challenge the All Blacks but they don't have the same rugby upbringing of the Kiwis and you can see the effects of that in scoring incidents in every Bledisloe game - unless there is an exceptional performance, often matched by an inferior one from the guys in black.

It is no wonder that the South Africans are the All Blacks' fiercest competitors: because their rugby upbringing is similar.

There have been waves of parity between the Blacks and the Golds, when we had a group of very good and great players whose careers aligned - before and after the 1991 and 1999 RWCs - and theirs were aging or were otherwise less good, but mostly we have been in the trough of the waves.

We will have more crests in the future because we will always have periods when the careers of very good or great players align, but to have a sea change—to have more of those crests pounding into the shore—we have to improve the rugby structure in our country.
.

I guess you can compare it to cricket, Lee. We have a similar level of dominance over that sport and those ebbs and flows you talk about with rivalries could equally apply to our opposition in that sport. It is what it is in the end.

 

[Richo]

Seriously though, sports journalists have to be right at the bottom of the totem pole, in a profession that most punters already rate pretty lowly (me included). But let's face it, our cricket press can be just as bad when it comes to arrogance.

Great sports journalism is amongst the best writing around. Guys like Gideon Haigh, for example. But sadly, it's often dribble that we get in the dailies.

 

[Moono75]

There have been waves, but mostly we have been in the trough of the waves. We will have more crests in the future, but to have a sea change—to have more of those crests pounding into the shore.
.

I feel like I'm down on Scarborough Beach but could swear I'm just sitting eating my brekky in the kitchen! Forgive the editing of your post

 

[Hawko]

game day...pumped!!

Pumped is the wrong word for me. I've got that hollowed out feeling in the pit of my stomach because I know that NZ would have been flogged by their coaches during the week due to a less than spectacular performance in a number of areas. They will be much improved this week, especially in the set piece. We not only have to raise our standard of play to meet their last week's performance but also to match the improvement they will have made.

Secondly its Wellington. When its not raining there (which is very often in winter) it still blows a gale 90% of the time and the cake tin breeze swirls uncomfortably for all. Kicking requires a change of technique that NZ are used to - our kicking game is usually shite in near perfect conditions, especially our field kicking. To'omua, Mogg and Lilo need to have a blinder with the boot.

So, while there is hope that we can make the right improvements, this game could very easily go south very quickly. I'm nervous, but still hopeful we will see a major improvement and a close game.

 

[redstragic]

I am not Welsh but I am going out to run through a fucking brick wall right now for Scott Quinnell.

Come on Link speak like this and get the boys ready to run through these All Blecks.

 

[KOB1987]

Pumped is the wrong word for me. I've got that hollowed out feeling in the pit of my stomach because I know that NZ would have been flogged by their coaches during the week due to a less than spectacular performance in a number of areas. They will be much improved this week, especially in the set piece. We not only have to raise our standard of play to meet their last week's performance but also to match the improvement they will have made.

Secondly its Wellington. When its not raining there (which is very often in winter) it still blows a gale 90% of the time and the cake tin breeze swirls uncomfortably for all. Kicking requires a change of technique that NZ are used to - our kicking game is usually shite in near perfect conditions, especially our field kicking. To'omua, Mogg and Lilo need to have a blinder with the boot.

So, while there is hope that we can make the right improvements, this game could very easily go south very quickly. I'm nervous, but still hopeful we will see a major improvement and a close game.

I think you are right, if the 10/12 combo works, and the kicking game is sound we could pinch it

 

[vidiot]

I don't expect or (of course) mind if we don't win, but I'd be happy with more composure and precision this week, along with buckets of effort.