Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Argies missed 3 kickable shots equalling 8 points.
A missed conversion is always worth 2 points.
A missed penalty may be worth 3. But it may change the course of the game. So you can't count past the first one.
Argies missed 3 kickable shots equalling 8 points.
I again disagree, Pocock\Hooper is still a better combination of talent today than one of Pocock or Hooper with any of Timani/Houston/Holloway.
Amongst all the talk about who is our best 10, who should be 12, the second row merry go round, etc, I reckon our biggest issue is our discipline. There were 2 games v England and one v the boks that we out-tried the opposition but lost because of their boot. Aside from that it really affects our momentum so is a real double whammy.
Fix that and we're easily #2 in the world.
Our discipline lately (read the last year or so) has really pissed me off. I don't know where it's coming from but it's piss poor and costing us more games than it's winning.
I get the feeling that it is by choice/design and we are trying to be more confrontational but we are just coming across as a bunch of guys who are trying to win the fight because we are struggling to win the game.
All through my playing days and now as a spectator, I've held that the best approach to the game is playing with a halo on your head. What we are doing just smacks of a bunch of guys who don't think their Rugby ability is enough to win matches. /rant
Conversion successful or not doesn't make any difference where a ball's retrieved from, the ball boys put a replacement ball on the centre line for the next phase of play. Missed or not conversions don't affect the flow of subsequent play one iota, penalties do.
With all this chat on the back row. Thoughts of a back row consisting of McMahon 6, Hooper 7 and Pocock 8 (when they are all fit of course). If done well it could be entertaining and a huge huge threat to any team.
To the fans who felt a need to rant at Quade when he "earned" his 6th international yellow, I wait with interest for your balance in discussing the same issue with Hooper.
It's not great, but I think people have much higher tolerance for a 7 pushing the boundaries of the laws than a 10.
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Why?Hoopers ability to play both and tighter and looser, both very effectively, for 80 minutes combined with his durability make him one of the best assets the wallabies have. Puts the calls for him to be dropped at the start of the season in perspective.
It's not great, but I think people have much higher tolerance for a 7 pushing the boundaries of the laws than a 10.
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Hes been the best 7 this yearWhy?
He's still the 2nd best 7 in Australia regardless of his versatility.
Which means those who don't support the two 7s concept and feel it leaves too many deficiencies exposed elsewhere still have justification.
Perhaps more so with Timanis game on the w/e.