Quade - the BBQ Entertainer

[Ash]

I recall being told that jumping into the tackle with the ball is a penalty against the ball carrier. A Subbies coach said it, so take it however you want.

Played with a guy who got pinged out of the game for it (was 20 years ago though....)

It's funny sometimes what players get pinged out of the game for, especially at Subbies level.

A few years back there was an ex-army guy playing 12. Being formerly in the army, he liked to yell - loudly - when doing crazy stuff, like, say, hitting up a crashball at top pace. Apparently yelling like a madman is also illegal as you take the ball into contact, and he got pinged off the park in one game and the coaches banned him from doing it again.

If only they had the same rule in women's tennis...

 

[TOCC]

I recall being told that jumping into the tackle with the ball is a penalty against the ball carrier. A Subbies coach said it, so take it however you want.

Played with a guy who got pinged out of the game for it (was 20 years ago though....)

It's funny sometimes what players get pinged out of the game for, especially at Subbies level.

A few years back there was an ex-army guy playing 12. Being formerly in the army, he liked to yell - loudly - when doing crazy stuff, like, say, hitting up a crashball at top pace. Apparently yelling like a madman is also illegal as you take the ball into contact, and he got pinged off the park in one game and the coaches banned him from doing it again.

If only they had the same rule in women's tennis...

the scraming in womens tennis is the only reason i watch the sport

 

[Bruce Ross]

I recall being told that jumping into the tackle with the ball is a penalty against the ball carrier. A Subbies coach said it, so take it however you want.

Played with a guy who got pinged out of the game for it (was 20 years ago though....)

It's funny sometimes what players get pinged out of the game for, especially at Subbies level.

A few years back there was an ex-army guy playing 12. Being formerly in the army, he liked to yell - loudly - when doing crazy stuff, like, say, hitting up a crashball at top pace. Apparently yelling like a madman is also illegal as you take the ball into contact, and he got pinged off the park in one game and the coaches banned him from doing it again.

It must be an army thing, Ash. Almost forty years ago, my then club Woonona Shamrocks was playing a game in the Illawarra competition. In our team was a Viet vet playing in the centres. Suddenly, without warning or provocation, he let out a primal scream and launched himself in a flying drop kick straight at his opposing centre. Both feet into his chest.

Almost equally as amazing as the assault itself was the fact that the referee, either because he was gobsmacked or because he concluded that there was no relevant section of the Laws covering such innovative behaviour, didn't send our man off.

Last year I went to the Shamrocks' 40th anniversary reunion and sure enough, as on innumerable previous occasions, the story of Hormone's flying drop kick was related to the new generation.

 

[Gagger]

It’s unanimous; Quade “Trip-Hop” Cooper played a blinder in the Reds’ 28-30 loss to the Sharks in Durban last Saturday. Here are the highlights of his individual play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A9HFPqCCwE

As is evident from the clips, what’s so impressive about Cooper’s attacking play is the variety that he brings. Inside balls, wide-passes, offloads, chip-kicks, cross kicks, long kicks and most impressively in this match, his running game. Quade ran 128 metres with 3 line-breaks; the most of any player in the match. Digby Ioane, who also had a great running game, came second at 127m. However, Cooper made that distance in 10 runs, vs Diggers’ 14.

Most pleasing though, is Quade’s choice of which option to take, and when. Not every pass is a 30m cut-out, and not every play is a balls out attacking opportunity. The Chiefs game was probably the best example of this new found decision making, where Cooper stayed faithful to the Reds short-side game-plan, which in the end paid dividends.

As Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes fail to impress (and both most recently have been playing at 12) this has naturally led to an expectation of Cooper being the Wallaby 5/8 in 2010. However, this brushes over two big question marks.

First; mental focus. With a court case pending and the brainfart trip only last week – is this the temperament of the director of the Wallaby backline?

Second; defense. This season (up until round 7) Cooper is still missing roughly a third of the tackles he attempts (11/32). Compare this with Daniel Halangahu who has made more than double that number of tackles, and missed about the same number (10/61). Watching the Sharks game, it’s clear that the Reds have made the decision to take the rough with the smooth and sensibly move Cooper out of the firing line – he was only asked to make 3 tackles all game.

He also appears to be muscling up more – you can see in the clip two solid tackles including a hit on the Sharks second row. However, in a big game international setting, just how much can you hide a defensive fragility? The dying seconds vs Ireland on the end of season tour answers that question.

While only time will tell the role Quade will have to play in the Wallabies, I can absolutely guarantee that none of it will be boring.

 

[RugbyReg]

love that little pass to daley at about 1.14/

 

[DPK]

A lot of those moments of ingenuity from Cooper would be more likely to succeed in the Wallabies IMO, as the quality of players outside him is greater (not putting shit on the Reds, its just a fact).

 

[Scotty]

A lot of those moments of ingenuity from Cooper would be more likely to succeed in the Wallabies IMO, as the quality of players outside him is greater (not putting shit on the Reds, its just a fact).

Interesting comment. In test level he will have less time, therefore less opportunity to pull off the big plays. As far as players outside him, they don't come much better than Ioane.

 

[Biffo]

A lot of those moments of ingenuity from Cooper would be more likely to succeed in the Wallabies IMO, as the quality of players outside him is greater (not putting shit on the Reds, its just a fact).

Interesting comment. In test level he will have less time, therefore less opportunity to pull off the big plays. As far as players outside him, they don't come much better than Ioane.

I don't recall ever seeing fans get so defensive of a player as some of the Reds fans do about Cooper. Either the attacks on him are overstated, or you lot are being overly defensive for provincial reasons.

 

[Scotty]

Very funny Biffo.

However not many people defend Cooper on this site. Plenty have praise for his attacking abilities, but I don't ever recall anyone defending his sometimes poor decision making and often poor defense.

I have stated many times that he needs to lose his fear of contact, both in defense and attack and improve his defensive technique if he wants to have a long career at the international level. And obviously cut out the brain farts.

 

[Biffo]

Very funny Biffo.

However not many people defend Cooper on this site. Plenty have praise for his attacking abilities, but I don't ever recall anyone defending his sometimes poor decision making and often poor defense.

I have stated many times that he needs to lose his fear of contact, both in defense and attack and improve his defensive technique if he wants to have a long career at the international level. And obviously cut out the brain farts.

Just a bit of fun, Mate. I was very rudely awakened here in Medan by the earthquake at 5.18 a.m. and haven't been able to get back to sleep. Perhaps TYS needs an insomniacs page

 

[DPK]

Not defending Cooper, I'll leave that to his barrister

In the Sharks game, we've established that Genia was under pressure because the forward pack was on the backfoot. So this would put pressure on Cooper, but he still played very well.

As for the men outside him, the Red's backline is good quality, but obviously the Wallabies will be better.

 

[Ash]

It must be an army thing, Ash. Almost forty years ago, my then club Woonona Shamrocks was playing a game in the Illawarra competition. In our team was a Viet vet playing in the centres. Suddenly, without warning or provocation, he let out a primal scream and launched himself in a flying drop kick straight at his opposing centre. Both feet into his chest.

Almost equally as amazing as the assault itself was the fact that the referee, either because he was gobsmacked or because he concluded that there was no relevant section of the Laws covering such innovative behaviour, didn't send our man off.

Last year I went to the Shamrocks' 40th anniversary reunion and sure enough, as on innumerable previous occasions, the story of Hormone's flying drop kick was related to the new generation.

That actually made me chuckle out loud.

 

[Scotty]

In the Sharks game, we've established that Genia was under pressure because the forward pack was on the backfoot. So this would put pressure on Cooper, but he still played very well.

And because the Sharks forwards were offside at a lot of rucks.

 

[Viking]

Just stick him in a wallabies jersey already. DONT have the likes of Pocock or his outside men covering him in defence, force him to tackle. If he plays all the tri-nations games at 10 forced to tackle, he'll get better in no time. Sure we might let in a few tries along the way, but by the time the RWC comes along his defence should be par. A year of defensive work at internationally level has got to pay dividends.

 

[Biffo]

err, how many years and how many tests and how many S12/14 and T14 and EPL games has Andrew Mehrtens played?

 

[TOCC]

A lot of those moments of ingenuity from Cooper would be more likely to succeed in the Wallabies IMO, as the quality of players outside him is greater (not putting shit on the Reds, its just a fact).

well it works two ways, yes he might have better players on his side, but additionally the opposition is going to have better players as well, kind of cancels each other out

 

[Viking]

err, how many years and how many tests and how many S12/14 and T14 and EPL games has Andrew Mehrtens played?

At least we can see cooper is getting better.

 

[DPK]

err, how many years and how many tests and how many S12/14 and T14 and EPL games has Andrew Mehrtens played?

EPL?

 

[Biffo]

err, how many years and how many tests and how many S12/14 and T14 and EPL games has Andrew Mehrtens played?

EPL?

English Premier League, if I am correct.

I forgot Heineken Cup and NZ Provincial Championship.

 

[DPK]

err, how many years and how many tests and how many S12/14 and T14 and EPL games has Andrew Mehrtens played?

EPL?

English Premier League, if I am correct.

I forgot Heineken Cup and NZ Provincial Championship.

Guiness Premiership or Poofball?