Reds vs Brumbies, 2011R16
- Thread starter Ruggo
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Elfster
Alex Ross (28)
You would think that with a raft of senior horsies' players leaving you would try to get some of the younger guys as much game time as possible. It may help them retain some of the younger talent and not let them get picked up by other teams due to them not having sufficient opportunities with the team and thus looking for "fresh pastures". Also the season is gone, and, generally, younger and new players to a team can freshen up the team. In the last few games they may start being a little more entertaining!
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
It looked as though Alexander improved, but maybe that's because Owen is struggling at LH...
It seems odd that they've chosen now to switch Alexander to TH when they go with another TH in the starting XV...
Jerry has scrummaged stronger than Owen the past fortnight, and hasn't embarassed himself... I would've thought he deserved a starting spot...
It seems odd that they've chosen now to switch Alexander to TH when they go with another TH in the starting XV...
Jerry has scrummaged stronger than Owen the past fortnight, and hasn't embarassed himself... I would've thought he deserved a starting spot...
T
Tank
Guest
Yeah, with Kepu out, those two are the two main THP options so will be good to see who holds their respective scrum together better. It should actually be a good battle up front as I think both front rows are considered better around the field (with Palmer out) than for their scrummaging. Queensland should win the battle of the backrow but the tight five will be interesting.
No4918
John Hipwell (52)
Anyone have any news on Harris? Last I heard he could have been back this weekend and maybe even last game if needed. It's a measure of how well Tapuai has done that people seem to have forgotten about Aussie Mike so soon. He could be stuck on the bench when he does get back as he provides more versatility than Taps and Chambers.
Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
Slipper should be up against Owen, that should be Slipper easily.
Alexander should be up against Daley, that should be Alexander easily.
Conclusion: We won't learn anything at all we didn't already know.
Fainga'a vs Moore, should be a clear win to Moore.
Further conclusion: Reds scrum will be up against it again this week.
Prediction: If they don't do something about it the Reds won't win the Super comp.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I think you're being generous towards the Brumbies here...
Slipper will have greater dominance over Owen than Alexander will over Daley...
It could turn out to be a bit of a cripplefest during the scrums, but I think the Reds might have the edge until Jerry comes on...
The lineout will be interesting because last time around the Brumbies were missing Chapman, and in the games leading up to the last Reds' clash the Brumbies' lineout was killing it... I believe Chisholm had the most lineout steals halfway through the comp, and those mostly came from the early rounds with Chapman's directing...
Tangawizi
Peter Fenwicke (45)
I think a few of the Reds players have it in the back of their minds that the last time the Brumbies came to Suncorp (2009) they walked out 52-13 winners.
That was fucking embarrassing and Saturday night is the Reds chance to redeem the pisspoor effort they put in that night.
That was fucking embarrassing and Saturday night is the Reds chance to redeem the pisspoor effort they put in that night.
Scotty
David Codey (61)
If Alexander can't put any pressure on Daly (which expect to the be case) then I think we will learn a lot!
R
Richard D. James
Guest
Is it wrong for a Brumbies supporter to not care if we lose this? For the good of Australian rugby of course...
Clawhammer
Herbert Moran (7)
I'm in your boat - it's an odd feeling. It would be a different matter if it were the 'tahs though.
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
Interesting to note that even though the Crusaders crueled the Reds Scrum from start to finish and they gave away two? tight heads they didn't get enough of a dividend from that dominance to make it game changing. I also expected them to have even a great level of dominance than they did with at one of the Reds getting sin binned for scrum infringements. I was in fact pleasantly surprised that they kept trying in that aspect right until the 80th minute.
The Brumbies are in fact a weak scrum in my assessment. They have at times struggled against similarly placed units. Do not be too surprised if Alec Evans and Link haven't got a surprise or two stashed away for the mules here. Alexander still has unresolved issues with his set up (though he did infinitely better last week to be sure). I expect Daley to pack low bending his knees as he seems to do and encourage Alexander into his flawed technique of hinging.
The Brumbies are in fact a weak scrum in my assessment. They have at times struggled against similarly placed units. Do not be too surprised if Alec Evans and Link haven't got a surprise or two stashed away for the mules here. Alexander still has unresolved issues with his set up (though he did infinitely better last week to be sure). I expect Daley to pack low bending his knees as he seems to do and encourage Alexander into his flawed technique of hinging.
vidiot
John Solomon (38)
The reds scrum kept its shape more than I expected, for all that it was pretty much constantly on the back foot. Wyatt Earp was even lucky not to be penalized for hinging once and was penalized when he put his hand down repeatedly at another engagement.
Be interesting to see how the reds get themselves up tomorrow after what TBH was the peak of the regular season for them - and whether the brumbies can find some motivation in this train wreck of a season.
Be interesting to see how the reds get themselves up tomorrow after what TBH was the peak of the regular season for them - and whether the brumbies can find some motivation in this train wreck of a season.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Interesting that the famous (or infamous) public 'spray' vs every one of the Brumbies players by Rea, the 6am and 9pm runs in the Canberra cold, etc have produced no major transformations for the team's results. Rea sprayed and hit more or less everyone bar the tea lady and, how surprising, bar the coaches themselves. But the Brumbies coaches have much to answer for.
Negative public attacks upon players - like blaming them for the totality of poor results and accusing them of lacking guts, etc - never work, the attacks are typically for the complex gratification of the attacker and excuse-making to protect the attacker who actually has the managerial responsibility and should take it properly and with decency.
Eddie J had the decency to come out a few days after Rea's spray and expressed serious regret that he similarly publicly dumped upon all the Reds' players in 2007 and that it was the wrong thing to have done, and, if anything, just made things worse and took the team down further.
I will celebrate from the rooftops the day I see senior management officers and coaches in Australian rugby taking proper responsibility for negative outcomes versus lurching for excuses, blame games (often via second rate rugby journalists), and direct or indirect attacks upon players and parties other than themselves. Not taking responsibility where it is due is a classic sign of very poor culture, and typically a smoke signal that things will deteriorate further before they will be corrected (by better replacements).
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