Robbie Deans Report Card

[Aussie D]

I would hope that the public is not quite that shallow. IMO I think the majority of the Australian rugby public can see that there is genuine excitement afoot (in the backs) and a injury toll that has us on the back foot (in the forwards). I would also say that only 9,000 turned up which is a pretty poor result for a supposed heartland of rugby. Yes, the game was shit, but they didn't know that the game would be quite so bad before the start, did they? They should have been buying tickets weeks ago.

daz, as a coastie for pretty much my whole life I can tell you that the Central Coast is far from a rugby heartland (the game is really struggling up here with most clubs struggling to field two competitive grades). A lot of the problem with the crowd numbers is due to the ARU failing to promote the game to any great extent (there were a couple of ads in the local rag which most people don't read) with no mention on one of the major CC radio stations on game day. p.s. I only noticed this post today so sorry about the delay in replying.

 

[daz]

Thanks Aussie D. I wasn't aware of the promotion failure. Pretty poor by the ARU, I would have to say. Although, perhaps the Coastie crowds know more than me, and were well aware that this game would be a waste of time and effort to attend!

I would also like to go on record and say that while I did mention on these boards a few weeks ago that I could handle a loss to the Poms if it meant we had long term gain, I am actually faced with the reality that losing to the English is really more than I can stomach, especially in the manner of that loss. I've lost count of the number of times I have said I am still on the Deans bandwagon, (as long as regional silverware is forth-coming in 2010), but after last week that ship is starting to rock....

I might actually be ready to blow a gasket if we go down against our Irish brothers.

 

[gone]

Deans is a very good backline coach and we will see tries from set piece again this year.

Hate to quote oneself (bad form I know) but said this last week and I think the only positive from the weekend was the set move from which the first try was scored. Hopefully we see a few more like that in the tri nations - just need some stable set piece ball... Easier said than done.

 

[mark_s]

I flip and flop on Deans every day.

Some days I think he is a musical genius* who has invested heavily for the future and come 2011 we are likely to have 2 strong contenders for each and every postion and either one will be of international quality. Othertimes I think he is a nut case who is scarring our young players for life while trashing the wallaby record.

Then I start thinking Deans is doing the former and the players is doing the latter and they need a kick up the arse with a size 12 steel cap boot.

I think I need J Mitchell (and maye a quokka or two) to make it all make sense to me.

* See delerious by Eddie Murphy

 

[Reddy!]

Just gotta win some games yo.

P.S. Deans is pretty cute I guess.

 

[DPK]

Stay off the Tsingtao, Mao (Reddy!)

 

[Reddy!]

Yeh good night where work has paid for a mountain of drinks since lunch time. I apologize for my behaviour.

The Deans dilemma is a strange one. I have decided that he is going to continue to be a "what if" coach until we are able to field a full strength team and perform in the 3N's.

 

[Scorz]

Did Deans' Wobblies just scrape by vs that utterly pish Irish mob?

 

[tranquility]

Im not sure if that has already been said, but Deans is an excellent technical coach who is probably best used at a Super 14 side where he has far more time with the players. At International level he rarely gets large blocks of time to develop skills that need to be improved. However a great strength that he does bring to the role is his ability to spot talent very early and then give these blokes early (sometimes too early) opportunities to grow into their positions. Still Robbies number one supporter.

 

[Scorz]

Im not sure if that has already been said, but Deans is an excellent technical coach who is probably best used at a Super 14 side where he has far more time with the players. At International level he rarely gets large blocks of time to develop skills that need to be improved. However a great strength that he does bring to the role is his ability to spot talent very early and then give these blokes early (sometimes too early) opportunities to grow into their positions. Still Robbies number one supporter.

Looks like you think he's better as an Ass Coach. He had that job with Mutch at the AB's... Didn't end very well.

 

[Reddy!]

I am very confused about his tactics. So much talent in the backline but none of them are being brought into the play. There is no structure whatsoever and it is killing us.

 

[Ash]

My biggest criticism is his use of the bench. Would've liked to have seen Chapman, Hodgson (for Brown), Valentine and Barnes (for Giteau) given 10 to 20 minutes last night. I agree with Kearns in that I am not a fan of the "two minute cap" but would like to see some of those players given more times or chances.

 

[Scarfman]

I am very confused about his tactics. So much talent in the backline but none of them are being brought into the play. There is no structure whatsoever and it is killing us.

Did Horne touch the ball? Giteau ran almost straight towards the sideline whenever he got the ball.

 

[RugbyReg]

Did Horne touch the ball? Giteau ran almost straight towards the sideline whenever he got the ball.

yes, when he was run down after taking that intercept. Anyone else surprised by his inability to finish or did I miss something? Haven't watched the recording yet

 

[tranquility]

Looks like you think he's better as an Ass Coach. He had that job with Mutch at the AB's... Didn't end very well.

Why would him being an assistant coach make any difference? they are still given the same limited preparation time with the players - so no, that is not what I am saying at all. But I do think that players learn alot about their frailties playing under him and seem to improve as players when they go back to their provinces.

 

[Reddy!]

What I noticed about Giteau last night is that he was used alot as a crash ball no. 12. He received the ball alot of the time with no space to run into or room to move so just trucked it up into the opposition defence and got smashed. Makes you wonder what the point of having him in the team is if that is his role :S

 

[Scotty]

Reddy,

It might have been a tactic to see whether he could fulfil that role. There is no doubt that a Cooper led backline works a lot better with a couple of straight ball runners outside him. If Giteau can't do that job, it is time to try someone that can. I am very very sick of the midget policy in this backline, and to an extent the forward pack. We can not expect to have an impact on SA or NZ defenses with so many light weights in the backline and reserves (Giteau, JOC (James O'Connor), Beale). Ashley Cooper and Ioane are the only current wallabies that know how to use their weight properly. It is time, injury permitting to have the likes of Hynes, Chambers and even A Finger in the backline. We aren't going to win the 3N with this team, so we may as well try and find one that at least has the potential. The likes of Douglas or Simmons would also be good to include off the bench.

 

[RedsHappy]

....There is no doubt that a Cooper led backline works a lot better with a couple of straight ball runners outside him. If Giteau can't do that job, it is time to try someone that can. .... It is time, injury permitting to have the likes of Hynes, Chambers and even A Finger in the backline. We aren't going to win the 3N with this team, so we may as well try and find one that at least has the potential. ....

Scotty, agree re the three you mention above. Yesterday (for example) Gagger asked 'what's the mania re Hynes?'. I would have thought that seeing say Mitchell at such a low point last night (and at Sydney) might go some way to answering that.

Hynes is an excellent pressure player, he runs hard and straight when smart to do so, launches viable deep counter attacks, and defends v well. The yet-again argument is that his Test track record is not brilliant, but I would say that such should not always be the determining variable for current selection. Recent S14 form against the top S14 teams can be more useful to a coach's assessment, especially when our back line has since Perth virtually collapsed in terms of coherence, player-to-player trust and general attacking excellence (This has nothing to do with coaching intensity or capability of course, or team culture, etc, it's all the players' fault, kick 'em up the arse I say and toughen 'em with team pep-talks just like Spiro and Ella say...yeah, right).

 

[cyclopath]

Did Deans' Wobblies just scrape by vs that utterly pish Irish mob?

Um, yeah. Funny thing is that we never seem to put much on Ireland, and watching last night I thought we should have put a 20 point difference on them. We did this years before Robbie too. It frustrates the hell out of me. Poor effort.

 

[RedsHappy]

Um, yeah. Funny thing is that we never seem to put much on Ireland, and watching last night I thought we should have put a 20 point difference on them. We did this years before Robbie too. It frustrates the hell out of me. Poor effort.

Cyclo, the other fact (btw not much observed here today) is that the Irish backline was consistently dysfunctional last night. Many good attacking ploys (especially out wider) were bungled with droppsies and clumsy passes that went wrong. Just a bit lower error rate (from that uncharacteristically high error rate) there and the Irish could have easily added at least one try, and maybe more. Just trying to highlight here that the final scoreline actually flattered us IMO.