Rugby Championship 2012: Our Backline

[Schadenfreude]

I think Horne has been playing well. I agree he blew a try in the first test and should have passed, but I think he was entirely right to hang onto the ball on Saturday.

He had a clear run to the corner and the player outside him wasn't in any better position to score. He did almost drop the ball, but almost doesn't count. He scored the try.

His defence has been great. Rugbystats.com.au has him down as not missing a tackle during the series.

The correct play is to pass to the winger immediately, or after holding up the defender by running straight.

What he did was choke on his own self importance.

The outcome isn't how you judge these things, it's the decision making/execution. Both of which were extremely poor.

 

[Braveheart81]

I disagree. The try was scored right in front of us. Horne had a clear run to the corner and I think he should take that every time.

I think the try would be butchered far more frequently by passing it to the player outside him.

I don't think the wing coming from a deeper position was in any better position to score the try. The cover defence has an easier time pushing the player into touch who is running directly down the touch line.

 

[barbarian]

Yeah Horne made the right play. Why risk a pass when you can get there yourself.

 

[vidiot]

The only reason the tackler got close was that weird stumble as he set sail.

 

[Athilnaur]

To me it looked like he needed to pass to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and he took an unnecessary risk but I need to have another look.

Do agree otherwise he played well but unless the wing is heavily marked near touch he should get the ball imo.

Ath.

 

[Athilnaur]

The only reason the tackler got close was that weird stumble as he set sail.

Yes did see the stumble, I wondered if the pitch was shonky. Not so confident he was clear of the tackle, as evidenced by the result, but need to see it again. I do stand my ground he needed to pass though.

Ath.

 

[Braveheart81]

The Horne try is at about the 5:30 mark. It would have actually taken quite a long pass to reach Ioane. I think there is far more room to stuff up that pass than for Horne to run for the corner himself.

Not really relevant to this thread, but the Wales try is just before it. For anyone blaming Palu for the Welsh try, that is ridiculous. Sharpe and Palu were at the bottom of the previous ruck before the ball moved towards the post. Sharpe was allowed out of the ruck quicker and overran the position where the try was scored. Palu was held in for longer and didn't get there.

Neither of those players can fairly be blamed for not filling the defensive space where the try was scored.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

I disagree. The try was scored right in front of us. Horne had a clear run to the corner and I think he should take that every time.

I think the try would be butchered far more frequently by passing it to the player outside him.

I don't think the wing coming from a deeper position was in any better position to score the try. The cover defence has an easier time pushing the player into touch who is running directly down the touch line.

That play anywhere else on the field and Horne draws the man and puts Digby away for a run away try. Why didn't he here? White line fever.

 

[DPK]

Seven pages on backs and one on forwards. Is the pack so easy to choose or is this indicative of the Australian obsession with backline play at the expense of hard yards?

I swear you post this every year.

 

[Scotty]

Yeah Horne made the right play. Why risk a pass when you can get there yourself.

He made the right play, but executed it poorly. Stumbled when trying to take off, then poor ball security to almost lose the pill.

 

[Braveheart81]

This is turning into the most critical analysis of a guy successfully scoring a try ever.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I think all the talk of JOC (James O'Connor) at 10 is concerning. If so, you may as well pick Liam Gill, Michael Hooper in the centres because they won't fucking see much of the pill. As mentioned previously he is far too selfish with ball in hand to be the main distributor. His instinct is to always run and all of his 'good' games in that position have been based on ball running, not deft distribution.

In regards to him playing 12, considering Tom Carter and Pat McCabe, neither noted brilliant attackers managed to make him look like turnstile he'll have to bag a fucking hatrick playing there every game for us to compete.

The only position he can play in the current backline is wing or fullback. Beale is our best fullback option, Digby is our best wing option, both tried and tested, the other wing has been rotating players, he needs to go there. The only possibility of moving him would be subbing on a fresh winger and bringing him into the midfield late in the game.

The other concerning factor is that most of the Rebels best performances have been when he hasn't played. Certainly not a lack of ability, but perhaps a matter of balance within the team.

 

[Scotty]

The Horne try is at about the 5:30 mark. It would have actually taken quite a long pass to reach Ioane. I think there is far more room to stuff up that pass than for Horne to run for the corner himself.

Not really relevant to this thread, but the Wales try is just before it. For anyone blaming Palu for the Welsh try, that is ridiculous. Sharpe and Palu were at the bottom of the previous ruck before the ball moved towards the post. Sharpe was allowed out of the ruck quicker and overran the position where the try was scored. Palu was held in for longer and didn't get there.

Neither of those players can fairly be blamed for not filling the defensive space where the try was scored.

You are kidding, aren't you? Palu was not involved in the previous ruck at all. Have a look again, he is drifting around the back like he is a cover defending half back, then realises there is an issue and belatedly decides to make an effort to get in position. I don't think it could be any clearer that he was being lazy and was the main culprit to the defensive issue leading to the try.

 

[Cutter]

I swear you post this every year.

That's because it happens every year.

Statistically speaking, there should be more forwards than backs out there because i) the proportion of forwards is higher than backs; ii) plenty of backs end up in the forwards as they get slower; and iii) all backs want to be forwards.

The focus on backs is a huge anomaly.

 

[Scotty]

You are forgetting the last one

iv) all the forwards who think they can play like backs

 

[Braveheart81]

You are kidding, aren't you? Palu was not involved in the previous ruck at all. Have a look again, he is drifting around the back like he is a cover defending half back, then realises there is an issue and belatedly decides to make an effort to get in position. I don't think it could be any clearer that he was being lazy and was the main culprit to the defensive issue leading to the try.

There is a ruck at about the 4:30 mark where the two Wallabies who end up at the bottom of the ruck are Palu and Sharpe. After that, neither of them have an impact on stopping the try. Other players are going to need to drift across to fill the space because if we are relying on those players to be on the line to defend when Wales have a ruck a metre out from the line we will let in a try every time.

 

[barbarian]

You could point the finger at a number of people for that try.

I'd suggest Sharpe is a more likely culprit than Palu. He took his eyes off the play. It was clear that the player at the back of the ruck was about to pick the ball up, yet Sharpie was intent on running over to defend the left hand side.

Same with Steve Moore. The left side was covered but the right wasn't. Both made poor decisions which left the gap open.

Palu was never going to be in a position to stop it. Although he could have been there slightly faster, which I doubt would have prevented the try.
.

 

[Swat]

I know I'm a bit late on this one but:

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. McCabe
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. JOC (James O'Connor)
15. Beale

Or, in the event that Cooper still doesn't want to grow some balls in defense:

9. Genia
10. Barnes
11. Digby
12. JOC (James O'Connor)
13. Horne
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Beale

 

[Scotty]

You could point the finger at a number of people for that try.

I'd suggest Sharpe is a more likely culprit than Palu. He took his eyes off the play. It was clear that the player at the back of the ruck was about to pick the ball up, yet Sharpie was intent on running over to defend the left hand side.

Same with Steve Moore. The left side was covered but the right wasn't. Both made poor decisions which left the gap open.

Palu was never going to be in a position to stop it. Although he could have been there slightly faster, which I doubt would have prevented the try.
.

Sharpe does look to have made the wrong decision and contributed as well. Moore was covering the space on the outside - you can't expect him to stand behind the ruck waiting until an attacker picks up the ball!

Braveheart says that both Sharpe and Palu were pinned in a ruck previously, yet Sharpe makes it just past the ruck, and Palu doesn't make it with 3m of the ruck.

Do we really need to debate if Palu was lazy or not?

 

[Braveheart81]

I agree that Palu could have got over there faster. The point I was making is that if we blame Sharpe and Palu for letting in that try, we will get scored on every single time.

Defenders have to be crouched on the goal line ready to make a tackle to prevent a try that close to the line. Defenders running across field to get back into position are never going to have an impact.

What we really needed is everyone else to shift across (the backs presumably) and Palu and Sharpe to fill holes out wide closer to the ruck they just got up from.