Rugby Championship 2025: South Africa v Australia

[Marbig]

You'd think scoring 2 tries and captaining the team to the first win in jo-burg in 60 years would get people to stop questioning your place in the team but i guess not...

It’s really smart stuff from Wilso, can’t get dominated in the tackle if you run into space so they can’t tackle you. Southerners don’t like that though

 

[LeCheese]

Wilson is a centre playing in a forward's body. It's magnificent and I'll never be convinced otherwise

 

[Dismal Pillock]

@Blue

So where does clever clogs Rassie go for Test 2? I'm guessing Libbok and them flighty wee outside backs will get told in no uncertain terms to "fuck off back to wherever the fuck you pea-hearted little arseholes came from" and that'll be the end of the speedy ball-in-hand bullshit.

10-Man Killdozer Time.


ps having midfield lineouts when you're beating the crap out of everyone means you're pushing the envelope and revolutionising the sport but having midfield lineouts then conceding a try then conceding 38 pts unanswered means you're sky-high off your own stash while wearing a silly hat and driving the kiddies train at the amusement park.

 

[GTPIH]

Did you notice also he was telling kickers where mark was when they were kicking for touch off a penalty to stop them kicking way over the mark?

And also telling kickers how many seconds were left on shot clock

 

[Yoda]

And also telling kickers how many seconds were left on shot clock

I thought he refereed very well.

 

[Uh huh]

I also thought O'Keefe was good, which always make me suspicious of myself when my team has won. Was he actually good or did I just not react emotionally to his errors because they were mostly in our favour?

There were two occasions I thought the Wallabies were extremely lucky not to have a tackler pinged for not releasing the ball, and I was grateful we didn't have a full forensic examination of the short pass for Wilson's try, Dylan Pietsch's head contact, or a no-arms chop tackle from Paenga-Amosa. I saw enough potential ruck penalties not go our way to convince myself it largely evened out though.

 

[LeCheese]

ps having midfield lineouts when you're beating the crap out of everyone means you're pushing the envelope and revolutionising the sport but having midfield lineouts then conceding a try then conceding 38 pts unanswered means you're sky-high off your own stash while wearing a silly hat and driving the kiddies train at the amusement park.

And then trying the intentional short kickoff-to-scrum play, only to concede a 50-22 off the back of it. Love to see it.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

It’s really smart stuff from Wilso, can’t get dominated in the tackle if you run into space so they can’t tackle you. Southerners don’t like that though

The problem is the 90% of runs directly into a defender and just going down. Two tries is great play through and awareness.

As much as you say it’s southerners not liking it which isn’t accurate those Queenslanders can never see fault in their boys.

 

[Super Hooper]

Finally. What a comeback!

 

[Uh huh]

You'd think scoring 2 tries and captaining the team to the first win in jo-burg in 60 years would get people to stop questioning your place in the team but i guess not...

honestly if mcrieght hadnt got MOTM there'd probably be a few people claiming he's ineffective at test level.

I don't know that this is the fairest characterisation of my comments, but I suppose this is the internet.

I'm sure we all have a sophisticated enough understanding of the game to agree that a player doing A, B and C well on a given day doesn't necessarily mean we can't have legitimate concerns about how they do X, Y and Z, or how the totality of their skill set fits into the balance of the team. After all, once all is said and done, I've no doubt Tom Wright's superb second half won't save him from legitimate criticism about his first 25 minutes.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Someone asked Schmidt what’s a hypothetical number that you contemplate.

 

[stillmissit]

McReight MOTM, In a side full of excellent performances. Tom Hooper especially not far behind with at least two turnovers, second most tackles and some good hard slog with ball in hand. Judged on his performances this year he must now be ranked as a world class player.

Should also be captain! I thought that had Lenny not gone off, he would have been MOTM.

 

[Uh huh]

I don't agree that Hooper is a quality ball runner. He is an aggressive, workrate player - like a Fardy.

Perhaps 'ball runner' was a poor choice of words on my part. Let's say 'ball carrier' instead. Much like Fardy was, Hooper is excellent at making metres in the tight, pushing past the first tackler more often than not. That was more what I had intended to say.

Again we come to the question of balance, because it would be less of a worry if it were something Nick Frost could be relied on to do.

 

[TSR]

The problem is the 90% of runs directly into a defender and just going down. Two tries is great play through and awareness.

As much as you say it’s southerners not liking it which isn’t accurate those Queenslanders can never see fault in their boys.

Interesting comment about Qlders.

Not saying there isn’t truth in it but in a game where Wilson got driven once, stopped at the gain line a few times and crossed the gain line plenty of times - pretty much the same as Hooper, Skelton, Hooper, Tupou et al - your comment is that 90% of the time he runs into a defender and goes straight to ground.

But yeah, sure - we Qlders only see what we want to see.

 

[stillmissit]

, I've no doubt Tom Wright's superb second half won't save him from legitimate criticism about his first 25 minutes.

I am one who questions Tom Wright. When the game is going wrong he's a liability, but when the rest go well he goes well. My problem with him is the D, he always seems to be missing in final line ie the Boks second try.
A mate of mine thinks he might go better at outside centre, where his size, close D and ball skills could be used. Maybe correct as Joesph ain't going well in the D.

One of the most enjoyable Wallaby games I have watched in 50 years!

 

[TSR]

I think the really good thing with all this discussion is that we have genuine depth developing. Valetini, Hooper, Gleeson, Wilson, Tizzano, McReight with De Crespigny also not far away IMO is depth we just didn’t have a few years ago. And all of them accumulating test experience and winning games. It’s a shame Hooper & Gleeson both going OS but by the time they go they’ll have plenty of time in the saddle in Schmidt’s systems and will keep pressure on the next guys coming through to keep them out of the squad.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Interesting comment about Qlders.

Not saying there isn’t truth in it but in a game where Wilson got driven once, stopped at the gain line a few times and crossed the gain line plenty of times - pretty much the same as Hooper, Skelton, Hooper, Tupou et al - your comment is that 90% of the time he runs into a defender and goes straight to ground.

But yeah, sure - we Qlders only see what we want to see.

Not what you want but the support is overwhelming. Others could take note tbh when we are too far the other way and toxic.

Harry could torp a kitten from the from the Story Bridge and it’d be described as a great development of his skill set.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I think the really good thing with all this discussion is that we have genuine depth developing. Valetini, Hooper, Gleeson, Wilson, Tizzano, McReight with De Crespigny also not far away IMO is depth we just didn’t have a few years ago. And all of them accumulating test experience and winning games. It’s a shame Hooper & Gleeson both going OS but by the time they go they’ll have plenty of time in the saddle in Schmidt’s systems and will keep pressure on the next guys coming through to keep them out of the squad.

Can add guys overseas like Kemeny who was on fire before going overseas this year.

Cale is another who I expect big things from.

 

[Uh huh]

Not what you want but the support is overwhelming. Others could take note tbh when we are too far the other way and toxic.

Harry could torp a kitten from the from the Story Bridge and it’d be described as a great development of his skill set.

Yeah well nobody's allowed on the Story Bridge anymore so that shows how much you know

 

[TSR]

Not what you want but the support is overwhelming. Others could take note tbh when we are too far the other way and toxic.

Harry could torp a kitten from the from the Story Bridge and it’d be described as a great development of his skill set.

Do you reckon it’s somewhat similiar to a NSW fan suggesting Foley should have been called into the squad at all?