RWC 2011 - Quarter final 3 : Springbokke v. Wallabies CLOSED

[Loki74]

Someone needs to tell Cooper that he isn't a genius that can pull off the miracle play to win the game every time he touches the ball. Needs to workout how to build pressure and pick his moment. And his decision making at the back is woeful. Tries to step through and gets caught nearly very time.

The forwards must have spent all week working on counter rucking and forgotten the line out. We still won (partly from some turnovers at key times) but how lucky were we. The kiwi commentators were bagging the scrum, but there were only a couple where we were really pushed around (mainly from the moment du plessis came on - lucky he only played 30 minutes).

 

[Fredfreduels]

If Cooper hadn't really showed some heart and gone for the tackles he made I would select Barnes over him. However, he made the effort. For me next week we start the same XV.

 

[numbertwo]

The bottom line is that the Wallabies tackled their arses off and once they worked out they way it was going with the ref they cheated their arses off. Play the ref not the laws. The way the breakdown was refereed in both QFs today in no way resembled the way they were in yesterdays games and was a disgrace. ( won't go further - wrong thread). The thing that concerns me is that QC (Quade Cooper) was clearly having a Barry. I mean the boy was gone - it happens, but he wasn't taken off. That was neither the best thing for the team or the player. Again the coaching staff need to have hard look at themselves. When something isn't working you change it.

 

[Scotty]

Commiserations Boks and Bok fans. I thought the Boks played well. There were some warriors out there for them; Burger, Matfield, Bismarck, JdV, FdP.

The Wallabies did not deserve to win that game. Yes, their defence was courageous. However, two reasons it needed to be were because Cooper and Genia made bad decisions and our lineout was deplorable. Given the injuries to McCabe and Beale, I'd have dragged Genia and brought on Burgess. He couldn't have been worse than Genia and might have added a little bit more spark. I thought TPN was good when he came on.

It looks as though we'll be playing the ABs. The Wallabies are going to be sore and sorry. The ABs carrying injuries and with off field issues. Difficult to predict.

What odds on Wales winning the RWC? They're the form team.

Why did the books deserve to win when they couldn't score a single try with such territory stats?

Why did we have to cop the crap Lawrence yet again? Imagine how pocock must have felt to have be ignored so often when he had his hands on the pill at the ruck! Apart from our average line out and poor kicking the main reason the boks had so much possession was the fact that Lawrence let them hold onto the ball at the breakdown so often.

He really is the worst top flight ref going around. Joubert and Walsh showed up both of Lawrence and Owens today.

 

[pete88]

If Cooper hadn't really showed some heart and gone for the tackles he made I would select Barnes over him. However, he made the effort. For me next week we start the same XV.

There's something in that, he arguably won the game with his tackle on FdP when he looked for all money like he was in to score a try that would have put them 8 points clear after an easy kick.

Also, Barnes has gotten better with time out of the side it seems, last time he started important games for the Wallabies was when QC (Quade Cooper) was suspended in the '10 3N, and our attack was pedestrian in a large part due to Barnes's loopy shithouse distribution and aimless hoofing at 12 outside Matt Giteau. QC (Quade Cooper) came back and we immediately turned in to the most dangerous backline in the world that could win games without a scrum or a kicker (or so the reputation went). A year's a long time in rugby obviously, but Barnes isn't all that.

 

[Jay]

Imagine how pocock must have felt to have be ignored so often when he had his hands on the pill at the ruck!

I figure he was probably quite happy to be ignored a fair few of those times....

 

[Blob]

Owens was fine tonight. Unless all you managed to see were the penalties he missed against NZ, in which case he's a cheating match fixer and nothing less. If, however, you also managed to see the ones he missed against Argentina then you'll realise that he was fine.

 

[Bowside]

There's something in that, he arguably won the game with his tackle on FdP when he looked for all money like he was in to score a try that would have put them 8 points clear after an easy kick.

Also, Barnes has gotten better with time out of the side it seems, last time he started important games for the Wallabies was when QC (Quade Cooper) was suspended in the '10 3N, and our attack was pedestrian in a large part due to Barnes's loopy shithouse distribution and aimless hoofing at 12 outside Matt Giteau. QC (Quade Cooper) came back and we immediately turned in to the most dangerous backline in the world that could win games without a scrum or a kicker (or so the reputation went). A year's a long time in rugby obviously, but Barnes isn't all that.

I agree mate. I think with barnes it's very much a case of abstinence makes the heart grow fonder. Its nice to see him in good form, but if he make into the starting team it will be at 12 not 10.

Cooper wont be dropped this week nor should he be. He's been the best flyhalf in australia for 2 seasons now, in red and in gold, and you can't just throw that out the door after a couple of bad games. Thats not to say he doesnt need to step it up next week however.

 

[waratahjesus]

I agree mate. I think with barnes it's very much a case of abstinence makes the heart grow fonder. Its nice to see him in good form, but if he make into the starting team it will be at 12 not 10.

Cooper wont be dropped this week nor should he be. He's been the best flyhalf in australia for 2 seasons now, in red and in gold, and you can't just throw that out the door after a couple of bad games. Thats not to say he doesnt need to step it up next week however.

I don't think he has been the best 10 in gold. He is a fantastic player but his consistency is at times way off. The fact of the matter is that quade plays such sort of game that deans has built around it and not built. Around an actual game plan, it means slotting another player in will result in death.

 

[aussie1st]

Feels our centers aren't doing much apart from tackling. McCabe and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) had 2 runs between them and both was from McCabe and I hardly sighted either of them on the field throughout the game. Quade is a worry, was hoping the Super 15 victory would do wonders for him but he seems to have got worse. Pocock was a class above, we sure did miss him against the Irish.

Was reading a stat about how our defense was the 2nd best in the comp and they certainly showed it tonight, wasn't expecting it given what we have seen of it in the past. We did well to score the only try with the amount of ball we had, attack did look lost at times although most of it was in our own half or at best around halfway.

 

[grievous]

I have no idea what is being said behind the scenes but it looks an awful lot to me like Quade is being given a message of be relaxed and play your natural game by the wallaby brains trust.

Conversely I think Ewen kept him on a tight leash at the reds with specific instructions for each game. I like (what I suspect was) Ewen's approach alot more. Quade needs more urgency and focus. He need to treaty each game situation he is involved in as if its the game deciding play.

He's not a four year old, you dont dance on your own goal line, throw dumb passes, kick poorly and get flung around like a rag doll because coach didnt tell him to. Actually Im starting to think that is his natural game

 

[mark_s]

Feels our centers aren't doing much apart from tackling. McCabe and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) had 2 runs between them and both was from McCabe and I hardly sighted either of them on the field throughout the game.

We hardly had the ball all game. And when we did get it Genia and Coooper kicked it away, badly usually. No surprise you didn't see our centres involved in flowing movements.

 

[maxdacat]

Conspiracy theories at 10 paces here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...arce-in-Australias-win-over-South-Africa.html

"The South Africans thought that the tackler would have to release the ball carrier. They thought that the offside line would be respected. They thought that men would have to stay on the feet. Instead it was a complete shambles."

and the first comment:

"Lawrence isn't guilty of incompetence - he's done exactly what his paymasters wanted him to do. New Zealand ref ensures that the ONE team - the Boks - who can defeat the All Blacks are eliminated, thereby ensuring easy semi-final for the Kiwis against a sub-standard Wallabies team."

mmmm???

 

[Bowside]

Conspiracy theories at 10 paces here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...arce-in-Australias-win-over-South-Africa.html

"The South Africans thought that the tackler would have to release the ball carrier. They thought that the offside line would be respected. They thought that men would have to stay on the feet. Instead it was a complete shambles."

and the first comment:

"Lawrence isn't guilty of incompetence - he's done exactly what his paymasters wanted him to do. New Zealand ref ensures that the ONE team - the Boks - who can defeat the All Blacks are eliminated, thereby ensuring easy semi-final for the Kiwis against a sub-standard Wallabies team."

mmmm???

I dont think its a conspiracy. I think hes just a bit shite.

 

[Rev Spooner]

Hey - we won. Settle down and look at some of our successful RWC campaigns. We struggled in those as well but managed to win.

 

[Toddy]

The author Mark Reason has been writing complete rubbish for NZ papers during the tournament too. The guy is a complete fu*ken tool. Just writes his articles to wind up fans.

 

[qwerty51]

Conspiracy theories at 10 paces here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...arce-in-Australias-win-over-South-Africa.html

"The South Africans thought that the tackler would have to release the ball carrier. They thought that the offside line would be respected. They thought that men would have to stay on the feet. Instead it was a complete shambles."

and the first comment:

"Lawrence isn't guilty of incompetence - he's done exactly what his paymasters wanted him to do. New Zealand ref ensures that the ONE team - the Boks - who can defeat the All Blacks are eliminated, thereby ensuring easy semi-final for the Kiwis against a sub-standard Wallabies team."

mmmm???

Is Mark Reason part of the group that paid Quade to throw the game?

 

[BRIX]

Few points:

- too many kicks? no, not enough chasers!
- Why didn't we contest their lineout when we couldn't secure our own?
- Quade will bounce back. Especially against the team that the brunt of the criticism has come from.
- Horwill should start chatting to the refs (late charge down from the Horwill conversion + charged down drop out)
- Barnes coming on, incredibly vocal - organization of the defensive line was clearly visible for all to see

I'll miss P-divvy more than I thought. His post-match speech was emotional and honorable

Thank you for the good times and the bad Senior Bokke players. I will miss watching you, you've made your country proud.

 

[vidiot]

Conspiracy theories at 10 paces here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...arce-in-Australias-win-over-South-Africa.html

"The South Africans thought that the tackler would have to release the ball carrier. They thought that the offside line would be respected. They thought that men would have to stay on the feet. Instead it was a complete shambles."

and the first comment:

"Lawrence isn't guilty of incompetence - he's done exactly what his paymasters wanted him to do. New Zealand ref ensures that the ONE team - the Boks - who can defeat the All Blacks are eliminated, thereby ensuring easy semi-final for the Kiwis against a sub-standard Wallabies team."

mmmm???

Always a crack-up to read that the one team that can defeat the All Blacks isn't the one team that has recently beaten.... the All Blacks.

 

[Cutter]

Why did the books deserve to win when they couldn't score a single try with such territory stats?

I didn't say they did. I said the Wallabies didn't deserve to win. In any game against top class opposition, living in your own half, failing to win your own lineout ball and kicking badly almost all game should be a death warrant. I don't think you can argue that is untrue.

I'm pretty sure Deans and Horwill didn't say to each other before the game:

RD: Right, let's score an early try and then play the rest of the game in our own half.

JH: Yes, and if we get the ball, we'll kick it back to them, lose our own lineouts, let them charge down our kicks or drop it.

RD: Just one thing, let's play down there end for a couple of minutes in the last 5 and kick a penalty.

JH: Genius.