RWC 2011 SF2: Australia vs. New Zealand

[Inside Shoulder]

On this forum.......Dean has made it pretty clear its steady as she goes.

 

[potjiekos]

Ecstatic to see that Joubert has been appointed to officiate...... sanity prevailing at last!!

Looking forward to him clearing up the farcical breakdown areas...... got to love it when he barks: "release... tackler!" or "ruck formed.... hands out gold seven!" or even "roll away black seven!". Hallowed words that are not easily spoken at this years RWC.

Also looking forward to him penalising balls being played on the deck, high / chocking tackles especially during mauls, lazy runners, intentional slowing down of the ball, knee/shoulder/no-hands charges, early engagements, deliberate scrum wheeling to name but a few.

Am eager to see how Sir Richie and his heir apparent, David Mc..Pocock's 'play-outside-the-rules-if-the-ref-lets-you-get-away-with-it' strategy will pan out under Joubert's watchful eyes.

Can't wait......

 

[#1 Tah]

Is there any thought being given to dropping Quade? Maybe putting him on the bench to come on if things get hairy towards the end. I thought he was appallingly bad on Saturday. It wasn't just that his skills weren't up to it, it was that he looked totally lost whenever he touched the ball. Barnes, on the other hand, looked a picture of composure, is a better tackler and you don't lose all that much in attack with him.

Is it too late to be thinking so?

Quade was easily our worst on Sunday, but the beauty of Quade is that he has the ability to bounce back and be MoTM next week. As much as I would love to see Berrick at 10, we need to show faith in Cooper to get his confidence up.

 

[James Buchanan]

Is there any thought being given to dropping Quade? Maybe putting him on the bench to come on if things get hairy towards the end. I thought he was appallingly bad on Saturday. It wasn't just that his skills weren't up to it, it was that he looked totally lost whenever he touched the ball. Barnes, on the other hand, looked a picture of composure, is a better tackler and you don't lose all that much in attack with him.

Is it too late to be thinking so?

I hesitate to predict what Deans is thinking of.

Personally, I do not disagree with your assessment.

 

[James Buchanan]

Am eager to see how Sir Richie and his heir apparent, David Mc..Pocock's 'play-outside-the-rules-if-the-ref-lets-you-get-away-with-it' strategy will pan out under Joubert's watchful eyes.

They've both been very successful playing under strict refs so I doubt they'll have any problems; they're both very good opensides.

 

[Gnostic]

Channel Nine is trying to appeal to the League supporters naming Ray Hadlee to their commentary team for this game. I have nothing against Hadlee but to me it doesnt say much for the network that they bring in a bloke who has said plenty of times he doesn't like Rugby and this will be his first Rugby call to my knowledge. Given the technicalities of our game this will be a huge challenge for him to learn the players and a smattering of the rules (let alone how they are interpreted) before the game.

To try Barbarians life view and look for unlikely silver linings, I hope his call converts a few to our game and spurs improved FTA coverage.

 

[Patto.]

Channel Nine puts trying to appeal to the League supporters naming Ray Hadlee to their commentary team

Hadlee drives people from the mungo game. I can only surmise that nine must have a substantial interest in driving Rugby folk to take up Fox. I will never return to watching adds with my Rugby.

 

[Ruggo]

Channel Nine is trying to appeal to the League supporters naming Ray Hadlee to their commentary team for this game. I have nothing again bay Hadlee but to me it doesnt say much for the network that they doing a bloke who has said plenty of times he doesn't like Rugby and this will be his first Rugby call to my knowledge. Given et few technicalities of our game this will be a huge challenge for him to learn the players and a smattering of the rules (let alone how they are interpreted) before the game.

To try Barbarians life view and look for unlikely silver linings, I hope his call converts a few to our game and spurs improved FTA coverage.

Get Wally if that is their objective.

 

[Braveheart81]

Channel Nine is trying to appeal to the League supporters naming Ray Hadlee to their commentary team for this game.

Ray Hadley.

Hadlee is a proud cricket surname and shouldn't be tarnished by a mungo loving, flat earther shock jock.

 

[08umema]

Channel Nine is trying to appeal to the League supporters naming Ray Hadlee to their commentary team for this game. I have nothing against Hadlee but to me it doesnt say much for the network that they bring in a bloke who has said plenty of times he doesn't like Rugby and this will be his first Rugby call to my knowledge. Given the technicalities of our game this will be a huge challenge for him to learn the players and a smattering of the rules (let alone how they are interpreted) before the game.

To try Barbarians life view and look for unlikely silver linings, I hope his call converts a few to our game and spurs improved FTA coverage.

We're going to hear lots of 'why aren't they getting up so he can play the ball?', 'why didn't he feed the ball through the second rows legs in that scrum?'
Why would they bring a guy from League to commentate our biggest game of the RWC so far. It's 'mind bottling' (Anyone who has seen Blades of Glory will get that)

 

[RedsHappy]

Channel Nine is trying to appeal to the League supporters naming Ray Hadlee to their commentary team for this game. I have nothing against Hadlee but to me it doesnt say much for the network that they bring in a bloke who has said plenty of times he doesn't like Rugby and this will be his first Rugby call to my knowledge. Given the technicalities of our game this will be a huge challenge for him to learn the players and a smattering of the rules (let alone how they are interpreted) before the game.

To try Barbarians life view and look for unlikely silver linings, I hope his call converts a few to our game and spurs improved FTA coverage.

But Gnostic, he might do a better job than Marto, working off a low base?

 

[disco]

If Beale is ruled out I think Barnes at 10 & Quade at 15 is perfect, they don't need to move anyone around in defence & the other Bonus would be Digby with more ball in hand as he misses out on a lot of counter attacking chances when defending @ 10.

If Beale is 50/50 is he worth the risk?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Hadlee drives people from the mungo game. I can only surmise that nine must have a substantial interest in driving Rugby folk to take up Fox. I will never return to watching adds with my Rugby.

He's a dead set goose - as he would say

 

[BDA]

If Beale is 50/50 is he worth the risk?

Good question. But i think the answer is yes... one moment of brilliance could win it for us this weekend. We saw last week that the early try was the difference. Even if he's only going to last for 50 minutes, I'd still select him.

 

[Country Kid]

Who would want to be in Graham Henry's shoes trying to figure out what the Wallabies will bring to the game this weekend. I reckon the Wallabies have deliberately not shown their hand so far - so they can ambush the ABs - hopefully something bit like 2003.

Will we see one of the Wallaby backs cutting through the ABs defence the way Mortlock did in the 2003 semi? Stuffed if I know. But my gut feel is the Wallabies will pull out some big guns this weekend

 

[Gnostic]

I am hoping that Ray Hadlee gets to see one of the epic games Rugby throws up, attack, defence, intensity, crowd atmosphere etc. so he returns back to his pro-league radio program with a new view on our game, so that even if he doesnt promote rugby he no longer runs it down. With the Wallabies and Tahs failing to deliver results (and in the tahs case a basic level of enjoyable play) we need some ongoing positive mass promotion. Like it or not this is an opportunity that somebody with a strong rugby background needs to capitalise on by helping him through the game call.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Pre Game Rituals

I think it may be Daz, but one gaggerlander wears lucky viewing undies to get the Men in Gold home. On the Ireland game, the lucky undies were in the wash and what happened?

Last weekend, the Chez Jarse was visited by thieves who stole a bottle of champers while we weren't looking, and then tipped the second bottle out again while we weren't looking. Our pre-game ritual this week will be to get more champers in.

We will be firing up the barbie and will be throwing another prawn on for a couple of Darkness hostages. One way or other, regardless of winner, I think the champers thieves may be back, and we could lose the lot.

What other rituals are there out there in Gaggerland to help your mob win? Darkness supporters are also welcome to post their rituals or plans for Sunday?

 

[cyclopath]

It's Mr Doug and his red undies, I think.
My ritual is to get bloody nervous, and assume the worst. Anything better is a bonus!

 

[Ilie Tabua's Shadow]

I do remember one of either Greg Growden's or Peter Jenkins' (with a faint possibility of Gordon Bray's) books mentioning covering a Wallaby UK tour with Ray Hadlee in the 80's. (yes it was acceptable in the Eighties, thank you Calvin Harris' 'I Created Disco'.)

And yes I agree with any that say that Ray probably has about as much empathy for rugby as Paul Kent, Chris Rattue or Wally Lewis.

I mean, even Ian Healy played at BSHS but you wouldn't know it considering the pro-league views they have.

Anyway, why not just get Sterlo and Fatty to fly over after the Newcastle test. Ch. 9's coverage couldn't become any worse. (Although, Chris Sheridan and Andrew Slack deserve more recognition for fine oratory.)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

It's Mr Doug and his red undies, I think.
My ritual is to get bloody nervous, and assume the worst. Anything better is a bonus!

IIRC Peter Blake got the whole of the Land of Darkness wearing Red Socks for one of the Americas Cup campaigns. Not sure now that red undies is such a wise choice of colour for Sunday.
from wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Blake_(yachtsman)

Blake was back for the 1995 America's Cup challenge, this time as the syndicate head of Team New Zealand. With NZL 32, "Black Magic", they made a clean sweep, beating Dennis Conner 5-0. Blake's "lucky red socks" (a present from his wife) became something of a trademark. It was commonplace to see New Zealanders sport red socks or fly them from car aerials during the Cup races and a highly successful "fundraising edition" of official red socks emblazoned with the sail numbers of the two NZL yachts was produced to help fund the syndicate. Subsequently, following his murder, red socks became a badge of mourning to his many admirers.