RWC: AUS v ENG (Twickenham): POOL A; 6am (AEDT) Sunday 4 October

[ChargerWA]

Pretty much everything has been said but I would like to point out something about the scrums:

England started very cannily by not taking the weight, and getting rewarded by Poite for it. They thought it was going to put us back on our heels in subsequent scrums, make us gun-shy, so they could put pressure on.

However, in between the short-arm and full-arm awarded against us, there was one scrum where it looked they stepped around a little - what was actually happening was the clear scrum plan from Ledesma: Marler is known for boring in, so let's help him with that.

We were playing our own little game, shearing off to the left on our own ball to attack the TH side of their scrum and put Marler in a position where he wasn't able to pack anywhere near straight, and make him look like a clown.

And it fucking worked. Like a treat.

Yeah Sir Clive, we're not intelligent. Not at all

Yeah, The public shouldn't get too carried away with our scrum dominance. The coaches came up with a plan to beat England and it worked a treat. But we were lucky not to get penalised too.

But Cheika knows that. In his post match interview he said scrums are humbling. One week you look like world beaters and the the next week you get your pants pulled down.

 

[ChargerWA]

Well, we better get used to it because I expect Hooper to get minimum 2 weeks for his cleanout.

Pocock back to 7, BennyMac to 8, McMahon to bench.

Nice to have options.

Hope we don't get a Pom judicial officer. Hooper might not play again until Super Rugby.

 

[Cardiffblue]

burgess get some sanction from that ludicrous tackle?

 

[cyclopath]

Pretty much everything has been said but I would like to point out something about the scrums:

England started very cannily by not taking the weight, and getting rewarded by Poite for it. They thought it was going to put us back on our heels in subsequent scrums, make us gun-shy, so they could put pressure on.

However, in between the short-arm and full-arm awarded against us, there was one scrum where it looked they stepped around a little - what was actually happening was the clear scrum plan from Ledesma: Marler is known for boring in, so let's help him with that.

We were playing our own little game, shearing off to the left on our own ball to attack the TH side of their scrum and put Marler in a position where he wasn't able to pack anywhere near straight, and make him look like a clown.

And it fucking worked. Like a treat.

Yeah Sir Clive, we're not intelligent. Not at all

I like that Cheika has played the long game here. Smart and efficient coaching. Knew what was coming at them and beat them at it.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Hope we don't get a Pom judicial officer. Hooper might not play again until Super Rugby.

It was stupidly dangerous but one week would be fair outcome. Don't know why anyone thinks they'll get way with it. Refs are policing this well. Du Plessis did the same and got carded

 

[Groucho]

Well, we better get used to it because I expect Hooper to get minimum 2 weeks for his cleanout.

Pocock back to 7, BennyMac to 8, McMahon to bench.

Nice to have options.

He shouldn't. No arms isn't currently being treated as a red card offence.

 

[cyclopath]

Well, we better get used to it because I expect Hooper to get minimum 2 weeks for his cleanout.

Pocock back to 7, BennyMac to 8, McMahon to bench.

Nice to have options.

Or chuck McMahon on and play the McPooper.

 

[Pfitzy]

Or chuck McMahon on and play the McPooper.

That would be the McCock.

He shouldn't. No arms isn't currently being treated as a red card offence.

Neither were tip tackles in RWC2011 until Sam Warburton did one in the opening minutes against France in a semifinal.

If you're looking for anything approaching consistency, or even base commonsense, don't look in the same postcode as a rugby judiciary.

 

[Joe Blow]

He shouldn't. No arms isn't currently being treated as a red card offence.

Was it not a fair cleanout? The ruck was formed and the player(cleanee) was standing over the tackled player.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Pretty much everything has been said but I would like to point out something about the scrums:

England started very cannily by not taking the weight, and getting rewarded by Poite for it. They thought it was going to put us back on our heels in subsequent scrums, make us gun-shy, so they could put pressure on.

However, in between the short-arm and full-arm awarded against us, there was one scrum where it looked they stepped around a little - what was actually happening was the clear scrum plan from Ledesma: Marler is known for boring in, so let's help him with that.

We were playing our own little game, shearing off to the left on our own ball to attack the TH side of their scrum and put Marler in a position where he wasn't able to pack anywhere near straight, and make him look like a clown.

And it fucking worked. Like a treat.

Yeah Sir Clive, we're not intelligent. Not at all

Where Kepu was so clever is that he knew Marler is such a poor scrummager that he only had to hint at turning in on Youngs for Marler's Arse to swing out. A good loose head would have easily straightened Kepu up from where he was, the only way Marler could do it was by going in at 90 degrees. The Aussie scrum is solid, not a monstrous weapon just completely secure, the English scrum is a complete shambles.

 

[Groucho]

Was it not a fair cleanout? The ruck was formed and the player(cleanee) was standing over the tackled player.

You have to use your arms nowadays. It was Bakkies Botha who caused that interpretation to come about, as I recall.

 

[Groucho]

It was stupidly dangerous but one week would be fair outcome. Don't know why anyone thinks they'll get way with it. Refs are policing this well. Du Plessis did the same and got carded

Yellow carded. Citings are for red card offences.

 

[Viking]

If Hooper is out then keep Poey at 8, the more time he has there the better so he gets experience at the back of the scrum. Just do a straight swap with McMahon and Hooper who play a similar role anyway - plus McMahon deserves it.

 

[cyclopath]

Yellow carded. Citings are for red card offences.

Yeah, this gets overlooked so often. 10 mins in bin does not equal citing and 1-3 weeks off.

 

[boyo]

burgess get some sanction from that ludicrous tackle?

I hope so

 

[the plastic paddy]

Yellow carded. Citings are for red card offences.

I thought he came in retaliating for some use of the elbow by one of the Orcs, myself. It was yellow at most, probably warrants a warning like Wood on Bandy legs and another incident that will not be mentioned.

 

[I like to watch]

View attachment 7003View attachment 7003 Pretty close except for the kick metres, stats form fox sports.

We have all heard the saying, there are lies,damned lies and statistics.
There is no better demonstration of that,than this.
I was worried about the pommies for very few minutes of that game.we had their measure or dominated them for a vast percentage of that game.
No matter what the numbers say.
IMO.

 

[GTPIH]

fair enough, there was ray price too

Except both Thornett and Price went from Rugby to League, the opposite of Burgess and Farrell.

Unlike recent League converts who seem to get a golden ticket to dual international, Price had to pay his dues and played three years in the old NSWRL before Kangaroo selection.

I'm old enough to remember Price as a Wallaby and Kangaroo and he was brilliant at both.

Irrespective of one's thoughts as to the effectiveness of Burgess et al, to become an international in two sports is an achievement to be applauded. And Dick Thornett also played Water Polo for Australia!!!

 

[the plastic paddy]

I thought the balance of Australia's play was very impressive. You were self contained and happy to play the percentages when the game demanded it. When Ford briefly threatened to get England moving early in the second half I thought there might be a bit of a panic but you carefully reined back and took control. The only thing I will say is, for all you won very comfortably I am not entirely sure what you beat in form terms.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Yeah the next generation of English rugby does look pretty good with the likes of Ford, Launchbury, Watson, Itoje, etc. Shame Lancaster panicked and included a lot of stodge around them to stifle them.

Itoje could be your captain next RWC.