RWC: Australia v Fiji - 23 September 16:45, Millenium Stadium(24 September 1:45 AEST)

[Braveheart81]

I think too much is being made of missing out on the bonus point.

If we win all four games it doesn't come into play.

The only way it becomes any sort of issue is if Wales beats England this weekend then we're in a three horse race if we lose to England. The likelihood of that isn't particularly high.

Fiji were undoubtedly much better in the second half and really took it to us. Had we not had those lineout wobbles I'm sure we would have kicked for the corner.

 

[Braveheart81]

Pocock was obviously our best player but the combination with Hooper was just outstanding.

The number of big tackles both made were sensational. Most of the big charges and opportunities to attack for Fiji were shut down with a big tackle from one of them.

According to the ESPNscrum stats, Hooper made 22 tackles and Pocock 16. That's more than 30% of our total tackles for the game.

Fardy had a bit of an off night but you'd think that when he plays well that backrow is going to be brilliant.

 

[USARugger]

A long way to go if we're looking to compete in a RWC final this year. No excuse for "rust" at this point in the season - and there was plenty on display in this match across the park.

 

[Slim 293]

Seems very strange that Fardy and Moore can't sort out a line out between them given they do it for most of the year

Probably has something to do with Mumm calling the lineouts when Simmons came off.........

 

[Braveheart81]

I think a bit too much is being made of our backline issues and too much blame is being directed at Foley.

We played pretty well in the first half but the structures fell away in the second. Too often we're going wide too early without getting enough go forward through the forwards. Giteau and Kuridrani both had quiet games in attack and need to do more. Fiji defended very well but we need to create more options than just going wide to Folau and hope he beats his man.

The defence was very impressive and they pretty much always got the structures right in that regard.

Whilst Mitchell may come in for Horne against England for his kicking game, Horne's defence was very good and he made some good runs. I think he'll probably keep his spot.

To'omua and Beale should have both been injected into the game earlier.

 

[USARugger]

We were struggling to execute in the 15m channel/on the end of the line and going wide so early definitely wasn't helping that at all. Couple of squandered opportunities and sloppy play that we can't afford against a T1 nation.

If the Wobs don't start finishing the opportunities they create with more accuracy I don't think we're going very far this time 'round. Still early days, thankfully.

Really think we'd look a lot more dangerous with To'omua at 12 over Giteau. With neither inside back really taking the game by the scruff of the neck our entire attacking structure becomes far too passive.

 

[jollyswagman]

I think too much is being made of missing out on the bonus point.

If we win all four games it doesn't come into play.

The only way it becomes any sort of issue is if Wales beats England this weekend then we're in a three horse race if we lose to England. The likelihood of that isn't particularly high.

Fiji were undoubtedly much better in the second half and really took it to us. Had we not had those lineout wobbles I'm sure we would have kicked for the corner.

In all likelihood the bonus point won't come into play except in a couple of scenarios

The first is most unlikely but not impossible if we win all our matches without picking up any bonus points we finish with 16 points. If England pick up 3 bonus point wins, and a 2 point loss to Australia then they would finish with 17 points and top the pool. Correct?

The second scenario is more likely in that we draw with England after collecting BP wins over Wales and Uruguay but not Fiji.....England top the pool.

Stranger things have happened in passed WC's and I must admit that I was surprised by Cheika's admission that he wasn't aware that BP's were are part of the tournament until very recently. As much as love the man's general approach to winning I did find this a little unsettling. I would like to think that someone in the coaching box has an intimate handle on how the competition is decided in tight situations. The famous semi-final match between AUS & SA in the 99 RWC went into extra time, enter Larkham's famous droppie from 45m out......but had that period of extra time ended with both teams still drawn then the team that went on to the final was to be decided by a red-card count back. SA had one red card in a pool match and AUS one player cited and suspended but not red carded during a match. AUS would have gone through to the final, but without the red card then the winner would have been decided by a coin toss. Sounds absurd but I believe that was the situation back then. All that said, someone better understand all the finer points as we are playing for keeps this time.

 

[KOB1987]

A long way to go if we're looking to compete in a RWC final this year. No excuse for "rust" at this point in the season - and there was plenty on display in this match across the park.

No we aren't going to make the final on our second half performance. But none of England, New Zealand and South Africa will either based on their first outings. Every team will improve.

 

[jollyswagman]

Was I the only one who was not impressed by Douglas this match? For someone as big as he is, he sure as heck has very little "impact" at the collision. He seems to crumple upon contact in a very John-Eales-ish kinda way. Eales had an excuse in being built like a clothes lines but this is not the case with young Kane.

 

[RugbyReg]

I have some concerns over Steve Moore's form. Thought he was very soft in contact today and turned over the ball twice if I recall? A couple of poor throws as well.

Kuridrani made some metres and got over the gain line often enough but isn't the threat he has been. A little blinkered too.

 

[Sword of Justice]

Best part of our play was our defence. Outstanding throughout.

Disappointing not to get the bonus point. Too many errors in the second half. We can't have our lineout fall apart like that again.

Our bench didn't provide the impact we've come to expect this year. Skelton was probably our only reserve to make a good impact.

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How did you come to this conclusion? Holmes won a tight head in his first scrum IIRC. Skelton was very good as you said. Phipps I thought picked up the pace and gave us a rudder to steer with. Slipper didn't have any opportunity just unluckily in the wrong place at the wrong time. To'omua, and Beale subbed way too late. Mumm obviously had a shocker but I thought it was just poor game management/bad luck preventing our bench from making an impact.

In saying that Cheika knows those guys will be starting the next match so he can't give them too many minutes. It was somewhat of a sacrifice to hold back our reserves.

 

[Lorenzo]

I think too much is being made of missing out on the bonus point.

If we win all four games it doesn't come into play.

The only way it becomes any sort of issue is if Wales beats England this weekend then we're in a three horse race if we lose to England. The likelihood of that isn't particularly high.

Or if we beat England but lose to Wales?

I'd say the Wallabies' most likely record is 3/4. We'll drop a match to England or Wales. Hopefully not both. If that happens, and we don't have as many BP as possible, we are basically relying on other results going our way to get us through.

Pretty strange of Cheika to dismiss it like that.

 

[BDA]

We fell asleep in the second half but it is what it is. It was still a comfortable win. Ill take it.

I expect wales will lose to england, meaning that even if we lose to England a win against Wales will see us through

 

[BDA]

The poor bench management may have had something to do with the fact that we have a game in 3 days time.

 

[Sword of Justice]

How did you come to this conclusion? Holmes won a tight head in his first scrum IIRC. Skelton was very good as you said. Phipps I thought picked up the pace and gave us a rudder to steer with. Slipper didn't have any opportunity just unluckily in the wrong place at the wrong time. To'omua, and Beale subbed way too late. Mumm obviously had a shocker but I thought it was just poor game management/bad luck preventing our bench from making an impact.

In saying that Cheika knows those guys will be starting the next match so he can't give them too many minutes. It was somewhat of a sacrifice to hold back our reserves.

TPN was solid apart from his drop as well.

 

[Sword of Justice]

Pocock, Hooper and Fardy (in that order) took this game into their own hands which ultimately got us the win. As a pack our scrum is looking good, our line out and maul good, and breakdown looking good but if you take Pocock out of their than we get the results of the last EOYT.

I thought Kepu had a good game but Moore and Sio were fairly absent. Simmons is safe as houses and I'd put money on him not to fuck anything up which is great considering where his form is coming from since his debut for the Wallabies. Kane on the other hand is still not justifying his selection in the squad IMO.

We were just rudderless out there. I can't help but think we went with the opposite inside backs pairing of what is actually our best. Phipps has the runs on the board over the last three years or so compared to Genia who I see as being a finisher ATM. On the other hand Foley had an average game but that's just him. That would comparatively be Quade's poorer of games but his upside is obviously so much higher and a combo with Phipps should have been bled in from the beginning of the year. Gits had a fair game and deserves selection.

Horne take a bow he just didn't let Nadolo do anything this match. Kuridrani I thought was fair and harshly binned. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) had a rare poor match but he has the experience for that to be forgiven. Folau pretty good as is his standard.

 

[jollyswagman]

I have some concerns over Steve Moore's form. Thought he was very soft in contact today and turned over the ball twice if I recall? A couple of poor throws as well.

Kuridrani made some metres and got over the gain line often enough but isn't the threat he has been. A little blinkered too.

Share your concerns re Moore Reg. Did you notice how low his lineout throws were going? The jumper was catching most of them at shoulder level or a little lower allowing for some easy disruptions. I don't like the way he hits the deck right at contact either.

 

[Braveheart81]

How did you come to this conclusion? Holmes won a tight head in his first scrum IIRC. Skelton was very good as you said. Phipps I thought picked up the pace and gave us a rudder to steer with. Slipper didn't have any opportunity just unluckily in the wrong place at the wrong time. To'omua, and Beale subbed way too late. Mumm obviously had a shocker but I thought it was just poor game management/bad luck preventing our bench from making an impact.

In saying that Cheika knows those guys will be starting the next match so he can't give them too many minutes. It was somewhat of a sacrifice to hold back our reserves.

There was a tight head? I don't remember one.

Phipps did some things well but also made some errors which put us under pressure (mostly trying to catch a ball over his head and knocking it into touch). Phipps made some strong tackles.

Surely the rest of your comments support what I said about the reserves not making a big impact.

 

[maxdacat]

Not really sure that was worth staying up for. Good performance in part but:
- where was our backline penetration beyond just IF?
- wtf happened to the lineout in the second half
- ditto breakdown control at times

That said I was very impressed by Pocock. For a number 8 he was doing a lot of pilfering.

 

[jollyswagman]

I mean no dispresct to Fiji but I am a little disappointed that after 80 minutes of rugby our backline was not able to score a single try against a tier 2 nation. Aside from Folau, there was zero penetration and even he was fairly quiet.