RWC Pool D - Wallabies vs Wales - Sunday 29 September 2019 @ 5.45pm

[Bobas]

i cant be arsed to look, honestly.

'Leaving Lealiifano off the bench points toward the talk that the Brumbies playmaker was also targeted for a rest under the cumulative fatigue of a massive year at state and Test level.' rugby.com.au

There's no direct quote. Also a training/tapering issue if the above journo's inference is true.

 

[Up the Guts]

The change isn't the finishers coming on, it's that the opposition can't maintain their super quick d-line speed for the whole game.

Which is the issue with putting To'omua starting at 10. He's going to look just as bad as all our other half options at the start of the game cause we still haven't worked out how to deal with a rush defense

Watching the Japan vs Ireland game, Georgia vs Wales, South Africa vs NZ game, in this heat I think you just weather the rush defence for the first half, make them make tackles and make hay once their fatigued in the final 30 minutes.

 

[fatprop]

'Leaving Lealiifano off the bench points toward the talk that the Brumbies playmaker was also targeted for a rest under the cumulative fatigue of a massive year at state and Test level.' rugby.com.au

There's no direct quote. Also a training/tapering issue if the above journo's inference is true.

He was smashed vs Fiji it is not unreasonable to think he wasn't 100%

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yeah I think Lilo was crocked after that Fiji game

 

[Strewthcobber]

Official reason was this was a planned fatigue management decision made from the start of the World Cup. The team is very wary of his cumulative load this year for obvious reasons

Unofficial reason was that CLL has barely been able to train all week after getting smashed repeatedly in the Fiji game.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Watching the Japan vs Ireland game, Georgia vs Wales, South Africa vs NZ game, in this heat I think you just weather the rush defence for the first half, make them make tackles and make hay once their fatigued in the final 30 minutes.

Yeah I think that's the answer.

Hang in there, turn them around when you can and don't give up the catastrophic error leading to the try. Which we haven't been able to do in either game so far

 

[barbarian]

It was a pretty disheartening loss, wasn't it. Really felt we had that game in our grasp, but Wales were just too smart for us.

Our forward pack may be as good as it's ever been, and to see it squandered like that brings a tear to this old second-rowers eye.

Bring on the Dave Rennie era.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Dhp proved he deserves starting at 15 which means our only X factor player Beale goes to the bench. I would rather Beale starting but agree can’t see where so hence to the bench he goes

Yep, the Sydney bench in the NRC looks to be a nice comfortable spot for him.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think looking at numbers like that is a simplistic takeaway from what is, the single largest source of try-scoring opportunities in the past 3 RWCs. Those stats ignore the compromise of a shorter lineout and having more forward defenders in the backline come, they also don’t capture the dirty ball the backs were getting from constantly going to the 2nd man..

Wallabies lineout currently presents a poor attacking platform for everything except the driving maul. As an attacking platform, a lineout is the single best opportunity for teams to score due to the space it presents. That space doesn’t exist if you’re going to short line outs or to the 2nd man.

Fact is, in the past RWCs lineout represent the single largest source of tries scored in the tournament, And this wallabies team won’t have the opportunities by running likeouts like this game

The Wallabies' rolling maul is not working. Compare it to the Brumbies, and it looks like a bunch of U12s. Big part of the problem is Latu at the back. He seems to shear off to the right and gets isolated. Leadership on field would have changed Pocock to be the ball carrier at the back where he has excelled in the Brumbies rolling maul over the years.

 

[papabear]

Pretty good second half I thought.

I enjoyed the match, few things were a pity.
- Maybe I am biased but it felt like we were a better side for a lot more then wales were, imo they were pretty lucky, they certainly didnt look very dangerous in attack, they had one interchange of passing when there 5/8 was down between some big boppers which was laughable.
- Not a fan of always going for the 3 when its kickable, I thought the penalty with 10-15 mins to go we should have played to go ahead, spoiling teams can soak up a lot of time mucking you around which wales did.
- It would be good to bust through the hard side of the draw and then take a big dump on wales in the final if they get through..

 

[molman]

The rush defence was accounted for when To'omua was directing forwards and flat passes with direct running, against the previous teams we have played, that direct running hasn't happened. tried to play lateral and out the back footy instead which isn't working. I just reckon To'omua is taking things into his own hands better, owning the role at 10 and running the ball straight and hard, he's that style of player which is why I think he is our best option to lead the push against that rush d

I also wonder if To'omua was more practiced in playing against that defensive picture having spent time in the NH more recently. I really wish we had a better kicking game because there appears to be a lot of space out back with these rush defences, hard to turn on a dime as a defender if your trying to accelerate forward as quick as you can. A few chips over to a flying Korebetti and suddenly you have the defenders second guessing themselves.

I also wish the offside was better refereed. Too many of these teams to my eyes are not forming their lines behind the hindmost foot. It's really closing that gap and not allowing the attacking team to play, providing too much payoff to the rush tactic and killing the spectacle somewhat.

 

[Adam84]

The Wallabies' rolling maul is not working. Compare it to the Brumbies, and it looks like a bunch of U12s. Big part of the problem is Latu at the back. He seems to shear off to the right and gets isolated. Leadership on field would have changed Pocock to be the ball carrier at the back where he has excelled in the Brumbies rolling maul over the years.

I agree, the maul set-up looks promising but Latu seems a little lost at the back and it seems to crumble from there.

 

[fatprop]

The Wallabies' rolling maul is not working. Compare it to the Brumbies, and it looks like a bunch of U12s. Big part of the problem is Latu at the back. He seems to shear off to the right and gets isolated. Leadership on field would have changed Pocock to be the ball carrier at the back where he has excelled in the Brumbies rolling maul over the years.

They aren't playing against super sides, this is test rugby, teams like Wales et al have a tad more experience in making mauls a shit fight - (it won the game for us against fiji)

 

[barbarian]

I think the maul has been one of the bright spots of the Cup so far, considering we haven't used it much over the past few years.

We didn't score from it on the weekend, but we scored from an ensuing phase after drawing three penalties. That's pretty much mission accomplished to me.

 

[molman]

Official reason was this was a planned fatigue management decision made from the start of the World Cup. The team is very wary of his cumulative load this year for obvious reasons

Unofficial reason was that CLL has barely been able to train all week after getting smashed repeatedly in the Fiji game.

I'd heard similar. They were never going to come right out and say he was injured because he's likely to be our 1st 10 in future games. Don't want to give other teams any more insights into our weaknesses.

 

[Brumby Runner]

i cant be arsed to look, honestly.

As far as I know D there was no such announcement in the press, just speculation by some fans here. It is true that CLL got a hammering by Fiji, but I don't think any injuries have been mentioned. In any case, events proved that Foley should not have been regarded as the only option for this game. On his form lately (forever really) Foley should have been on the bench at best if CLL couldn't get up for the game.

 

[Bullrush]

It's a pearler.

Cheika can understandably be frustrated about a decision or two but to say that you don't understand why the game is going this way or to say that the players aren't concerned is terrible.

One only needs to look at what has happened in the NFL in recent years to understand why the game is looking to protect both players and itself.

Putting it back on the players shows a true lack of leadership

 

[Bullrush]

All our 9 and 10s look like diamonds in the last 35 minutes when the game loosens up and like crappy bits of coal for the first half when teams are still able to carryout their full press rush defense.

This. Stick with CLL. Or To'omua.

The real shame is that neither have been available for the last few years to give them the time in jersey that Foley has been afforded.

Who is the next cab off the rank after the RWC? I can't see any of the current 10's being available for a lot longer.

 

[Joe Blow]

He was smashed vs Fiji it is not unreasonable to think he wasn't 100%

And Samoa before that

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Bring on the Dave Rennie era.

It'll be interesting. Going by his Chiffs days Rennie is not sentimental and has zero qualms about looking elsewhere if performances arent there. Maybe even dumps subpar performers too quickly. There are definitely no tenured pricks. I reckon Foley and Genia would be rooted. Your LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)'s and Naisarana's would have to really pull finger.