Scotland v Australia, Murrayfield, 5am 24 Nov 2013

[I like to watch]

It does. The problem is he looks SO good every time he touches the ball, that you can understand why coaches might be tempted to play him in a spot where he can get his hands on it a bit more frequently.

He has the potential to be one of the great fullbacks though, I hope he sticks with rugby for the next 5-10 years.
.

You wouldn't move him to 13 on that basis.
If CLL wasn't the designated kicker,he would have hardly touched the ball.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't know why you'd have any desire to move Folau from 15.

You look at the class fullbacks in international rugby and they're all highly involved in just about every game they play and integral to their team's success.

Sure it's a position where you can just be quite defensive and limit your involvements, just making covering tackles and fielding and returning kicks.

The best players however get heavily involved in both the attack and counter attack and their defence is often crucial. Folau obviously has an incredible ability under the high ball which would be far less utilised in any other position.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Exactly, BH. I can't believe the talk of playing Izzy anywhere other than fullback. He's so imperious there that it's one less position Link has to worry about. It's not like we don't have decent outside centres either. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Kuridrani should have that position well covered too.

 

[Bairdy]

Someone might know this, what is the Wallabies team song? The Australian cricket team have Underneath the Southern Cross, what do the Wobs sing?

Sent from my GT-P5100 using Tapatalk

From the videos on their YT, they sing the national anthem

 

[Bairdy]

Solid win over the Scots - great to finally break the hoodoo.
First off, our defence has improved over the course of the season as evident in keeping Ireland, and now Scotland tryless.The fact that the two, or three try scoring opportunities Scotland had, we snuffed out, credit goes to the team. But they were a lot more threatening in attack, particular in the forwards, then people make out.

Still, our ball slowing at the breakdown is costing us too many points, and from watching the BBC feed of the match, Peyper was inconsistent in his breakdown interpretation, and should have given us a team yellow.

Hooper would get on the ball for a second or two and win the turnover, but Kelly Brown, Hamilton etc. would get their hands on it for the same amount of time, and not win many, if at all.

Apart from that, it was great to see the forward pack hit and carry with some venom. Simmons, who I didn't really favour before this season, has really come on leaps and bounds; he's got some hardness now [not enough to know how to throw a decent hook though ] and has become a leader, as Horwill's form and influence has temporarily been at a low. With the beard, he no longer looks like a choir boy, and looks more like Fardy, so that's a plus in my book

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Solid win over the Scots - great to finally break the hoodoo.
First off, our defence has improved over the course of the season as evident in keeping Ireland, and now Scotland tryless.The fact that the two, or three try scoring opportunities Scotland had, we snuffed out, credit goes to the team. But they were a lot more threatening in attack, particular in the forwards, then people make out.

Still, our ball slowing at the breakdown is costing us too many points, and from watching the BBC feed of the match, Peyper was inconsistent in his breakdown interpretation, and should have given us a team yellow.

Hooper would get on the ball for a second or two and win the turnover, but Kelly Brown, Hamilton etc. would get their hands on it for the same amount of time, and not win many, if at all.

Apart from that, it was great to see the forward pack hit and carry with some venom. Simmons, who I didn't really favour before this season, has really come on leaps and bounds; he's got some hardness now [not enough to know how to throw a decent hook though ] and has become a leader, as Horwill's form and influence has temporarily been at a low. With the beard, he no longer looks like a choir boy, and looks more like Fardy, so that's a plus in my book

I've been pleasantly surprised by Simmons play as I've always been somewhat skeptical of his abilities. The thing that still concerns me is the nature of the penalties he gives away. Many are still too silly. I see he's trying to be an enforcer. That's fine but he needs to be smarter about it.

 

[Scrubber2050]

WorkingClssRugger
agree with much of your post. For me Simmo did not appear tough enough or maybe that was just my perception. Seems to have really come of age albeit the silly penalties detract from his overall performance.

 

[Lee Grant]

I've been pleasantly surprised by Simmons play as I've always been somewhat skeptical of his abilities. The thing that still concerns me is the nature of the penalties he gives away. Many are still too silly. I see he's trying to be an enforcer. That's fine but he needs to be smarter about it.

Exactly so. I was always waiting for Simmons to bring his schoolboy promise to the professional game and although he became a Reds regular starting player, and an on and off starting Wallaby, he was not convincing was he?

He always had the skill of his school days but he didn't impose himself in a game as his physique allowed him to. Instead he would have flashes of recklessness as though that would answer for not playing with forcefulness.

Now he is in a better place and with his experience is replacing the reckless play with good hard physical grind, with the skilful stuff still there.

He still has a way to go though—there is still a residual amount of bonehead play in his makeup that he has to get rid off. Blind Freddie would know that the Scot who held him back the other night did so in order to get an advantage from a retaliation, and Simmons obliged him.

In that engagement the Scot, who is just a nose-picker at test level, was the better player, and until Simmons, and others, realise that dealing with such things is as important as stealing a lineout and counter-rucking the other side off their ball, and yarda yarda, they will not come close to performing to their potential.

Then there was an incident in an earlier game in which he strolled in front of an opponent chasing a kick which was another Blind Freddie situation. It was as though he was the referee and wanted to give the other side a penalty kick.

I'm getting warmed up now. He wasn't the Lone Ranger numbskull either.

Players have to realise that rugby matches are not always refereed according to the laws.

If a scrummie has his hand on ruck ball you can assume that you can knock him over because the ball must be out because nobody can put their hands in the ruck as the laws indicate. Right?

Wrong. Referees have allowed scrummies or acting scrummies to tug the ball out like they're mining for it for over 30 years - yet you still get guys like Kepu the other night harassing the scrummie and getting pinged.

I wouldn't mind $100 for every time I have heard a referee say, "Hands on is not ball out."

Everybody could name other examples and I wish that coaches would have two minutes each week with guys who obviously transgressed in the last game even if the officials didn't see it.

I'm not saying they should be Goody Two Shoes, but as a starting point let's get the players to cut out the infringements that are not going to have a significant impact if they get away with it—and the low percentage ones.

If the players don't improve, count them as missed tackles and dropped balls—the effect is similar—and tell them you are doing so.
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I've been pleasantly surprised by Simmons play as I've always been somewhat skeptical of his abilities. The thing that still concerns me is the nature of the penalties he gives away. Many are still too silly. I see he's trying to be an enforcer. That's fine but he needs to be smarter about it.

2nd rowers generally are not all that good at enforcing things until they reach their late 20's. As good as he is, even a giant like Estabeth from Safferland has a fair way to go before he will be considered a proper mongrel enforcer.

I think much of the rising of Simmonds stocks is related by the slump from Big Kev. The Wobs need two second rowers in form not an either/or arrangement that we have become accustomed to recently. ARU needs to throw some more shekels Sharpies way to get our 4's and 5's up to speed and a bit more mongrelised. Perhaps Van Humphries is the one ARU should have consulting.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Wrong. Referees have allowed scrummies or acting scrummies to tug the ball out like they're mining for it for over 30 years - yet you still get guys like Kepu the other night harassing the scrummie and getting pinged.

Even at test level the game of rugby cannot be played as a game of inches. At best its a game of feet - as in 12 inches.
The Kepu thing was always going to end in tears because it just wouldnt look right.
We need to be smarter and play percentages.

 

[nugget]

ARU needs to throw some more shekels Sharpies way.

damn straight. During the Lions tour I sat next to him on a flight down to sydney, down the back in economy. WTF? Was not a pretty sight!

 

[ChargerWA]

Exactly so. I was always waiting for Simmons to bring his schoolboy promise to the professional game and although he became a Reds regular starting player, and an on and off starting Wallaby, he was not convincing was he?

He always had the skill of his school days but he didn't impose himself in a game as his physique allowed him to. Instead he would have flashes of recklessness as though that would answer for not playing with forcefulness.

Now he is in a better place and with his experience is replacing the reckless play with good hard physical grind, with the skilful stuff still there.

He still has a way to go though—there is still a residual amount of bonehead play in his makeup that he has to get rid off. Blind Freddie would know that the Scot who held him back the other night did so in order to get an advantage from a retaliation, and Simmons obliged him.

In that engagement the Scot, who is just a nose-picker at test level, was the better player, and until Simmons, and others, realise that dealing with such things is as important as stealing a lineout and counter-rucking the other side off their ball, and yarda yarda, they will not come close to performing to their potential.

Then there was an incident in an earlier game in which he strolled in front of an opponent chasing a kick which was another Blind Freddie situation. It was as though he was the referee and wanted to give the other side a penalty kick.

I'm getting warmed up now. He wasn't the Lone Ranger numbskull either.

Players have to realise that rugby matches are not always refereed according to the laws.

If a scrummie has his hand on ruck ball you can assume that you can knock him over because the ball must be out because nobody can put their hands in the ruck as the laws indicate. Right?

Wrong. Referees have allowed scrummies or acting scrummies to tug the ball out like they're mining for it for over 30 years - yet you still get guys like Kepu the other night harassing the scrummie and getting pinged.

I wouldn't mind $100 for every time I have heard a referee say, "Hands on is not ball out."

Everybody could name other examples and I wish that coaches would have two minutes each week with guys who obviously transgressed in the last game even if the officials didn't see it.

I'm not saying they should be Goody Two Shoes, but as a starting point let's get the players to cut out the infringements that are not going to have a significant impact if they get away with it—and the low percentage ones.

If the players don't improve, count them as missed tackles and dropped balls—the effect is similar—and tell them you are doing so.
.

I do agree with your post Lee, but I think the most important thing is to play to the ref. If you hang back like a choir boy and keep your nose clean against the ABs or the Boks the game is probably going to be decided by oranges. Against the NH teams who are less canny in the dark arts (excluding the Poms) its probably not necessary to push the boundaries like Kepu's indiscretion on the weekend.

 

[Ruggo]

Izzy must stay at 15. Structure the back three to give him some licence to roam but he must stay at 15. He gets a good view of where to inject himself into the play at full back let's not forget.

 

[Forcefield]

Simmons' penalties are a bit of an annoyance- but every forward commits them to some extent. It's his yellow cards that really frustrate. You can be aggressive and assert yourself without being an idiot. The punches that Simmons landed didn't look like they would have hurt in the slightest.

 

[Scotty]

I am not even sure they could be called punches.

 

[Scotty]

That sort of slap occurs in every game without even being penalised. This one was not worth yellow. Very soft.

 

[I like to watch]

It was soft but it was stupid.
I don't understand why he threw it.
I always thought the idea behind throwing a punch was to hurt the fucker you are swinging at?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Can't agree Scotty. It was brainless. Refs love binning blokes for stuff like that and there are ways and means of getting rid of a bloke without trying to whack him in full view of the ref or touchie.

 

[Richo]

Can't agree Scotty. It was brainless. Refs love binning blokes for stuff like that and there are ways and means of getting rid of a bloke without trying to whack him in full view of the ref or touchie.

Not to mention that the smart thing to do would have been to milk the hold for a few seconds to see if the ref was looking and then get the fuck to the next ruck.

 

[Lee Grant]

It deserved a yellow card for stupidity, not for anything in the laws.