Scotland v Australia - Sunday 26 November 1:30am AEDT

[Gnostic]

Time = 4th dimension

Ah. Ok. I will study the Pink Floyd to achieve enlightenment. Wallabies - Gen x or z or whatever - no chance.

 

[cyclopath]

Ah. Ok. I will study the Pink Floyd to achieve enlightenment. Wallabies - Gen x or z or whatever - no chance.

Best avoid the Sid Barrett enlightenment, maybe.

 

[KOB1987]

The games against the Saffas have to be put into perspective of just how poor they have become with the quota system and political interference. There is no doubt they played well in Dunedin and Brisbane, but the second has to be put into perspective also as the ABs were without Barrett, Retalick, Franks and a couple of others. No in the last 18 months as I stated we have seen the Wallabies concede record points against both Tier 1 and Tier 2 nations on their way to this tour which has results again in new record losses to England and Scotland. I had really hoped that following Dunedin and Brisbane they had turned a corner, but every game since including the Japanese win shows those two games to be statistical anomalies and the team just has not improved at all under Cheika since 2015. In fact I would go so far as to say they are degrading in terms of defence and discipline.

Just like the Brisbane test needs to be put into perspective because the All Blacks were missing a few, so does 'every game since including the Japanese win' as we were without Coleman (for the last 2 anyway), Rodda, Arnold, Pocock, Dempsey, Folau and Naivalu. You can't have it both ways. The Saffas have proven to be inconsistent, just like us they can get thumped by the All Blacks one week and then hold them to a one point margin the next. We probably should have beaten them at home but a draw at altitude is a feat so we can call that 1 all. I believe most of our inconsistency comes from the convoluted defensive structure and our inability to adapt when we have to, such as when we have to play with 14 men for 50 minutes. And I don't disagree with a lot of your other stuff either, just not to the same extent. I remain optimistic but yes it involves some change.

 

[Gnostic]

Just like the Brisbane test needs to be put into perspective because the All Blacks were missing a few, so does 'every game since including the Japanese win' as we were without Coleman (for the last 2 anyway), Rodda, Arnold, Pocock, Dempsey, Folau and Naivalu. You can't have it both ways. The Saffas have proven to be inconsistent, just like us they can get thumped by the All Blacks one week and then hold them to a one point margin the next. We probably should have beaten them at home but a draw at altitude is a feat so we can call that 1 all. I believe most of our inconsistency comes from the convoluted defensive structure and our inability to adapt when we have to, such as when we have to play with 14 men for 50 minutes. And I don't disagree with a lot of your other stuff either, just not to the same extent. I remain optimistic but yes it involves some change.

The difference between those you name missing from the Australian side, were in and out of the side anyway. Only Coleman and Folau were regular starters and IMHO neither would have made that much difference to the nature of these defeats, which closely followed the last losses to the same nations with those players available. It is as you say about the defensive structures and also about the discipline. My point stands, they have no progressed since last year, and may in fact be getting worse, in fact I believe the discipline issues are getting worse.

 

[Scrubber2050]

^^^^^^
There are deep dark issues within the group = the group comprising of Coach, Assistant Coaches (ALL of them, the so called leadership few guys and the players in general.


Until someone has the nuts to address these issues properly we will wallow along. Shame really.

 

[Dave Beat]

You've been on these threads for some time and I assume that the actually read what other people post before making comments like this. Assuming for a moment that you've read anything that I've posted over the years, but I'll give you summary: When I think the Waratahs are playing badly or being coached badly I'll say so, when I think that they are playing and/or being coached well I'll say so. Same with the Wallabies. When I think that Waratahs players play well for the Wallabies, I'll say so and if they play badly I'll acknowledge that. The same goes for referees and administrators. There's been nothing wrong with the referees on this tour - the only dud has been the incompetant who did the Barbarians v Wallabies game. In terms of Michael Cheika, I think he's the best available coach at the moment. I'll again make the observation that I was a lone voice in the wilderness in advocating Eddie Jones for the job post Link on the basis that Cheika had unfinished business at the Waratahs and was probably 2 or 3 years short of being ready for the Wallaby job. I don't agree with all his selections - some are quite odd as I've expressed from time to time. I also think that he does himself no favours with his antics in the coach's box and some of the thing he says at press conferences. What I will also say in his defence is that the state of the game of rugby in Australia at the moment is as weak as any time in the 50 years that I've followed the game. The administrators have allowed a situation to develop where the base of the game has slowly withered over the past 20 years. The results which we are seeing now at the professional level is a direct consequence of this. Our super sides were appalling in 2017 and there is a direct link to Wallabies performances. Broadly speaking, I think Cheika has done as well as anyone could have in the circumstances and I strongly doubt whether any other available person could achieve any better - in fact the evidence is they would probably be much worse; Larkham, MaGann, Graham, Foley, Gibson, Stiles- there just aint no saviour out there. Two years ago I predicted where we would be now in terms of results and have described it as the new normal on many occasions.

Yup.

A commentator who has intrigued, and impressed me is Justin Harrison, how is he traveling as a coach over in the UK.

I doubt it would ever happen but Link or Eddie coming back.