Scrum Talk

[Tip]

except that Pyle never played for the Wallabies

So I can definitively say now that Pyle brought nothing to the Wallabies?

Regardless, I still placed him in the "quite rightly shite" bin. I just think that 2m tall seagulls have no place on this earth let alone a rugby pitch.

 

[TOCC]

the only scenario where i would support a European based player been picked would be in the situation where the Wallabies are on a Spring Tour only days out from a test match, 3 locks/props/hookers all go down with injuries within a short period and an overseas based prop/lock is ready and available to play.

In this scenario its unrealistic to fly an extra player out from Australia and the injury crisis in in a position which can't possibly be covered by another player in the team. Maybe my mindset will change in the future depending on how many Wallabies are based in Europe, but going on the current squad thats the only time i would support selecting a player based in Europe.

Just to add to that, I do actually support picking an Australian eligible player who is playing for a New Zealand/South African/Japan Super Rugby team.. Why, because at least playing in Super Rugby contributes something back to Australian Rugby as fans still get to see that player perform, in addition the Super Rugby draw is sympathetic to the Wallabies test schedule.

 

[Tip]

Power has gone to France.

#tears
Was the most promising Australian lock in my eyes. What a damn shame

 

[Braveheart81]

#tears
Was the most promising Australian lock in my eyes. What a damn shame

When was he going to deliver on that?

He's 28 and only started for the Brumbies when there were injuries.

 

[Tip]

He was going to deliver on that after Australia got over their obsession with Locks who lack the core skill set for their position!

Unfortunately, we seem to value 2nd rowers who either can't Scrum, or can't Jump. (and when we find one that does both, they are inevitably Penalty Magnets (Simmons) or Seagulls (Pyle)
If you watched the Brumbies last year you would have seen a pretty impressive, no thrills footballer who was all meat and potatoes with very little gravy - a Hearty meal if you may.
If you watched the Tah's last year you would have seen a pretty impressive, all thrills footballer who was all gravy and no meat and potatoes.
An all Gravy meal leaves nothing but skid marks, as the scrum wheels backwards.

That is the definitive food analogy to Australia's scrum problems

 

[Quick Hands]

So I can definitively say now that Pyle brought nothing to the Wallabies?

Regardless, I still placed him in the "quite rightly shite" bin. I just think that 2m tall seagulls have no place on this earth let alone a rugby pitch.

You might stop to consider that in junior and schools rep rugby, tight 5 forwards are encouraged to be seagulls, so it's hardly surprising that they are inadequate in international scrums. Being in France or England, if tight forwards played that way, they wouldn't be in the team and thus wouldn't get paid. So guys who go there actually change their games to fit in with what the coaches there expect and play much tighter.

Just maybe they don't belong in the "quite rightly shite bin" as they have now been properly coached in tight forward play and they have improved.

 

[Braveheart81]

Your analogy is complete fluff.

The reality was that Power never delivered enough at the Brumbies to be a regular starter.

The Tahs didn't focus heavily on set piece which was a good move at Super Rugby level. It's plainly obvious that doesn't work at test level though.

Douglas was the meat and potatoes lock for the Tahs this year and had easily his best season of Super Rugby.

Our first choice locks in Simmons and Carter were serviceable but were outplayed by their opposition in just about every test. That is the crux of the problem really. Our best pair aren't good enough and the reserves are worse.

 

[Tip]

You might stop to consider that in junior and schools rep rugby, tight 5 forwards are encouraged to be seagulls

Jesus Christ. The problem is officially endemic

 

[Tip]

Douglas was the meat and potatoes lock for the Tahs this year and had easily his best season of Super Rugby.

Sorry I'm in disagreement there - Douglas may have had meat, but there were definitely no potatoes on his plate. Dennis took them all with him when he got injured.

A significant portion of the blame is on Douglas' shoulders for the Tah's line out troubles, especially during the latter half of the season when Dennis was injured.

 

[qwerty51]

Just to add to that, I do actually support picking an Australian eligible player who is playing for a New Zealand/South African/Japan Super Rugby team.. Why, because at least playing in Super Rugby contributes something back to Australian Rugby as fans still get to see that player perform, in addition the Super Rugby draw is sympathetic to the Wallabies test schedule.

That's 100% ok, NZ should do this too. I wouldn't mind seeing more Aus/NZ players play for the other countries franchises like in the NRL. It creates extra interest when watching NZ teams in Aus and vice-versa.

 

[Highlander35]

Locks for each side in 2014:

Reds:
Horwill
Simmons
O'Donoghue
McDuling

Tahs
Douglas
Potgièter
Skelton
Chapman
Peterson
Holloway

Brumbies:
Carter
Fardy
Power
Staniforth
Whetton

Rebels:
Jones
Neville
Pyle
Jeffries


Force:
MMM
Wykes
Coleman
Steenkamp
Battye

Who do you like Tip?

 

[Chris McCracken]

Jesus Christ. The problem is officially endemic

If you've just come to realise that and brand it "endemic", you haven't been in the discussion long enough. It's been "officially endemic" for a long, long time.

 

[Chris McCracken]

Anyone familiar with how the Montpellier forwards have gone over the last couple of years?

Ledesma resigned due to the forwards' poor form and they got even worse. I watched their game against Bath last month. Their scrum got just that - a bath.

They had been good the couple of years prior to that while he was there, though. It's probable that the scrum coach has less to do with the on-field performance of a team than the players' off-field issues and commitment. A problem I think we have here and are about to get more evidence of.

 

[Sully]

Montpelliar handed Toulon their arses in the set piece last weekend.

 

[Chris McCracken]

Montpelliar handed Toulon their arses in the set piece last weekend.

I saw that they beat Toulon, but I haven't watched the game yet. It was Jake White's first game as whatever his new job is, too.

 

[Tip]

When was he going to deliver on that?

He's 28 and only started for the Brumbies when there were injuries.

Scott Fardy made his Super Rugby debut at 28 years of age for the Brumbies in 2012.

I don't see what your point is?

EDIT: @Highlander35
My 4 locks for the WC squad would be Simmons,Carter,Horwill & Fardy (4/5/6)
Skelton would make my squad as an 8. He is the only one with the strength to fight the two north poles that seem to be permanently stuck in our 2nd rowers asses

 

[Braveheart81]

I'm sure Leon Power will be remembered as one of the greatest players never to play for the Wallabies.

 

[Chris McCracken]

Scott Fardy made his Super Rugby debut at 28 years of age for the Brumbies in 2012.

I don't see what your point is?

EDIT: @Highlander35
My 4 locks for the WC squad would be Simmons,Carter,Horwill & Fardy (4/5/6)
Skelton would make my squad as an 8. He is the only one with the strength to fight the two north poles that seem to be permanently stuck in our 2nd rowers asses

Sorry. Fardy will be there. Not as a lock, though. He'll be there as a 6. Might as well be realistic about it.

 

[Chris McCracken]

Scott Fardy made his Super Rugby debut at 28 years of age for the Brumbies in 2012.

After 4 years playing in Japan, where he went pretty much straight after ARC.

Leon Power is a good bloke and a very competent lock. But he's not been a regular starter for the Brumbies and plays almost exclusively on the left of the scrum where we don't have too many issues. I'm not sure why he has featured so strongly in this conversation.

 

[Brumbieman]

Neither am I, he was left behind by Carter and Fardy in 2012 and never looked like finding another gear.


Very solid club player and adequate enough at Super level, assuming the rest of the pack were decent as well.

Staniforth looks very promising, and Rory Arnold certainly looks the part, we'll see how he goes this year.