Super Rugby Rnd 3: Jaguares v Reds - Buenos Aires Sunday Feb 16 10:00am AEDT

[swingpass]

Winning on the road is a rarity as a result.

unless you are playing in Melbourne (and probably Sydney/Newcastle/rest of NSW this year)

 

[Dan54]

I am suggesting some could of been brought, if not kept, I thinking of Smith brother playing for Rebels or whoever, maybe Simmons , there must be one or two experienced brains floating around in Aus rugby (K Hunt would help that backline)

 

[Up the Guts]

I am suggesting some could of been brought, if not kept, I thinking of Smith brother playing for Rebels or whoever, maybe Simmons , there must be one or two experienced brains floating around in Aus rugby (K Hunt would help that backline)

I didn’t see too many problems with the backline.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I am suggesting some could of been brought, if not kept, I thinking of Smith brother playing for Rebels or whoever, maybe Simmons , there must be one or two experienced brains floating around in Aus rugby (K Hunt would help that backline)

We let Ruan go for disciplinary reasons apparently. Tahs can keep Hunt.

Australian rugby has a massive dearth of senior players, especially after a WC.

Rugby is just not a popular sport in Australia.

 

[tragic]

When you can’t defend a rolling maul and you’re being penalised off the park there’s not much a few old heads can do.
Penalty>corner>rolling maul>try
Rinse and repeat.
Last 20mins were painful to watch but it was a fait accompli

 

[Silverado]

I am suggesting some could of been brought, if not kept, I thinking of Smith brother playing for Rebels or whoever, maybe Simmons , there must be one or two experienced brains floating around in Aus rugby (K Hunt would help that backline)

I doubt any of those players would be in the Reds game day 23 barring injuries

 

[gel]

I am suggesting some could of been brought, if not kept, I thinking of Smith brother playing for Rebels or whoever, maybe Simmons , there must be one or two experienced brains floating around in Aus rugby (K Hunt would help that backline)

What specifically can any old heads do to stop the referee from watching only one team and one team only?

There is only one way that reds could have not been penalised in that match, and that is to not take the field.

Hometown refereeing performances do happen and if they are bad enough there is absolutely nothing you can do but minimise how much you lose by. The reds minimised it as well as any other team could. That was just such a match.

Reds played a lot better than I thought they would. Didn't expect to see a performance like that until at least halfway through the season.

9, 10, 12, 13 combination looked really good. Keep that.

Forwards look pretty damn solid - wouldn't change anything there either.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I doubt any of those players would be in the Reds game day 23 barring injuries

Ruan would be, sad to see him go - but clearly he did something.

 

[tragic]

As an aside the argies are the biggest divers in world rugby. It was a disgrace in the RWC.
The jaguares are following suit.
Stamp it out. It’s not soccer.

 

[TSR]

Gee, it’s hard to know what to think after that game. Very disappointed with the end result.

I was disappointed with the ref, but what do you do? The Reds focus will be on things within their own control, as it should be.

My observations -
- general clearance kicking is still below par
- our front row injuries are really hurting us. Clearly Thorn doesn’t have the confidence in the bench FR to play meaningful time so the starters are being left to do too much. They are out of their feet by the end. How far away is Hoopert?
- our lineout needs to be better. It should be a real strength. We lost several of our own throws and I think only got 1 (?) off the Jaguares. We have 5 genuine lineout targets and need to do better there
- I’m not sure keeping Blyth and benching ASY (Angus Scott-Young) paid off. I would have preferred last weeks back 5
- Likewise, whilst I thought Campbell was good overall I feel like we should have gone with him on the wing and Hegarty at FB.
- unfortunately Sorovi is a big step down from McDermott

A big issue is we really struggle defending the driving maul without giving away penalties. I notice we seem to be generally trying to bind up and drive teams backwards - but teams seem to either ride that out and then drive forward, or we give away a penalty. Need to rethink our tactics.

On the plus side, Paisami, McDermott, Wilson & Speight were excellent. I’m still not sure we wouldn’t get more from O’Connor at 12, but he was good at 10 and Stewart is making it hard to be left out. It is a shame Lucas has been squeezed out, but I guess it’s not a bad thing if he has to work for it. The short offloading game in the first half was very good. Our scrum is very good. Our support play has been a real weakness, but was very good today.

Gee it’s been a tough start. 0 - 3 is the same no matter how the games were lost and last weeks lose is looking even more costly now.

But there has to be some hope in the way the Reds played their first 35 minutes. If they can play like that and sustain it, they’ll beat a lot more teams than they’ll lose to.

 

[wamberal]

From what I have seen, they could still give the conference leadership a shot. This is a horror road trip. Two honourable losses, I think that is a pass.

 

[TSR]

To an extent Wamberal - and yes, there are some underlying good signs there.

But on the flip side all 3 games have been opportunities to come away with wins and so far we have none.

They could well kick in from here - there were definitely some good signs - but I gee it would have been nice to have points from one of those games.

Our front row depth is a big issue at the moment. We’ll run Mafi & Tupou into the ground for if we can’t start giving them a break soon. And if we lose either of them at the moment we’re f@@@ed.

 

[Derpus]

From what I have seen, they could still give the conference leadership a shot. This is a horror road trip. Two honourable losses, I think that is a pass.

Easily - Brumbies demonstrated that they are not going to run away with it.

 

[Dan54]

I didn’t see too many problems with the backline.

Ok fair enough fellas, I thought perhaps at times Reds showed a little inexperience, backline looks pretty good, but at times especially on defence I thought someone to calm them down a bit would of helped, just little things (ie a 9 that can pass comfortably both ways etc) perhaps a 12 that is big enough to set a target for loosies. I do at times feel the forwards too seem to get excited and dive in and don't really pick when to go into rucks. Not a suggesting a huge problem, just sometimes you need to pick time, and I am the first to say I would rather that little problem than the opposite, which is NOT going in when you should.
I was generally real pleased with Reds, and just looking at things that I think they could improve on, they not far off, and will win a few games this season I think (and hope as I go to most home games!

 

[Penguin]

As an aside the argies are the biggest divers in world rugby. It was a disgrace in the RWC.
The jaguares are following suit.
Stamp it out. It’s not soccer.

As an aside the argies are the biggest divers in world rugby. It was a disgrace in the RWC.
The jaguares are following suit.
Stamp it out. It’s not soccer.

Yep, their backs remind me of soccer players diving for penalties. To be fair to today's ref, I don't think he bought any of it. But it's pathetic and sickening to witness.

 

[Oldschool]

That first half was the best I've seen the Reds play for years....
The second half, well, up there with the worst. Thorn used to go on in his playing days about focusing on the "blue" meaning having a clear head. The boy's lost theirs on a few decisions that went against them, the red mist descended and they couldn't get back on point.

 

[Strewthcobber]

How many second halves have the Reds won over the last couple of years? They always seem to be right in it or even ahead at half time and then fade off.

 

[Ignoto]

Referee aside, the Reds lineout cost them field position at least 3 or 4 times that I can remember. So the Reds were easy to pick apart after a restart. Combine that with the stadium clearly not being legal size and the Jags can easily rely on their kicking and mauling game.

Now, I would have been fine with the ref penalising the Reds in the manner that he did had he actually started the game policing the breakdown like that. The Jags got away with murder in the first half which would then explain why the Reds adjusted their game to.

Hunter also showed more spark than Jordan has so I would suggest Jordan spends some time over this season and next getting body right rather than playing rugby.

 

[tragic]

Nuff said

“The key moment was the scrum; we absolutely dominated and destroyed them and we get penalised," Thorn said.

"That's very hard to understand. The last two weeks it's (the scrum) been doing the business and five metres out, a key moment in the game, that was a hard one to understand.

"The guys played outstandingly well and there was a lot to like but that second half - I think it ended in a 15-3 penalty count ... that's a tough one to contend with."

 

[Strewthcobber]

Having watched the highlights again, the Jags lucky that the ref doesn't believe in enforcing

Law 18.37 The lineout ends when:

A ruck or maul forms and all of the feet of all of the players in the ruck or maul move beyond the mark of touch.

Players coming in offside all over the place in breech of that one.

And to be fair, it's not a law that many refs ever enforce