The Wallabies Thread
- Thread starter KOB1987
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The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
Huzzah! That's a great pickup.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
upthereds#!
Peter Johnson (47)
Fantastic to see that Mick is an ARU Coach, not just Wallabies. In charge of helping developing skills in all levels of representative rugby including Juniors in AUS. Ledesma should be doing the same with scrummaging which has always been an underrated aspect in Aus.
Brumby Runner
Jason Little (69)
^^^^^^^^ Very few sides got the better of the Reds' scrum this year or last, and the Brumbies and Wallabies have also been strong in the scrum and maul. The U20s' scrum was also one of the best. I think we can now put to bed the worry about the Aus scrums. There has been a marked improvement over all Super Rugby conference sides and at the Wallabies' level, but unfortunately it appears to have been at the expense of most other skills of the game. Here's hoping that Byrne is able to turn our woes around in general skills areas.
Froggy
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Looking at the 'onwards' part of this thread, it will be a pity if a few really promising young players suddenly find thenselves as bit players because 30 plus year old Wallabies are coming to their franchise, with ther obvious danger of Australian rugby losing these young players.
I guess at this stage I'm particularly thinking of Tom Robertson, with Sekope Kepu returming the the Tahs, and Andrew Ready with Moore coming back to the Reds. These two young guys could be part of a very good Wallaby front row for many years to come, and the development of them needs to continue.
I guess at this stage I'm particularly thinking of Tom Robertson, with Sekope Kepu returming the the Tahs, and Andrew Ready with Moore coming back to the Reds. These two young guys could be part of a very good Wallaby front row for many years to come, and the development of them needs to continue.
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
I don't think it reduces them to bit players, especially in the front row, bench players an important part of the squad.
When you are behind ageing players,your playing time will continue to increase.
Normally, you get a fair share of starts when injuries hit the old folk.
I reckon they will be embracing the opportunity to learn & improve.
When you are behind ageing players,your playing time will continue to increase.
Normally, you get a fair share of starts when injuries hit the old folk.
I reckon they will be embracing the opportunity to learn & improve.
T
TOCC
Guest
I tend to disagree Froggy and have long bemoaned Australian Rugbys attitude towards senior players, there's too much of a mentality of 30yr olds been 'past it' and it's only made worse with this 4 year RWC cycle.. A 28/29yr old will generally be considered too old for the next RWC..
Sekope Kepu is only 30years old, he will be 33 at the next RWC, that's the same age as Greg Holmes is currently and younger then Dan Carter and Richie McCaw were at the last RWC.
Will this hinder Roberstons development? Well it could actually accelerate it, regular opposed scrummaging sessions against world class players like Kepu is better then scrummaging against someone like Jeremy Tilse. game time shouldn't be an issue for props, coaches are more inclined to sub props knowing that in the event of an injury they can bring the starting prop back on.
Sekope Kepu is only 30years old, he will be 33 at the next RWC, that's the same age as Greg Holmes is currently and younger then Dan Carter and Richie McCaw were at the last RWC.
Will this hinder Roberstons development? Well it could actually accelerate it, regular opposed scrummaging sessions against world class players like Kepu is better then scrummaging against someone like Jeremy Tilse. game time shouldn't be an issue for props, coaches are more inclined to sub props knowing that in the event of an injury they can bring the starting prop back on.
T
TOCC
Guest
If you look at it from purely a game time perspective then you're always going to find a negative outcome towards the issue, but in the case of Kepu he certainly strengthens the Waratahs and Wallabies scrum for the next few years at least, and in the case of Smith and Moore at the Reds, I think their value is also at an experience and maturity level in a young and inexperienced team.
All Blacks have their fair share of veterans, and it's common place in other codes like AFL/NRL to have the 30+ veterans still playing key roles, just look at the QLD Origin team.
All Blacks have their fair share of veterans, and it's common place in other codes like AFL/NRL to have the 30+ veterans still playing key roles, just look at the QLD Origin team.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
No4918
John Hipwell (52)
If he manages to make our general skills worse I will see that as a positive in that at least it means the players can be coached.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Since 2004 to mid-2016, the ARU, from many hundreds of destiny-shaping decisions it has made, has only made 6 good ones:
One, the appointment of M Cheika as Wallaby HC (though note this was essentially the only decision they could have made in the face of the Link/Patston debacle and the need for an urgent replacement)
Two, the sponsoring of I Folau's transfer from AFL to rugby
Three, the method of selecting players for the Aus Womens' 7s team and then the inspired choice of T Walsh to coach that team
Four, the relocation of the annual Aus part of the global rugby 7s tournament from the the GC to Sydney (though the ARU selected the GC in the first
place)
Five, the 'Giteau rule' allowing very seasoned ex-Wallaby players now overseas to still play for the national team
Six, the appointment of M Byrne as National Skills Coach.
That is it, that is the list.
All other ARU decisions in the referenced period have either been mediocre, very poor or potentially catastrophic for the preservation and development of rugby in Australia.
(On a final and related note, it is obvious that the Wallabies greatest single problem is that Cheika has relied far too heavily on his own considerable abilities and has not selected, or been able to select, the right quantity and quality of national support coaches of sufficient calibre to approach the standard of the small number of other well-coached national rugby teams such as England under EJ (Eddie Jones) and the ABs under Hansen. The appointment of Byrne will go some considerable way to correcting that detrimental imbalance. The next step is to dispense with Larkham - who so clearly is way out of his depth even at the Brumbies - and appoint a crack attack/backs coach to the Wallabies.)
One, the appointment of M Cheika as Wallaby HC (though note this was essentially the only decision they could have made in the face of the Link/Patston debacle and the need for an urgent replacement)
Two, the sponsoring of I Folau's transfer from AFL to rugby
Three, the method of selecting players for the Aus Womens' 7s team and then the inspired choice of T Walsh to coach that team
Four, the relocation of the annual Aus part of the global rugby 7s tournament from the the GC to Sydney (though the ARU selected the GC in the first
place)
Five, the 'Giteau rule' allowing very seasoned ex-Wallaby players now overseas to still play for the national team
Six, the appointment of M Byrne as National Skills Coach.
That is it, that is the list.
All other ARU decisions in the referenced period have either been mediocre, very poor or potentially catastrophic for the preservation and development of rugby in Australia.
(On a final and related note, it is obvious that the Wallabies greatest single problem is that Cheika has relied far too heavily on his own considerable abilities and has not selected, or been able to select, the right quantity and quality of national support coaches of sufficient calibre to approach the standard of the small number of other well-coached national rugby teams such as England under EJ (Eddie Jones) and the ABs under Hansen. The appointment of Byrne will go some considerable way to correcting that detrimental imbalance. The next step is to dispense with Larkham - who so clearly is way out of his depth even at the Brumbies - and appoint a crack attack/backs coach to the Wallabies.)
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
You've got to be kidding. Then again the support for it continues despite the evidence being that it does not do anything to develop players. Name me a player who is developed in terms of core skills? Tell me how the structure of said short intense competition lends itself to development and in depth training of said skills?
I have told time and again that it isn't the role of the Super coaches to teach players how to kick and pass. That is their club and school's role. What about when they are selected from school into an EPS and rarely play for their "club" and spend all their time in "professional" environments with short intense comps?
I don't see how the NRC meets any of its KPI points.
I still hold myself to be a Rugby fanatic but the NRC holds as much appeal to me as the Top14, I watch because its rugby, that's about it, that being the case who are the fans that its bringing in and how is it growing the game. I know its not popular but how about we look at some realities for a change.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Cheika's "considerable abilities"?
He is obviously an effective man manager, he certainly got the Waratahs fit, he somehow managed to get us into the RWC Final.
But I am a bit worried that he might just be a bit narrow in his approach to the game. The days of teams having a set style are long over. The challenge these days is to be adaptable. By all means we must play to our strengths but to get to the top, or to stay in the top echelon, demands a much more flexible approach than we have seen - especially against the Dodgers.
He is obviously an effective man manager, he certainly got the Waratahs fit, he somehow managed to get us into the RWC Final.
But I am a bit worried that he might just be a bit narrow in his approach to the game. The days of teams having a set style are long over. The challenge these days is to be adaptable. By all means we must play to our strengths but to get to the top, or to stay in the top echelon, demands a much more flexible approach than we have seen - especially against the Dodgers.
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
Isn't a short competition better then no competition at all? Surely playing 5 weeks of rugby (or however long it is) against opposition filled with professional rugby players is better then no competition at all.?
Players like Ita Vaea benefited from the game time last year.
What's your solution then Gnostic?