Ali Williams did it I think..he is the master of that type of niggle..few times i saw him holding back guys trying to mark up..you can push your luck when you wear that black cloak it seems..probably saved QC (Quade Cooper) from a missed tackle stat anyway
Tri Nations Game 3 New Zealand v Australia - Saturday 6 August 2011 - 3N2011
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Ali Williams did it I think..he is the master of that type of niggle..few times i saw him holding back guys trying to mark up..you can push your luck when you wear that black cloak it seems..probably saved QC (Quade Cooper) from a missed tackle stat anyway
Toddy
Chris McKivat (8)
I dunno, seemed OZ were able to get away with their fair share of that type of niggle.
Torn Hammy
Johnnie Wallace (23)
Where was 'Plan B' for the Oz backline.
All night the AB played offside in defense. This is a trend in rugby that really irks me as it stifles what little flair there is in rugby at top level. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) was their target (which is why he had such a quiet game), but we still threw the long ball all game. Chip kicks, crash balls from 12 and wingers off Cooper were what we needed. Henry was always going to make this a big man vs. little man contest and we let them do it.
Henry also had his players tackling in pairs whenever possible which blunted our enthusiasm and frankly, had Cooper shitting his pants. His tactics at the restart were brilliant and once again we had no plan B to counter this.
In a battle of the coaches Robbie had his arse spanked. One coach is an innovator while the other reacts well to his losses. I am tired of "learning from our mistakes".
All night the AB played offside in defense. This is a trend in rugby that really irks me as it stifles what little flair there is in rugby at top level. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) was their target (which is why he had such a quiet game), but we still threw the long ball all game. Chip kicks, crash balls from 12 and wingers off Cooper were what we needed. Henry was always going to make this a big man vs. little man contest and we let them do it.
Henry also had his players tackling in pairs whenever possible which blunted our enthusiasm and frankly, had Cooper shitting his pants. His tactics at the restart were brilliant and once again we had no plan B to counter this.
In a battle of the coaches Robbie had his arse spanked. One coach is an innovator while the other reacts well to his losses. I am tired of "learning from our mistakes".
A lot of moaning on this thread, Aus wasn't bad, but the ABs were simply much better and more accurate.
A couple of players didn't stand out, pressure does that, but I still think Aus would have beaten most sides in the world with that standard of game.
They kept their structure, put everything into it, the ABs were simply better last night.
Can we execute better? sure; but we were up against a pretty special team last night who could role out exceptional players off the bench who just kept at it.
A couple of players didn't stand out, pressure does that, but I still think Aus would have beaten most sides in the world with that standard of game.
They kept their structure, put everything into it, the ABs were simply better last night.
Can we execute better? sure; but we were up against a pretty special team last night who could role out exceptional players off the bench who just kept at it.
T
TOCC
Guest
exactly, im sure the Wallabies would alter a few aspects of there game, notably committing more defenders before trying to chase the try, but that was moreso a reflection of the All Blacks superb defence last night rather then the Wallabies inability to come up with creative play.
I think people need to stop been so melodramatic, i dont think the score line was a reflection of the actual game exactly(que bitter reprisal), the AB's got one lucky try from the kick off and the Wallabies missed 9 points in penalty covnersion.
The AB's at this time of the season are able to stick the game plan better then the Wallabies, probably a reflection of there superior age and experience, but im not overly concerned, there were some very good signs last night from the Wallabies, they were able to play large chunks of continuity rugby, something i havent seen happen against the AB's in a long time.
Victorian Reds Fan
Bob Loudon (25)
Agree that the reaction has been way over the top. As someone said; it was 3 tries to 2 and JOC (James O'Connor) missed 3 penalties.
T
TOCC
Guest
did the AB forwards dominate?
in a points decision i would say that the Wallaby tight 5 were very close to the AB tight 5.. it was just the backrow which went the AB's way
I thought our work at the breakdown was pretty good. Normally we get pushed off our ball multiple times by the ABs, but I don't remember it happening once last night. Also the ABs always win the turnover stats, but thanks to Horwill and Elsom I reckon they were even, or we may have even got more.
We struggled to get quick ball, but that had more to do with our poor ball carries than our cleanouts.
We struggled to get quick ball, but that had more to do with our poor ball carries than our cleanouts.
Spewn
Alex Ross (28)
Yes. I should correct myself. It was the backrow that disappointed.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Awh, gee, I get it, it doesn't really matter that, after 4 years of promises and 'development of depth', Australia lost again on NZ soil in an 'acid test' match pre RWC and when we were meant to win at least one BC every 10 years or so, weren't we?
There were instead 'promising signs', and, well kinda, no matter that our designated Test kicker in a big match missed 3 from 3, shit happens, he's only young, surely won't happen again.
No matter the hundreds of thousands of excited Aussies at home (and lots of 'new' fans in QLD) all hoping to see real excellence from the Wallabies after the 'golden year' of an S15 win in one of our biggest rugby markets. Their disappointment in seeing their national team basically walked over from the first minute, no game plan, no real structure, just shovel to the X-players and watch 'em go, and then badly beaten with the ABs having the luxury of tapering off in the last 20.
None of this matters, as we rugby mad passionates have, once more, a recycled basis for hope, with good, intelligent explanations for mediocrity and poor captaincy and poor selections and much poor play, and another AB loss after Beale last week declared we 'could tear defences apart' and Deans noted 'our brilliant young players will do it'.
We have to be more balanced and look forward to the next game. One day we will triumph.
Bullrush
Geoff Shaw (53)
As much as I love reading that, I think RH is right to be upset. As much as people think that the stats will say the game was more even than the score says it was, I think the score reflected the feel of the game. To me, it seemed the Wallabies were beaten after about 25min. Guys here seem happy with just getting periods of parity in the match.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Where did I once say (a) the ABs aren't an outstanding team and/or (b) they weren't in many ways 'better than the Wallabies'?
I don't recall an overwhelming consensus on this site - or elsewhere - pre this game that the ABs were or would be such a stellar team in Auckland that we should just forget about a very credible prospect of beating them as they were so invincible. Your thesis, post game, seems to be 'Wallabies were fine, no one can beat such an invincible side'. I beg to differ. IMO, it is implied that you are not being objective regarding the actual standard of Wallaby leadership and play last night.
I just have a totally different perspective and set to expectations to you and like posters it would seem: I expect - and absolutely believe it to be possible - that the ARU and a competent coaching group can build an Australian side good enough to occasionally win the BC and 3N (and RWC), as the former two are the defining trophies of the national game and that matter most to Australian rugby fan support over time (the mass of fans, not the mad passionates like you and me).
DPK
Peter Sullivan (51)
I'm not, Br. I want us to beat the full strength AB's convincingly as much as the next Wallaby fan, but unlike some fans I can see that we don't have the worlds greatest team that just doesn't play at 100%.
Sometimes you lose games, sometimes you are beaten. Last year in Sydney, we lost that game. Last night, we were beaten. There's a big difference.
Sometimes you lose games, sometimes you are beaten. Last year in Sydney, we lost that game. Last night, we were beaten. There's a big difference.
DPK
Peter Sullivan (51)
I hate to double post, but I felt something last night and I'm wondering if anyone else felt the same. Watching the Wallabies get pumped wasn't the worst part of the game; the realisation that I would have to read through post after post of people who have unrealistic expectations of our team who would pillory them for being inferior to the best team I have ever seen play. There's a reason we're ranked 2nd in the world. One day, I really want us to be ranked number 1, but it's not like it's our fucking destiny or something to be the best in the world. We aren't entitled to it, we have to earn it.
Swarley
Bob Loudon (25)
There's our problem right there. We have a national coach who doesn't actually coach. Our strongest forwards were Horwill, Higginbotham and Simmons- surprise surprise, all Reds players. Thank God for Ewen McKenzie, because Jim Williams has no fucking clue whatsoever. Useless, completely and utterly useless. Everybody in the world knows that our strong point isn't in the forwards, and yet we persist with the same guy who's presented us with lacklustre results over the past few seasons. Not only that, but Robbie Deans the Messiah picks a captain with one S15 game all season and picks a #8 with no impact.
But what really pisses me off is how little Deans has done in the backs. He is our backs coach, and he gets away with doing no actually coaching because our game plan is to 'play what's in front of us'. Well, after 4 years of Robbie's intricate, revolutionary game plan, what do we have to show for it? The Bledisloe Cup- no wait, 2 wins from 13 games. Ah, but at least we won the Tri-Nations- sorry, my mistake, in the past 3 years we've got two 2nds and a 3rd. But none of that matters because we still beat Eng... no, sorry, the Cook Cup rests in the RFU's trophy case. At least we can keep our heads high and say we haven't lost to anyone like Scotland or Samoa, and definitely not a depleted club side like Munster.
Wait, my apologies once again- we have.
Ewen McKenzie managed to get the best out of Quade Cooper by using him with a game plan. He knew what he had to do, with some margin for his own creativity. But at least there was a broader target set by the coach. With Deans, we have none of that. Giving Quade Cooper free reign is the worst thing for him. It means instead of him attempting 5 risky plays per match with 4 coming off, he instead attempts 20- but this time, the ones that go wrong are more frequent and more detrimental due to both the quality of opposition and the lack of structure. I really hope J'ON withholds his contract negotiations, because his job is to win the RWC in 2011. We've spent the last four years telling ourselves that it doesn't matter that we've suffered record defeats to NZ, SA, Samoa and lost to Scotland and England because it was all in pursuit of William Webb Ellis' eponymous trophy.
So unless we're Elsom hoists that coveted golden cup above his head on October 23rd, Deans has failed miserably and J'ON should take immediate action.
Victorian Reds Fan
Bob Loudon (25)
Torn Hammy
Johnnie Wallace (23)
My feel about the score is that it flattered us a bit. AB looked very comfortable and made changes very early in the 2nd half.
T
TOCC
Guest
Gee, I really think some of ought to line up a psychiatrist in case the wallabies lose at the RWC..
There's a difference between been a realist and being a pessimist, and I dare say there are a quantitive number Of pessimists posting in here..
There's a difference between been a realist and being a pessimist, and I dare say there are a quantitive number Of pessimists posting in here..
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