waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Not his day but has defended well (apart from being out-jumped for the Tagitau try)
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
NZ win 19-18
Good effort, NZ took their chances in the first half well but it did feel like Aus were the better team throughout. NZ more clinical like usual. First 20 mins was all Aus and they only had 6-0 on the scoreboard to show for it and then NZ went in for 3 quick tries, they could've fallen apart but came back well.
Happy they didn't get smashed from a backlash that usually happens when you beat NZ and play them the following week. They should be confident going to the Championship.
Good effort, NZ took their chances in the first half well but it did feel like Aus were the better team throughout. NZ more clinical like usual. First 20 mins was all Aus and they only had 6-0 on the scoreboard to show for it and then NZ went in for 3 quick tries, they could've fallen apart but came back well.
Happy they didn't get smashed from a backlash that usually happens when you beat NZ and play them the following week. They should be confident going to the Championship.
Members Section
John Thornett (49)
Prob should have won that game by 2 tries, we just didn't finish off our really good platform laid by that absolute beast pack! Also credit where its deserved that was an amazing defensive scrap put in by the team in black!
The Ghost of Raelene
David Codey (61)
Who’d wanna be one.
Oldgoldminer
Herbert Moran (7)
Gee the forwards would be bloody disappointed with their backline today. Aus should have won that game in a canter. Again young Barrett tore their scrum apart. The improvement in his game in the last 6 months has been impressive for a young bloke 6 months out of school.
Barrett, Craig & De Lutiis smashed the All Bkacks. I don’t remember a Wallbies scrum ever dominating a Blacks scrum in that way at a senior level. When they left the field you could see the change again as was the case in the first game.
Taj Annan again played a powerful game, I wish the players inside him would recognise his talent and give him early ball.
That backline could have also had Joregensen & Suali playing, very very positive signs for the future ahead.
Barrett, Craig & De Lutiis smashed the All Bkacks. I don’t remember a Wallbies scrum ever dominating a Blacks scrum in that way at a senior level. When they left the field you could see the change again as was the case in the first game.
Taj Annan again played a powerful game, I wish the players inside him would recognise his talent and give him early ball.
That backline could have also had Joregensen & Suali playing, very very positive signs for the future ahead.
Members Section
John Thornett (49)
I think Craig has to put some size on he looks like a centre out there. Barrett for me looks the one long term & De Lutiis looks ready for a super cap next yr
The Ghost of Raelene
David Codey (61)
Couple simple drops but I thought he was still steady and steered them around. Had a good first game.
I’m glad we stuck with a majority same team. We may not have the same squad depth as NZ so the more they can play together will benefit come WC.
Oldgoldminer
Herbert Moran (7)
Yeah I would agree with all those points. Hopefully Craig does as he plays a very good modern hookers game. I’d say there would be couple of young All Blacks props who got a whole new view of the world after getting folded like they did today.
I watched Barrett in 3 games last year for Joeys and the one thing that is still to come with him at this level is his running game. Watching back on the replay today he gets more impressive, he has ball playing skills and defends in the line and cover tackles so well for a prop. No surprise that the best ever Wallaby teams had awesome front rowers so let’s hope they both keeping pushing upwards.
I would like to see Ronan Leahy paired up with Annan over in SA. That’s going to be a tough group for us to get out of with the 1 & 2 from the U20 6 Nations in Ireland and England and we need our backs to be much better than they were today. Really their back 3 were the difference. Harry Godfrey their fullback was sensational today. They’ve got a future star with him.
Members Section
John Thornett (49)
I get it the game is getting faster & players are getting stronger forwards are becoming ball players, but I will say this. Look at the last rwc. Frans Malherbe hardly you would call a "modern prop" & Marx/Kitsoff coming off the bench. I wonder if we are being too cute & trying to keep up with the jones's across the ditch. A lot can be be said by winning the battle up front interms of scrum & in contact. If we didnt have that today we prob loose that game by 20 & its same old.
Misunderstood fan
Jimmy Flynn (14)
Wallabies set piece looks good. The front row are beasts. The backline was coming together in attack until Gordon went off for HIA. Not Bowen’s best game, and wonder if Lynagh will take over the starting position in the RWC.
The Ghost of Raelene
David Codey (61)
Big calls with Ireland being the first game right?
I think a lot of the team we just saw will be the starting 15 come the first game. Don’t know if they have a warm up game planned?
I think a lot of the team we just saw will be the starting 15 come the first game. Don’t know if they have a warm up game planned?
Oldgoldminer
Herbert Moran (7)
We play Fiji first and the Irish 4 days later. Hopefully the English do us a favour and give them a bit of a bashing. The Irish & French are easily the top two teams from the North so probably good for us we get the Irish after they play England.
Our guys have a warmup here against an invitational team. I’d say Lynagh would be going depending on how far the Reds go in the semis and if he is part of their squad to play the Chiefs.
We need this generation to come through because if we learnt anything from the weekends meek results our depth is paper thin. Scrapping into the finals on default, all the Aussie super teams were atrocious yesterday. Waratahs at home with Hoppers swan song and junior clubs all there were a disgrace. What a woeful decade we have had with the current generation across all levels of senior rugby. This generation has been a big failure from Super to International, they’ve ranked amongst the worst teams and generations we have ever produced.
So let’s hope with the young Wallabies under 25 and these guys coming through U20 we might finally see a resurgence across all senior levels.
If they have $1.4m to throw at Suali they better keep the pen warm for some of these guys. I could imagine all the league scouts looking at players like Barrett, Maivea-Tapusoa, Wilson, Annan in particular. Minimum wage in the NRL Top 30 is now over $130k, I hope we haven’t stuffed all the cash in pillow of a select few.
I just can’t wait for the young men to get over to SA, the tournament should be a beauty. The French and Irish were separated by 2 points for the title in 6 Nations, Boks are at home and we’ve seen the closeness of our 2 games with the Baby Blacks. Bring it on and if anyone from the ARU gets out if the ivory tower, how about some promotion for our boys and this World Cup. You want to attract and keep the next generation but not a single thing done to promote the upcoming U20 World Cup.