Wales v Australia, Sunday 21st 4.30 am ADST.

[TSR]

You think McKellar had anything to do with it. He got dropped in the France series too. Got dropped last night it has nothing to do with the forwards coach..

I think you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think McKellar isn’t influencing selections and some Brumbies players are getting a leg up. I’d suggest that is very clear - although, ironically, I don’t think Wright is one of the more contentious choices.

However, equally I think people are kidding themselves if they don’t think that happens with every coach. Some coaches are quite open about it. Obviously a guy like Rennie doesn’t have that to call on. Despite the last couple of results, I think there has been benefits to Australia in that approach - but not in every case. What we need now is a more streamlined approach. Not every team needs to play the same or employ the same tactics but there needs to be an underlying frame work so Super coaches are very clear what attributes the National selectors are looking for.

 

[Derpus]

Genuine tour from hell for Rennie.

Cant think of anything that's gone right for him.

 

[PhilClinton]

At least it showed we can score a decent amount of points without QC (Quade Cooper) and Kerevi.

As expected, the new backline needed a few weeks to find its feet, but the attack looked very fluid at times, a big improvement from prior weeks.

 

[Dctarget]

weirdly kinda happy with the team. Everyone played fairly well, there were no nightmare performances. Loved the shift from skipper Slipper. Thought our locks were great in defence, backrow was quiet understandably. Leota had a less than stellar 1st half but an absolutely ripper 2nd half, great runs, tackles with a lineout steal to boot.

Shame about Kellaway's injury and conceding the penalty to rub salt in the wound. That ref was on a mission man. You could hear the panic in his voice when the "knocked backwards" try happened, dug himself into a hole.

 

[Steak n Weights]

Stopped watching after the red card.

Rugby aint the same game I grew up playing and watching.

Red cards used to be reserved for malicious intent to harm another player. Now they play everything back in slow mo to make it 10 times worse.

You're telling me that was the only head on head contact throughout the entire game?!

 

[Brumby Jack]

To use a terrible cliche, it was a game of inches - think of Paisami's break before the Daugunu try, if he finds McDermott on his right he goes under the sticks and O'Connor has an easier conversion, instead his shot hits the post.

There were shades of the 2015 RWC pool game against Wales, apart from the result. Plenty of times in the past when they've copped cards, the Wallabies have dropped their heads and copped a pasting in the end but this along with that French game when Koroibete was carded has shown there has been a shift in attitude.

The maul defence again was good, considering the circumstances, and the two last tries were arguably the best of the tour in the context of the game - admittedly in a small sample size.

Paismai had a decent game, set up for Kellaway's try with the grubber and a few breaks to get the Wallabies in good field position with 62 metres. Swinton had a good cameo too with 7 tackles in 14 minutes.

 

[Derpus]

So - first tour without a win in 45 years. There are ifs and buts, but still. That's another low we can tick off.

 

[TSR]

I don’t think we answered the question about OS players conclusively either. I thought Latu, Arnold and Beale were all good today and Skelton was a decent pass even though he gave away a silly penalty. Not sure though whether they were a big upgrade on the domestic based players.

I agree with an earlier post that the priority inclusions at this stage would be Cooper & Kerevi with Arnold up there too. It’s been noticeable teams aren’t having any luck with the driving maul against us with him out there.

 

[wamberal]

So - first tour without a win in 45 years. There are ifs and buts, but still. That's another low we can tick off.

Its disappointing, but it's hard for me to think how we could have picked a better squad, all things considered.

We played some good rugby. We don't have enough depth to do without a player like Kerevi, and a couple of the others who could not play for one reason or another.

On the positive side, some of our younger players are getting some good exposure.

 

[Thalium]

To use a terrible cliche, it was a game of inches - think of Paisami's break before the Daugunu try, if he finds McDermott on his right he goes under the sticks and O'Connor has an easier conversion, instead his shot hits the post.

There were shades of the 2015 RWC pool game against Wales, apart from the result. Plenty of times in the past when they've copped cards, the Wallabies have dropped their heads and copped a pasting in the end but this along with that French game when Koroibete was carded has shown there has been a shift in attitude.

The maul defence again was good, considering the circumstances, and the two last tries were arguably the best of the tour in the context of the game - admittedly in a small sample size.

Paismai had a decent game, set up for Kellaway's try with the grubber and a few breaks to get the Wallabies in good field position with 62 metres. Swinton had a good cameo too with 7 tackles in 14 minutes.

Another positive worth pointing out is how good our scrum was given the circumstances.
Rennie was also pretty brutal on the ref and TMO in post match so I think we can expect a fine

 

[eastman]

Red card- fair enough.

Yellow card - just fair enough (Kurtley knew exactly what he was doing but arguably it was in the motion of wrapping).

Allowed knock down try - maybe fair enough (technically at least) in isolation in a game with no controversy. In the context of this game, it’s very poor game management by the referee.

 

[eastman]

Also did anyone else have heart palpitations every time Leota took a hit-up one off the ruck after a re-start. He went to ground prior to contact on each occasion and it was just begging for an offensive penalty.

 

[Derpus]

To use a terrible cliche, it was a game of inches - think of Paisami's break before the Daugunu try, if he finds McDermott on his right he goes under the sticks and O'Connor has an easier conversion, instead his shot hits the post.

There were shades of the 2015 RWC pool game against Wales, apart from the result. Plenty of times in the past when they've copped cards, the Wallabies have dropped their heads and copped a pasting in the end but this along with that French game when Koroibete was carded has shown there has been a shift in attitude.

The maul defence again was good, considering the circumstances, and the two last tries were arguably the best of the tour in the context of the game - admittedly in a small sample size.

Paismai had a decent game, set up for Kellaway's try with the grubber and a few breaks to get the Wallabies in good field position with 62 metres. Swinton had a good cameo too with 7 tackles in 14 minutes.

Swinton should be starting IMO.

 

[Derpus]

How'd Daugunu go?

 

[Thalium]

How'd Daugunu go?

He got better as the game went on and finished off a great try

 

[Joe Blow]

Also did anyone else have heart palpitations every time Leota took a hit-up one off the ruck after a re-start. He went to ground prior to contact on each occasion and it was just begging for an offensive penalty.

He has been doing that since he came into the side. He’s good in traffic and he needs to back himself more. A couple of our other forwards do the same. Swinton was pretty impressive when he came on. I thought Daugunu was also good

 

[Up the Guts]

I was happy with Leota, we’re actually looking pretty good at 6 now between he, Swinton, and Wilson.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Another positive worth pointing out is how good our scrum was given the circumstances.
Rennie was also pretty brutal on the ref and TMO in post match so I think we can expect a fine

He did reveal that World Rugby apologised about the yellow card Ala'alatoa got in the Scotland game, suggesting that it was the wrong call at the time. He noted that the TMO in that game and in this game was the same official.

 

[Derpus]

He did reveal that World Rugby apologised about the yellow card Ala'alatoa got in the Scotland game, suggesting that it was the wrong call at the time. He noted that the TMO in that game and in this game was the same official.

Was it Marius? he fucks up just about every game he's involved in.

 

[Joe Blow]

Valetini’s red was on him completely. He went in too high and it was risky. He and the team paid the price. Beales yellow was a farce. It was in the process of completing a tackle and could have easily just been ruled an accidental knock on. When the Welsh player actually internationally knocked down the ball later in the game he was awarded a try and it was ruled a knock back. No consistency.
The ref was out of his depth and may have been influenced by the crowd? I think we will hear more about his performance in the coming days.
Discipline was again an issue for the Wallabies.

Looking forward to a new Super Rugby season and seeing all players in action against each other.