Wallabies 2024

[dru]

Rankings pretty meaningless at this time of year, Ireland and Italy both benefitting by virtue of not playing anyone. We haven't been able to climb off the rankings canvas since Eddie's double point losses to Fiji and Wales. After the NH tours it will provide a more accurate picture.

Seriously, you don't think that occasionally favours the southern hemisphere?

Yeah we deserve to be where we are but I still think if we played Italy and Fiji 10 times we would win at least 8.

That is highly presumptive. How did we go against Italy the last time we met? We seem as Wallaby fans to be struggling with our fall.

This shit has been building over many, many years. We are where we are.

 

[KOB1987]

Seriously, you don't think that occasionally favours the southern hemisphere?



That is highly presumptive. How did we go against Italy the last time we met? We seem as Wallaby fans to be struggling with our fall.

This shit has been building over many, many years. We are where we are.

It does, the point is Ireland moving to #1 is academic if they didn’t actually play anyone to deserve that rating. Similarly Italy overtaking us when we were within a bees dick of beating the All Blacks. I wasnt saying it favours any hemisphere, only that the movements aren’t particularly relevant unless everyone is actually playing.

 

[dru]

It does, the point is Ireland moving to #1 is academic if they didn’t actually play anyone to deserve that rating. Similarly Italy overtaking us when we were within a bees dick of beating the All Blacks. I wasnt saying it favours any hemisphere, only that the movements aren’t particularly relevant unless everyone is actually playing.

So Ireland have gone to #1 (while not playing). It isn't irrelevant. You play games across a season where you play more games in one part of the year than the other. It's a global sport. It is irritating to see your team drop when you are not playing, but it is not irrelevant.

Right now though, Wallabies are just barely hanging on to the top 10. I don't think that is in anyway inaccurate, albeit I can imagine us working quickly to #7. Before we drop again.

 

[KOB1987]

I didn’t say irrelevant, I said not particularly relevant. I doubt Ireland are holding a ticker tape parade to celebrate the event.

Shorthand version, South Africa are better than Ireland and we are better than both Italy and Fiji, and i will leave the verdict on Scotland and Wales until we play them on tour. 6-7 is about right for us currently.

 

[rugbyAU]

Seriously, you don't think that occasionally favours the southern hemisphere?



That is highly presumptive. How did we go against Italy the last time we met? We seem as Wallaby fans to be struggling with our fall.

This shit has been building over many, many years. We are where we are.

Italy have only beat us once

We also have to go play the northern hemisphere teams in Europe and play the Boks and ABs more than the European sides

 

[Strewthcobber]

I think I'm right in saying we've lost our last game against every side ranked above us in the rankings except Scotland (and they won the previous three).

 

[JRugby2]

I'm a big fan of Lord Laurie but I can't help but feel his job will start to come under significant pressure soon.

I'm not suggesting to throw the baby out with the bath water here and radically shift to a rush D - but his 'connected line speed' system isn't just conceding metres but points. We're conceding an average of 32 points a game (28 if you exclude the highest and lowest figures) and our results are showing.

Seems the best teams are figured out all they need to do is be dominant in the carry and quickly recycle/ offload against us and before long space appears.

Spring tour could potentially hide some of the frailties for a while if the Northern teams play stereotypically northern rugby

 

[LevitatingSocks]

I'm a big fan of Lord Laurie but I can't help but feel his job will start to come under significant pressure soon.

I'm not suggesting to throw the baby out with the bath water here and radically shift to a rush D - but his 'connected line speed' system isn't just conceding metres but points. We're conceding an average of 32 points a game (28 if you exclude the highest and lowest figures) and our results are showing.

Seems the best teams are figured out all they need to do is be dominant in the carry and quickly recycle/ offload against us and before long space appears.

Spring tour could potentially hide some of the frailties for a while if the Northern teams play stereotypically northern rugby

Not disagreeing with anything you said, but potentially aggravating the issue is our relative lack of size and dominant tackling. Conceding initial meters is fine if we're maintaining line integrity and credible at the ruck but we're not.

 

[Ignoto]

Not disagreeing with anything you said, but potentially aggravating the issue is our relative lack of size and dominant tackling. Conceding initial meters is fine if we're maintaining line integrity and credible at the ruck but we're not.

My memory is a little hazy, but at least 2 of the 4 tries the All Blacks scored came from no-one even putting a finger on the ball carrier. The tries overall did not come from the All Blacks holding onto the ball and making metres but from complete miss-reads in defence and poor technique.

Will Jordan's try came from Williams completely missing his man let alone falling off a tackle.

Whatever good work Laurie can do at the Brumbies never seems to translate for the Wallabies.

 

[Derpus]

My memory is a little hazy, but at least 2 of the 4 tries the All Blacks scored came from no-one even putting a finger on the ball carrier. The tries overall did not come from the All Blacks holding onto the ball and making metres but from complete miss-reads in defence and poor technique.

Will Jordan's try came from Williams completely missing his man let alone falling off a tackle.

Whatever good work Laurie can do at the Brumbies never seems to translate for the Wallabies.

That was some of the worst defence I've seen at test level. Maybe that kind of misread is forgivable when you are completely gassed after 80 minutes of rugby but in the few few minutes? Come on.

 

[Bullrush]

I'm a big fan of Lord Laurie but I can't help but feel his job will start to come under significant pressure soon.

I'm not suggesting to throw the baby out with the bath water here and radically shift to a rush D - but his 'connected line speed' system isn't just conceding metres but points. We're conceding an average of 32 points a game (28 if you exclude the highest and lowest figures) and our results are showing.

Seems the best teams are figured out all they need to do is be dominant in the carry and quickly recycle/ offload against us and before long space appears.

Spring tour could potentially hide some of the frailties for a while if the Northern teams play stereotypically northern rugby

I was just watching The Breakdown and apparently, Australia had better gainline stats than the All Blacks did which would suggest that the ABs weren't as dominant in the contact as we might think?

 

[Braveheart81]

Will Jordan's try came from Williams completely missing his man let alone falling off a tackle.

The first try wasn't Jeremy Williams making a mistake, it was Angus Bell.

Bell and to a lesser degree Frost committed to the forward pod when that was well covered and should have stayed in the defensive line.

Even just watching those first couple of minutes it is notable how often one of our forwards in particular rushes out of the defensive line and commits to someone they shouldn't. Nick Frost does it a couple of times.

 

[Joe Blow]

The first try wasn't Jeremy Williams making a mistake, it was Angus Bell.

Bell and to a lesser degree Frost committed to the forward pod when that was well covered and should have stayed in the defensive line.

Even just watching those first couple of minutes it is notable how often one of our forwards in particular rushes out of the defensive line and commits to someone they shouldn't. Nick Frost does it a couple of times.

Yes, Bell came off his man. Got to trust the bloke next to you or it just will not work.

 

[fatprop]

Yes, Bell came off his man. Got to trust the bloke next to you or it just will not work.

It takes a while to trust the guy next to you and know where they will be

 

[Ignoto]

The first try wasn't Jeremy Williams making a mistake, it was Angus Bell.

Ah sorry you're right. Went back and it was the second try.

Clarke just went straight through Williams (and Valetini, but Williams completely missed the tackle) which caused the line break and was ultimately the start of the try.

 

[drewprint]

I recall a lot of came from quick turnover ball too. An area where NZ regularly ream us. Once we tidied that up it became a contest.

 

[Tomikin]

I seem to remember one of the gaps opening was Valetini. I'm not sure who the other was, but it was such a massive hole and disconnect. actually both times it was between Valetini and the inside guy (not saying it was his fault just remember him being there).

 

[Braveheart81]

Clarke just went straight through Williams (and Valetini, but Williams completely missed the tackle) which caused the line break and was ultimately the start of the try.

Watching it back it's amazing how our defensive line is advancing until Clarke straightens his line and then when we're actually trying to make a tackle we are backpedaling and on our heels. Our players are ultimately in a terrible position to make a tackle.

Then a phase later Frost should fill the gaping hole in our defensive line but instead he tries to get to the breakdown which allows Ratima to pick the ball up and run past him.

Like in a lot of facets, our decision making and accuracy are terrible.

 

[Ignoto]

Watching it back it's amazing how our defensive line is advancing until Clarke straightens his line and then when we're actually trying to make a tackle we are backpedaling and on our heels. Our players are ultimately in a terrible position to make a tackle.

Then a phase later Frost should fill the gaping hole in our defensive line but instead he tries to get to the breakdown which allows Ratima to pick the ball up and run past him.

Like in a lot of facets, our decision making and accuracy are terrible.

Yeah it's hard to understand why there was such a significant difference between the two halves and our defence.

We had several sustained periods of defence i.e. 7+ phases where the Wallabies looked good. However, individual errors is what caused the Wallabies to falter.

It seems to be a theme of our current defensive pattern, so it seems to suggest something needs to change to make it easier on the players to follow.

 

[dru]

I seem to remember one of the gaps opening was Valetini. I'm not sure who the other was, but it was such a massive hole and disconnect. actually both times it was between Valetini and the inside guy (not saying it was his fault just remember him being there).

I completely missed the D structure in that first 30min. Impossible to point fingers without getting a feel for what is meant to be happening. Headless chooks is what I saw. OTOH Valetini was part of the resurgence in the last 20-30 mins.

Watching it back it's amazing how our defensive line is advancing until Clarke straightens his line and then when we're actually trying to make a tackle we are backpedaling and on our heels. Our players are ultimately in a terrible position to make a tackle.

Then a phase later Frost should fill the gaping hole in our defensive line but instead he tries to get to the breakdown which allows Ratima to pick the ball up and run past him.

Like in a lot of facets, our decision making and accuracy are terrible.

Surely we would need to know what was coached to happen, I doubt, well hope, that the coached D doesn't start with everyone prioritising random gaps. Well no, ofc everyone aught prioritise those gaps as they appear. it's more about why they appear. It was flabbergasting.