Wallabies front row

[Reddy!]

Don't worry guys, the front row problems have been solved!!!

TPN to tighthead...

 

[topo]

Don't worry guys, the front row problems have been solved!!!

TPN to tighthead...

The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

allegedly................

 

[Langthorne]

TPN to tighthead was another example of scrum cluelessness - and to risk a player who is so important to the Wallabies - to prove what?

 

[Langthorne]

The work to improve begins:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...-company-bruised-ear-drums-20100615-ydcz.html


I'm pleased to see they are practicing contested scrums, rather than just smashing a machine.

Hopefully there is some technical input to go with the pressure and aggression.



.

 

[fatprop]

Still binding illegally, with shoulders below hips

 

[TheTruth]

TPN to tighthead was another example of scrum cluelessness - and to risk a player who is so important to the Wallabies - to prove what?

Agree Langthorne,
Also could not see the point or was there a point - why not just bring Weekes back on - don't think TPN is THAT valuable that he should be wrapped in cotton wool but putting him at TH just crazy, Mose well put JO'C there ha ha - anyway TPN got absolutely smashed at TH

 

[TheTruth]

Still binding illegally, with shoulders below hips

Hey fatprop
Looks like Rocky's ugly mug - actually binding and assisting whichever poor prop up front - normally he would have his head up by now

 

[daz]

Hey fatprop
Looks like Rocky's ugly mug - actually binding and assisting whichever poor prop up front - normally he would have his head up by now

To be fair to Rocky and the rest of the meerkat second row, given the scrum was being consistently dismantled I would suggest that rather than focus on a lost cause, he was instead focusing on seeing which line would be taken and therefore preparing to get into a defensive position/ball carrier cover ASAP once the ball cleared.


Apologies in advance if I am blindingly wrong.

 

[Lance Free]

Tatafu ruled out for Saturday - aggravated his ankle injury last night.

 

[MrTimms]

Tatafu ruled out for Saturday - aggravated his ankle injury last night.

That is just terrible news. The front row can't buy a trick.

Also, when is Fat Cat due back? it was a broken arm, he was missing from the semi and at least the last game, so that was two weeks.
Then there was the final week, so three
The fiji test, the first pom test makes 5 weeks

I am pretty sure there is at least a week I have not accounted for, and a break being 6 weeks, so is he aiming for the Ireland test? or saving for the Tri-nations?

 

[daz]

Clarkie will be on foxsports.com.au to answer our questions. Go send him your questions ASAP! Do you think anyone here has anything to ask him such as, oh I don't know, the front row, perhaps?

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27278170-5019481,00.html

 

[naza]

Tatafu ruled out for Saturday - aggravated his ankle injury last night.

And Robbie Deans hasn't been sacked yet ? Disgraceful.

John O'Neill, asleep at the wheel since 2007.

 

[fatprop]

So will one penalty try be considered a triumph?

Wallabies likely to retain beaten front row
GREG GROWDEN
June 17, 2010

WALLABIES selectors have no alternative but to persevere with their inexperienced Test front row, which was decimated by the England pack, for Sydney on Saturday night after Tatafu Polota-Nau was yesterday ruled out after aggravating his ankle injury when playing for the Australian Barbarians.

The Wallabies wanted to bring back their No.1 hooker for the ANZ Stadium Test, but it all depended on how he fared against England in Gosford on Tuesday night when he returned from a month's break from ankle and shoulder ailments.

Polota-Nau has always been noted for his courage, but it worked against him in the game because his eagerness to do the right thing for the Barbarians thwarted his Test hopes. He played the first half, but as he left the field at the break it was clear he was struggling with a leg complaint. He ran on for the second half with strapping on his left knee, but after just one minute was replaced by Huia Edmonds, as team management was clearly concerned that if he was going to play in Saturday's Test he had to be rested.

However, Polota-Nau came back on late in the half when prop Pek Cowan hurt his calf, forcing him to return to the field, where, to the surprise of many, he became the tight-head prop.

As two props were off the field (Laurie Weeks had been replaced earlier) it was assumed the scrums would be uncontested. But Polota-Nau, who has trained and played as a prop, was determined to anchor the Barbarians scrum.

The two set-pieces he was involved in, which had James Slipper at loose-head and Edmonds at hooker, resulted in two England penalties for scrum collapses, enabling the visitors to turn a 9-9 scoreline into a 15-9 triumph. Having to cop such a pounding late in the game did nothing to help Polota-Nau's leg problems, prompting team management to yesterday rule him out of Saturday night's Test. This may mean the selectors, who will announce the team this afternoon, persevering with the Ben Daley-Saia Fainga'a-Salesi Ma'afu front-row combination, and Slipper remaining on the bench. Other backups - Weeks and Cowan - did not do enough in Gosford to push their way in, and coach Robbie Deans has stressed that he will not be making an SOS call for Al Baxter or Matt Dunning.

Elsewhere, the selectors have serious dilemmas to counter. Who should be the halfback - Luke Burgess or Will Genia? Who should be at inside-centre - Berrick Barnes or Matt Giteau? Who should be at fullback - James O'Connor or Adam Ashley-Cooper?

Genia, Giteau and Ashley-Cooper are all again available, but the selectors must decide whether to reward those who excelled in Perth or revert to their No.1 combination.

Burgess could easily hold the halfback spot after his best performance for the Wallabies, while Barnes and O'Connor, on their Subiaco performances, do not deserve to be dropped. However, with Jonny Wilkinson expected to start for England at five-eighth, Giteau could easily replace Barnes, who excelled in defence in Perth but was not so startling when used as a replacement for the Barbarians for 67 minutes on Tuesday night.

To counter Wilkinson, Australia need a consistent goalkicker and Giteau is that. As Wilkinson is bound to play a tactical kicking game, Ashley-Cooper comes also into contention, at wing or fullback.

 

[Scarfman]

Yeah naz - I would like an explanation of why a guy not fit to play hooker for Australia was playing tighthead for the Baabaas 3 days later.

Robbie Deans apologists explain that.

 

[Newb]

here here. hear hear?? whatever..... i thought it was criminally negligent before i heard he was injured. now i wonder if he really is on the kiwi's payroll.

 

[RedsHappy]

Yeah naz - I would like an explanation of why a guy not fit to play hooker for Australia was playing tighthead for the Baabaas 3 days later.

Robbie Deans apologists explain that.

I think another sub-topic that legitimately arises here: is a second-order price of not bringing back the props old guard that the inexperienced new guard (plus maybe the back 5) really risks a much higher injury rate than would otherwise be the case, with that risk being dramatically increased with those multiple busted scrums and related chaos within them? If there's anything in this, then the refusal to countenance the return of the old guard in any form could be double-recklessness if yet more injuries (a la TPN) accumulate in this manner.

 

[Thomond78]

Still binding illegally, with shoulders below hips

TH binding on the arm, penalty. LH shoulders below hips, penalty. LH is getting the living Jeebus kicked out of him there; twisted, split from the hooker and tucked in under himself already. By God, is he about to get reamed...

 

[Lindommer]

Let's take a long look at what props're available:

Reds - Daley, Holmes, Slipper, Weeks
Tahs - Baxter, Palmer, Tilse
Brumbies - Ma'afu, Shepherdson, Yanuyanutawa
Force - Cowan, Dunning, Fairbrother, Henderson
Injured - Alexander, Kepu, Robinson and Moore, TPN

The order of hookers obviously goes Fainga'a, Edmonds, Fitzpatrick.

For me, Dunning, Henderson and Holmes seem to be showing signs of wear and tear and will be good Super squad members, at best. Tucky particularly had a mediocre season. Shepherdson promised much a few seasons ago and has had ample opportunites in a gold jumper without impressing. Cowan and Yanu- haven't done anything to show they're other than big lugs who do very good pot plant impersonations. Fairbrother, Palmer and Tilse seemed to exhibit some improvement and/or promise, Palmer especially at the set pieces. Tilse is an interesting case, he's been shit for four or so years but this year seems to have finally come good; does it take that long to make a competent top level prop? Which leaves us with Daley, Ma'afu, Slipper and Weeks. And Baxter. Hindsight's a wonderful thing but surely Tuesday was an opportunity to give Al a run to at least stop Pommy LHPs binding illegally while preserving a fragile TPN. But I wouldn't put Baxter in the test team, he goes down on engagement far too often and I have a sneaky suspicion test match referees will continue to ping him on reputation.

There's no doubt Deans and Noriega have a list similar to that above and have carefully sifted through it to find the young props with promise, whom they've selected. But if injuries continue at the rate they are some of the supporting cast will get a run. Tim or Dan, if you get a call grab the opportunity with both hands and show us what you can do.

 

[fatprop]

And Robbie Deans hasn't been sacked yet ? Disgraceful.

John O'Neill, asleep at the wheel since 2007.

I simply do not understand the logic of even starting Nau, there was no need, Fitzpatrick was unused.

Now we have a front row starting another test who are out of their depth.

This was posted on the blog, I though it was worth repeating here ........

Fat Head Prop says:
June 16, 2010 at 8:57 am

As a prop currently playing at Sydney club level, looking at these highlights videos is both entertaining and heartbreaking.

England were simply too good on the night and a fact of life is that a dominant scrum will always be favoured by the ref…have a look at some of the highlights of the 2 Ben’s from last season…we definitely got the benefit of the doubt in a number of cases there.

Some thoughts:
– Maafu was well and truly schooled by the English LHP. He simply did what Benn Robinson has been doing for a couple of seasons now…no bullsh*t tricks…low set, good hit, leg drive leg drive leg drive.
– Maafu is simply unable to get a good low set. This was pretty evident during the S14 season – any time the opposition LHP got a lower set, Maafu collapsed the scrum.
– Maafu is not test quality (yet?) and must go. ASAP.
– Daley defintely got the raw end of the deal with the English THP binding on his arm. That said, he could’ve countered it in two or three ways: bigger impact at the hit (not once did it look like he got a strong hit) forcing the THP to adopt a more defensive bind/grip, lower body height (forcing the THP to ‘dive’ down), or to delay his bind for a split second and then bind high on the THP’s lower back or hips.
– Slipper is quite obviously a better scrummaging prop (purely from a technique perspective) than Maafu. Better body height, better hit. There were at least 2 scrums once he came on where England should’ve have been made to play the ball…by that stage Owens was enjoying the sound of his own whistle far too much to bother enforcing the rules.

 

[Scotty]

I did find it strange that Ma'afu was considered an automatic selection once Alexander and Robinson were injured. He never really looked the goods during the Super 14 for me.