Wallabies have a drinking problem?

[Inside Shoulder]

Not so fast: that quote from AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s twitter account is not a good look, IMO. Any grievances he has with the penalty should be aired behind closed doors. he should be put on a suspended sentence: if he tweets anything that is not conducive to team harmony or questions management in any way over the next, say, 12 months he misses a game.
I say that as a huge admirer of AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) on and off the field.

 

[TSR]

But the quote is from his brother's twitter isn't it?

I'm not sure it is well advised in any case, but I don't think AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) really has a case to answer for regarding something his brother posts.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

But the quote is from his brother's twitter isn't it?

I'm not sure it is well advised in any case, but I don't think AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) really has a case to answer for regarding something his brother posts.

Sorry you're right.
His penalty is that he should never play for the Wallabies again.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The fact that its AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s brother and not him confirms my huge regard for AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), while casting enormous doubt on my ability to read.

 

[BDA]

Rules are rules, if they dont follow the rules? Deans had to suffer this for a long time till it cost him his job. Lesson nr1 for any coach. Even Snor was strict with this.

True Deans did lose control of his group. that's not what cost him his job though. It was the shit poor performances of his team. the two are possibly interrelated.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Also, as a note, as I mentioned on the main page. The World Health Organization considers greater than 4 standard drinks in one session to be a binge and unhealthy levels for even irregular consumption. I'd assume team protocols would be around that levels.

Considering they are paid for athletic performance, I guess taking care of their bodies is part of their responsibilities.

I also like a drink, but you cannot say it did them no harm. Studies clearly show it does and it is the players responsibility to keep themselves in peak physical condition. They're not paid for their IP, their paid for their athletic performance.

Imagine what they would have done to Ireland had they not diminished their athletic performance by being out on the turps on Tuesday night.

But, I completely endorse Link's actions. There are standards of behaviour to be met even if they are not codified. I'll bet there aren't any laid down rules about having all night flings with a pretty Coleen but if caught, I'd say the offender would also be stood down on behaviour grounds. Any number of other scenarios could be dreamed up that would justify sanction of some sort but which are not laid down rules. And I agree with Cat that the team for Ireland would have already been established and it would have been absolutely non-sensical to have taken action before that game. Full marks to Link and any other team leaders or managers who were involved in taking these actions.

 

[BDA]

Just because they didn't break any preset rules doesn't mean that what they did wasn't in the wrong..

They aren't their on a holiday and have nights out with the boys, they are their to play rugby and represent their country, and getting paid handsomely to do so($75'000 in match fees alone) to do so.

Think about the context of events as well, people were upset when a sober KB (Kurtley Beale) and JOC (James O'Connor) were at a burger joint at 2am in the days prior to a test match, now you have some senior players drinking alcohol and presumably getting drunk in the days prior to a test. Links hand was forced

This is one of those 6 of one, half dozen of the other issues. I think everyone agrees with Links decision in suspending and yes these guys are professionals getting paid a lot of money. At the same time this is rugby tour. They were traditionally was all about team bonding, including many nights out on the turps. Sure the professional era has changed that. The guys had the day off on the Wednesday; its not like they were hung over on the training paddock.

I'm only playing devil's advocate here. I like Links decision to suspend players but I don't think we should make a mountain out of a mole hill, as much as some journos would like to.

For instance, I don't think you can compare this to JOC (James O'Connor) and Beale's behaviour. They were out til 4am on the week of the biggest tests of the year and they were huge repeat offenders that had been reprimanded and spoken to on many occasions. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Cummins were the only ones in the run on side and neither of them are repeat offenders to the best of my knowledge

 

[RedsHappy]

We're slowly exiting from a long period of Wallaby darkness and depression. Deans had no clue re building himself a competent, hard-driven, united organisational culture rooted in discipline; it's so clear in hindsight that, in his Crusaders days, that came more or less pre-built for him via the famous and exceptional Cantabrian rugby system, so he evolved no real management and culture-building expertise of his own.

Truly appalling that no less than 15 players could not grasp the playing - let alone standards-related - detriment of heavy alcohol consumption and late nights just a few days out from a crucial 'must win' Test coming at the end of a shocking w-l ratio in 2013, the BIL loss, and with vast numbers of disillusioned Wallaby fans, etc.

Many elite US and EU sports teams have total alcohol bans throughout their seasons, partly as the factual evidence for alcohol's degradation of athletic performance is unambiguously established.

 

[biggsy]

Bloody tah players influencing the younger mob....its all there fault

 

[scaraby]

I wonder if nick Phipps is wishing he shouted Genia & White a few extra beers.

Very funny............Genia can't drink at the moment....he's too busy digging his teeth out of the turf and removing Izzy's studs from the back of his head.

 

[Ignoto]

Imagine what they would have done to Ireland had they not diminished their athletic performance by being out on the turps on Tuesday night.

I was thinking the same, but thankfully all of the starting 8 (bar Fardy) weren't anywhere near this mess.

I'm just blown away at the naughty boys being two wingers out drinking with the front row. Must have been awkward at your shout buying three Guinness's and two apple martini's!

 

[Bowside]

I think the breaking of team rules is more important than drinking or staying out late.

From all reports the drinking involved was pretty tame, no bad behaviour, no fights, no one drunk at training etc.

But the team rules are a crucial mental component, to make sure everyone in the team is putting in 100 percent, so there is no doubt in the players minds that everyone around them is giving all they can give to achieve the win.

My old rowing club use to buy a new boat every few seasons - not because the old boat was slow, but rather just as a piece of mind thing so the crew knew they were rowing in the best equipment possible. Also so all the other crews knew their boat wasn't as fast as our shiny new one. The more competitive the pursuit, the more the little things matter I guess.

 

[Ash]

From the roar:

TIMELINE OF EVENTS THAT LED TO WALLABIES PLAYERS BEING DISCIPLINED FOR NIGHT OF DRINKING:
* Tuesday night – All 32 squad-members attend separate team dinners at different Dublin venues in four different groups of around eight players
* Early Wednesday morning – 15 players return back to the team hotel at varying times after midnight, with most believed to have been drinking
* Late Wednesday afternoon (Players’ day off) – coach Ewen McKenzie becomes aware players returned home late and “inappropriate” levels of alcohol consumed
* Thursday and Friday – McKenzie interviews players on a individual basis. No public complaints made
* Saturday night – Australia defeat Ireland 32-15 at Aviva Stadium
* Sunday morning – Players receive punishments and team addressed as a group about team standards by McKenzie and ARU boss Bill Pulver
* Monday morning – McKenzie announces his “firm action” in Edinburgh.
NB. Tuesday dinner protocols – Normally held as a full team, including staff, on the evening before a day off training. Players allowed to have a glass or two of wine. Expectation remains they return to hotel rooms by midnight
In Dublin, they were allowed to head out in their “competition groups” to venues of their choice.
McKenzie: “Some players made the decision that the dinner might go significantly longer and involve more drinks and in the end that was not acceptable.”
“That’s not the way it was set up and they have paid a price.”​

 

[Ash]

Looks like team protocols were violated, so fair enough to me.

 

[scaraby]

I was thinking the same, but thankfully all of the starting 8 (bar Fardy) weren't anywhere near this mess.

I'm just blown away at the naughty boys being two wingers out drinking with the front row. Must have been awkward at your shout buying three Guinness's and two apple martini's!

Except that Honey Badger is a tight head wolf in "wingers clothing"

 

[mudskipper]

Honestly as a senior player ACC is utterly useless, totally selfish... Other than that looks to me like the bench decided to kick on and go hard, dumb move lads, respect your team and your selves...

If they can’t take the tour serious for a few weeks, honestly go play with JOC (James O'Connor) at the London Irish... I'm amazed they had such poor discipline prior to the Irish test, a game we haven’t won in a long time...

And the school boy Drew Mitchell comment says more about him than anyone else…

Frankly I'm looking forward to seeing how we go without AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)… I don’t think he will be missed, pissed or sober…

Perhaps Link should have got them to shave off their stupid facial hair. They look like first class knobs…

 

[TSR]

Facial hair?? Really??

Yeah, that's the problem.

 

[cyclopath]

Facial hair?? Really??

Yeah, that's the problem.

I checked with my erstwhile colleague, Herr Sutiez, of the Potsdam Institute of Trichopathology, and he absolutely confirms the correlation between new facial hair growth and self-destructive group behaviour amongst young men.
I grew my beard in isolation, so he believes my risk of breaking my own protocols is within safe limits.
Phew!

 

[BPC]

This is all a storm in a tea cup wine glass.

Fixed.

 

[TSR]

I checked with my erstwhile colleague, Herr Sutiez, of the Potsdam Institute of Trichopathology, and he absolutely confirms the correlation between new facial hair growth and self-destructive group behaviour amongst young men.
I grew my beard in isolation, so he believes my risk of breaking my own protocols is within safe limits.
Phew!

Always helps if you keep your own protocols pretty relaxed too.