Wallabies - how not to lose, rather than win

[Gagger]

See if you can get your head around these stats. Mindbending.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/freakish-stats-tries-really-do-mean-less-to-the-wallabies/

Question is it good or bad for Aussie rugby?

 

[Braveheart81]

I think there are good and bad elements to it.

Our defence is excellent and I think the team is showing far more character than they have in recent years. The ability to come from behind to claim a few wins is important.

We do need to improve our attack, particularly the ability to capitalise on errors and turnovers etc.

A lot of tries at top level rugby seem to come from capitalising on errors. Our hesitancy to take risks is probably part of the reason why we have been pretty frugal in giving up tries.

We need to work out how to balance risk and reward so that we can hold on to the ball and not take risks until an opportunity presents itself and then attack. This is something the All Blacks do particularly well. They move the ball around through the forwards over multiple phases until they can identify a numerical advantage somewhere on the field and then attack that weakness. Alternatively they're very good at holding the ball for multiple phases until there is a good opportunity to kick into space and gain territory.

 

[fatprop]

I believe, it comes down injuries.

The Wobs lost their threat units and were left with their steadying units, so our defence improved and our attack struggled

The only real threat ended up being Digby for many tests and it is easy to mark up the only threat.

 

[daz]

Very interesting, Gagger. I guess the perception of the Wallabies against actual is a little skewed.

It is the glass half full/empty question. We are the #2 team, but is that because we are good, or because we are less shit than #3?

Given our talent in the backline, I deeply despair that we can't seem to find a way to score tries, but that is somewhat balanced by the fact that our defense is pretty bloody good and recently we do keep the scoreboard ticking over with penalties (and a big "hello and we love you, Mikey Harris").

For mine, I still believe we don't really know what we are doing on game day. Yes, we find a way to win, but it seems it is due to opposition error rather than our smarts.

Case in point was the Bled 3 game; 27 phases at the pointy end and we couldn't get through the Darkness, then no-one thought to bang a field goal over. The sheer audacity of McCaw nearly killed us at the death. That win draw was luck, not planning.

We have kicked possesion away so much this year that the entire Wallabies starting 15 could get a gig as full-forward for any AFL team. It has almost never worked, yet we still do it. Madness.

When was the last time anyone ever said a Wallabies game was a certain win? Happy to have a level of uncertainty about the contest outcome against the AB's, Bok or even the Poms, but we can't even be sure we will win against fucking Romania. We are the French Rugby team of the Southern Hemisphere; what team will turn up on the day? No-one knows.

To sum up, I really do not have a clue what is going on. If RD is a genius, then his level of smarts is far beyond my understanding.

 

[Braveheart81]

Given our talent in the backline, I deeply despair that we can't seem to find a way to score tries, but that is somewhat balanced by the fact that our defense is pretty bloody good and recently we do keep the scoreboard ticking over with penalties (and a big "hello and we love you, Mikey Harris").

We do have talent in the backline but for most of this year we've been missing much of it.

JOC (James O'Connor) hasn't played a single test in 2012.
Quade Cooper played against the All Blacks before being injured again.
Will Genia got injured part way through the test season.
Kurtley Beale had a poor preparation and missed most of the series against Wales. It wasn't until right at the end of the Rugby Championship that he was looking close to his best.
Ioane missed the last test through injury.

If you looked at those guys as being clearly the five key attackers we have in our backline, we've been lucky to have more than two of them on the field at any one time.

 

[Ignoto]

JOC (James O'Connor) hasn't played a single test since the RWC.

JOC (James O'Connor) played the EOYT. Remember how he had an ok game against the Barbarians and Welsh and everyone touted him as the future 10!

Talk about RWC hangover blues for you Braveheart!

 

[Braveheart81]

JOC (James O'Connor) played the EOYT. Remember how he had an ok game against the Barbarians and Welsh and everyone touted him as the future 10!

Talk about RWC hangover blues for you Braveheart!

Sorry, I didn't think of that. I should have just gone with "hasn't played a single test in 2012" which is really what I was thinking.

 

[qwerty51]

Test match rugby has never been about tries, all about winning.

The thing that stands out in those stats but not surprised since I've mentioned it before is that we've played the most Tests. Too much rugby.

 

[daz]

We do have talent in the backline but for most of this year we've been missing much of it.

Agree with the guys you listed, and they are big out's, no doubt, but let's be brutally honest here; RD has had 5 years to develop a starting 15 and a second string team to account for injuries.

The argument has been done to death in other threads, but it is fair to say the guys we have used as "injury filler" are also capable players.

 

[Braveheart81]

Agree with the guys you listed, and they are big out's, no doubt, but let's be brutally honest here; RD has had 5 years to develop a starting 15 and a second string team to account for injuries.

The argument has been done to death in other threads, but it is fair to say the guys we have used as "injury filler" are also capable players.

Absolutely, but in terms of attacking prowess, the second string guys are well below our best attackers.

I don't think any coach would have turned players like Horne, McCabe, Harris, Barnes, Fainga'a and Phipps into players with anything close to the attacking threat that the players listed previously have.

 

[Scoey]

RD has had 5 years to develop a starting 15 and a second string team to account for injuries.

And I think he's done that. His starting 15 are injured and his second string 15 are doing ok in my books.

 

[daz]

Absolutely, but in terms of attacking prowess, the second string guys are well below our best attackers.

I don't think any coach would have turned players like Horne, McCabe, Harris, Barnes, Fainga'a and Phipps into players with anything close to the attacking threat that the players listed previously have.

I personally think McCabe and Barnes are walk up starters in any NH team. Until his confidence got shot, I would have had Barnes as a starting 12 for the Wallabies any day of the week. And you just have to love McCabe's guts and application.

Horne, Harris, Finger and Phipps are second string, absolutely. Agree they are a level (or two) down from guys like Genia, JOC (James O'Connor), Cooper, Beale, etc, but they are not slackers and should be expected to make an impact in the Wallabies team if called on to do so.

They have been in the Wallabies system long enough now for RD to have made them into more than capable backup players who should know how to get over the try line from time to time.

 

[daz]

And I think he's done that. His starting 15 are injured and his second string 15 are doing ok in my books.

I agree he has done that. My point is that after 5 years, he has had enough time and there should be no excuses that we have no cover for any position. Even to a third level.

Note I did say that I thought the second string guys were "more than capable" and they should be able to score more tries than they have.

 

[Braveheart81]

I personally think McCabe and Barnes are walk up starters in any NH team. Until his confidence got shot, I would have had Barnes as a starting 12 for the Wallabies any day of the week. And you just have to love McCabe's guts and application.

Horne, Harris, Finger and Phipps are second string, absolutely. Agree they are a level (or two) down from guys like Genia, JOC (James O'Connor), Cooper, Beale, etc, but they are not slackers and should be expected to make an impact in the Wallabies team if called on to do so.

They have been in the Wallabies system long enough now for RD to have made them into more than capable backup players who should know how to get over the try line from time to time.

I agree completely with what you say except maybe the last sentence (although they should be able to score some tries, which they have).

When it comes to providing attacking spark, these players are chalk and cheese when compared to Beale, Cooper, Genia, JOC (James O'Connor) and Ioane. I don't think any amount of coaching is going to change that. By the same token, I don't think any amount of coaching would turn Cooper into being as good a defender as McCabe.

 

[cyclopath]

I think we have become what many of us think England to be.
Not pretty, I'll agree, but I'd rather be #2 in tracky-daks than #5 with a nice frock on.

 

[I like to watch]

....
They have been in the Wallabies system long enough now for RD to have made them into more than capable backup players who should know how to get over the try line from time to time.

That's just silly.Using that logic, RD should be able to convert any blogger on this site into a try scoring machine at test level with enough time in the squad.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I am more worried about the fact that we played 3 more games than the AB's in the same period.

 

[Bullrush]

That's just silly.Using that logic, RD should be able to convert any blogger on this site into a try scoring machine at test level with enough time in the squad.

Have to agree. I can't see how RD is responsible for having depth down to 3rd and 4th string. The max one coach can really deal iwth is maybe 30 players. After that, it's provincial/Super coaches and clubs (actually....it's REALLY up to the individuals themselves) to get better playing standrds from the players.

RD is not a great international coach (IMO) but he isn't responsible for EVERYTHING wrong with Aussie rugby.

 

[daz]

I think we have become what many of us think England to be.
Not pretty, I'll agree, but I'd rather be #2 in tracky-daks than #5 with a nice frock on.

Note to GAGR's: Does this comment make you depressed or suicidal? Please call the GAGR Helpline on 1300 FUCK A DUCK.

Twitter hashtag #ItsWorseThanWeThought

 

[daz]

Have to agree. I can't see how RD is responsible for having depth down to 3rd and 4th string. The max one coach can really deal iwth is maybe 30 players. After that, it's provincial/Super coaches and clubs (actually..it's REALLY up to the individuals themselves) to get better playing standrds from the players.

RD is not a great international coach (IMO) but he isn't responsible for EVERYTHING wrong with Aussie rugby.

No, I think you and ILTW missed my point (or I made it badly).

I was trying to say that RD has done well to bring in good backup players. Additionally, he has had the second string guys for long enough that they should be familiar with the Wallabies gameplan, and therefore transistion in when needed with minimal fuss.

The fact that no-one actually knows what the gameplan is, is the problem. The players look confused.

But maybe that's just me.