Wallabies v All Blacks Melbourne

[Hugh Jarse]

I also think we'll struggle to get close, but the game is winnable. Like I said earlier in the week, we simply must find a way to beat these guys. It all starts with ........

It all starts with a meal for the AB's on Friday Night at Suzie's restaurant.

With QC (Quade Cooper) suspended, it would take a 1995 RWC dose of food poisoning to stop the AB's. We desperately need to find Suzie the Waitress!

 

[cyclopath]

Horne is heaps better then Smith. Anyone see the Tahs V Canes game?

Just as 1 bogan does not a rugby league crowd make, young Tah...

 

[Blue]

It all starts with a meal for the AB's on Friday Night at Suzie's restaurant.

With QC (Quade Cooper) suspended, it would take a 1995 RWC dose of food poisoning to stop the AB's. We desperately need to find Suzie the Waitress!

She was a hooker in a Chef's outfit. How many times do I have to tell you guys?

 

[Groucho]

You should try watching rugby sometime - you might really like it!

What rugby might tht be, Epi? Might it be the last time Barnes and Horne lined up against Nonu and Smith?

Now that was just a few months ago. And I'd be guessing #1 Tah did watch it, and maybe you didn't.

Howdya think it finished up?

 

[Gagger]

I think we all remember Wellington & Honkers, and have forgotten Auckland & Sydney from last year.

Had we gone on with Auckland or Syd, it'd be a very different situation now (if, buts etc). A new season, who knows....

Gonna be fucking interesting to see which game plan Dingo goes with. Can we out-run the ABs?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I think we all remember Wellington & Honkers, and have forgotten Auckland & Sydney from last year.

Had we gone on with Auckland or Syd, it'd be a very different situation now (if, buts etc). A new season, who knows....

Gonna be fucking interesting to see which game plan Dingo goes with. Can we out-run the ABs?

The Auckland game was the really galling one for me. Had Barnes passed the right way, we would have been well ahead and with a head of steam up. The reffing of the scrum didn't help either, but that's footy.

 

[Joe Blow]

It is a tough assignment for any side, but hey....it has been that way for a long time.
The Wallabies need to take it to the ABs from the start and rattle them, take them out of their comfort zone.
We did it several times last year but allowed them to re-gain their composure.
If we can get them on the back foot again then hopefully Deans young mob now have the killer blow that was lacking in the past.

Go the mighty Wobs!!!

 

[CanadianRugby]

One thing that nobody has talked about yet, but with Gits, Barnes and Horne in the middle it is an excellent defense mid-field. Nonu and Smith are awfully good, but with these three there is a good chance of stopping them. Certainly I'd rather have Cooper at 10 with the ball in hand, and his defense has improved, but Gits, Barnes and Horne are good tacklers. This also frees up Pocock to chase the ball at little more, rather than making cover tackles. And since I suspect Deans isn't going to change the game plan of running kicking, hopefully we won't see Gits and Barnes booting away.

 

[Ruggo]

Fair point CR. NZ haven't been frustrated so much yet in defense so lets see how it pans out.

 

[Ruggo]

I think we all remember Wellington & Honkers, and have forgotten Auckland & Sydney from last year.

Had we gone on with Auckland or Syd, it'd be a very different situation now (if, buts etc). A new season, who knows....

Gonna be fucking interesting to see which game plan Dingo goes with. Can we out-run the ABs?

I am with you on this Gagger. I think if we can improve on some decision making and cut the basic skill errors, we can go a long way to frustrating the shit out of the All Blacks. God knows what will happen from there.

 

[Langthorne]

I think it will be about basic skills, getting them rattled, and hopefully getting on top in the lineout. Then we'll have the option of playing field position.

 

[Scotty]

Not much merit in comparing the teams like that. Take Nonu vs Barnes for example; their styles are different.

Barnes hasn't ever had a problem with Nonu, and I am yet to see Nonu play his best against the Wallabies. He will be targeted, and if successful this could cause their backline play to fall apart.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Barnes hasn't ever had a problem with Nonu, and I am yet to see Nonu play his best against the Wallabies. He will be targeted, and if successful this could cause their backline play to fall apart.

Int the Wallabies win in Sydders, Deans targetted Nonu big time. They always had two (at least) - usually a fatty and back pushing up alot harder in defence when Nonu got the ball. Didn't allow him to get any sort of momentum. Good ploy, but did put pressure on those two players to get ball and all in the tackle and stop the offload, which Nonu has improved considerably IMO.

Closing down Carter's space will be just as important.

 

[fatprop]

The backs won't be a big problem, but we will eventually be dominated in the tight five and the scrum.

 

[Reddy!]

The backs won't be a big problem, but we will eventually be dominated in the tight five and the scrum.

That's pessimistic. I honestly think the Wallabies are going to smash the All Blacks off the park...by 1 point.

 

[Scotty]

I think we all remember Wellington & Honkers, and have forgotten Auckland & Sydney from last year.

Had we gone on with Auckland or Syd, it'd be a very different situation now (if, buts etc). A new season, who knows....

Gonna be fucking interesting to see which game plan Dingo goes with. Can we out-run the ABs?

We are never going to out run the All Blacks, particularly now we are missing Coopers x-factor and wide passing game. We shouldn't be trying to out run them, we should be trying to out defend them. Don't let them score from counter attack by ensuring our kicking is good and kick chase even better. Put more balls out rather than keeping them in play like vs the Boks. Push up hard on their centres, putting pressure on Nonu and Smith and ensure neither gets much of a head of steam up. Ruck hard and counter ruck even harder. Hold our own in the lineouts and scrums. Employ the second forward off the ruck drive like we did well against the Boks. Have Elsom running inside and outside of Giteau and make sure he is supported for the offload. Brown and Pocock to in essentially 'double team' McCaw.

This is a very winnable game provided we play our best defensive game, and Giteau doesn't run too laterally. There are a couple of critical areas where they may have the wood on us that I'm concerned about:

1 Counter rucking
2 Scrums
3 Ball runners in the forwards

 

[Reddy!]

Hang on, Reddy! A post or two back you were basing this prediction on the theory of the statistical probability of binary numbers in sequence runs where AB W=1 and AB L=0. Namely, from start, 7 1s must soon precede an inevitable 0 (some time). The most rational approach to this game's result I would have thought, and I was about to applaud the powerful simplicity of your approach just when you zapped us a totally different basis for predicting. Are you confused, or just searching for a mathematical basis for hope?

I have no idea what you just said, but I clap my hands with applause. Wallabies by 1.

 

[RedsHappy]

I have no idea what you just said, but I clap my hands with applause. Wallabies by 1.

The clapping will do just fine.

 

[RedsHappy]

A few more tips and advice for the Wallabies tomorrow from the great one:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...eating-All-Blacks-not-rocket-science-Macqueen

 

[fatprop]

That's pessimistic. I honestly think the Wallabies are going to smash the All Blacks off the park...by 1 point.

I call it being realistic, but I will be ecstatic if we win.