Wallabies v All Blacks, Saturday 21st October, Suncorp, Brisbane

[Up the Guts]

As I said, the defensive barn dance by Nathan Grey. It is not written in stone that the 13 has to defend at 12. It is because Grey moves his weaker defenders in Foley and/or Beale out of the front line in defense that both the 13 and winger have to move in a slot or two.

It will be interesting to see what sort of defensive arrangement we have this weekend. In Dunedin Beale defended in the frontline at 12 more than he did so in recent games. Unless they're absolute turnstile who shies away from contact I find it's better to have your weaker defenders closer to the ruck, especially someone like Beale who likes to tackle quite high, because there's less room for the opposition to get on the outside. Beale mostly misses tackles because he gets brushed going high on a guy in a bit of space who is able to get outside him. He's better when guys try to run straight over him like when he got that turnover against SBW in Dunedin.

 

[Strewthcobber]

It will be interesting to see what sort of defensive arrangement we have this weekend.

Pretty much since then he's been the blind winger with Hodge at 12. Would expect that's how they'll line up on Saturday

 

[Up the Guts]

Pretty much since then he's been the blind winger with Hodge at 12. Would expect that's how they'll line up on Saturday

Yeah you're probably right, seems to be that since Hodge came in for DHP Beale has assumed the quasi-fullback/wing role that DHP played and Hodge has taken over defending at 12.

 

[Namerican]

It will be interesting to see what sort of defensive arrangement we have this weekend. In Dunedin Beale defended in the frontline at 12 more than he did so in recent games. Unless they're absolute turnstile who shies away from contact I find it's better to have your weaker defenders closer to the ruck, especially someone like Beale who likes to tackle quite high, because there's less room for the opposition to get on the outside. Beale mostly misses tackles because he gets brushed going high on a guy in a bit of space who is able to get outside him. He's better when guys try to run straight over him like when he got that turnover against SBW in Dunedin.

I was trying to say the same thing to a guy on Reddit who disagreed, so glad that I'm not the only one who sees that. You'd think it'd be the other way around given his build and agility/speed, but he seems completely lost trying to tackle people in open field for some reason.

 

[Mr Doug]

UBET is offering $3-00 on the Wallabies to score first. That got me thinking. When was the last time the Wallabies kicked a field-goal?

 

[RugbyReg]

UBET is offering $3-00 on the Wallabies to score first. That got me thinking. When was the last time the Wallabies kicked a field-goal?

8 November 2014 v Wales Wallabies won 33-28. Bernard Foley kicked the field goal.

 

[Up the Guts]

I was trying to say the same thing to a guy on Reddit who disagreed, so glad that I'm not the only one who sees that. You'd think it'd be the other way around given his build and agility/speed, but he seems completely lost trying to tackle people in open field for some reason.

Part of it might be his pedigree as a 10, I found in my limited time playing flyhalf in less complicated defensive structures that without all the chopping and changing as a 10 you often find yourself defending in the 30 channel with a lot of traffic coming your way. So you get used to guys running straight at you and you either chop them or if they're trying to run over you and you're not that interested in shoulder on shoulder contact bear hug them up high and use their momentum to bring them to the ground. I think Beale at least in his schoolboy days probably became used to just planting his feet and trying to wrap big guys up high which meant, with the shift to the outside backs in his professional career, he is not as used to tracking and getting his foot in close to the opponent in one on ones (on a side note I think Koroibete is one of the best at one on one defence we've seen in a long time). And this isn't just limited to Beale a lot of 10s or former 10s try and wrap guys up high, Cooper does it, Hawera from the Brumbies does, even Barrett does it close to the line. Guys like Lilo and To'omua seem to be exceptions.

 

[Warpath]

Speight could actually make a really good defensive 13 if they can adjust his timings, plus he is faster than TK so if he can pounce on a lose ball, he can run 80 to score, yeah he is no longer as fast as he was back in 2014 but when on form, he is usually the one player apart form Folau to gain the most metres in a game. Personally i'd like to see Chieka start him at 13 against the Barbarians next week, if you look at the backs, all places are secured, u have 4 FB options in folau/beale/Khunt/Hodge , 5 options on wing (Speight/Marika/Hodge/Rona/Beale), 6 at 12 (Meakes/Hodge/Kerevi/Beale/Foley/Khunt), 3 at 10 (Foley/Beale/Hodge) but only 2 at 13 (TK/Folau) , Rona is not really a good attacking or defending 13, Kerevi is a good attacking 13 but a woeful defending 13, Speight is good defensively and on attack, his only issue is timings, he usually makes the tackle but usually a split second too late as the player may have already offloaded...once they can get him to tackle on time, he can be a useful 13 to have inside Marika cause his tackles are usually stronger than TK's .. which can lead to lose ball and Marika with his league knowledge can pounce on them and run

 

[Braveheart81]

Matt Todd is out. Ardie Savea is in.

 

[Dan54]

Matt Todd is out. Ardie Savea is in.

Bugger that a shame for Todd, he been playing bloody well!

 

[dru]

Pretty much since then he's been the blind winger with Hodge at 12. Would expect that's how they'll line up on Saturday

It wasn't simply Beale but the combined barn dance against the All Blacks with their rapid counter that left the Wallabies all at sea in the disastrous Bled #1 2017. Beale stayed in position for Bled #2 which was part of the strategy to help ease the defensive positional burdon and he actually did quite well.

Yes the barn dance came back after that, but are we going to offer the same opportunity to the All Blacks that we did in the first game? No other team strikes back like they do. No doubt the barn dance has been simplified, and the guys have had time to get more familiar with it. You may well be right, and Beale rolls to blind wing in defence, but I can't feel confident about it.

Might be fine.

Might not. If we do and it's another cluster f#ck it unwinds much of the good will that Cheika has been building since Bled #1. If he rolls the dice he better bloody pull it off.

 

[Moono75]

I'll be backing the All Blacks in as will a lot of Western Australians.

 

[Braveheart81]

I'll be backing the All Blacks in as will a lot of Western Australians.

You disappoint me Moono.

 

[Moono75]

You disappoint me Moono.

That is entirely due to the disgraceful treatment of WA by our supposed national sporting body. If the Wallabies get up so be it and great for them but I wont be actively cheering them on or wearing the jumper. Plus my dad is a Kiwi. Maybe things will change down the track but a lot will need to change.

 

[Braveheart81]

I get how upset you all are, but for me cheering on the Wallabies has nothing to do with the administration. It's the players and the national identity. A bunch of terrible and incompetent administrators can't take that away.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Up the Guts]

I'll be backing the All Blacks in as will a lot of Western Australians.

Come on not even Brad Thorn is going for the All Blacks.

 

[BLR]

I get how upset you all are, but for me cheering on the Wallabies has nothing to do with the administration. It's the players and the national identity. A bunch of terrible and incompetent administrators can't take that away.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Mate, you aren't in our position so your opinion is moot. It isn't a case of being upset, the feeling is just completely gone.

The national identity has been smashed in WA as we sit back and watch our corpse be stripped bare by the jackals we are supposed to be supporting on the weekend.

Bugger the Wallabies.

 

[dru]

I get how upset you all are, but for me cheering on the Wallabies has nothing to do with the administration. It's the players and the national identity. A bunch of terrible and incompetent administrators can't take that away.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Oh heck, it's just the wrong thread. Come on Wallabies, just do it.

 

[Mr Doug]

8 November 2014 v Wales Wallabies won 33-28. Bernard Foley kicked the field goal.

Thanks Reg, I thought it had been at least a couple of years. I wont be surprised if the men in gold win this one!

 

[Dismal Pillock]

^^^^^^ I'm still trying to work out if zer0 is the thinking man's Dismal, or Dismal the stream-of-consciousness man's zer0

Once you work it out please let me know as I have no idea what's going on either way.