Wallabies v France 1st test - Suncorp 7 June

[Hawko]

The attendance is a concern. But surely the concern is why there was so little interest in the code's main product that has a limited supply than the ticket prices, which compared to other entertainment was good value.

Deans and his gameplan turned off many, many people. You had to be a rugby tragic to be keen to watch an Australian test.

JON and his never-explained folly of re-appointing Deans before the WC when success at the WC was one of his KPI's meant that we had over five years of Deans rubbish rugby and a couple from Connolly before him. Connolly taught White how to play Jakeball. That's seven years of the most dire rugby imaginable with just one good year of rugby 2009-10 in the middle.

Does anyone really think that people will come back to rugby after just a few months of good rugby on an overseas trip last year? That they'll break the stadium doors down just to get tickets? Those expecting that are seriously deluded.

It has taken a year and a half for the Tahs to START! to turn the crowds around by playing good stylish rugby. The renaissance is still very fragile. It takes a lot of good play to turn around pissed-off supporters. Last night was a good start, but for the Wallabies it will take at least another 12 months to stop the decline and start a turnaround. And no matter how well we play, we must start recording wins against NZ and SA.

The crowd expectations on this thread are positively ludicrous. 33K was a good number. Next time it will be better, because last night's rugby entertainment was great watching. The days of sold out stadiums are gone and at best won't be back for a couple of years. We just have to rely on Bill and Link, especially Link, to hold tight to the strategy till we pull through.

 

[Pete King]

Bahahah nah mate, just pointing out a few FACTS that kinda show your comments to be pretty stupid. I noticed you didn't mention any of those FACTS in your reply here. The EOYT was pretty decent, but we looked shit against Scotland and England all the same.

And no, I wasn't a fan of JOC (James O'Connor) getting the role at 10, just like I wasn't much of a fan of Giteau being dropped from the whole team.

All the same, I am over hearing people bag Deans, because it's just Eddie Jones all over again. Too many Aussie rugby fans just have no perspective on the state of the sport in this country and are too willing to pin everything on the national coach, and if we get smashed again in the RC by the Springboks and All Blacks I'll be hearing *deleted* like you talking about how Link is wrecking Australian rugby.

**A bit too much name calling on this thread by a few people today. No more. **

your right forget about the coach far better to passionately argue that are jerseys are shit

 

[the sabanator]

Family ticket was $156

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My apologies, still not a cheap outing though

 

[Gnostic]

Deans and his gameplan turned off many, many people. You had to be a rugby tragic to be keen to watch an Australian test.

JON and his never-explained folly of re-appointing Deans before the WC when success at the WC was one of his KPI's meant that we had over five years of Deans rubbish rugby and a couple from Connolly before him. Connolly taught White how to play Jakeball. That's seven years of the most dire rugby imaginable with just one good year of rugby 2009-10 in the middle.

Does anyone really think that people will come back to rugby after just a few months of good rugby on an overseas trip last year? That they'll break the stadium doors down just to get tickets? Those expecting that are seriously deluded.

It has taken a year and a half for the Tahs to START! to turn the crowds around by playing good stylish rugby. The renaissance is still very fragile. It takes a lot of good play to turn around pissed-off supporters. Last night was a good start, but for the Wallabies it will take at least another 12 months to stop the decline and start a turnaround. And no matter how well we play, we must start recording wins against NZ and SA.

The crowd expectations on this thread are positively ludicrous. 33K was a good number. Next time it will be better, because last night's rugby entertainment was great watching. The days of sold out stadiums are gone and at best won't be back for a couple of years. We just have to rely on Bill and Link, especially Link, to hold tight to the strategy till we pull through.

Great post mate.

Totally off track but funny that I clicked on a link tonight by accident and the 2003 England V ABs game came up. If anybody wants to see the genesis of the Wallabies play in the Deans era have a look at this game.

How to take a talented team and make them less than the sum of the part by selecting people out of position and selecting some favourites over other better performing players. Scary the number of similarities with a preponderance of talented "individuals".

 

[Lee Grant]

And you can't say we didn't know it was a poor French side, they admitted they were leaving a form players at home because they were in need if a rest

Not so. Only one player was left behind to rest: Pascal Pape, the warhorse seconder-rower. Their best two hookers couldn't come though because they were injured.

Two flankers were injured too but PSA brought them on tour hoping they would get fit here: Dusautor (bicep tear) and Nyanga (groin tear), but they were not deemed fit to play in the first test.

It as a very French thing to do: to bring two fellows who play in the same position on tour not well-recovered from long term injuries (they had only played a few hours between them since early this year). It should have been an ideal opportunity to try at least one new flanker for next year's RWC.

The problem with the French team at Suncorp, apart from the above, is that PSA rested his Toulon and Castres players who played in the Top 14 final the previous weekend. (Michalak is a Toulon player, but he didn't get picked for the final.)

Two backs from the Top 14 final played from the bench at Suncorp but the others were in the stands.

If everybody is fit enough to start (and I can't see that the flankers can be) then I expect the following changes.

6. Dusautor (Oueodrago) - I think the more robust le Roux is needed on one flank, but PSA likes big-engine guys and I could be wrong. Also he could play Picamoles on the blindside flank as he did against Ireland, instead of le Roux, though Dusautor will probably want to pack down on the left-hand side of the scrum all the time.

10. Tales (Michalak)
11. Medard (Le Bourhis)
13. Bastareaud (Fickou)
15. Dulin (Bonneval)

I think Fofana will hold his place though PSA could give Lamerat a start for the sake of looking at him against elite opponents. Bonneval may lose his matchday place because Michalak should be in the 23.

Aussies may think that the finishing France front row should start, but make no mistake: the front row that ran on for France was the best available and would have started even if they had to play in Six Nations yesterday.

However PSA could change one or both props to look at them as starters against a rated opponent, just to see. The replacement props scrummed well but that owed something to who their opponents were at the time.
.

 

[Lee Grant]

Yep 92 tests a great reason for him to be in the side, accompanied by his career best form but not an argument for him to be skipper. Hooper has been captain of Junior sides whilst AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has not, tough for a winger to be captain also. Hooper is the inspirational lead from the front skipper that we need, in the mould of a sir richie.

This is a storm in a teacup. Hooper will be the captain. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would probably say that he doesn't compare with Hooper in the attributes required.

Hooper is young but he is an old young.
.

 

[Lee Grant]

What was the reason behind Carter and Simmons swapping jumpers? Did they swap sides, or did Link do it to make the French put the pressure on the 'old hand', and not the 'new bloke'?!

Usually these days the 4 jumper is given to the tighthead lock though it is a recent thing on my scale of recent, and it is immaterial.

The lock chosen for the tighthead side is considered to be the stronger scrummager because the THP needs all the help he can get with weight on both shoulders. Or he could be as strong for the role as the other fellow but is more technically proficient as a THL. Those things are material.

Carter would have scrummed on the right-hand side because McKenzie thought he was better there than Simmons. It would not have been a random matter.

Not to the point but: quite often you see the tighthead lock move over at scrum time when a reserve like Will Skelton comes on.
.

 

[Hoolly Doolly]

I just watched the last scrum again a couple of times - Carter was packing at TH lock. He didn't get anywhere near low enough on Ryan's arse (which is a joke as Paddy was packing high) and Carter pops under the force of the shove.

So that scrum (and resulting penalty try) wasn't entirely Paddy's fault, in fact. Anyone who wants to argue can go watch the replay to prove themselves wrong.

I would have put Horwill at TH lock TBH.

Paddy was definitely in the wrong when he over extended in an earlier scrum. But he was NOT guilty of "hit-and-chase" in the other scrum for which we were short armed.

Scrum failure, not player failure. Key difference.

Which isn't to say his presence doesn't concern me, but it does head off some of the bullshit from the scrum "experts" around here.

The bigger issue was that our ruck cohesion went to shit with the replacement forwards on.

Scrum about 75 minutes we managed to get away despite paddy's side crumbling, scrum around 78 minutes paddy gives away a penalty on our feed, final scrum and paddy head pops out and scrum crumbles. on the replay though walsh is out of position on the other side and is unable to see what looks like boring in by the french loosehead prop so maybe paddy is a bit hard done by on that last scrum.

 

[BPC]

I was the highlight.

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A bit Pfitzy-esqe. Have another try using the third person and you'll be there.


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[Sully]

I'd like to add that Simmons penalty for 'touching' the other player in the lineout was complete bull.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I'd like to add that Simmons penalty for 'touching' the other player in the lineout was complete bull.

Rose coloured glasses Sully. Lineout jumpers get penalised every game for precisely what Rob did then, and does consistently probably every game.

 

[barbarian]

I agree with Sully, thought it was a bit harsh.

 

[Sully]

Rose coloured glasses Sully. Lineout jumpers get penalised every game for precisely what Rob did then, and does consistently probably every game.

Not at all. Take another look.

 

[Sully]

Which prop got pinged for obstruction? I can't remember. Then look at the French receiving from the very next kick off. The hooker wasn't even lifting and obstructed our guys.

 

[Rob42]

Carter player tightness lock so the number swap matched their Origin in the scrum.

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That sentence is just wack.


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[Scrubber2050]

Great win by Australia

Observations:
1. Gutted for Stephen Moore - out for a year
2. All players came to play.
3. I saw an intensity that has been missing a bit for years.
4. Thought Nic White and Foley went well - not fantastic but very good.
5. Slipper was immense. Some posters are calling for him at THP to fix the problem. Thats bullshit - he is playing unbelieveable well at LHP - solution: find a good THP. - Was a bit disappointed with Kepu and Ryan was just not up to it.
6. Hooper great AGAIN - I reckon the kid is more valuable to Australian rugby than Pocock - IF he ever comes into Australian contention again.
7. One of the most pleasing things to me was the unselfish passing by Izzy to Pat McCabe. Izzy would have scored the try but elected to pass. That to me shows a real team mentality.

Will be interesting to see the Frogs regroup in Melbourne

 

[Scrubber2050]

IMO only changes will be:
Genia for Phipps
Charles on the bench by necessity

Links delimma:
Start Horwill? or Jones or Skelton?
Think he will go with Horwill and big Will on the pine

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Good to see players still swap jumpers after a Test Match. From Sterlo's twitter feed:

 

[Swandive]

Horwill was pedestrian in his 20 minutes the French try was scored with him as the nearest piller, caught napping. He has been so all year, Link has to continue to go on form rather then reputation. Jones to start skelton bench

Totally agree.

 

[Sully]

That sentence is just wack.


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I need to read my auto correct before posting!