Wallabies v France 3rd Test - 21 June Sydney

[BarneySF]

Agree with the swan dive thought. Just the sort of thing someone who has been injury free will do! However, if that's the worst thing he does as captain I'm happy. Link will make sure Hooper's growth into the captaincy will include some reflection about that moment.

I expect Link to teach Hoops via the age-old tradition of the Limerick:

"There once was a karnt named Ashton..."


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[Scrubber2050]

It's easy to knock Hooper's impact on the breakdown when you only look at pilfering stats.

It ignores aspects like the forced penalty off the kick off and the counter rucking work which he does, as he doesn't get a stat for that.

Let's not forget he topped the stats for pilfers in the 2013 test season so you cannot say that's an area he needs to improve to be the top 7 in the world. He managed to outdo all test 7's 12 months ago. That test season was against a strong SA, the BIL's and AB's. How many pilfers did other players get this series? Was he towelled up be Dusatoir? Perhaps referees weren't as lenient towards the defending team at the breakdown, and subsequently he played the game to the referees?

I would argue being one dimensional at a fringe legal aspect of the game, and subsequently having a low impact on games when referees heavily scrutinise the breakdown would be the type of thing that would stop a bloke from being a top 7 in the world.

agree with a lot of what you say.

The perception of the great unwashed masses of being a world class seven is the quality and numbers of pilfers -

 

[BarneySF]

I expect Link to teach Hoops via the age-old tradition of the Limerick:

"There once was a karnt named Ashton."


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"...whose team mates once served him a bashton."

Sorry, I'll just get me coat...


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[Pfitzy]

The game has moved on from outright pilfers. Look at guys like McCaw and Brussouw who aren't getting nearly the number they were two years ago.

This is due to a couple of things, but primarily about the shift in refereeing - attacking side gets a lot more leeway these days, and therefore an outright turnover is rare. More likely it will end in a penalty because the tackler isn't releasing. Therefore its a penalty, not a turnover.

Secondly, the attacking patterns are designed to isolate the openside flanker to prevent these turnovers, by getting them involved at closer rucks then going wider. They can't be everywhere after all.

What this results in is a few more turnovers out wide - the number that guys like Rene Ranger got in ITM Cup 2013 was staggering. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) also nabs a few because if an attack is going to break down, its going to happen in the second or third channel, where the ball carrier is taken by your 12 and falls at the 13's feet. Bastareud got a couple of penalties in this series because he could not be shifted.

Teams that run one-out phase ball were also prime targets for opensides, particularly against the ABs where any of their forwards were fit enough and drilled enough to keep their feet.

 

[Richo]

Having watched a replay last night, I thought there were some issues of interchange between 9 and 10 in particularly, and occasionally with 12 as well. Sometimes it seemed like White and Foley weren't in the same chapter, let alone on the same page. Foley rushed a few passes and missed everyone, he also took his eye off the ball when receiving it a time or time. But White was poor as well -- too many balls to no one, passes behind Foley, or plays in which Foley was clearly not expecting the ball (although hard to say whose fault that is, obviously).

9-10 is definitely the weak link in the back line.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I reckon unless Fardy has an awesome finish to the Super Rugby season we are going to see McCalman at 6, or Higginbotham. Fardy has been a bit disappointing, McCalman has been a rock.

Ha, ha. Best troll I've seen for a very long time. Almost pissed myself.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I'm not saying he was bad but he hasn't really made any impact, which you want your 6 to do, especially going in to Bledisloe 1..also, he has made more errors than he usually would and hasn't been the player he was in 2013, the first test was his best. I'd say Link will be watching both of them closely for the remainder of the Super season, Fardy has the advantage as the incumbent, but if McCalman puts in a couple of blinders and Fardy is quiet he may well back the former.

I certainly wouldn't drop him from the 23 and I agree that injuries aside there won't be any major changes in the squad, just some tinkering within.

Initially thought you were joking, but now I see how seriously misinformed you are about rugby. To say Ben McCalmanhasbeen a rock is just ridiculous. Well, a rock in the sense that he doesn't move might be an apt description but he is simply not nearly the same standard as Fardy. His effectiveness at test level is very low in comparison. In fact, I'd rather have Higgersout of forms the bench than Ben. Higgers has aloud more impact in a game, especially at this level.

 

[ChargerWA]

I started to watch the replay last night. I only got through the first 10 minutes, but I will say for Foley that the first two dropped balls were as he was transitioning from sunlight to shadow.

I do wonder if he didn't become unsighted on those occasions.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Yeah AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) did the same thing early on. Hardly the players at fault. Would not be used to it as afternoon games are rare and as they train in outside grounds not stadiums, you would not have the issue at training either.

 

[KOB1987]

Initially thought you were joking, but now I see how seriously misinformed you are about rugby. To say Ben McCalmanhasbeen a rock is just ridiculous. Well, a rock in the sense that he doesn't move might be an apt description but he is simply not nearly the same standard as Fardy. His effectiveness at test level is very low in comparison. In fact, I'd rather have Higgersout of forms the bench than Ben. Higgers has aloud more impact in a game, especially at this level.

Mate, you are entitled to your viewpoint, I am entitled to mine.

 

[boyo]

He was busier than a one armed winger at a tackling contest or something...

Or an one-armed bricklayer in Beirut,

Or an one-legged man in arse-kicking contest.

 

[BDA]

@ Pfitzy - I agree with you comments re why there are perhaps less 'traditional' style 7s in the game ATM. I think its worth noting that these days the whole team is trained to take part in trying to pilfer the ball at the breakdown. Players in other positions have become quite effective at stealing ball. BDP is a good example, but there are many others. With that said I think a guy like Pocock will still be a real asset to the team if he makes the WC. The NH weather will probably mean at least some of the games will become a wet grind. In those circumstances I think I'd lean to Pocock's skills rather than Hoopers.

@ Joe Blow - I agree with your observations regarding Skelton in the scrums. The scrum wasn't as sturdy whilst he was on the paddock, despite his weight advantage. I think it really comes down to the fact that Cheika has been neglecting that area with the tahs. It's badly affecting some of the tahs players, who obviously haven't been spending enough time working on their technique. Benn Robinson and Paddy Ryan have certainly been suffering as a result, and neither will be in a wallabies squad again until they spend some time on improving that area of their game.

McKenzie commented that Robinson missed out because of his poor scrummaging, and whilst many people would say he is out of favour because he is poor around the park I think that's incorrect - McKenzie sees value in having Robinson in the WC squad purely on the basis that he is a strong scrummager. If he doesn't stand out in that area, there are others that are more well rounded (If robinson can improve his technique, I'd go with Slipper, Sio and Robinson as our LHPs for the Cup).

Unfortunately for Skelton and Ryan, they are at a stage in their development when they need to spend a lot of time working on technique otherwise their development will be hampered. It is my one major criticism of Cheika's current set up.

 

[Marcelo]

Having watched a replay last night, I thought there were some issues of interchange between 9 and 10 in particularly, and occasionally with 12 as well. Sometimes it seemed like White and Foley weren't in the same chapter, let alone on the same page. Foley rushed a few passes and missed everyone, he also took his eye off the ball when receiving it a time or time. But White was poor as well -- too many balls to no one, passes behind Foley, or plays in which Foley was clearly not expecting the ball (although hard to say whose fault that is, obviously).

9-10 is definitely the weak link in the back line.

Yeah, we need the couple: 'Genia-Cooper of 2011' although Foley is a good first-five, White has never liked me.

 

[Richo]

@ Joe Blow - I agree with your observations regarding Skelton in the scrums. The scrum wasn't as sturdy whilst he was on the paddock, despite his weight advantage. I think it really comes down to the fact that Cheika has been neglecting that area with the tahs. It's badly affecting some of the tahs players, who obviously haven't been spending enough time working on their technique. Benn Robinson and Paddy Ryan have certainly been suffering as a result, and neither will be in a wallabies squad again until they spend some time on improving that area of their game.

McKenzie commented that Robinson missed out because of his poor scrummaging, and whilst many people would say he is out of favour because he is poor around the park I think that's incorrect - McKenzie sees value in having Robinson in the WC squad purely on the basis that he is a strong scrummager. If he doesn't stand out in that area, there are others that are more well rounded (If robinson can improve his technique, I'd go with Slipper, Sio and Robinson as our LHPs for the Cup).

Unfortunately for Skelton and Ryan, they are at a stage in their development when they need to spend a lot of time working on technique otherwise their development will be hampered. It is my one major criticism of Cheika's current set up.

Skelton is also a massive unit. Very hard to get low and straight when you're that big.

 

[Braveheart81]

I love that there are again comments on the front page complaining about Hooper and saying we need Matt Hodgson instead.

 

[Hawko]

So why, in the name of Eales, does Skelton resolutely refuse to leave the ground during an actual game?

Ask the forwards coach. He sets the way the lineout plays.

 

[A mutterer]

Skelton is also a massive unit. Very hard to get low and straight when you're that big.

well maybe not on the park .......

 

[Braveheart81]

Why would any coach spend ages working on Skelton in the lineout at this stage?

You've got limited time to train and you focus on the things that make your team the best it possibly can be.

They're not going to spend hours with Skelton jumping in the lineout and Simmons waiting in the midfield to run a crash ball because that's a weakness of each player's game.

 

[Train Without a Station]

BH, probably more so for if you need to play the more traditional game.

But I still agree to an extent. Skelton is never going to be one of the best line out jumpers in any team he plays for. The physics that make up some of his strengths are the reason for that and no amount of work will change it dramatically.

 

[wamberal]

Why would any coach spend ages working on Skelton in the lineout at this stage?

Bewildering logic. If not now, when? Do you seriously think that we can be a significant force at the RWC if we have one lock who cannot be relied upon to win or defend, a lineout? Especially given that our likely 8 is not a lineout specialist, either.

I do not care who helps Skelton with this crucial part of his game, but in the professional era surely somebody has to. All players work on their skills.

Goal kickers practice goal kicking, are you against that? Backlines practice moves. Are you against that?

The forward pack practices scrummaging. Are you against that?