Wallabies v Ireland, Sun 20th Nov 7am AEDT

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Have been a big Porecki fan, but he really does struggle to be dominant in any contact, hence having to go fo the neck roll to move players in the ruck. Lots of work to do after the tour if he wants to stay in the squad.

He does this almost every game and you're right it's because he can't physically dominate anyone. I've said it to death, but I really hope Latu has a good year and I want to see Lonergan move into the frame to be in more Tests. I don't think he lacks any physicality on those that are currently there, and he offers far more around the field. Many on here have said we lack the extra pilfer presence which I think he can bring as well.

Didn't post during or straight after the game but IMO Petaia had the best game for A LONG time. Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) looks like what we need (might be the end of thinking about Vunivalu). Ikitau is the most valuable glue guy in the team. Skelton had great impact and created space for others and I'm sure Valetini enjoyed having someone else moving forward.

 

[HogansHeros]

I've said it to death, but I really hope Latu has a good year and I want to see Lonergan move into the frame to be in more Tests. I don't think he lacks any physicality on those that are currently there, and he offers far more around the field. Many on here have said we lack the extra pilfer presence which I think he can bring as well.

Got to agree with you, he is looking good around the breakdown. Another super rugby season under his belt will be good.

 

[dru]

If Rennie rolls out a decent side against Italy,

Let's have a look at the positives.

Personally I'm done with the "if". I also have no truck for "proud" losing by 3.

But it doesn't mean we can't see positives. Frost, Holloway, Hooper on the improve, Ikitau, Nawaqanitawase, Petaia, even Wright starting to show ability, Hodge is easily the best bench back. I'm still pleased with Slipper, Sio, AAA. Gutted for Tupou. Add in Kerevi, Koroibete, Skelton.

That seems to have me mostly aligned with Slim.

 

[stillmissit]

Personally I'm done with the "if". I also have no truck for "proud" losing by 3.

But it doesn't mean we can't see positives. Frost, Holloway, Hooper on the improve, Ikitau, Nawaqanitawase, Petaia, even Wright starting to show ability, Hodge is easily the best bench back. I'm still pleased with Slipper, Sio, AAA. Gutted for Tupou. Add in Kerevi, Koroibete, Skelton.

That seems to have me mostly aligned with Slim.

You should drink champagne on wins and learn from losses, we are slow learners on our losses. I was of the mind that we would be OK with two good wins and we have not had one good win to be proud of and close losses in the other games.
As per normal, the Wallabies are a conundrum hidden in a mystery and surrounded by riddles.

 

[Tomthumb]

I'm not as harsh on him following this game. I am now prepared to give him more time, 4 games all tight with a team that cannot hold any discipline and a couple of players who will not be there at RWC (hookers?). I can't say I am delighted with his selections and replacement decisions but if we beat Wales I'm OK till RWC - JUST...Apart from the shit breakdown work of course.

The team not having any disciple falls on him as the coach. Gordon gives away a yellow card vs Italy, they say players will be dropped for ill disciple, somehow pick Gordon again and low and behold he gives away another bonehead penalty. At the end of the day Rennie needs to be held accountable for his players making the same errors week in, week out

For reference, Georgia just beat Wales

 

[Tomthumb]

Sacking Rennie would be the most Rugby Australia thing to do. Self-defeating and just puts us right back at day-zero. His selections vs Italy deserve spite, but to go toe-to-toe with very good teams and have the total points difference split by fewer than 10, I'm not too stressed. It's sport, it sucks, sometimes it doesn't fall our way.

I thought the refereeing was nit-picky but fairly consistent, so again, not too stressed.

99% of the time it doesn't go our way. The situational awareness of this team isn't good enough

We wont get to play against Irelands 4th string 10 every game

 

[Pfitzy]

I've said it to death, but I really hope Latu has a good year

I wasn't sure our discipline would get any worse until you reminded me he's back...

 

[stillmissit]

The team not having any disciple falls on him as the coach. Gordon gives away a yellow card vs Italy, they say players will be dropped for ill disciple, somehow pick Gordon again and low and behold he gives away another bonehead penalty. At the end of the day Rennie needs to be held accountable for his players making the same errors week in, week out

For reference, Georgia just beat Wales

TT and Dru, I have no issue should they sack him but not sure what it will achieve. His time has been very odd and I can't think of another coach who has had this much bad luck but as Napoleon said 'I don't like generals who have bad luck' or some such thing.
We could roll the dice as I don't think it is too late for RWC to bring in a new coach, but no great expectations.....

 

[wamberal]

TT and Dru, I have no issue should they sack him but not sure what it will achieve. His time has been very odd and I can't think of another coach who has had this much bad luck but as Napoleon said 'I don't like generals who have bad luck' or some such thing.
We could roll the dice as I don't think it is too late for RWC to bring in a new coach, but no great expectations.....

There is absolutely no way they would sack him.

 

[Tomthumb]

TT and Dru, I have no issue should they sack him but not sure what it will achieve. His time has been very odd and I can't think of another coach who has had this much bad luck but as Napoleon said 'I don't like generals who have bad luck' or some such thing.
We could roll the dice as I don't think it is too late for RWC to bring in a new coach, but no great expectations.....

I am really sick of this 'unlucky' talk. When something becomes a trend it isn't luck anymore. Once the injury toll went past 20, with a ton of soft tissue injuries and concussions at training, it falls on poor training and rehab methods

When you lose as many close games as they do, it comes down to more than luck. Poor discipline, poor selections, poor situational awareness. Not good enough to build phases to score at the end, and not good enough defensively to stop other teams scoring

He is statically the least successful coach in Wallaby history. That isn't down to luck

 

[dru]

TT and Dru, I have no issue should they sack him but not sure what it will achieve. His time has been very odd and I can't think of another coach who has had this much bad luck but as Napoleon said 'I don't like generals who have bad luck' or some such thing.
We could roll the dice as I don't think it is too late for RWC to bring in a new coach, but no great expectations.....

I can have firm concerns with a coach without calling for his sacking. FWIW I have never called for Rennie to be removed, not once.

I have called for overview and controls to ensure we don't see another Italy debacle.

 

[Ignoto]

TT and Dru, I have no issue should they sack him but not sure what it will achieve. His time has been very odd and I can't think of another coach who has had this much bad luck but as Napoleon said 'I don't like generals who have bad luck' or some such thing.
We could roll the dice as I don't think it is too late for RWC to bring in a new coach, but no great expectations.....

I don't believe in 'luck', the mantra of 'luck is where preparation meets opportunity' is what rings in my head when I hear someone is 'unlucky'.

There's clearly something going wrong with the preparation the Wallabies have been doing. Tupou suffered a catastrophic injury when he was not fatigued and Phillip busted his knee before any real load had occurred.

 

[Maulalltheway]

His selections don't appear to follow any kind of logic or rationale - why was Skelton coming off the bench? Why pull your playmaker against France and Italy? Why would he start Samu, the loosest of loose forwards, in place of our primary ball runner in tight? Where the fuck is Harry Wilson? This list starts getting pretty long the more you go back.

He chops and changes far too much and has completely mishandled the younger players in and around the squad including Noah, McDermott, Wilson, Donaldson etc. Rotating in 13 new players against Italy? fucking absurd. Diminishes the test and the jersey.

He also has to take responsibility for the discipline. Worst in the world, basically.

I like the guy and he's been a great change of pace from the horror that was Cheika's last couple of years - but he's kind of shit. Not everything that has gone wrong is his fault. The injury plague for example. But he's made enough bad decisions that have negatively impacted the side to warrant being moved on.

But he won't be because we are poor and the RWC is around the corner.

harry wilson is probably stupidly trying to run through a 1m wide brick wall rather than changing his line to find a weak point.

 

[eastman]

Porecki is definitely world class at jersey pulling around the ruck.

 

[Members Section]

I wasn't sure our discipline would get any worse until you reminded me he's back...

yeah but its more just running through blokes or tipping them then getting sent off than not getting back on side lol

 

[Pfitzy]

I am really sick of this 'unlucky' talk. When something becomes a trend it isn't luck anymore. Once the injury toll went past 20, with a ton of soft tissue injuries and concussions at training, it falls on poor training and rehab methods

When you lose as many close games as they do, it comes down to more than luck. Poor discipline, poor selections, poor situational awareness. Not good enough to build phases to score at the end, and not good enough defensively to stop other teams scoring

He is statically the least successful coach in Wallaby history. That isn't down to luck

OK then. You're sacking Rennie.

Who comes in?

 

[Sword of Justice]

Personally I'm done with the "if". I also have no truck for "proud" losing by 3.

Yes the honourable loses are a lot less comforting when we also regularly lose dishonourably.

Would be different if we won the games we are supposed to/are already 99% of the way there.

 

[Drew]

Have to say while watching game, I was impressed how Wallabies handled being down to 14 then 13 players, and at same time laughing at Irish and seemingly lack of nous when Sexton not there. Why when you got a 5m scrum, the opposition down to 13, and 8 of those in scrum, would you choose to go down blind side right where all Wallaby players are? Surely going wide where there would of been 5 on 3 was the option?
Just dumb rugby to me.

Then going the skinny blind from the scrum with a 2 man overlap on the open side. Halfback telegraphed it too

 

[Drew]

I am really sick of this 'unlucky' talk. When something becomes a trend it isn't luck anymore. Once the injury toll went past 20, with a ton of soft tissue injuries and concussions at training, it falls on poor training and rehab methods

When you lose as many close games as they do, it comes down to more than luck. Poor discipline, poor selections, poor situational awareness. Not good enough to build phases to score at the end, and not good enough defensively to stop other teams scoring

He is statically the least successful coach in Wallaby history. That isn't down to luck

Yep, you make your own luck sometimes

 

[Doritos Day]

Have to say while watching game, I was impressed how Wallabies handled being down to 14 then 13 players, and at same time laughing at Irish and seemingly lack of nous when Sexton not there. Why when you got a 5m scrum, the opposition down to 13, and 8 of those in scrum, would you choose to go down blind side right where all Wallaby players are? Surely going wide where there would of been 5 on 3 was the option?
Just dumb rugby to me.

Arguably worse than that: they could have had the two man advantage for the full 10 mins but didn't think about packing a scrum until it was needed. Understand the first opportunity the players have other things on their mind but there was a break in play; how has the message not filtered down from the coaches box?