Wallabies V Samoa - Test 2011

[matty_k]

As someone in the live chat pointed out in 1991 the Wallabies lost to Samoa in the lead up to the RWC

 

[antipodean]

If they loose to a second string Springbok team De Villiers will be laughing.

Thank heavens no one has been complaining about the Springboks sending a B team!

 

[rsea]

I have always said, that the over promotion of the Reds players which worries me. The Reds were good because they worked as a team, you don't chuck a couple of Reds players in the team who simply aren't up to test footy. I've always thought Rod Davies was a Sprinter not a Rugby player, and Beau Robinson is a team player not an individual Wallaby. Sitalei Timani and Nick Phipps showed that they would struggle and have indeed struggled to previously make Wallaby teams. It is an embarrassment that they were picked to represent their country today.

Elsom should be dropped as captain. He's a good player but a lousy captain. Sorry, sad but true. Enough said.

Agree re Davies.
I think Robinson has a single minded drive and determination which this team needs
Don't be so fast to write off Phipps. How would any other debut scrummy do behind that pack?
Timani isn't ready but I like that he's been tied to the wabbs now. We'll need him in 2015

 

[Gnostic]

The great passionate display from Samoa was exactly what we should have been expecting. Gone are the days of the non-professional holiday type tours that saw the Wobs rack up 40+ margins. This was a TEAM of tradesmen who came out with a PLAN to upset and harry the Wallabies at the break down and as traditional smash opponents in the tackle. They got a couple of lucky breaks with two of their tries and you could see the belief that gave the side.

The arrogance and over confidence the Walabies had showed and they expected to win without doing the work. Crab Giteau was in full shuffle offering nothing other than a lateral pass. The farcical situation of selecting players who have had shocking form or haven't even played Rugby in years reaped just results. The Wallabies again showed that they have no real structure or plan to breakdown opponents in attack and the defensive structure in defence was also woefull.

Without going into each position the only highlights for me were the performance of Genia, Beale, and Higginbum when they came on. The only starting player to have any real impact was McAbe.

 

[Tangawizi]

Good one.

Vickerman, McCalman, McCabe didn't do much wrong.

It's not about whether they did much wrong. It's do we have players in the squad that would do better next weekend? Yes we do.

 

[Set piece magic]

Samoa played well but we had a mountain of posession.
I agree the game was lost upfront, a couple of time i only saw backs in the rucks.. wtf is that
The lesson: Don't play our D team.

 

[Jnor]

Well played to Samoa, they did exactly what they needed to and more. Expected them to fade at the 60min mark but they just kept coming.

Simply, Wallabies and coaching staff did not show enough respect to the opposition. Too big a week at training, maybe. Not enough starting XV players to warrant the 'Wallabies' title and not 'Aus A', definitely. Experiment, sure but I think today was a step too far for changes and combos against a team that were more than up for it.

 

[Groucho]

Harsh on Vicks. Thought he was good when he came on.

Yes, Vickerman added some steel at the breakdown that we could've done with from the start.

 

[Joe Blow]

Pray that Shmoo gets back in shape quickly.

It was a train wreck waiting to happen today.
Well done Samoa!

 

[mark_s]

Well done Samoa. You turned up to play a test match today and were deserving winners. The greasy conditions suited the big boys as they were able to keep the ball in front of them for most of the game. I am ropeable about the wobbs performance.

 

[Groucho]

Samoa played well but we had a mountain of posession.
I agree the game was lost upfront, a couple of time i only saw backs in the rucks.. wtf is that
The lesson: Don't play our D team.

Spikhaza, how do you reconcile a 'mountain of possession' with 'the game was lost upfront'?

 

[light]

Bit harsh on Robinson, I think he was just extra keen to be on the field and pinch the ball for us to attack. He really wasn't bad just got caught wanting a few times, had he been on for 80 we wouldn't have seen that urgency. It's his first game, rush of blood to his head is forgivable.

The best thing about this game is we have eliminated a hell of a lot of people from the WOB's XV.
I think now it would have to be:
1. Kepu
2. TPN
3. Slipper
4. Sharpe
5. Horwill
6. Elsom/Higgenbotham
7. Pocock
8. Palu/Samo
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. Fainga'a
13. ????????????????????????????????
14. JOC (James O'Connor)
15. Beale

 

[chief]

Giteau was not that bad, come off it. That game was lost up front, plain and simple. No breakdown heart, out-enthused. Giteau ran pretty directly, kicked OK. I know it's "Cool" to hate Gits, but FFS, he shouldn't be the scapegoat. I don't want any of the players cast aside for 1 game, what sort of way is that to run a squad? Guys that did poorly need to be shown why, and given a chance to pull their fingers out.

I disagree I thought Giteau was abysmal. Phipps and Giteau never communicated. This loss is on Giteau as much as anyone. Yes the breakdown was fucking embarrassing. Cyclo, Giteau has had plenty of warning over the last two years to be shown what is wrong with him, and he hasn't improved, nor has he performed. I'm sure Matt Giteau has been informed many times on what's going wrong in his game, but I'm afraid enough is enough, he's got to go. You expect better leadership from Giteau with 90 caps under his belt.

 

[Gnostic]

As someone in the live chat pointed out in 1991 the Wallabies lost to Samoa in the lead up to the RWC

? when?

They played in the wet during the 1991 RWC - a 9-3 win to the Wallabies from memory. They didn't play before hand in 1991 that I recall, though I can only clearly remember the Wallabies wiping the floor with England in Sydney.

 

[antipodean]

As someone in the live chat pointed out in 1991 the Wallabies lost to Samoa in the lead up to the RWC

???

I recall the match at Pontypool the Wallabies won 9 - 3 and the only one prior to that was in 1998 at Ballymore. What am I missing?

 

[Reddy!]

More Queensland Reds players please!

 

[tigerland12]

Samoa played so good, have to give it to them, well done, lookforward to seeing them perform at the WC

For Australia, Timani was horrible, as was the rest of the pack.
Only real positives was McCabe's performance, Digby's involvement was good and Beale + Higgers played well off the bench

 

[matty_k]

This loss was on the forwards. They were basically absent at the breakdown.

 

[waves]

I hope Davies has nightmares about Tuilagi because he absolutely taught him a lesson and can someone get him a pair of boots

 

[GC]

Git was rubbish at his 10 duties (decision making) but still looked like he'd be ok at 12. Fainga'a should take AACs position.