Wallabies v USA Eagles, 5th September, Soldier Field, Chicago

[swingpass]

nah QC (Quade Cooper) saw the space for Naiyaravoro to run into/onto, it is a pity TN didn't ! plus slightly off execution from Quade.
Nevertheless, he probably just should have passed and backed up

 

[BDA]

What's the percentage of box kick which don't hurt us? 0.0001%???

Hate box kicks.

Agree. Some of the northern hemisphere teams execute them to pretty good effect. The Wallabies don't.

 

[the sabanator]

I find it interesting that in the 3-2-1's there aren't too many without Foley somewhere on the forums, yet on the ranker Foley is barely cracking a positive review

 

[cyclopath]

I find it interesting that in the 3-2-1's there aren't too many without Foley somewhere on the forums, yet on the ranker Foley is barely cracking a positive review

I find it interesting that anyone places much stock in the ranker, given how it works.

 

[mouth guard]

One thing that we can take away from the game today is that Wycliff Palu is a complete myth. What a waste of space.

 

[saulih]

I find it interesting that in the 3-2-1's there aren't too many without Foley somewhere on the forums, yet on the ranker Foley is barely cracking a positive review

Dare say he was rated on his goal kicking %

 

[Dumbledore]

One thing that we can take away from the game today is that Wycliff Palu is a complete myth. What a waste of space.

All class. He's been comfortably the best 8 in Australia over the last 5-10 years.

Looks like he's lost a step of pace this year, he's definitely struggling to have an impact. Might be a year too far.

 

[swingpass]

He's been comfortably the best 8 in Australia over the last 5-10 years.
Might be a year too far.

definitely

 

[Slim 293]

Foley's goal kicking was great, and he had a few good touches (mostly in broken play), but overall I think he displayed many of the faults we'd seen from him in recent tests............

I don't think he's deserving of any points from that match (none of the backs really).............

But then our other 10 (playing at 12) came on and didn't really do anything to threaten Foley's spot in the team............

 

[swingpass]

i think QC (Quade Cooper) was playing at FB and Beale had moved to 12

 

[KOB1987]

The fact that QC (Quade Cooper) was on the bench implied that the intention was to replace Phipps and foley for Genia and cooper. For whatever reason he decided to leave foley out there and revert to the unorthodox positioning.

Rightly or wrongly my read on that move is that foley will be the preferred 10.


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[barbarian]

I thought Foley was one of our best. With the US rush defence it wasn't a game for wide passes, and he kept it tight well. Scored a good try and set up another two with good play.

And his goal-kicking should not be underrated. 6/7 and only one of those was near the sticks.
.

 

[Hawko]

I think it's fair to say that Phipps-Foley-Gateau is not going to win us a World Cup if they continue to play like that....

Now that takes the cake!

 

[Hawko]

Thought Peyper was pretty good, if perhaps a bit lenient on the Yanks. He let them get away with a bit. They were creeping up offside for most of the game. I think part of it was Peyper trying to let the game flow a bit for the crowd.

The game would have been much better for the crowd if Peyper had insisted that the teams stayed onside. I thought his reffing pretty much ruined the spectacle. At times players were behind the last feet OK - of their opposition!

 

[kiap]

The game would have been much better for the crowd if Peyper had insisted that the teams stayed onside. I thought his reffing pretty much ruined the spectacle. At times players were behind the last feet OK - of their opposition!

Yep.

Peyper is a good ref but this wasn't one of his better games.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I'm sorry but I don't buy this.

The reason the ball never went wide was the USA line speed in defence. They were flying up. It would be irresponsible to shovel the ball wide in the face of this tactic.

What we should have done was try and punch it up in the narrower channels, and move the ball wider once we had momentum. The problem was we kept making errors such that we could never achieve the quick ball we needed.

It was always going to be a patience game, and despite losing our cool for 20 minutes it all went pretty well.
.

I have no argument with the contention that the Eagles' defense was up in their faces, but I am saying that those who think Speight, Horne and Tomane had poor games should recognise that for whatever reason the ball wasn't getting to them in the first 60 minutes of the game.

I don't think Henry Speight is yet fully over his injuries, and arguably shouldn't have been in the squad. But the lack of opportunities to the outside backs as a whole was not conducive to any of them having a good game whatever their form or fitness. It improved significantly when Genia replaced Phipps.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Horne usually does not defend on the wing under Cheika. I'd have to watch again but I suspect Horne had been defending elsewhere. In fact the defence patterns don't often follow orthodox positions at all. The 3 Wallabies involved in letting that try in seemed at 6s and 7s reacting to the USA breakout. It was a cover defence failing. I'm sure Grey would be none too pleased.

No. The main culprit was Cliff Palu. He was just too slow to get the the ball carrier who made the initial break.

 

[barbarian]

I have no argument with the contention that the Eagles' defense was up in their faces, but I am saying that those who think Speight, Horne and Tomane had poor games should recognise that for whatever reason the ball wasn't getting to them in the first 60 minutes of the game.
.

I agree with that, just think that it's unfair to blame their lack of ball on the 9-10-12.

Speight did look unusually flat. On the few occasions he had space he didn't seem to be able to summon his usual explosiveness.
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[Brumby Runner]

I agree with that, just think that it's unfair to blame their lack of ball on the 9-10-12.

Speight did look unusually flat. On the few occasions he had space he didn't seem to be able to summon his usual explosiveness.
.


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And I have to say I'm not just putting blame on Foley. Whenever the ball went to Giteau at first receiver, the outcome was the same. Generally, it went no further or was lost in the tackle.

The interplay between Henry and Tomane was sublime in the Beale try. And how good was McMahon to be the link between Henry and Beale at the end.

As I said, I accept that the Eagles' defense was up very quickly, but if the ball isn't getting to the outside backs, just whose fault is it if not the 9, 10 and 12?

 

[Groucho]

ATM I'd go for Genia, Foley and To'omua. But that would be too many Brumbies of course.

Good answer! I'm only ribbing you mate.