Wallabies Year in Review - John O'Neill
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waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
The 2011 Tri nations win is to become the new "we flogged France"
I think it is a pretty good review by JON.
He correctly points out that the RWC was a disappointment for Australia however the overall year for Australian Rugby was a successful one on many levels (except financially).
He correctly points out that the RWC was a disappointment for Australia however the overall year for Australian Rugby was a successful one on many levels (except financially).
Swat
Chilla Wilson (44)
I think what most of us are disappointed about was not so much how we performed overall but the fact that when we didn't perform (samoa, ireland, NZ in new zealand) we looked utterly lost (you could apply that to the RWC QF too IMO). We keep putting in absolute rubbish performances in among some good (but let's be honest not great) performances. To me that's not just a lack of consistency you put down to a young team but something else, my guess is a lack of a game plan, but really we'll never know because of the absolute abortion of an official review process of our RWC campaign
I agree with that however I think saying that it is a lack of game plan is just as speculative as any other reasoning.
I also don't see what a review can provide in terms of individual matches. If the whole season is terrible then sure, a review is likely to provide some insight into what went wrong. In terms of a few individual matches scattered throughout the season, I think it is probably fair to say that we did poorly because key players lacked consistency.
If you look at the Samoa game, our forwards were powder puffs and got smashed by the Samoans. If you look at the RWC quarter final, Genia and Cooper had terrible games and when that happens life is always going to be difficult.
I don't think it is rocket science in terms of coming up with reasons why we were terrible in a couple of games. The nature of professional sport is that players don't always play well. Sometimes they play very poorly. The marks of the champions of the game are that they almost always play very well. David Pocock is probably the only player Australia has that fits that mould at this stage.
I think trying to come up with too many reasons why we were poor in specific games is more likely to create excuses/cast blame than it is to provide anything constructive.
I also don't see what a review can provide in terms of individual matches. If the whole season is terrible then sure, a review is likely to provide some insight into what went wrong. In terms of a few individual matches scattered throughout the season, I think it is probably fair to say that we did poorly because key players lacked consistency.
If you look at the Samoa game, our forwards were powder puffs and got smashed by the Samoans. If you look at the RWC quarter final, Genia and Cooper had terrible games and when that happens life is always going to be difficult.
I don't think it is rocket science in terms of coming up with reasons why we were terrible in a couple of games. The nature of professional sport is that players don't always play well. Sometimes they play very poorly. The marks of the champions of the game are that they almost always play very well. David Pocock is probably the only player Australia has that fits that mould at this stage.
I think trying to come up with too many reasons why we were poor in specific games is more likely to create excuses/cast blame than it is to provide anything constructive.
Garry Owen
Chris McKivat (8)
I think we have been given a sneak preview of the 'in-house review' that we are promised is being formulated.
Big Jon can make sh*t sparkle like shinola. (Cue the applause)
Big Jon can make sh*t sparkle like shinola. (Cue the applause)
Set piece magic
John Solomon (38)
Fair enough some people on here are disapointed, but from a rugby perspective it was a huge improvement this year. Like it or not that semi final got a massive viewership.
I think the thing that is holding everyone back is that we've turned out good (SA durban, SA sydney), average, good, even better games, however we haven't had the stunner.
We haven't just completely emphatically beaten the All Blacks have we? The first half in Brisbane was brilliant - we let them back in the second half. I would love to see a 2003 RWC semi final performance - SUFFOCATE the mist out of the game and have the crowd going nuts as a result.
Overall i give this year 70% - which is almost precisely the Wallabies win / loss ratio. That's a B in maths. Fair enough anyone? It's no A, no B+, not a C. It's a B. It's middle of the park stuff.
In Queensland it's a different story. I'd give Queensland Rugby an A this year.
Bring on 2012!
40k to every Reds game pl0x
I think the thing that is holding everyone back is that we've turned out good (SA durban, SA sydney), average, good, even better games, however we haven't had the stunner.
We haven't just completely emphatically beaten the All Blacks have we? The first half in Brisbane was brilliant - we let them back in the second half. I would love to see a 2003 RWC semi final performance - SUFFOCATE the mist out of the game and have the crowd going nuts as a result.
Overall i give this year 70% - which is almost precisely the Wallabies win / loss ratio. That's a B in maths. Fair enough anyone? It's no A, no B+, not a C. It's a B. It's middle of the park stuff.
In Queensland it's a different story. I'd give Queensland Rugby an A this year.
Bring on 2012!
40k to every Reds game pl0x
DPK
Peter Sullivan (51)
Isn't that half his job, anyway?
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
We are really hard to please, aren't we? We are currently ranked 2 in the world, we finished third in the World Cup, our Sevens programme is producing some reasonable performances, we are the Super Rugby and Tri-Nations champions. How many here remember the dark days of the seventies? Sheesh, I do.
Our game has huge competition for players, sponsors, air time, and spectators from some very well-established, well supported opponents. We are doing pretty well at the moment - no room for complacency, but on the whole I would give the administration, the playing staff, and the players some plaudits for the way we are progressing.
Roll on, 2015.
Our game has huge competition for players, sponsors, air time, and spectators from some very well-established, well supported opponents. We are doing pretty well at the moment - no room for complacency, but on the whole I would give the administration, the playing staff, and the players some plaudits for the way we are progressing.
Roll on, 2015.
the agree box isn't enough
Swat
Chilla Wilson (44)
Doesn't that mean you weren't really there...
Karl
Bill McLean (32)
I agreed with earlier posts, but THIS is the attitude that gets to number 1.
That is true however the cries to throw the baby out with the bathwater when we we're not number one doesn't help us to get to number one.
Ruggo
Mark Ella (57)
I agree with this. I think what frustrates so much is that we are so close but battle with consistency. So much crap was talked about with the RWC being the target over 4 years and we did not go as well as we were meant to be building for. Certainly no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater but I do understand the fans being frustrated.
rugbysmartarse
Alan Cameron (40)
I didn't think this year was too bad, and certainly was better than some of the previous years. I'd like to see the Wallabies play good consistent rugby over the next few years as we settle some of the young talent into the side.
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
This year was shit. The Tri Nations was devalued by our opponents and means f all. The win over the All Blacks in Brisbane was the only highlight but NZ can argue very well they went on there game and it was hardly a 80 minute performance. The Samoa loss, the Ireland loss, the second half against Russia, the performance in the semi/Eden park Tri nations were both dire and a true reflection of the crap that passes for what we are presented as wallaby fans.
The greatest triumph of this year is the spin in the review.
The greatest triumph of this year is the spin in the review.
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