Wallaby Coaching Staff

[Scrubber2050]

What's defence have to do with us scoring tries? Do you think letting in four tries is acceptable?

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Only if we score more points than them

 

[dru]

Simmons was very lazy most of ladt season (ditto Horwill). He carried some better perfomances for the Reds in 2016 but didnt look sharp in game 1 for the Wallabies.

Still, LO calls in Game 3 were allways going to be a poisoned challice. He had two jumpers, one a 6. I thought his performance at the rucks was looking like international quality again.

I'm completely happy for Arnold, Coleman etc to be breaking in, and the return of Douglas. Happy as well that Cheika gave Simmo s a kick up the arse.

But Simmons is still one of our best and most experienced locks.

 

[Sauron]

Whether they are good coaches or not, no tier-one country should have part-time national coaches.

 

[liquor box]

Simmo's better play in the third test is attributed to one thing and one thing only.

The fact that Chek dropped him for the second match was a huge wake up call for a bloke that let complacency take root

That also needs to happen to a couple of others

Simmons has been like this his whole career, every time there is significant talk of him being dropped or is actually dropped he has a surge in form.

Is it a mental thing?

 

[Viking]

Simmons has been like this his whole career, every time there is significant talk of him being dropped or is actually dropped he has a surge in form.

Is it a mental thing?

Must be. Can't imagine he can suddenly build a crap load of strength after a week.

Just shows how much mind-set matters.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Thought Cheks comments regarding fitness was interesting.

I thought all the forwards bar Kepu (who was a bit underdone) were pretty good (fit)

Suppose everyone can be fitter though

 

[Viking]

Thought Cheks comments regarding fitness was interesting.

I thought all the forwards bar Kepu (who was a bit underdone) were pretty good (fit)

Suppose everyone can be fitter though

Maybe the only reason they looked "unfit" was because our forwards were doing twice as much work as England. Given we had so much possession we were hitting rucks and clearing out more with multiple players, they picked and choose which rucks they wanted to attack and just made tackles.

Combined with the wide running game, their run metres would be very interesting compared to England. Especially some-one like Fardy.

Cheika didn't lie stating his style requires more fitness.

 

[neilc]

Maybe the only reason they looked "unfit" was because our forwards were doing twice as much work as England. Given we had so much possession we were hitting rucks and clearing out more with multiple players, they picked and choose which rucks they wanted to attack and just made tackles.

Combined with the wide running game, their run metres would be very interesting compared to England. Especially some-one like Fardy.

Cheika didn't lie stating his style requires more fitness.

But Eddie Jones made sure that he got his players fitter by ensuring that all of the England squad were doing extra fitness work while still playing for their clubs. Cheika could have done the same thing.

 

[Brumby Runner]

It was a rather odd comment be Cheika I thought. Only two of the pack seemed to wilt early, being Kepu and Skelton. Fardy was out on his legs by the end of the second and third tests, but I daresay that was a feature of the amount of work he put in over the whole three matches.

Now I might be wrong, but I hardly think so, but as head coach, Cheika must have known the fitness levels of his forwards when he selected them. It was widely forecast on these threads that Skelton would have trouble keeping up for a reasonable length of time, given the fitness issues he has had all season long with the Tahs.

Are there any others whom he might have been referring to in his comment? And in all cases, is it their problem or his that he selected them when they were apparently unable to carry out his game plan?

 

[neilc]

It was a rather odd comment be Cheika I thought. Only two of the pack seemed to wilt early, being Kepu and Skelton. Fardy was out on his legs by the end of the second and third tests, but I daresay that was a feature of the amount of work he put in over the whole three matches.

Now I might be wrong, but I hardly think so, but as head coach, Cheika must have known the fitness levels of his forwards when he selected them. It was widely forecast on these threads that Skelton would have trouble keeping up for a reasonable length of time, given the fitness issues he has had all season long with the Tahs.

Are there any others whom he might have been referring to in his comment? And in all cases, is it their problem or his that he selected them when they were apparently unable to carry out his game plan?

Agreed, I think Fardy put in an immense amount of work - he probably needs to have a sub come on for him with 20 to go rather than some of the others. Selecting Skelton was odd based on form and capability - impact player off the bench at best but on Saturday while he drew in multiple defenders he didn't get through them from what I saw - the speed onto the ball didn't seem to be there, he's a really big guy who is hard to stop because of his size but the English didn't seem to have any trouble doing so.
Cheika should just say 'England played well, they had a smart approach and we didn't counter as well as we should, and we got some selections wrong so we'll look to improve.'

 

[Strewthcobber]

Isn't "not fit enough" just code for "I'm angry and will take it out in the players with a series of sadistic training excersis over days and weeks."?

As an aside how great would it be if the GPS data was published by the ARU.

 

[2bluesfan]

As an aside how great would it be if the GPS data was published by the ARU.

I wonder if the Super Rugby franchises share their GPS data with the ARU S&C people?

 

[TOCC]

I wonder if the Super Rugby franchises share their GPS data with the ARU S&C people?

Yes, its part of a centralised model..

I dont disagree with Cheika, i thought the Wallabies were clearly less fit then England, and not just Kepu and Skelton, other forwards were struggling to keep pace with the England forward pack.

Its also reflected on the scoreboard, across the series the Wallabies started strongly in both Brisbane and Sydney but blew out in the last 20, while England came home strong.

First 20mins(points scored across series)
Eng: 14
Aus: 22

Last 20mins(points scored across series)
Eng: 38
Aus: 15

 

[Strewthcobber]

So is the English Premiership now a better place to prepare for international rugby than Super rugby?

 

[cyclopath]

Yes, its part of a centralised model..

I dont disagree with Cheika, i thought the Wallabies were clearly less fit then England, and not just Kepu and Skelton, other forwards were struggling to keep pace with the England forward pack.

Its also reflected on the scoreboard, across the series the Wallabies started strongly in both Brisbane and Sydney but blew out in the last 20, while England came home strong.

First 20mins(points scored across series)
Eng: 14
Aus: 22

Last 20mins(points scored across series)
Eng: 38
Aus: 15

I agree, it wasn't just 2 players, England looked more durable than us, full stop. Able to hit with more intensity for longer. Coleman looked absolutely stuffed at one point after about 20mins on the field. Of course, the amount of rucks the Wallabies were hitting overall had an impact, especially on some players, but England had a higher power game.

 

[Gnostic]

So is the English Premiership now a better place to prepare for international rugby than Super rugby?

I think most would agree that everyone except the NZ sides have been pretty ordinary for the most part this year. Super Rugby hasn't been real super in 2016, no where near its traditional strength.

 

[Gnostic]

I agree, it wasn't just 2 players, England looked more durable than us, full stop. Able to hit with more intensity for longer. Coleman looked absolutely stuffed at one point after about 20mins on the field. Of course, the amount of rucks the Wallabies were hitting overall had an impact, especially on some players, but England had a higher power game.

Also add in where the Wallabies had their rucks, from flank to flank the ground covered by the Wallabies would have far exceeded that of the Poms even if the possession stats got evened up.

 

[Forcefield]

I often wonder if there is a longer term wear and tear issue. Maybe England are in better shape because they got to put their feet up for three extra weeks in October/November.

 

[TOCC]

Wear and tear might relates to some of the injuries, but the fitness levels displayed in the June tests are a reflection of the training done over the last few months, Eddie talked about fitness a lot during the 6 Nations, and he obviously made it an area to focus on. Eddie has also hired Dean Benton so it's only going to improve for England.

I don't think the Wallabies have a S&C Coach after Dean Benton quit just before the RWC?
Australian Super Rugby teams haven't looked particularly fit this year, and test rugby is a step up again. Hopefully this sends a shockwave through the Wallabied camp to work on their fitness before the rugby championship.

 

[TOCC]

Wallabies need to recruit the former all blacks kicking coach who has now based himself in Brisbane, then the Wallabies need to hire a world class S&C Coach to oversee Wallabies fitness programs from Super Rugby to Test Rugby level.

It might not pay dividends until June 2017, but let's get started today.