Wallaby Locks

[Scott Allen]

I just finished watching the game a second time.

I've seen various comments about the effectiveness of our locks and what a lock's role should be, but I was amazed at the stats from the game for ball carries by the three locks used.

17.20 mins - Horwill dives ahead from a very slow ruck - made about 2 metres - nothing wrong here but it took 17 mins for one of our locks to join the attack!
17.45 mins - Horwill does well to organise Alexander and Chisolm to support him in a pick & go off the Wallaby line but they are so slow to set up that the AB's are also set and we lose a metre
22.58 mins - Horwill crashes onto the ball - and makes 3 metres - good run
27.06 mins - Chisolm receives the ball deep in mid-field - ambles forward a few metres, then does a jink and goes sideways before getting smashed - lose 5 metres
38.49 mins - Horwill runs well but too high and is ineffective
49.50 mins - JOC (James O'Connor) passes back inside to Horwill who was in terrible position but should have done better than he did
53.21 mins - Mumm takes it forward - no gain but ball comes back
54.18 mins - Horwill involved in linking move with forwards - Nonu knocks down pass

That's it - three locks only produced that in attack. 6 involvements in attack from Horwill and 2 from Chisolm/Mumm.

If I was technically proficient I would have edited the video for the above, but alas ....

Horwill did a lot more than Chisolm in defence and at the breakdown. So did Mumm.

But if we can't get more than the above in attack from our locks, we will continue to struggle.

We definitely need more quality involvements but we also need more volume of involvement from our big men.

Big men going forward with support makes it a lot easier to get on at least even footing at the breakdown.

 

[naza]

I don't want locks to carry. I want locks in general play to push, drive, cleanout.

As to the stats on the game, I recall thinking at 25 minutes in that it didn't even feel like it'd started yet. I don't recall much running from 6, 2 or 7 either.

 

[Scarfman]

Cheers for the analysis, S11. You're picking Deano + Kev if I read you correctly.

 

[Scott Allen]

I don't want locks to carry. I want locks in general play to push, drive, cleanout.

As to the stats on the game, I recall thinking at 25 minutes in that it didn't even feel like it'd started yet. I don't recall much running from 6, 2 or 7 either.

Didn't record the stats on 6,2 or 7 but I think you'll find Elsom did carry a fair bit more than the locks. Don't think Moore or TPN would have done much more than the locks but surely we don't want 7 being a primary ball carrier. If not the locks carrying the ball forward to give us some punch up the middle, then who? Surely we need someone to give us some go forward (like Thorn for the AB's).

I thought Mumm was more involved than Chisolm and we should go with Horwill and Mumm against the Poms, but how I'd love to see an older head (like Vickerman / Sharpe / Harrison) as a partner for a younger guy like Horwill - Kev's got the potential but he's still got a lot to learn.

 

[Ishmael]

I think if you look at the stats from the AB locks they wouldn't have many more carries. Then only time I saw Donnelly with the ball under his wing was in the lead up to Sivi's try. As we went over in the other thread and naza said, I don't particularly want the locks carrying all the time. I want them clearing out, which I think Horwill in particular did very well this week, though Chisholm gave it a good go too. The biggest problem with our locks is clearly the lineout and we need to give Mumm a shot at calling IMO.

 

[fatprop]

I would prefer to see the locks on the hip of the runners driving them over the advantage line.

The Tahs did it regularly and it got over the advantage line continually, but they also mauled the ball for metres as well.

God the Wallabies miss Foley.

 

[Ash]

If you play Horwill, then the second lock you play should be one that is very capable at lineout time, and you want your 6 also able to take some lineout ball. Maybe Rocky should be getting more lineout ball. But yes, I'd like to see a Horwill + Mumm combination too, just for a change.

Am I the only one who thought Rocky wasn't that bad? Apart from that first drop, his work off the other kickoffs was excellent and he was busy elsewhere. The only thing missing was that he wasn't sighted much carrying the ball. Also don't recall them throwing him much lineout ball - is he too clumsy / not great in the air?

 

[fatprop]

Elsom is a great jumper at 2, especially on defensive lineouts. We haven't seen that this season.

 

[Newb]

a couple tri-nations games rocky was the leading lineout target, if i recall. i'd have to look at the stats to back it up. not sure why they went away from him.

 

[fatprop]

a couple tri-nations games rocky was the leading lineout target, if i recall. i'd have to look at the stats to back it up. not sure why they went away from him.

I was more meaning the our defensive lineout, which is non existent all season. We give them a free catch too often.