Wallaby tactics

[Aussie D]

The Wallabies limp dick attack was on display for all to see again tonight. We lack penetration and were easier to read than a baby's first book. In the past Oz has been reknowned for innovative attacking play but it has deserted us over the past 5 years. Our skill levels are lacking (which is something that is endemic in Oz rugby and should be laid at the feet of the ARU for not having better coaching and player development systems in place) and fitness is poor (where was the kick chase at crucial times tonight?).

Things we need to fix - flat footed runners. Our forwards are standing flat and receiving the ball standing still. Compare this to the ABs - the ball was always in front of the forward who was moving onto it. This was one reason they were able to consitently get over the gain line.

Getting the ball out at the breakdown - Genia in the S14 was clearing the ball in no time for the Reds whereas for the Wobs it is sitting at his feet for an eternity. One ruck we had won was lost because there was no urgency for anyone to get to the breakdown to clear the ball, a few others could have been lost as well with the ball just sitting there.

Kicking - Joe Rok in the past has been notoriously lazy in regards to kicks in behind him - why didn't the Wallabies try this or a few little grubbers to get the defence guessing.

Wraps / passing in takcle were non-existent. Abs tried this with varyong degrees of success. After the Welsh game in 08 I thought we would have cottoned onto this concept.

 

[Gnostic]

To address all your points:-
1) Five years ago Larkham retired and Flatley also (essentially). Giteau became Flyhalf and our attack has suffered from his crabs ever since.
2) As you say there are no runners hitting the ball from depth at pace, of course they aren't going to dent the line and will mot likely get smashed by a dominant tackle.
3) How much of Genia's problems relate to Giteau at 10. How many times was Genia looking for an option from the base of the ruck and there was nothing, with the pigs have hit up three or four times Giteau needs to take control. The successful tactical kicks all came from Beale. I also wonder if Genia is fully fit.
4) For a former back Deans has no real moves happening in the backline. From a Randwick boy that is pretty distressing. The Wallabies never looked like creating a try. They can't win against the ABs by hoping they get enough errors to score points from.
5) Tactics - comes back to Deans and selections. The ABs in two tests have obviously targetted JOCs poor positioning and scored four tries down his wing. Without any threat from 10 the Wobs just cannot threaten anywhere enough to crack a defence as they known whats coming side to side with nothing created.

 

[Red Rooster]

Genia's problem is the lack of communication from behind. When he plays with Cooper no issue and very decisive. If we cast our minds back to the criticism of Burgess you might find the common denominator is Giteau at 10. When Cooper teamed up with Burgess he had his best game. I am thinking that Cooper is a great communicator (which we have missed) and Giteau is a poor one. - Thoughts?

 

[Gagger]

Was it a coupla Ruggamatrixes ago that Link praised QCs communication and organisation?

 

[Scotty]

I just think that Cooper's instinct for positioning is better. If he isn't going to be in the play he is no where near it, so the forwards know. If he is going to be in the play he is already moving and calling for it.

I guess i have said his communication is better, but I think at least 50% of it is his positioning.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

All of this just shows how good a player QC (Quade Cooper) has developed into and how important he is for us in the future.

 

[JJJ]

Maybe he's heard all this talk about what a "calm" player he is and decided that means he can take his time. He isn't dawdling, he's being calm.

 

[disco]

Yeah spot on Aussie D.
After 1st phase they look lost, No wrap arounds, no bombs, rarely pick & drive, never try to set up mauls, never attack the blindside & don't know when to counter punch.

 

[MrTimms]

Was it a coupla Ruggamatrixes ago that Link praised QCs communication and organisation?

I think it was the most recent one.

 

[simonr]

Gits looks like he's trying to remember the 8 spaces he should be thinking about.

I said last year on another site, we don't have the smarts/conditioning to play what's in front of us, we need moves

 

[disco]

I said last year on another site, we don't have the smarts/conditioning to play what's in front of us, we need moves

Yep Aussie rugby has always been structure & set plays look at the glory days of Alan Jones, Bob Dwyer & Rod Macqueen.

We always had the best backline moves, like Murray Mexted said in Wellington year 2000 after Umaga's set piece try "we've out aussied the aussies".

Even Eddie's era we had some wicked moves he just lost the plot by turning the forwards into powder puff.

 

[Gagger]

So what happens if you play in a game with fuck all scrums and fuck all lineouts - like the last coupla weeks?

I do agree we should be better at them, but if you wanna play this up tempo ball in hand game, you get fewer opportunities for set piece moves anyway. Again, Link a coupla Ruggmatrixes ago talked about the few times in a modern game you get to use a true set piece move - especially off a scrum moving backwards and over a fumbling Richard Brown.

That's the key to QC (Quade Cooper)'s value, you don't need them (or at least need them a lot less).

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The up tempo ball in hand game requires quick thinking, inteliigence in the play making positions and almost a "total football" approach. That is, like in the MacQueen days, forwards and backs being able to run, pass and carry and change the angle and method of attack when the opportunity arises. It requires very high levels of skill, fitness and togetherness to pull that off. The All Blacks have it right now and we don't.

 

[farva]

I also think one of the big problems with our forwards not moving when they get the ball in that Genia passes to them, not in front of them. It isnt a bad pass, but equally isnt a good pass. The forwards know that if they start moving forward, the ball could go behind them and they wont be able to control it.
I am not sure if that is because the forwards are too flat and Genia cant pass in front of them, without risking a forward pass, or if there is a problem with Genia's passing.

 

[JJJ]

If he passes it too far in front of the forward he's aiming for he's probably worried said forward will let it go right by him. I saw at least one forward do exactly that last night (Sharpe or Elsom IIRC) with the result that the ball went into touch.

 

[Thomo]

To address all your points:-
1) Five years ago Larkham retired and Flatley also (essentially). Giteau became Flyhalf and our attack has suffered from his crabs ever since.

Gitteau is too good an attacking player to leave out of the side BUT, when he's at 10, the rest of the attack doesn't seem organised. He's no clever-optional-taking, organising General that's for sure.

Once Cooper comes back, I wonder if the radical step could be to put Gitteau at 15. Crazy talk, I know, but there are some attractive parts to it. Let him organise the kick return attack. Give Cooper a bigger, bash-them-em-up-the-middle option at 12. ACC to stay at 13.

Perhaps that is all too crazy. One thing for sure, I can't wait for Cooper to be back and playing again. I dread games with Gitteau at 10.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

All of this makes me think that Giteau needs to be benched or dropped to send him a message. I don't think we are getting anywhere near his best and if we're honest, the signs have been there since the beginning of the S14. He's there on rep and not on form at the moment. He's had a couple of encouraging test match performances (vs England in Sydney and vs RSA in Brizzy), but that's it for the year really.

 

[fatprop]

They seemed to have a plan, it wasn't good enough.

They wanted to move the ABs around, the problem was the ABs were up to the task.

I think against any other side in the world Aus would have won with that level of game.

 

[TOCC]

My biggest issue at the moment is the forward pack, the AB's forward make meters with ease, Mealamu continually steal 3-4 meters over the advantage line, the wallabies players barely put a dent in the line. This leaves Giteau facing a set defensive line which is on the front foot, which may in part be why he is unwilling to take receive the ball so early, maybe its a factor which is creating indeciveiness.

The AB's last night really had impressive defence, we were never going to break through by just sending runners at them, especially in the midfield. I think what QC (Quade Cooper) could have contributed last night was a better attacking kicking game, the AB's midfield is big but not exactly nimble, we should have been turning them around with chip kicks over the top similar to those employed by QC (Quade Cooper) during the S14. Additionally the AB's midfield was moving up quickly but the wingers were sitting back a bit, we needed long passes(QC (Quade Cooper) style) which could have capitalised on this.

Giteau still has a place in the team, i just think that his place is as a inside centre, IMO Barnes should have been the starting 5/8 with Gits at 12.

 

[Gnostic]

The up tempo ball in hand game requires quick thinking, inteliigence in the play making positions and almost a "total football" approach. That is, like in the MacQueen days, forwards and backs being able to run, pass and carry and change the angle and method of attack when the opportunity arises. It requires very high levels of skill, fitness and togetherness to pull that off. The All Blacks have it right now and we don't.

It is a bit of a myth about the Macqueen days being an up tempo game plan. There were periods of course as there always had been. His game plan 98-2002 was based around the brick wall defensive system of Muggo and the constant recycle. Hence we ended up with very big centres (Horan wasn't that big but his skill set him apart from everyone else) in the form of Herbert and then Morty and a sort of homogeny of roles elsewhere apart from set peice. His great fortune was at the time he had great athletes in the pigs who were able to execute his game plan. The best example is Eales, a true lock but IMO the only true lock Oz has ever produced with the work rate and skills to play 6 and 8 whch he did in tests.

I don't think that the '99 team with its homogenous backline and fairly slow backrow could live with the tempo of game being played now.

They didn't use a lot of backline moves either, with the most regular set peice move the inside ball from Gregan to Melon. Most of the tries got ground out or came off first phase, think Mat Burke's 1998 try at Christchurch after 20 odd phases.

With the breakdown laws now 20 phases is almost impossible if an opponent contests the breakdown (and rightly so look back on those games and check out how many rucks Oz just killed and sealed off). That game plan was old and outdated when Jones inherited the team and his problem was that he tried to continue with it and sacrifice forward power to get more pace and continue the game plan. Hence Bill Young @ prop and the continued homogeny in the backs.