Wallaby tactics

[Harfish]

A few thoughts on the Wallaby tactics from my vantage point in the Deans Stand, still haven't seen the game on TV.

The back line looked directionless, they would swing the ball wide but find no gaps, didn't have any changes of angle on attack and were plagued by slow ball. Like many here, I point the finger more at Giteau than Genia, too often Giteau was faffing about in the line when Genia was ready to give him the ball.

Secondly, the Wallabies need to find a more mobile pack. Pocock was brilliant all night, Elsom had some moments and Brown was completely MIA. Frequently I noted when the ABs got slow ball, they would pass the ball one off, set up a quick ruck and clear the ball to the backs with a little go forward. I don't the the Wallabies did this all night.

Finally, where was the depth? I refereed an U14 game on Saturday morning and the similarities between their back line and the Wallaby back line were striking. Too often players got the ball flat footed, had to make their own pace and were caught behind the gain line. If I had to really put a name on it, I think Robbie is trying to bring back the flat back line that John Mitchell used to such disastrous effect during his time with the All Blacks.

 

[Bruce Ross]

I would argue the first point you make about the "run and carry", but not the other two Bruce. My recollection of how the Brumbies and Wallabies played back then was a lot of athletes in the pack carrying the ball up, passing in the tackle, good recycling and a lot of switches in play (mainly in the backs). Ch 7 had Jason Little talking about the game we won in 1998 and a couple of those tries were classic MacQueen era rugby: lots of phases, recycling, the inside ball or switch and huge defensive pressure.

Your other points are very well made and I agree with you totally. Anyway, enough about the past, it's what we do now that's important.

I may have focussed too much on my perception that the current All Blacks are always willing to extemporise whereas Macqueen's Wallabies seemed to adhere very closely to a game plan, rather than what you actually said. I concede that what you describe applies to both of those teams.

 

[RugbyReg]

The highlighted parts are pretty ordinary from AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). He cannot call us fickle.

Linky :-http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/were-getting-there-say-the-wallabies-20100808-11ptl.html

I don't he did call us fickle did he? The journo, or editor did, by I can't see AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) calling us fickle anywhere can you? The fickle fans bit isn't a quote.

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

A few thoughts on the Wallaby tactics from my vantage point in the Deans Stand, still haven't seen the game on TV.

The back line looked directionless, they would swing the ball wide but find no gaps, didn't have any changes of angle on attack and were plagued by slow ball. Like many here, I point the finger more at Giteau than Genia, too often Giteau was faffing about in the line when Genia was ready to give him the ball.

Secondly, the Wallabies need to find a more mobile pack. Pocock was brilliant all night, Elsom had some moments and Brown was completely MIA. Frequently I noted when the ABs got slow ball, they would pass the ball one off, set up a quick ruck and clear the ball to the backs with a little go forward. I don't the the Wallabies did this all night.

Finally, where was the depth? I refereed an U14 game on Saturday morning and the similarities between their back line and the Wallaby back line were striking. Too often players got the ball flat footed, had to make their own pace and were caught behind the gain line. If I had to really put a name on it, I think Robbie is trying to bring back the flat back line that John Mitchell used to such disastrous effect during his time with the All Blacks.

Pretty sure that was Henry using the flat backline in 2004 after Mitchell/Deans got the arse.

 

[#1 Tah]

I watched the "Wallaby Classic" game yesterday (V All Blacks, Melbourne 2007) and noticed this:

The All blacks team was virtually the same as it is now, Mils, Carter, McCaw etc...

The Wallabies team was completely different:

1. Dunning
2. Moore?
3. Sheperdson
4. Sharpe
5. Vickerman
6. Elsom?
7. Smith
8. Hoiles
9. Greegan
10. Larkham
11. Ashley Cooper
12. Gits
13. Mortlock
14. Tuqiri
15. Latham?

16. Freier
17. Baxter
18. Chisolm
19. ???
20. Waugh
21. Staniforth
22. ???

 

[RugbyReg]

virtually the same is a stretch:


MILS MULIAINA
RICO GEAR
LUKE MCALISTER
AARON MAUGER
JOE ROKOCOKO
DAN CARTER
BYRON KELLAHER
RODNEY SO'OIALO
RICHIE MCCAW [C]
JERRY COLLINS
TROY FLAVELL
CHRIS JACK
CARL HAYMAN
ANTON OLIVER
TONY WOODCOCK

Reserves:
KEVEN MEALAMU
NEEMIA TIALATA
ROSS FILIPO
CHRIS MASOE
PIRI WEEPU
SITIVINI SIVIVATU

So 5 of the same starting side, 1 on the bench

Ours was:


JULIAN HUXLEY
LOTE TUQIRI
[C] STIRLING MORTLOCK
MATT GITEAU
ADAM ASHLEY-COOPER
STEVE LARKHAM
GEORGE GREGAN
WYCLIFF PALU
GEORGE SMITH
ROCKY ELSOM
NATHAN SHARPE
DAN VICKERMAN
GUY SHEPHERDSON
STEPHEN MOORE
MATT DUNNING

Reserves:
ADAM FREIER
AL BAXTER
MARK CHISOLM
PHIL WAUGH
STEPHEN HOILES
SCOTT STANIFORTH

About the same. It's just their key players 15, 10 and 7 are still there.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Harfish, I would argue that the flat backline comes pretty naturally to Aussie sides. We've been doing it for decades. A return to it is not such an unusual thing. What we aren't doing is the other half of it: quick short passes to beat the defence and runners changing the angle to create mismatches.

 

[Scarfman]

Well, the Tahs have used the FBL for along time, probably because of the league influence. I reckon Brumbies ball has always suited the Wallabies better, and that is a deep backline.

 

[Scotty]

Harfish, I would argue that the flat backline comes pretty naturally to Aussie sides. We've been doing it for decades. A return to it is not such an unusual thing. What we aren't doing is the other half of it: quick short passes to beat the defence and runners changing the angle to create mismatches.

The flat backline will work with Cooper, who has the instinct to use the right option and the skill to play right on the line. It doesn't work with Giteau as he takes that split second longer to pass or just make a decision on what to do.

The difference seems to be that Cooper just does it as he sees it, while Giteau seems to think about it then do it.

 

[Scotty]

Well, the Tahs have used the FBL for along time, probably because of the league influence. I reckon Brumbies ball has always suited the Wallabies better, and that is a deep backline.

The FBL was certainly very average in 95. But Dwyer pushed the extremes of flat backline then.

Not that Dwyer can do anything wrong though......

 

[Juan Cote]

The Reds had the deepest alignment of all the Aussie teams and Cooper's strength was taking the ball to the line with multiple runners from depth off 1st phase. Admittedly the Reds always seemed to have a flat runner (either Ant Finger or a forward) as an option from phase play but it was hard the hard working back three that put doubt in the oppositions minds.

I reckon flat backlines work when you have monster backs who can punch holes or at least get over the gain line, otherwise forget it.

 

[Scarfman]

Deep or flat, it doesn't matter if you only shovel it left to right, then right to left. We need guys to have a couple of options / semi-rehearsed moves.

 

[Scotty]

Juan,

They had runners coming from depth, but Cooper played flat and played the ball at or near the line.

 

[Juan Cote]

Precisely Scotty,

yes he did play flat but he didn't play flat with stagnate runners lined out like an under 14 backline. As I said, the runners from depth allowed him to be able to do that effectively (i.e. take the ball to the line, hit a wide runner or take it on himself)

Scarife, I posted something earlier in this thread that agrees totally with your comment

 

[Ruggo]

Deep or flat, it doesn't matter if you only shovel it left to right, then right to left. We need guys to have a couple of options / semi-rehearsed moves.

Maters heaps as demonstrated by the Wallabies last night. deeper you are the further back from the advantage line you get nailed. If we are going to play deep, we could start by approaching the line at pace.

 

[TheRiddler]

Deep or flat, it doesn't matter if you only shovel it left to right, then right to left. We need guys to have a couple of options / semi-rehearsed moves.

Are you forgetting the "Fuck, I've no idea what to do with the ball, I'd best kick it away and hope it finds space or the touchline" move? Usually #2 or #3 on the Wallaby playlist, exemplified by Barnes and less successfully by Shiteau.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The flat alignment in and of itself isn't an advantage without the other things that go with it. As I say, it's the passing and as others point out, the angles and running lines that make it effective. It requires speed of hand and thought as well as a commitment from everyone to do it. It's often high risk, but equally high reward. When played well it's beautiful to watch and I think with QC (Quade Cooper) at 5/8 it's possible too.

 

[Gnostic]

Don't forget also that this is the first test in how long where better than 50% of passes went to hand. How many still got dropped, went behind the player. FFS most of the time the target was standing still and they couldn't pass to them, HTF do you expect them to pass to a moving target while they are moving too.

End of rant.

I will concentrate on positives this week. I will.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Don't get me started again on the standard of backline passing. I'll bore you stiff for the next week on that subject.

 

[DPK]

"That is the benchmark now."

New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw reflects on his side's impressive Tri-Nations victory over South Africa in Auckland, July 10, 2010

This isn't a Wallaby Tactic, but that's the reason I'm posting this. I think it is an example of a part of the AB's attitude that the Wallabies need to adopt; the bar is set higher when you play well, but then the bar does not drop.

They need to bloody well set the expectations of themselves and their teamates at the absolute highest. The Wallabies need to stop aiming to be the 2nd or 3rd best in the world, or procrastinating by usuing ye olde World Cup excuse- the aim is to be the best team in the world. Anything less is unexceptable.

The second you drop your own expectations of yourself, you limit what you can achieve.

(sigh) Well, theres my rant.