Worst Australian Team I've seen.

[louie]

no but at least for the 15% of the ball we have he might do something that we can call attack. not just kicking it away in an attempt to "control" the game.

 

[Richard D. James]

At one point last night, late in the game when we were on their tryline, Adam Thompson was standing on our side of the ruck, with his back turned towards us.

Think about that. On our side of the ruck, with his back turned.

What did we do? Nothing.

Stephen Moore went and told on him to the ref.

Our side of the ruck should be like our homeland, it should be defended at all cost. Someone should have rammed right into him, straight in the kidneys, and made sure they inflicted enough pain that he wouldn't dare stand on our side of the ruck again.

I can handle giving away penalties, as long as we send a message that if your on our side of the ruck you're going to get hurt.

Thompson standing with his back towards us shows complete disrespect, and why would they respect us if we let them do it?

 

[Scotty]

Even in the past when our forwards got dominated our backs could keep us in the game, now they can't even do that.

Regrettably, I'm agreeing with naza on this. Its not so much the coach as the cattle. Why did we muscle up and beat the shit out of South Africa two weeks ago? I don't know - same as I don't know why we were completely absent against the Kiwis up front tonight.

As for the backline - all those looking to the past should remember we had ALL TIME GREATS there like Gregan, Larkham, Horan, Little/Herbert, Roff, Tune, Burke - at the peak of their powers.

I think Giteau needs sacking just to wake him up. He can't run a game when he's on the back foot like Larkham did, and jeez you think after playing at the Force he'd be used to it.

Was Giteau playing last night?

 

[Scotty]

Thompson standing with his back towards us shows complete disrespect, and why would they respect us if we let them do it?

I find it a little difficult to believe that Joubert could honestly just have made a mistake and not seen that. It was directly in front of him.

 

[Richard D. James]

Yep, it was right in front of him and Smith had been talking to Joubert about it all night, but Joubert just kept saying "I'm monitoring it".

The thing is, we shouldn't be relying on the ref to make the right call. If they're on our side of the ruck, smash 'em.

 

[Gagger]

Agree. It was the same mystifying shit from Joubert at the breakdown. How we don't learn from it though, I'll never know.

How many times last night did you see Big Kev or Pocock over a ball at an AB ruck to get blown away because they're a lone, static target?

 

[the gambler]

PB will be out to get you all. Watch out!

 

[Scarfman]

Of course, Joubert had little impact on the score, but he is a terrible referee. He let's everything go for a bit then picks up some random penalty to have a bug up his arse about.

 

[disco]

Deans has to shoulder most of the blame he has stuck with Giteau at 10 & his best game to date was at 12, someone mention the old backline with Mortlock getting over the adv line & Latho kicking us out of trouble. Well AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) does a good job of getting over the adv line & if we want a fullback with a long rakeing punt the Cameron Shepherd needs to be given 5 games at 15 on the Spring tour.

Deans should have dragged JOC (James O'Connor) & Giteau last night & replaced them with Hynes & Cooper but once again he doesn't go to his bench when we really need to inject some spark.

 

[Spook]

Interesting. I saw Barnes at first receive quite a bit last night and it wasn't an improvement.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Thompson standing with his back towards us shows complete disrespect, and why would they respect us if we let them do it?

I find it a little difficult to believe that Joubert could honestly just have made a mistake and not seen that. It was directly in front of him.

Thompson was ripe for the taking and while he didn't have hands on the ball or was obstructing ball from coming, he should have been knocked into next week by one of the OZ tighties.

Where was the grunt by Horwill or Chis???

 

[Spook]

Thompson standing with his back towards us shows complete disrespect, and why would they respect us if we let them do it?

I find it a little difficult to believe that Joubert could honestly just have made a mistake and not seen that. It was directly in front of him.

Thompson was ripe for the taking and while he didn't have hands on the ball or was obstructing ball from coming, he should have been knocked into next week by one of the OZ tighties.

Where was the grunt by Horwill or Chis???

Good question.

 

[Scotty]

Worst Australian team we've seen? Hmmm.

Results from 97 were 6 wins and a draw from 12 matches. We lost 3 out of 3 against NZ (one home, two away) and won 1 out of 2 against SA (of course the one we won was in Brisbane).

Pretty similar results. This is about the only good sign so far with the RWC in two years time....

Of course this means that we should expect to win 3 out of 3 vs the ABs next year!

 

[Scotty]

And just looking back at the results of 89, we only managed to win 2 out of 6 for that year!

 

[junior]

Worst Australian team we've seen? Hmmm.

Results from 97 were 6 wins and a draw from 12 matches. We lost 3 out of 3 against NZ (one home, two away) and won 1 out of 2 against SA (of course the one we won was in Brisbane).

Pretty similar results. This is about the only good sign so far with the RWC in two years time....

Of course this means that we should expect to win 3 out of 3 vs the ABs next year!

Is there the same level of potential in this team as there was in the '97 team?

 

[Biffo]

Worst Australian team we've seen? Hmmm.

Results from 97 were 6 wins and a draw from 12 matches. We lost 3 out of 3 against NZ (one home, two away) and won 1 out of 2 against SA (of course the one we won was in Brisbane).

Pretty similar results. This is about the only good sign so far with the RWC in two years time....

Of course this means that we should expect to win 3 out of 3 vs the ABs next year!

Scotty has it right. Comparison with 1989 produces a similar result.

This Wallaby team is a very long way from the worst I have seen. Try Johannesburg 2008. Try 2003 when the (black) Evil put 50 on us. Try 1997 in Johannesburg. If you want multiple horror performances, try the Woeful Wallabies of the early 1970s - yes, the ORIGINAL Woeful Wallabies, not the 2009 pretenders.

Scotty has it right. Look at those results for 1989 and 1997. Then contemplate some team sheets I have dug out.

Last Wallaby team of 1989

15. G. J. Martin
14. I. M. Williams
13. J. S. Little
12. T. J. Horan
11. D. I. Campese
10. M. P. Lynagh
9. N. C. Farr-Jones
8. B. T. Gavin
7. B. P. Nasser
6. D. G. Carter
5. P. J. FitzSimons
4. R. J. McCall
3. M. N. Harthill
2. P. N. Kearns
1. A. J. Daly

Replacements

16. D. K. Junee

Wallaby team for RWC 1991 final

15. M. C. Roebuck
14. R. H. Egerton
13. J. S. Little
12. T. J. Horan
11. D. I. Campese
10. M. P. Lynagh
9. N. C. Farr-Jones
8. T. Coker
7. V. Ofahengaue
6. S. P. Poidevin
5. J. A. Eales
4. R. J. McCall
3. E. A. J. McKenzie
2. P. N. Kearns
1. A. J. Daly

Replacements

16. J. A. Flett
17. A. G. Herbert
18. P. J. Slattery
19. J. S. Miller
20. D. J. Crowley
21. D. V. Nucifora

Last Wallaby team of 1997

15. S. J. Larkham
14. B. N. Tune
13. T. J. Horan
12. P. W. Howard
11. J. W. C. Roff
10. E. J. Flatley
9. G. M. Gregan
8. V. Ofahengaue
7. B. J. Robinson
6. O. D. A Finegan
5. J. A. Eales
4. J. T. Langford
3. A. T. Blades
2. M. A. Foley
1. R. l. L. Harry

Replacements

16. D. J. Wilson
17. M. D. Hardy
18. S. J. Payne
19. A. D. Heath
20. M. E. Crowley
21. M. J. Cockbain

Wallaby team for RWC 1999 final

15. M. C. Burke
14. B. N. Tune
13. D. J. Herbert
12. T. J. Horan
11. J. W. C. Roff
10. S. J. Larkham
9. G. M. Gregan
8. R. S. T. Kefu
7. D. J. Wilson
6. M. J. Cockbain
5. J. A. Eales
4. D. T. Giffen
3. A. T. Blades
2. M. A. Foley
1. R. l. L. Harry

Replacements

16. J. S. Little
17. C. J. Whitaker
18. M. Connors
19. O. D. A. Finegan
20. J. A. Paul
21. N. P. Grey

 

[Blue]

Comparing teams of different eras is always difficult. I was at that game at Loftus in 97 (I think) when the Wallabies got totally reamed by an inexperienced and pretty average Bok side (although most of those guys went on to do good things under Mallet).

The problem I have is that the current Wallaby team, unlike that one, has been together for two plus years under the same coach with essentially the same players, and they have gone backwards.

I honestly can't see any notable improvement in any area from this team in 2 years and that's a worry.

Great Wallaby teams have alsoway player a very distinct, recognisable style or pattern. I have problems describing what this team's pattern or style is. Can anyone? I struggle to see what they are trying to do on the field.

On top of that I believe there are some strange selection decisions. Pocock has not performed. O Connor is overrated as a test player and has no idea what to do when he has no space and has to play a defensive game, Turner has not fulfilled prommise, and Chisolm goes missing when the neighbourhood goes nasty.

This bad performance gives the other codes a leg up which pisses me off no end.

 

[Scotty]

Welcome Zeno. I think that goes down as the largest first post ever!

 

[Scotty]

Blue,

Only time will tell regarding this Wallaby team. The big question/argument on my post would be - how many of this team have the ability to be world class in 2 years time compared to the team of say 99?

15. M. C. Burke
14. B. N. Tune
13. D. J. Herbert
12. T. J. Horan
11. J. W. C. Roff
10. S. J. Larkham
9. G. M. Gregan
8. R. S. T. Kefu
7. D. J. Wilson
6. M. J. Cockbain
5. J. A. Eales
4. D. T. Giffen
3. A. T. Blades
2. M. A. Foley
1. R. l. L. Harry

So you could argue for just about the whole team as world class, with around 7 being best in their position in the world at the time.

15. O'Connor
14. Turner
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
12. Barnes
11. Mitchell
10. Giteau
9. Genia
8. Smith
7. Pocock
6. Elsom
5. Chisholm
4. Horwill
3. Alexander
2. TPN
1. Robinson

Being extremely positive, these guys have the potential to be world class in 2 years time, but realistically we are probably looking at only 8-10 world class, and less than 5 best in their position in the world.

Only time will tell, but it seems the stars will have to align for the Wallabies to be anywhere near as strong as they were in 99.

 

[Biffo]

Comparing teams of different eras is always difficult. I was at that game at Loftus in 97 (I think) when the Wallabies got totally reamed by an inexperienced and pretty average Bok side (although most of those guys went on to do good things under Mallet).

I agree but I wasn't comparing teams of different eras. I was pointing out that teams, even those which win RWCs, change dramatically over two years. Scotty has it right in his post just above - the question is how good will the players in the squad be in two years from now. I add the question how many players not now in the squad will make it to world class in the next two years?