Who's to Blame?

[Jiggles]

I picked Giteau. Tonight we needed some one to stand up and say "Im the fucking captain!!" but the selfish prick is in France on Holidays. Fucking Giteau.

 

[p.Tah]

We did that. I thought the basic plan was good - as evidenced in the first half. Pick and go, done well got us out of our 22 and half very nicely. Trying to hold the ball for 20 phases would always be tough, but they did it pretty well. Second half, we got into good position the same way, started to make some holes ( Barnes inside ball to Ioane) and should have capitalised. But we tried to do too much at the wrong times, when there was slow or back foot ball was not the time for moving it wider or going one out.
We should have taken the 3.
We should have kept them there with little grubbers or chips behind the fast defence if needs be.
The execution at critical times was poor, and some bad decisions made by players who probably should do better.
So yeah, maybe a Plan B, but I don't think what looked like Plan A was busted, just not done as well as it should have been.
I'm not apologising for the coaches necessarily, but I don't think they went about that all wrong, planning wise.

Great summation IMO, however as I've said in another thread I don't Harris could have kicked that 3 pointer, given how the weather was at that particular point in time.

 

[kiap]

All up, it was all Totality Tony.

 

[Slim 293]

I blame Channel 9 for making me have to stay up to watch the second half that I missed when my internet feed crashed...

 

[Da Munch]

dingo, the drought breaker

 

[Riptide]

Serious question but surely pressure will mount on Deans if Wales beat the Wallabies in a series on home soil? Will it be rise to the point that the ARU (O'Neil) feel they really have to do something to maintain/regain public enthusiasm for the Wallabies and allow McKenzie to have a Rugby Championship to get the team to gel in advance on next years Lions Tour?

 

[gel]

Serious question but surely pressure will mount on Deans if Wales beat the Wallabies in a series on home soil? Will it be rise to the point that the ARU (O'Neil) feel they really have to do something to maintain/regain public enthusiasm for the Wallabies and allow McKenzie to have a Rugby Championship to get the team to gel in advance on next years Lions Tour?

I doubt it. This administration is pretty inept at recognizing when things are wrong.

I don't understand what deans does as a coach, but his performances with the wallabies IS consistent: the wallabies do not play as a team under his tenure. They are not greater than the sum of their individual parts, they are somehow less. The bench is not used as it should be (does deans get too excited and forget it is there?). The game plan is extremely simple and doesn't ever fit the style of play the individuals picked are used to.

I can't help but think, in some sick and perverted way, deans enjoys seeing Australia struggle.

 

[mark_s]

Firstly I blame o' Neil, this was ridiculous scheduling for us.

Next I blame the players, we had all the territory and possesion, pretty much any well executed game plan would have got us enough points to be clear of The scots.

Next I blame the selectors. What more evidence to the need to know that Barnes isn't a 10

Finally I blame deans, although I did feel sorry for him after the game when be once again Had to try and explain the unforgiveable. He memoirs as wallaby coach will be interesting reading.

 

[RedsHappy]

Serious question but surely pressure will mount on Deans if Wales beat the Wallabies in a series on home soil? Will it be rise to the point that the ARU (O'Neil) feel they really have to do something to maintain/regain public enthusiasm for the Wallabies and allow McKenzie to have a Rugby Championship to get the team to gel in advance on next years Lions Tour?

Rip, sadly, there is zero evidence of the parties concerned wanting to uphold the values and objectives of public enthusiasm and trust in the code. If there was such evidence neither Deans nor J'ON would have engineered lucrative contract extensions in 2011 from a compliant and obviously unquestioning ARU board pre their own pre-defined key goal of excellent Wallaby performance at RWC 2011.

The sole trigger for an early termination of RD's contract would be a string of Wallaby losses of unprecedented magnitude and duration. Say a w-l ratio for all 2012 of 25% or less, that may do it. The ARU board's climb down would only occur under truly extraordinary circumstances and where suitable pre-packaged scapegoating routes were available.

The culture and values we see writ large here are not those you rightly seek of performance accountability and personal leadership responsibility. What we see at work are values of ego, self-preservation and power exercise, entitlement, a hint of greed and more than a hint of deluded denial.

Just look at the Deans' presser quotes from yesterday: effectively, he blames the players for last night's result, here is not a sliver of 'I am responsible, perhaps the coaching group might have mis-read something, or made an error here or there...etc'. And I am not at all surprised at this, one of Dean's distinguishing characteristics as Wallabies leader/manager is to never, ever admit any flaws or take direct, personal responsibility for failure.

 

[p.Tah]

I think this by Ben Horne sums up the game best:

After the ’09 Murrayfield loss, and last year’s defeats to Samoa and Ireland, it was another case of the Wallabies not playing to conditions and circumstances.
Robinson said he was surprised how one-dimensional the Wallabies were attacking Scotland’s line.
“Obviously the way they played helped us, you can’t deny that,” he said.
“Those conditions are tough and sometimes by moving the ball you get concerned about the turnover that can occur.
“(But) when you’ve got that pressure on your line it does need the ball to be moved and that’s something for all players to understand, that by shifting the focus it would have put us under a bit more pressure.”

 

[Torn Hammy]

I felt Barnes and Genia played too conservatively. Their desire to hang onto the ball by keeping it close to the rucks, precluded the use of the short kick behind the defensive line and the use of Ioane and Tomane out wide.

Deans should be given credit for blooding the young guys. I thought they played well.

 

[rugbyisfun]

Didn't the new Castrol Ad look great though ...?

 

[No4918]

I started laughing when this game finished and the Scots won. Good for them, they deserved it.

I did the same thing, still am really.

I blame all of the above.

JON should never have scheduled it.
Deans cant come up with a game plan, some of you actually expect plan B when it has taken 6 months to come up with last nights effort?
Pocock is a very good leader, he is not a captain.
Can't pick out individuals to blame.

Did like what i saw from Digby, Tomane, Palmer, Higgers and Dennis with an HM to Hooper, Simmons, Moore and Pocock.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think the scheduling was a major issue and John O'Neill is to blame for that. Regardless of how poor Scotland has been this year, scheduling a match where the team gets only two training sessions together before it and plenty of players are coming off playing super rugby 3 or 4 days earlier is a terrible idea.

I can't really fault Deans too much. Our game plan was fine. We defended well in the first half, did well to get to the break 6-3 down and then levelled the game pretty quickly in the second half. At 6-6 with the bulk of the second half territory and possession, the players on the field should have won that game easily. I think Deans biggest fault was not replacing Genia. Genia had a very poor game and many of the complaints about our backs not getting any ball must come down to Genia's very average passing and overall game.

We chose not to take shots at goal. Does anyone honestly think that was part of Deans' game plan? I don't. When we went back on the field after half time we were in a perfect position to win that game, our game plan was fine and we played the majority of the second half close to their line. In the face of excellent defence, we didn't execute well enough. Maybe with all that territory and possession we should have tried a few more drop goals or a couple of backline moves? The players on the field need to make good decisions for themselves. It shouldn't take someone to come out there and tell them that they aren't having any success with what they are currently doing to know that they need to try something else to score points.

The players on the field made a bunch of poor decisions. Pocock for not taking every shot at goal we had on offer. Pocock and Harris for not giving the second long range kick to Barnes (Harris is not a long boot and his low trajectory kicks give him little advantage with a breeze at his back).

The crucial error in the last five minutes was when Morahan (I think it was him anyway) kicked the ball dead from inside our own half. That was pretty much the only error that could give Scotland a chance and he did it. With a howling breeze at his back, this really was a schoolboy error. It wasn't bad luck that the ball carried further and skidded along a lot in the wet conditions.

 

[Joe Mac]

I blame Deans for picking too many fair weather Queenslanders in this game (no offense QLD supporters). The Brumbies would have won this match. They eat that kind of shit up. Rain, wind etc. They train half the year in the cold shitty weather in Canberra. Nick White, Ben Mowen, Ita Vaea, Auelua, McCabe; these boys have been training for this kind of game in freezing Canberra all year yet they don't rate a mention in this team because Deans seems to have chosen his squad before Super XV 2012 kicked off.

 

[Bad boy]

The blame game is ridiculous..its time we looked at the whole structure.The money being paid for our kiwi coach is far too excessive and all the while we have done nothing to developour own coaches. In the past a pathway for coaches was to try and aim for the Australian 20's (previously 19's and 21's) then if doing well you may move on to a Super 12 position or overseas. Chris Hickey and Andy Friend did this before having their chances at NSW and Brumbies respectively and this was good development. Brian Melrose then took over and since then we have had David Nucifora holding the position (I suspect because this costs the ARU lessmoney as he is already being paid). I ask you...where is the development!!!!!! The ARU have a lot to answer for in developing their home grown talent. This is why people such as Mitchell (Western Force and now Jake White have been able to infiltrate our ranks..denying our development). Instead what we do is put people in positions of specialist or assistant coaches at the highest level e.g. Foley and Graham and then move them down to take over the Super 12 teams and what a failure that has been!!!!!! I suggest we look at the coaches that work hard day in day out at the Shute Shield level and equivalent as well as the schools where they spend many hours getting to know what techniques and game plans make our future Super 15 and Wallabies tick and pour money into developing them. I don't know about other readers on this forum but if someone like Berrick Barnes is in our top 10 flyhalfs I will give up on the Wallabies but yet he keeps getting picked and its because these people at the top are scared to back their own instincts and put their heads on the chopping block with their judgement of new young talent. Although I am not a fan of Eddie Jones the last time I saw this done effectively was the emergence of Matt Giteau and look how good he proved to be for many years and before that it was George Gregan. These two players were certainly gambles at the start of there careers. WE HAVE TOO MANY GOOD PLAYERS IN AUSTRALIA FOR THESE PEOPLE AT THE TOP TO CONTINUALLY PIDGEON WHOLE OUR TALENT AND CONTINUE TO MAKE ALL THE SELECTION DECISIONS AND NOT ALLOW OUR COACHES TO DEVELOP!!!!

 

[Karl]

The comments about this Wallabies team not playing as a team and being so inconsistent are right, but the cause is elusive. It seems as much about the level of passion and commitment that players bring as it is about the coaching in terms of game plans and selections as it is about the management of the team as a whole from JON down. Nothing seems to be gelling for the Wallabies right now and the acceptance of mediocrity as well as the excuses everywhere for failures say a lot too. Losses like this just should not happen, regardless of the weather or the timing of the game. Everyone in the 6 Nations thump this Scottish side, they should not be winning against the Wallabies. Not ever.

I'm a Scot, my Father was the first in our line on that side who was born here, so I'm proud of what the Scots' did last night. But it should never have happened.

 

[I like to watch]

I blame Deans for picking too many fair weather Queenslanders in this game (no offense QLD supporters). The Brumbies would have won this match. They eat that kind of shit up. Rain, wind etc. They train half the year in the cold shitty weather in Canberra. Nick White, Ben Mowen, Ita Vaea, Auelua, McCabe; these boys have been training for this kind of game in freezing Canberra all year yet they don't rate a mention in this team because Deans seems to have chosen his squad before Super XV 2012 kicked off.

The side was selected before anyone knew of the freakish conditions they were going to play in.

 

[Ignoto]

these boys have been training for this kind of game in freezing Canberra all year yet they don't rate a mention in this team because Deans seems to have chosen his squad before Super XV 2012 kicked off.

Team was announced a couple days ago, well before the cyclone.

Is there any particular reason why we announce a team 2+ days in advance? Surely they can announce it that day?

 

[Penguin]

I blame Deans for picking too many fair weather Queenslanders in this game (no offense QLD supporters). The Brumbies would have won this match. They eat that kind of shit up. Rain, wind etc. They train half the year in the cold shitty weather in Canberra. Nick White, Ben Mowen, Ita Vaea, Auelua, McCabe; these boys have been training for this kind of game in freezing Canberra all year yet they don't rate a mention in this team because Deans seems to have chosen his squad before Super XV 2012 kicked off.

Funniest comment yet! But not in a haha kind of way.

Fuck me some of you lads are fair weather supporters. Whinge & whine & look for scape goats & excuses......A lot of people said this would be a banana skin game before it happened (for various reasons) & before the weather rolled in. Well it turned out to be true. We lost & the Scots were better on the night & played better to the conditions, not totally surprisingly. Well done to them, I'm happy for them & their supporters.
Saturday night Aus have a chance to redeem themselves straight away & I'm going to tip a whitewash for this Wales series because these boys will be fired up for it. And I will be right behind them, win or lose!