Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
Get your skates on, Bardon, and get out here. In the early years of European settlement Irish migrants were valued so highly that the English press-ganged them into coming here.
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Wallabies vs Wales - Docklands Stadium June 16
- Thread starter kronic
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Get your skates on, Bardon, and get out here. In the early years of European settlement Irish migrants were valued so highly that the English press-ganged them into coming here.
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Schadenfreude
John Solomon (38)
So can we get rid of Vuna now?
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
Actually Scotty I am just being truthful as I saw it.
The breakdown was the same as last week and the Welsh really haven't shown anything in that area in the last two years against the Wallabies. Yes they did well at this phase.
The lineout. The Wallabies did well yes, and perhaps some of the Welsh shiteness here can be attributed to the pressure from Sharpe, Higgers and Simmons, but then again it seemed to me that the interaction between Rees and the pack was very off tonight and not much better last week.
The forwards running onto the ball. Really?
The best part of their play was the execution by Barnes, that you haven't cited. He passed well, ran on occassion and his kicks from hand we excellent, to a degree that we haven't seen from him for at least 3 years.
Areas for improvement -
Scrums. Here I will disagree. As I posted the lottery continues. How many of the penalties and resets are on the hit and are a pure guess by the ref.? I thought the scrum was very good in the first half and OK in the second, though it became hesitant when Moore came on and he was spoken to about going early. Again it is a pure lottery, how do you coach for that or make improvements. Buy more tickets?
Creating more in the backs. - Again I think they lacked imagination in the first half apart from Barnes run when the rush defense left him a nice hole. In the second 40 the plan was obviously more of the same and that was kick in behind and force their lineout, which considering how crap it was is a very good tactic. So I have no issue there, if the tactic was to create I don't know that Barnes would be selected at 10. What I do have issue with is the slowing down of the ball at the ruck. I hate it as much as I hate the Saffas new extended rucks move, especially when we get that static ball for three or four phases one after the other.
The breakdown was the same as last week and the Welsh really haven't shown anything in that area in the last two years against the Wallabies. Yes they did well at this phase.
The lineout. The Wallabies did well yes, and perhaps some of the Welsh shiteness here can be attributed to the pressure from Sharpe, Higgers and Simmons, but then again it seemed to me that the interaction between Rees and the pack was very off tonight and not much better last week.
The forwards running onto the ball. Really?
The best part of their play was the execution by Barnes, that you haven't cited. He passed well, ran on occassion and his kicks from hand we excellent, to a degree that we haven't seen from him for at least 3 years.
Areas for improvement -
Scrums. Here I will disagree. As I posted the lottery continues. How many of the penalties and resets are on the hit and are a pure guess by the ref.? I thought the scrum was very good in the first half and OK in the second, though it became hesitant when Moore came on and he was spoken to about going early. Again it is a pure lottery, how do you coach for that or make improvements. Buy more tickets?
Creating more in the backs. - Again I think they lacked imagination in the first half apart from Barnes run when the rush defense left him a nice hole. In the second 40 the plan was obviously more of the same and that was kick in behind and force their lineout, which considering how crap it was is a very good tactic. So I have no issue there, if the tactic was to create I don't know that Barnes would be selected at 10. What I do have issue with is the slowing down of the ball at the ruck. I hate it as much as I hate the Saffas new extended rucks move, especially when we get that static ball for three or four phases one after the other.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Haven't read through but has anyone mentioned what a good test match that was? Keen to hear from non-Welsh/Australian viewers, reckon it was one of the best in quality for a long time. Very little dropped balls and general errors, granted a roof but still very high quality of play throughout.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
No goo involved in this post, Groucho!!
I have a pot of goo and am about to watch the replay.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Surely the high risk Vuna experiment has run its course for now.
Citing may achieve that outcome, in any event.
Seriously, his errors and rugby learning process when pitted against the 4N sides we'll soon face could well be game losing, as they were potentially tonight.
Citing may achieve that outcome, in any event.
Seriously, his errors and rugby learning process when pitted against the 4N sides we'll soon face could well be game losing, as they were potentially tonight.
What is certain is that the evening of NZ vs Ireland and Aus vs Wales has been an absolute cracker.
Hopefully I can stay awake for SA vs England.
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
The comments regarding the scrums also need to take into account the inbalance of the wallabies bench. When Simmons is subbed Denis goes into lock and he is not a lock. He is a very good backrower who can play lock at a pinch, but he shouldn't be there in situations such as a test in the balance unless forced by injury.
Our scrum had well and truly devolved when Moore and Alexander came on. It wasn't until pretty late in the piece that Dennis moved from the back row to the second row.
I think Moore is suffering by being "the guy" at hooker when the scrum gets devolved by subbing, and I'm sure he'd do as well as TPN if on earlier. Alexander just missed his bind and got it all wrong on that penalty. Pollock had a terrible cadence to his scrum calling which got worse as the game went on; everyone started guessing and the results were plain.
I think Gnostic is right in that the balance is out of whack when we have Dennis shoved into lock, and a specialist lock on the bench would be better.
A
AlexH
Guest
Gnostic, I think you will find there will be a little more spark in our back line when a few of our first choice players return from injury and find form (i.e. Cooper, Beale, O'Connor). Having blokes like Lealilfano and Tapuai in the mix again will not hurt either.
Apostle
Peter Burge (5)
During the second try to Wales, I kept expecting Two Dads to run in and scoop up the ball, or at least contest it, but he seemed to be jogging back sedately, as if he expected someone else to clean up (Simmons?!). Anyone else notice that? The amount the ball was bobbling about, I would have thought he would easily have had the pace to get in there if he'd put the pedal down.
Schadenfreude
John Solomon (38)
Will Cooper get 5/8 back?
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
It was an excellent game, a lot of quality and very entertaining. The one lack of quality was the Welsh lineout and I imagine some of the wished there was such a thing as uncontested lineouts like we have in the scrum at times.
When people put well thought out reasons forward for changing the test schedule due to it's affect on club rugby I find myself nodding in agreement as there are some very persuasive arguments in favour of such a move. But then the test window comes around and we have the passion, intensity, rivalry, quality and excitement provided by these clashes. It really stirs the heart and all the logic of those arguments melt away like the icecaps under the force of global warming that is a test rugby window.
W
Waylon
Guest
Australia just doesn't have the centres right.
Despite the injury crisis, there must be a better winger than Vuna?
Despite the injury crisis, there must be a better winger than Vuna?
SaderCheif
Jimmy Flynn (14)
Went to the game. What an atmosphere. Two great tests tonight.
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
It would nearly be better to pick a nippy forward on the wing or a centre out of position than go with Vuna at this point of his rugby career. Maybe in the future he'll improve his all round game and be worthy of his test caps. But the days of picking wingers solely on the basis of sheer size and power are long gone, those are factors that might tip the balance should the other parts of wing play be pretty even between two candidates but shouldn't be the lone reason for selection.
He may survive and even score a try in the 3rd test but that still wouldn't paper over the very large cracks that exist in the rest of his game. Maybe one day he'll be a true test quality wing but that day isn't today and wont be next Saturday either.
FiveStarStu
Bill McLean (32)
Not a technically brilliant match, but a cracking contest and a great atmosphere at the Dome. Took someone who was completely new to rugby, she's now hooked - wants a Rebs membership next year. Job done, I'd say.
Best Melbourne Test in some time.
Best Melbourne Test in some time.
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
I also noticed AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) giving up very early on the chase that led to the welsh's 2nd try. He could have kept sprinting and it would have been a close contest for the grounding, but he just gave up very very early and let Simmons chase by himself, he must have thought Simmons had it covered which is a pretty stupid mistake.
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