Australia Italy
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Spook
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naza said:
I've seen Italy run full strength 6Ns sides close at home and away so this isn't a bad result on paper given that a lot of new players were capped. Our full strength side got a poor result in 2006.
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Spook
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How did our scrums hold up (despite rumours of boring)?
The entire bench got on.
Scrum started well but then italy started to dominate at times. Alexander got munted at least once. Thought the scrum was reffed poorly from the start. Didn't control the engage. Can't remember our tight head but we lost at least one.
I can see improvements in some areas. Off loading was good but we did push passes so that's a trade off.
Scrum started well but then italy started to dominate at times. Alexander got munted at least once. Thought the scrum was reffed poorly from the start. Didn't control the engage. Can't remember our tight head but we lost at least one.
I can see improvements in some areas. Off loading was good but we did push passes so that's a trade off.
This went pretty much to how I thought it would - ie the same as two years ago. As the game went on I said silently: "Welcome to Oz rugby Robbie Deans".
The one redeeming feature of the game was Quade Cooper's try. I didn't know who it was at first and thought that I didn't think that Tahu could step that good, but he wasn't the right build; nor was it the "Rabbit", the only Oz player on tour who could score a try like that - or so I thought.
Cooper! Of course - though I hadn't seen those moves from him for two years when he was playing 12 for Oz Schools against Tongan Schools at Hunters Hill and Beale feeding him money balls for most of the first half. Good for you young Quade, good for you.
Things haven't been all beer and skittles for him since he started his professional career. I was glad he got picked to tour but thought that he would have to be satisfied with the Baa-Baas game. I was also glad that the Oz bench was cleared, though I can't remember Pocock getting on come to think of it.
There were some good points though I have to confess that I flicked over to the Boks game as the Oz test seemed to be a replay of 2006, and so missed some of the 2008 game. The commentary and standard of play was better on the other channel whereas the Brit commentator in Italy annoyed me by talking as though he was watching the best Wallaby team available.
Alexander didn't seem to have his head shoved up his arse in the scrums as much as I thought and my big fear that Chisholm and 3M would be a huge negative at scrum time didn't come true either. On the other hand Tahu confirmed to me that he should play a season of S14 as a 12 before he is considered to play there again.
Burgess didn't have his finest game and Brown continues to give away key penalties. As I write this watching the All Black game, Boric has just been given a yellow card for what Brown did clearing out on the side late in the game. Brown should have got one too and if the Italian kicker had slotted the goal at that stage the Italians could have won anyway.
The Oz forwards were as energetic at the breakdown as I expected, but watching the other channel one saw forwards actually moving opponents off the ball in the ruck, rather than just being busy. Geez, we are going to miss Vickerman and Horwill next week.
I thought we looked best when taking the ball up at of near the ruck. We lost a bit of pill through isolation and having the old Oz problem of having 4 helpers to the tackled player in ruck 1 and zero at ruck 2 but by and large, that, and the lineout, were our best features.
The worst features of the Wallabies play, and there were a few, was the game plan of repeated up an unders and the execution of them. Actually the box kicking and general kicking for touch was mostly poor also.
I wrote some time ago that the ELVs will see backs, of whatever position, who can kick the ball well, earn promotion ahead of contemporaries who are less good at it - and they would end up being paid more also. None of the Wallaby backs had a great kicking game against Italy and our best guy, Barnes, was injured.
In particular outside backs like AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Ioane have to improve in this area. Being a good runner with ball in hand is not enough playing under the ELVs.
If Barnes can't play next week we are going to be toast.
Our opponents deserved more words but I have typed enough of them - well done to the Azzuri and their fierce defence and their well taken set piece try using a nice switch.
The one redeeming feature of the game was Quade Cooper's try. I didn't know who it was at first and thought that I didn't think that Tahu could step that good, but he wasn't the right build; nor was it the "Rabbit", the only Oz player on tour who could score a try like that - or so I thought.
Cooper! Of course - though I hadn't seen those moves from him for two years when he was playing 12 for Oz Schools against Tongan Schools at Hunters Hill and Beale feeding him money balls for most of the first half. Good for you young Quade, good for you.
Things haven't been all beer and skittles for him since he started his professional career. I was glad he got picked to tour but thought that he would have to be satisfied with the Baa-Baas game. I was also glad that the Oz bench was cleared, though I can't remember Pocock getting on come to think of it.
There were some good points though I have to confess that I flicked over to the Boks game as the Oz test seemed to be a replay of 2006, and so missed some of the 2008 game. The commentary and standard of play was better on the other channel whereas the Brit commentator in Italy annoyed me by talking as though he was watching the best Wallaby team available.
Alexander didn't seem to have his head shoved up his arse in the scrums as much as I thought and my big fear that Chisholm and 3M would be a huge negative at scrum time didn't come true either. On the other hand Tahu confirmed to me that he should play a season of S14 as a 12 before he is considered to play there again.
Burgess didn't have his finest game and Brown continues to give away key penalties. As I write this watching the All Black game, Boric has just been given a yellow card for what Brown did clearing out on the side late in the game. Brown should have got one too and if the Italian kicker had slotted the goal at that stage the Italians could have won anyway.
The Oz forwards were as energetic at the breakdown as I expected, but watching the other channel one saw forwards actually moving opponents off the ball in the ruck, rather than just being busy. Geez, we are going to miss Vickerman and Horwill next week.
I thought we looked best when taking the ball up at of near the ruck. We lost a bit of pill through isolation and having the old Oz problem of having 4 helpers to the tackled player in ruck 1 and zero at ruck 2 but by and large, that, and the lineout, were our best features.
The worst features of the Wallabies play, and there were a few, was the game plan of repeated up an unders and the execution of them. Actually the box kicking and general kicking for touch was mostly poor also.
I wrote some time ago that the ELVs will see backs, of whatever position, who can kick the ball well, earn promotion ahead of contemporaries who are less good at it - and they would end up being paid more also. None of the Wallaby backs had a great kicking game against Italy and our best guy, Barnes, was injured.
In particular outside backs like AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Ioane have to improve in this area. Being a good runner with ball in hand is not enough playing under the ELVs.
If Barnes can't play next week we are going to be toast.
Our opponents deserved more words but I have typed enough of them - well done to the Azzuri and their fierce defence and their well taken set piece try using a nice switch.
S
Spook
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Sully said:
That's impressive to hold against the Italians. They are bloody good.
Grandmaster Flash
Johnnie Wallace (23)
Lee Grant said:
Pocock got on for the final minutes, jumping on the ball that Italy spilt off their own lineout at the very end, allowing Gits to eventually boot it out for the win.
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Spook
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http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyun...?STORY_NAME=rugby/08/11/08/manual_170654.html
Man of the match: If Italy had pulled off the upset, Sergio Parisse and Marco Bortolami would have been made honorary presidents. The Australian back-line looked more dangerous with Barnes playing fly-half, but Matt Giteau's performance from the kicking tee saved his team.
Funny how Naza didn't mention that.
Anyway, I'm concerned with how often Barnes is getting injured - he is apparently out for the rest of the tour. Tahu also looks to be gone for the rest of the tour. Dud buy for rugby. :-X
Man of the match: If Italy had pulled off the upset, Sergio Parisse and Marco Bortolami would have been made honorary presidents. The Australian back-line looked more dangerous with Barnes playing fly-half, but Matt Giteau's performance from the kicking tee saved his team.
Funny how Naza didn't mention that.
Anyway, I'm concerned with how often Barnes is getting injured - he is apparently out for the rest of the tour. Tahu also looks to be gone for the rest of the tour. Dud buy for rugby. :-X
:'(
S
Spook
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Will Horwill be available for the Poms?
Ash
Michael Lynagh (62)
Horwill is out for 6 months. No chance there.
There were few positives from the Italy game.
Barnes is a tragic loss.
Fuck, Giteau and Burgess were atrocious. Burgess in particular - his option taking was poor, passing was poor, (attempted) kicking was poor. Giteau just compounded it with more silly decisions, and going laterally instead of forward.
Ioane was another who needs to kick or pass, not run gives silly handovers. Tahu got caught out on defence again - he needs time at S14 level to adjust.
As Lee I think mentioned, the main game plan seems to be up and unders. Both Giteau and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) kicked way too much. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is not a fullback - I think that is said every test. Too much kicking, no linking with support, no joining the attacking line. Shows just how valuable Latho really was.
The way Waugh has been playing, he has reached his use by date. I don't think he'll make many more Wallaby squads with Smith and Pocock around. Is anyone else also getting a bit sick of some of the silly penalties that we give away?
I think Lawrence (the bad Kiwi one, not the Saffa, as Lindommer rightly pointed out to me) gave us a free ride at scrum time. We looked to be out muscled there.
Damn. That coverage was poor. I had trouble even working out some Australian players from other ones - woeful camera angles, couldn't hear the ref normally and the worst commentator I have ever heard. He kept calling Italy Australia, and kept getting names wrong all night. Plus he didn't understand the damn rules, and got penalties and whatnot wrong.
Positives? Lineout. Turner had an OK game (hard to tell with the coverage though), recovering from his horror debut. The locks and Mumm went alright.
There were few positives from the Italy game.
Barnes is a tragic loss.
Fuck, Giteau and Burgess were atrocious. Burgess in particular - his option taking was poor, passing was poor, (attempted) kicking was poor. Giteau just compounded it with more silly decisions, and going laterally instead of forward.
Ioane was another who needs to kick or pass, not run gives silly handovers. Tahu got caught out on defence again - he needs time at S14 level to adjust.
As Lee I think mentioned, the main game plan seems to be up and unders. Both Giteau and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) kicked way too much. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is not a fullback - I think that is said every test. Too much kicking, no linking with support, no joining the attacking line. Shows just how valuable Latho really was.
The way Waugh has been playing, he has reached his use by date. I don't think he'll make many more Wallaby squads with Smith and Pocock around. Is anyone else also getting a bit sick of some of the silly penalties that we give away?
I think Lawrence (the bad Kiwi one, not the Saffa, as Lindommer rightly pointed out to me) gave us a free ride at scrum time. We looked to be out muscled there.
Damn. That coverage was poor. I had trouble even working out some Australian players from other ones - woeful camera angles, couldn't hear the ref normally and the worst commentator I have ever heard. He kept calling Italy Australia, and kept getting names wrong all night. Plus he didn't understand the damn rules, and got penalties and whatnot wrong.
Positives? Lineout. Turner had an OK game (hard to tell with the coverage though), recovering from his horror debut. The locks and Mumm went alright.
S
Spook
Guest
Quade Cooper's try sounds like an absolute cracker. Can't wait to see it.
W
whocares
Guest
Definatly was a cracker.
The main thing that let us down was the pointless bombs that just handed that ball over tho the Italians. Compare that to Jantjes' bombs that we're feilded very well by Habana and Peiterson.
The turning point came when the fresh blood came on or rather the dead rubber (AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Tahu) come off.
The main thing that let us down was the pointless bombs that just handed that ball over tho the Italians. Compare that to Jantjes' bombs that we're feilded very well by Habana and Peiterson.
The turning point came when the fresh blood came on or rather the dead rubber (AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Tahu) come off.
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