Australia v British & Irish Lions, 3rd Test (Sydney)

[Gurz]

There is a massive chasm between sticking up for a ref or simply stating fact. I have no interest in sticking up for a French ref in a test that doesn't involve SA. I don't like to Frogs all too much and I would have preferred the Lions to lose because we'll never fucking hear the end of it now. Trust me I still know people who carry on about when they beat the boks years ago as if it was the most defining moment in the history of the universe.

Poite got played a little but it is oh so easy when your scrum dominates. You can milk it.

In any case, Australian fans have taken ref whinging to a never before seen level this Super rugby season (fronted by the Rebel and Force choirs). The bleating on this forum after every Aus team loss has been impressive. We have been thoroughly outdone in this department. An accoloade I am delighted to pass on. It was fun while it lasted.

lol... as a regularly reader and poster on a Saffa rugby site - I'd say saffa ref whinging is still well alive and kicking - just mention ol' Brycy...

I think we stand together when on the topic of wanting/hoping/liking to see the ABs cop a bit of rough treatment at the hands of the man in the middle...

But fact remains cant blame this loss on the ref... more the coach - as one always feels better when there's a scapegoat involved....

 

[Bardon]

That assumes that the kicking tactic was either poorly executed or misunderstood. If neil Jenkins can get on there to help 0.5p with his kicks have we got no one who can go on and say to Genia/JOC (James O'Connor)/Beale "guys can we keep it away from their back 3 - or at least make them run for it"?
With attention span of this generation that person may need to be on before every set piece but did it happen even once?

With this generation you may have to approach Electronic Arts to develop a kicking aid for the players and slip it into the next FIFA update on the sly.

Hopefully one of the big changes to come out of this series is that the Wobs will get a full time dedicated kicking coach. It's one area where there is enormous room for improvement and doesn't have to be to the detriment of the rest of the teams play.

 

[RoffsChoice]

He does if he picked the players in positions that decreased our chances of playing cohesive rugby.

It was the same team that was so solid the previous week - they lost heart themselves.

 

[Scotty]

Disagree.

Go back and watch the replay. He got the bulk of the decisions spot on.

The Wob scrum got mullered. Just accept it and move on.

What is your view on the two reset scrums just before half time on the Lions line? Looked like Corbisero hinged and went straight down to me, but the Lions were given a reset.

In the same situation the Wallabies were penalised straight away.

Double standards based on pre-conceived ideas.

 

[Scotty]

You mean the only 15 to 20 minutes we were really on top in the game? Rarely do teams stay in control the entire 80. The Wallabies did well to put on 13 unanswered points before being blown off the park...for the second time in the game.

Fact is, the first 35 minutes happened, and the last 25 minutes happened, and those "units" were not good for more than this game.

I hate to say it, but many on here were right in saying Beale should not have been picked, that JOC (James O'Connor) should not have been at 10, hell, even that Barnes should not have been at 15 with the limited rugby he has played this year. If fucking average pundits could call it (look at how many on here said before the seires that Beale was a poor call and JOC (James O'Connor) was a poor call for starters), how the hell could Deans not get it right?

I will say this: Deans selections (both his stubbornness and favourites) cost us the series. Forget the last game, those first two games our forwards had the ascendancy. All we needed was a competent backline. Instead, we didn't even have rookie flyhalf at 10, we had an outside back with no vision or game management at 10. Squandering ruck ascendancy with an incompetent backline should be heresy for a nation like Australia with a proud history of backline play.

When you're a national team coach, and you take gambles on guys like JOC (James O'Connor) at 10; Beale back from rehab with no real rugby for months; selecting quite a few guys with limited rugby for the year in that first test that couldn't crack their provincial starting XV; and so on for a huge one in 12 year test series, you better hope they pay off, because if they don't, expect to get the arse.

Thank you Ash. There were plenty here that shouted us down for having the temerity to question just those selections, I wish now they had the guts to put their hands up and say 'yep we were wrong, it didn't work'.

The most questioned selections:

Alexander as a THP
Barnes due to fitness and form concerns
McCabe due to fitness and form concerns
JOC (James O'Connor) at 10
Beale due to fitness and 'head space' concerns

Not one of these worked out and for reasons that mostly could have been predicted prior to the start of the series.

 

[wamberal]

There is absolutely no way that any half competent coach would pick either Foley or To'omua to add further inexperience to a backline that included two debutantes already, plus Tomane (one Test, was it?).

As for picking Cooper, well, let's wait and see, shall we?

 

[Pfitzy]

The bleating on this forum after every Aus team loss has been impressive. We have been thoroughly outdone in this department. An accoloade I am delighted to pass on. It was fun while it lasted.

Sorry mate but as a nation, you're still well in front after RWC2011

I reckon we've got about two games against McCaw before we catch up though

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I hate autocorrect ...

 

[Casper]

I dont understand how people here can seriously think that with only one change to our forward pack, a step up as we were to believe, that we would get our asses handed to us in scrums!

This Ref had it in his mind, that the Lions would be dominate at scrum time, and thus any time Australia had advantage, they were cheating. It has been noted that this Ref will make a decision and run with it the whole night.

How Steve Walsh was not reffing this game is beyond me, he is the best ref in the game and a kiwi by birth. He shows no bias and can handle big games.

Steve Walsh isn't good enough to lace an under 13 club referees boots - he is more interested in his screen time than correct decision making

 

[Shiggins]

If the ball crosses the plane of touch. It becomes dead when it touches something beyond the plane of touch. (this can be anything from; the ground, a player standing beyond the line, or a tree)

If Beale was inside the field when he hit the ball. Then the ball has not touched something beyond the plane of touch and hence is not dead.

I can't remember this incident but from your description I assume he was in the field of play. So "play on".

He was in field. So how can the ball honour in one spot but then someone in field knock it back in It could of gone out 40 Meters away and then it's back in if someone can knock it back in from the field

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

He was in field. So how can the ball honour in one spot but then someone in field knock it back in It could of gone out 40 Meters away and then it's back in if someone can knock it back in from the field

Yes, they can. As a touch judge I keep my flag down until the ball does touch something beyond the touch line for this reason!

 

[jay-c]

What is your view on the two reset scrums just before half time on the Lions line? Looked like Corbisero hinged and went straight down to me, but the Lions were given a reset.

In the same situation the Wallabies were penalised straight away.

Double standards based on pre-conceived ideas.

of course corbisero hinged and of course he went straight down
what did u expect?
our scrum wasnt strong enough to overcome this- this makes it our fault and more importantly, our problem

 

[Pfitzy]

Yes, they can. As a touch judge I keep my flag down until the ball does touch something beyond the touch line for this reason!

If the back crosses the plane of touch, and the player who jumps and touches the ball in any way subsequently lands in touch, it is out.

If the ball never crosses the plane, and a player in touch does NOT catch it, but knocks or hits it into the field of play, play on.

Everyone here - or in the commentary box - should go do an ARs course. It will show you just how mental the Laws are.


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I hate autocorrect ...

 

[RedsHappy]

I enjoyed this post-game piece from G North, and an interesting all-Tests stats summary at the end:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...reach-110--GEORGE-NORTH-EXCLUSIVE-COLUMN.html

 

[Pfitzy]

I enjoyed this post-game piece from G North, and an interesting all-Tests stats summary at the end:

Some of those stats are pretty damning

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I hate autocorrect ...

 

[Shiggins]

Yes, they can. As a touch judge I keep my flag down until the ball does touch something beyond the touch line for this reason!

Ah ok. So u go to the point the ball has gone over the plane of touch and if its weaving around in and out U stay at the first point the ball went over the plane of touch and watch to see if the ball weaves back in or a player can knock it back in legally? Then put the flag up once it has gone hit the ground. Unless the ball is clearly going a long way out obviously

 

[Hugh Jarse]

There is absolutely no way that any half competent coach would pick either Foley or To'omua to add further inexperience to a backline that included two debutantes already, plus Tomane (one Test, was it?).

As for picking Cooper, well, let's wait and see, shall we?

Didn't most of the debutants perform reasonably well out of the box? (Lilo and "that tackle" excluded)

 

[Zander]

Douglas is a Qld half?

Will Genia:

'I called for it and 'Kano' came over as if he was going to catch it and we were right next to each other,'' Genia said. ''And as it came down he left it, and I went to get it at the last minute. I probably should have been louder so he left it. I'll put my hand up.''

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

Ah ok. So u go to the point the ball has gone over the plane of touch and if its weaving around in and out U stay at the first point the ball went over the plane of touch and watch to see if the ball weaves back in or a player can knock it back in legally? Then put the flag up once it has gone hit the ground. Unless the ball is clearly going a long way out obviously

Exactly.

 

[Scotty]

of course corbisero hinged and of course he went straight down
what did u expect?
our scrum wasnt strong enough to overcome this- this makes it our fault and more importantly, our problem

I am confused.

Kepu got in a position that forced Corbisero to hinge rather than concede position and ground just out from his own line and somehow that is our problem?

Each scrum is a different battle and should be adjudicated that way - just like every other part of the game is.

 

[USARugger]

Some of those stats are pretty damning

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I hate autocorrect .

Testament that you can run the ball all over the field until the stats recorder is blue in the face but if you don't have one (or in the case of this game pattern, a pair) of standoffs who can put people into holes/not crab across the fucking field it all means very little on the scoreboard.