Australia v South Africa - Perth - 6 September 2014

[Train Without a Station]

I meant for the year though, not his career or anything.

 

[Groucho]

Yep, great point. Unfortunately I think the ARU has a minimum ground size for Test rugby, which is why Canberra gets jack shit.

As a recent Perthian, I have to say NIB is fantastic. Sitting in the big stand with the CBD behind is marvelous for rugby, and there's a real family atmosphere.

 

[Pfitzy]

On TV it looks fucking bananas - they love their team, that's for sure.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

NIB is fantastic. It's not the best appointed ground in the world, but the atmosphere is great and the people who attend have a great time. We love the Force over here, which is why I'm so glad the performance on the paddock was so much better: it makes the boys easier to support after a lot of years of heartache.

A test at that ground would fucking go off. Capacity isn't big enough though, sadly.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Matfield & Alberts back in 'bok squad for Perth:

http://www.espnscrum.com/the-rugby-championship-2014/rugby/story/238763.html

 

[FrankLind]

Questions for Bok fans.

What is Meyer's vision for the development of the Boks?
Is he bringing all these oldies with a view to playing them in the World Cup next year?

By the WC, Matfiled will be 38, Bakkies will be 36.Juan Smith played one game but will not be dropped from the squad if Alberts is fit. It seems to me he should be developing younger talent now. Or are they there as mentor figures?

How are the new players going?
Handre Pollard, Lood DeJager (cool name), Allende, Hendricks.

 

[Baldric]

What is Meyer's vision for the development of the Boks?

Just play all the Blue Bulls players or if they are injured get some ex-Blue Bulls out of the old folks home and play them. Failing that get Naas back.

Meyer's vision is like seeing tumbleweeds blow across an open plain...

 

[Brumby Runner]

Kuridrani and Foley inside, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at winger.

Ewen McKenzie is sharpening his axe, forecasting changes to the Wallabies side:

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/mckenzie-sharpens-wallaby-axe-20140824-3e7t7.html?utm_source=G&GR Daily Rugby News list&utm_campaign=62eefa9847-Mon 21/07/2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_53e97ccfb4-62eefa9847-63589685#ixzz3BNJgHR8E

I have regained faith, Link saw the same mistakes that we saw.

But a week or two later than many of us.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Doesn't need to sharpen the bloody thing. Wield the blunt side on a couple of blokes

 

[Train Without a Station]

You're a cruel man Scrubber...​

 

[Oldschool]

I think Skelton would go well against the Boks. As they don't move the ball around as much as the AB's and there will be more up the guts type of play. Its not often the Boks come up against a bigger bloke than their biggest boy.

 

[wamberal]

I think Skelton would go well against the Boks. As they don't move the ball around as much as the AB's and there will be more up the guts type of play. Its not often the Boks come up against a bigger bloke than their biggest boy.

Yeah, that'd be great. With Matfield on the other side, we would not win a lineout. They would kick the cover off the ball, we would be lucky to have 20 % possession, the rest would be history.

 

[Braveheart81]

Yeah, that'd be great. With Matfield on the other side, we would not win a lineout. They would kick the cover off the ball, we would be lucky to have 20 % possession, the rest would be history.

Has the Wallabies lineout struggled when Skelton has been on the field so far? Most of the time we haven't used 7 man lineouts and other times he's been thrown a quick low ball at the front of the lineout which he's won.

How many throws have we won off New Zealand's lineout with our best lineout forwards being used?

You keep saying that we will never win a lineout again with Skelton in the forward pack but it has never been reflected by reality.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Skelton may be fine in 2015 after some bench time in 2014.

I just don't know if he is YET that capable at test level. Looks like Link may get that "old" warhorse out of the stable again and flog him. He should be quite pissed off and agressive by now and will bring his A game agtainst the Boks. May have been a Link stategy to get him back to his best and may very well work.

 

[Pfitzy]

Has the Wallabies lineout struggled when Skelton has been on the field so far? Most of the time we haven't used 7 man lineouts and other times he's been thrown a quick low ball at the front of the lineout which he's won.

How many throws have we won off New Zealand's lineout with our best lineout forwards being used?

You keep saying that we will never win a lineout again with Skelton in the forward pack but it has never been reflected by reality.

In fact he won a ball, uncontested, at the front on the weekend.

And, as I've said before: Simmons, for all his prowess, isn't winning 100% of our ball, and isn't taking any of theirs.

 

[Train Without a Station]

We will still win line out ball with Skelton in the team. That being said, with Skelton in the team the opposition can therefore more easily mark up on the other 3 options. If one of them is Palu make that the two of them. If I was an international lock, I'd back myself to be able to mark one player, but move and contest if it went to Skelton of Palu due to the fact their slower up and not as strong in the air.

 

[hammertimethere]

I have to say that watching that makes me look forward to return of both Genia and Cooper..remind me of their respective status?

What that video highlights to me is how much we are missing Moore. Since that period where Pocock was killing it (prior to knee injury #1 in 2012) he has really been Australia's best forward. But what if's just make me sad.

I'd have Props as is (but Robbo at 17 for Cowan), Simmons and Skelton to start (Horwill or Carter on bench pending outcome of NRC this week), Higgers to start with either Fardy or McCalman on bench (depending on how much 2nd row cover we need w/ Skelton starting). Palu and Hooper.

Phipps, Foley To'omua, Kuridrani
Horne Folau AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (as much as it annoys me to not have AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13, it's in the teams best interest.)

 

[Pfitzy]

Which is why we should get there first, chuck it in, and fucking play on before the other arseholes have time to align

 

[Train Without a Station]

Which is why we should get there first, chuck it in, and fucking play on before the other arseholes have time to align

There's still options to get around, but we might lose some ball. That being said good line outs will often at least take one off each other, but it might be they take 3 off us instead of 1 out of over 10 line outs. Is that acceptable? I don't really know.

The area where having Skelton and Palu hurts us the most though in my view is the defensive line out. They're not quick enough to beat a player in the air after taking off half a second earlier. If I wanted clean ball I'd throw it to the jumper they are marking. The biggest loss becomes difficult to quantify much like the Pocock slowing the ball down in the ruck argument. How much do we gain by putting pressure on their line outs? How much do Simmons, Fardy and Carter achieve that? Was an opposition error due to pressure from them or just an unforced error?

 

[Pfitzy]

The area where having Skelton and Palu hurts us the most though in my view is the defensive line out.

I agree. But Simmons, Carter, and Fardy have stolen maybe 1 in the last couple of weeks. So we're not exactly killing it there to begin with.

Horwill may help in this regard as a starting option.