Italy v Australia, Sunday Nov 10 2013, Stadio Olimpico

[gel]

"If you're seeing one thing where you get penalised, and then later the same thing happens to the other side and the penalty is still against you, you go 'What's going on here?'

He was right about this. First two penalties to England seemed fair, then on the third they do exactly what the wallabies were penalised for yet instead of being penalised they are rewarded.

The refereeing of the scrum is a joke.

And please don't try to say McKenzie doesn't know what he is talking about. He deserves more respect than he is getting on this site.

Oh, I most definitely believe that Mckenzie is correct. I also strongly believe Mckenzie knows what he is talking about.

But I also strongly believe that refs don't take kindly being told what to do (in the case of the men in gold), or having suspect decisions highlighted (in the case of ewen).

Just doesn't tend to end well for us.

Refs just seem to be reffing towards the dominant team, so we should focus our efforts in that area.

 

[Dumbledore]

And please don't try to say Deans doesn't know what he is talking about. He deserves more respect than he is getting on this site.

Fixed for historical accuracy.

 

[ChargerWA]

Holy shit. The season has dragged on too long. The response to Rob Simmons being moved to 6 could almost be described as measured.

If Ewen had pulled this shit 5 weeks ago the servers would be melting.

 

[Forcefield]

Because Fardy's workrate and impact around the field is the most impressive we've seen from a Wallaby 6 in years... He's just suited to test rugby...

MMM's workrate was not up to scratch this year, and he only got a start when Palu was injured and Mowen was shifted to 8....

But it might also be worth playing him at lock where he plays in Super Rugby and has the same high workrate, leaving more options in the backrow where we have more depth?

Fardy deserves to be the incumbent, but I wouldn't judge MMM on this season. He spent a lot of it not 100% fit. Now maybe that just says MMM is crocked and won't ever get to 100% but if he did I reckon he'd be pushing Fardy hard. He might not have the work rate of Fardy but I think he has the potential to make a greater impact and I think that's what you want from your 6, especially if you have a fit David Pocock and a tight 5 who are pulling their weight.

I'd like to see Fardy at lock. Surely he can't be too much worse there than Horwill has been in his last couple of games.

 

[KOB1987]

OK I'll take the glass half full approach!

- The Italian pack is big and strong but not hugely mobile, so I'd say he is choosing size over mobility to counter that.
- the backline we have has the potential to dismantle any other in the world, it just needs to gel..I figure he figures that will only happen if he sticks with it.
- similarly with the front row, but BR needs to be in the run on team.

We'll win easy.

 

[Ruggo]

He is only addressing the refs perception of the scrum.
It's just a coincidence that this weeks scrum is tipped to be the toughest the Wallabies will face on this tour.
Not.

Before Link starts shit canning the ref for piss poor performance.
He should start with his tight 5, have a blow then move to the 9.
Why should the ref be held responsible accountable,if poorly performed players are not?

The whole referee team that officiated the game should be held accountable for what they served up in officiating the game, not just at scrum time. Frankly it was one of the most pathetic performances seen in quite some time. Sure some mistakes may happen in a game as they are only human, though the sheer amount of blatant errors made deserves a shitload of scrutiny. The Wallabies should be held accountable for the turd they served up to us fans but they are not the same issue.

As everyone else does I want accountability out of the coaches and players. While he is in the mood to write letters, maybe he could try and write one explaining the current Wallaby woes and how he is trying to work through them. To the average Wallaby fan, all we are seeing is the status quo kept. The Wallabies look on the mend for a couple of tests and we think they are coming out of their rut only to put in a shocker, bringing the mood of the fans back down again. I don't think he needs to justify his decisions but as a courtesy to the Wallaby faithful, just give us a little insight in what he is doing. He did it a bit with the Reds and it was good to understand his perspective.

As fans we deserve accountability from both

As for Links letter, there are two reason I think he has made it public that he has done this.

1/ Limit any preconception coming into this week’s test
2/ Link don't have much faith that the IRB will respond to his concerns and has made it a matter of public record to pressure them into responding. I highly doubt he is the first person to show little faith in the IRB.

 

[Scotty]

He is only addressing the refs perception of the scrum.
It's just a coincidence that this weeks scrum is tipped to be the toughest the Wallabies will face on this tour.
Not.

Before Link starts shit canning the ref for piss poor performance.
He should start with his tight 5, have a blow then move to the 9.
Why should the ref be held responsible,if poorly performed players are not?

Do you want him to publicly have a crack at his own team? How do you know he hasn't done so in private?

 

[Scotty]

Fixed for historical accuracy.

Wake up Dumbledore. This didn't happen to Deans after less than 6 months in the job.

The most galling aspect of criticism of McKenzie is the assumption he doesn't know anything about the scrum. We all remember what position he played and how well he played there, don't we?

 

[BarneySF]

Is there any way those letters complaining to the refs could be done in private?

 

[TOCC]

I think the team selection has merit and I'm interested to see how it goes

 

[I like to watch]

Do you want him to publicly have a crack at his own team? How do you know he hasn't done so in private?

Because he keeps picking the same players,who continue to play in the sane woeful fashion.
He is making Robbie Deans look like a fucking guru.

 

[emuarse]

OK I'll take the glass half full approach!

- The Italian pack is big and strong but not hugely mobile, so I'd say he is choosing size over mobility to counter that.
- the backline we have has the potential to dismantle any other in the world, it just needs to gel..I figure he figures that will only happen if he sticks with it.
- similarly with the front row, but BR needs to be in the run on team.

We'll win easy.

I'd say that's the glass three quarter full approach

 

[jay-c]

the fact is we have superior scrumaging props on the bench
anyone (refs) and any country (everyone else in the top ten) who takes scrumaging seriously sees this as a slap in the face
we all bitch and moan when england play for penalties because "its against the spirit of the game" and yet we continue to try short cut the scrum

i think its embarrassing that we complain that everyone else is cheating in the scrum where they see us as attempting to cheat our way through the game by playing two oversized backrowers to give us an advantage around the park

 

[Braveheart81]

Do you think that ever since McKenzie picked Horwill at 6 for the Reds and it failed dismally he's been thinking that it was a great idea but he just needed to pick the other lock there instead?

I'm looking forward to the moment where Michael Hooper taps Rob Simmons on the shoulder and tells him that he needs to be on the other side of the scrum.

 

[fatprop]

I don't understand the logic at all

Timani was decidedly average in the last game whilst Simmons had his best game at lock for the Wobs the last time he played.

So what does he do? Leaves Timani @ lock and moves Simmons to an unfamiliar position.

With the reserves chosen it appears Timani and Hooper will go off with Simmons moving to lock, Dennis to 6 and Gill to 7.

So we have a more running, mobile team to finish the game. My guess is we will play tight and kick for field position in front of our big slow pack in the first half and play more expansive in the second. So we pick our running 9 to start and our kicking 9 to finish........... as I said I don't understand

 

[Ignoto]

So we pick our running 9 to start and our kicking 9 to finish..... as I said I don't understand

Maybe Links told both halfbacks they're off kicking duties for the next couple of weeks?

 

[fatprop]

Maybe Links told both halfbacks they're off kicking duties for the next couple of weeks?

If White isn't there to kick (it is his core skill) then you select Phipps and run the ball.

 

[BPC]

The same dead weight picked again.

How can Link not see that Slipper, Alexander, Timami and Horwill are not up to it.

Yep, Ewen has squibbed it.

 

[Blue]

1. James Slipper

3. Ben Alexander

I'll repeat my grandfather's motto. If you make the same mistake over and over you deserve to suffer.

Unbefuckinglievable. Link is more stubborn than Deans. Who would have thought?

 

[Braveheart81]

I'll repeat my grandfather's motto. If you make the same mistake over and over you deserve to suffer.

Unbefuckinglievable. Link is more stubborn than Deans. Who would have thought?

Mate. It's not their fault that the other props and referee are cheating in the scrums and that opposition players are dodging their tackles on the field.

It's also not their fault that the rucks are happening at locations other than where our props are standing.