Poll: Cooper at 10?

[Cardiffblue]

it's a shame burgess hasn't had many minutes this tournament, because genia has been playing awful. He's meant to be the super rugby player of the year, but he's been absolute shite lately.

Always more difficult to play behind a pack going backwards. Genia is coping with helluva lot of cr@p ball

 

[Groucho]

Always more difficult to play behind a pack going backwards. Genia is coping with helluva lot of cr@p ball

Cardiffblue, all of your posts are just this side of being trolling posts.

 

[DPK]

Don't see it in that last post, Groucho. Genia was playing with scraps a lot out there, not so much off the set piece (which is perhaps more worrying).

 

[Cardiffblue]

Genia remains my #1 scrum half of choice in world. Think he is doing exceptionally well. How is anyone going to do any better until pack stops getting shunted and which can;t win its own lineout ball. He kept you in today's game.

 

[Groucho]

Don't see it in that last post, Groucho. Genia was playing with scraps a lot out there, not so much off the set piece (which is perhaps more worrying).

It was the accumulation of sharp one-line criticisms that made it sound like shit-stirring, DPK.

 

[Jethro Tah]

We need Quade to start at 10 next week. Have him there to set the tempo of the game then Barnes with 20 to go to steady the ship (or 60 to go if Quade is having a shocker again).

Besides, I can't wait to see him up against Richie!!

 

[Jethro Tah]

I was watching the ITV coverage with Lynagh in the commentary team and he backed Quade after the game saying that his poor performance was more due to getting bad ball and the pressure from the Boks. Not my opinion but interesting to hear that from someone who has "been there done that".

 

[pete88]

Ken Sutcliffe also thought Quade wouldn't be as bad next week. This reassured me greatly.

Edit: to avoid looking like a total troll I'll add a serious point - why won't the ABs be able to replicate that pressure? Of course I'm having a hypothetical debate with Michael Lynagh here via you, but still.

I'm also not even sure QC (Quade Cooper) should be dropped.

Second edit: the fact that I am beginning to troll people making valid contributions to threads means I've probably spent too long on a discussion forum tonight. Adios.

 

[Cardiffblue]

I was watching the ITV coverage with Lynagh in the commentary team and he backed Quade after the game saying that his poor performance was more due to getting bad ball and the pressure from the Boks. Not my opinion but interesting to hear that from someone who has "been there done that".

Same goes for Genia. Problem is they are all playing taking the ball standing still. Forwards are your problem not backs (without injuriies). Get the opposition on the backfoot and the rest will follow- like in 3N

 

[tigerland12]

Same goes for Genia. Problem is they are all playing taking the ball standing still. Forwards are your problem not backs (without injuriies). Get the opposition on the backfoot and the rest will follow- like in 3N

Forwards won us that game, defensively. I think it's the set-peice that is still a worry. I've always thought you can't win a competition without a good scrum, but the Reds proved that theory wrong, I'm hoping the Wallabies do aswell.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Forwards won us that game, defensively. I think it's the set-peice that is still a worry. I've always thought you can't win a competition without a good scrum, but the Reds proved that theory wrong, I'm hoping the Wallabies do aswell.

Reds pulled it off, but also had all attacking options intact. The point is of course that we are discussing as if they lost- when they won, even if they did play the get out of jail free card. The darkness will be worried too. Their wide game plan didn;t work against Aus in 2nd 3N game either

 

[darkhorse]

Ken Sutcliffe also thought Quade wouldn't be as bad next week. This reassured me greatly.

That's gold. Well said.

 

[Bowside]

Thing cooper did for the reds that he cant seem to do for australia is reward the forwards hard work. When the reds pack rewarded him with good ball he really made something of it, and when the reds pack started to wain around the field, he would put in a precision kick to the corner that often got them back on the front foot.

There doesn't seem to be the same cohesion between cooper and the pack at international level. The backs and forwards look like 2 separate entities entirely rather than a team working together to get a result.

 

[Mank]

As a neutral, I think you guys pretty much have to pick Cooper. No disrespect intended, but I'm not convinced the Aussies have the game at the moment to beat the All Blacks without him.

Anything could happen on a given day of course, but in general.

 

[Tangawizi]

We're not here to make up the numbers. We are going to fuck the Kiwis up. And there's only one bloke in the world capable of fucking them up more than anyone else.
His name is QUADE COOPER!

Kiwis, start shitting bricks, the stars are aligning for an Aussie win!

 

[slydare]

Agree with Bowside - Cooper and Genia ran the show with the Reds.

I seem to remember Link saying something about getting input from those guys on the game plans from week to week. I wonder if we aren't suffering because he's not properly in control. Maybe he's finding it harder to do that amongst all the individual brilliance out there or he's just not keen on bossing his "breds" around? In the Reds setup he didn't have any choice but to take control of the team, he's shirking that with the Wobs.

Either way, he was making better decisions at Super rugby level than at test level. At the moment I think the difference between him and Barnes is that Barnes is looking to take control while Quade is reacting.

I'm on the fence, if they can flick the switch with Quade then I think he's our man at 10. I'd still have Barnes at 12 though.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

We're not here to make up the numbers. We are going to fuck the Kiwis up. And there's only one bloke in the world capable of fucking them up more than anyone else.
His name is QUADE COOPER!

Kiwis, start shitting bricks, the stars are aligning for an Aussie win!

..and he could @uck us up in the blink of an eye
Has JOC (James O'Connor) ever kicked a goal at Eden Park?


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[Inside Shoulder]

Agree with Bowside - Cooper and Genia ran the show with the Reds.

I seem to remember Link saying something about getting input from those guys on the game plans from week to week. I wonder if we aren't suffering because he's not properly in control. Maybe he's finding it harder to do that amongst all the individual brilliance out there or he's just not keen on bossing his "breds" around? In the Reds setup he didn't have any choice but to take control of the team, he's shirking that with the Wobs.

Either way, he was making better decisions at Super rugby level than at test level. At the moment I think the difference between him and Barnes is that Barnes is looking to take control while Quade is reacting.

I'm on the fence, if they can flick the switch with Quade then I think he's our man at 10. I'd still have Barnes at 12 though.

Cooper is not a test match union 5/8: he is Carlos Spencer reincarnated


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[darkhorse]

He's been able to play a controlled field position game for the reds this year, but for some reason it has really translated to the test arena this year.

Today something off was more than usual. They had been talking about playing field position rugby all week and perhaps they got a bit distracted by it. It certainly didn't work and you might wonder how they thought they could out kick the Bok with Steyn and Du Preez being the premier tactical kickers in world rugby. Yet the Reds did exactly that to the Bulls this year.

I like him as a player, but I have gripes with some of the elementary errors he is making. The chips, grubber and cross field kicks were something we couldn't afford with the limited possession we have had. My gripes aren't limited to him though. Beale has been guilty of similar offences as well.

It's taking him a while to realise that there is a lot you can't get away with at a RWC with the switched on, committed and stingy defences you encounter. For the Reds he was able to run the ball back through the kick chase simply because the defence is lacking compared to Test level. This year how many times have you seen him try to beat 4 players get tackled and put us under enormous pressure rather than kick.

Quade Cooper isn't irreplaceable and should be subject to being picked on form like any other player. Especially since Barnes clearly is in form and is suited to knockout rugby. As it is though, perhaps it would be wise to give a chance and put Barnes in if it's not working. That really isn't likely with Deans use of the Bench. As it is, with Beale looking like he'll be out, my preference is for Barnes to be at 10 and cooper at 15. Barnes is wasted at 12 and should be able to pick and choose when to kick, not have to use the scraps.

 

[barrenjoey]

Why do people like this bloke, Barnes all day every day in a heart beat.