Scrum - Wallabies Vs Wales

[Boomer]

What a load of crap, locks passable? No mention of McCalman doing zilch in anchoring the locks?

Stick to back line moves buddy

Cheers for the advice TOCC, don't quite have the right hair, I'm afraid.

Look a little closer, mate.

Locks
Were good enough against the Kiwis. Sharpe is in form. Chiz is arguably the better scrummager and, getting off topic, was better around the ground this week.

The alternatives?
Rob S didn't show enough in the few minutes he got this year.

Van? He'll get a shot mid-week and if he's outstanding RD might (but probably wont) pick him. Then you have an issue with two number fives. Sharpe has shoulder troubles and that makes packing down on the loosehead side an issue.

The Loosies
In the match day report I commented "The loosies have to stay on and the No 8 has to be prepared to steer the thing". So, we're on the same page there, pal.

Ben McC did not cover himself in glory but showed how much he likes hitting Poms earlier this year.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Moore is remaining with the squad and Fainga'a has recovered with just a cork. There's hope TPN is just being flown over precautionary and won't be rushed onto the field after all.

 

[TOCC]

Cheers for the advice TOCC, don't quite have the right hair, I'm afraid.

Look a little closer, mate.

Locks
Were good enough against the Kiwis. Sharpe is in form. Chiz is arguably the better scrummager and, getting off topic, was better around the ground this week.

The alternatives?
Rob S didn't show enough in the few minutes he got this year.

Van? He'll get a shot mid-week and if he's outstanding RD might (but probably wont) pick him. Then you have an issue with two number fives. Sharpe has shoulder troubles and that makes packing down on the loosehead side an issue.

The Loosies
In the match day report I commented "The loosies have to stay on and the No 8 has to be prepared to steer the thing". So, we're on the same page there, pal.

Ben McC did not cover himself in glory but showed how much he likes hitting Poms earlier this year.

were in the scrummaging thread here, so im going to stick purely to the area concerning the scrum and not how good a player was around the field...

You said the locks were passable, in the scrum they were definetly not passable, im not concerned about potential alternatives, im purely here to talk about how they performed in the scrum and they indeed underperformed. They failed to bind with each other effectively and chisolm was slipping up so his head was under there shoulder rather then up there arse like it should have been.

Ben McCalman takes the cake as the biggest failure here, yes the locks should have binded more effectively, however the lack of any form of assistance from Ben McCalman was another failure at scrum time.

 

[JJJ]

I don't know all that much about scrum training, but don't they do exercises where they oppose each other intrasquad? If so I wonder if Benn Robinson's poor form is a bit of a knock-on effect from not having a decent tighthead (eg baxter) to train against for so many months? We certainly saw the Aussie batsmen's form head inexorably south after McGrath and Warne left the side, for instance. If you face crap bowlers in the nets all the time eventually that's all you're comfortable facing. Maybe something similar happened with our scrummaging?

 

[disco]

Moore is remaining with the squad and Fainga'a has recovered with just a cork. There's hope TPN is just being flown over precautionary and won't be rushed onto the field after all.

If TPN is there & Moore is fit then I'd be keen to have Moore play 60 minutes & TPN should be good for another 20 minutes.

We cannot have Fainga'a play the english he'll get murdered. Alexander seemed the better of the two props in HK but seemed to struggle with Fainga'a in Cardiff.

 

[Groucho]

If TPN is there & Moore is fit then I'd be keen to have Moore play 60 minutes & TPN should be good for another 20 minutes.

We cannot have Fainga'a play the english he'll get murdered. Alexander seemed the better of the two props in HK but seemed to struggle with Fainga'a in Cardiff.

FingerS is the common thread in our scrummaging failures this year.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Agree Groucho. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear up to the standard required right now. Hopefully with a bit more experience he will be, but not right now.

 

[Joe Blow]

The only person after Deans head right now is Gnostic. We all should really be after Noriegas head.
What do they do in training? Shouldn't they be continually trying to improve the scrumming of the whole squad and not wait for us to be humiliated in a test or two before trying to patch up the scrum?
If all reports are accurate then it would be nice to see Moore start against the Poms and have TPN play the last 10-15.

 

[Brumbieman]

The only person after Deans head right now is Gnostic. We all should really be after Noriegas head.
What do they do in training? Shouldn't they be continually trying to improve the scrumming of the whole squad and not wait for us to be humiliated in a test or two before trying to patch up the scrum?
If all reports are accurate then it would be nice to see Moore start against the Poms and have TPN play the last 10-15.

I think Deans slept with Gnostic's sister or something, he's got some serious issues with Deans, and most are unfounded.

RE McCalman at the back: I remember reading a report a while back that said about 10% of the scrums power comes from the number 8. The backrow popping off early is certainly a big contributer to a weak scrum, but that generally refers to the two flankers staying bound tight to the 2nd rows, who are in turn bound tightly to each other, and the 4 of them pushing as one. He was popping off early to try and secure ball, what is required then is the other 7 to bind in tight and drive as one.

 

[Lindommer]

Foley is the best scrum coach in Australia and daylight is second. Noriego is big on passion and short on technical nous. I suspect this may have something to do with the decline.

Spot on, I've been thinking the same thing for some time. Having seen a bit of Pato at West Harbour (OK, a microsecond), and then some more of him on TV, his "passionate" scrum sessions are lightyears away from the superb technical training runs of Axle Foley, Mike Cron or Alec Evans. We've had/got good scrum technicians, going all the way back to Chris Carberry's wonderful 20 page paper on the intricacies of scrum mechanics written in the 70s. And Andrew Blades has learned everything Carberry, Foley et al know and been ignored by Oz rugby.

 

[Scarfman]

Regarding Gnostic, I'll defend him to some extent here. Sure, he might not always need to make the same point 10 times each thread - BUT - I wholly agree with his point. It doesn't appear to me that the Wallabies are coached at all. All the gains in ability from this "group" have come during the Super 14, with the possible exception of Beale. And the game plan is all over the place.

But Chisholm? Snaafu? Brown? Giteau? None of these selections have shown Robbie to know so much more about the game than the majority opinions expressed on this board.

I'm pleased to finally beat an ordinary AllBlack side after 11 attempts, but I still see the Wallabies as being no better than John Connolly's team. They're just younger.

 

[Ruggo]

Slipper needs to start. Which Ben he replaces is the question. Yes he is young but Slipper is our form prop on both sides of the scrum at the moment. Interchange him at half time for the ben he replaces. Robinson looks down on confidence and Alexander is down on fitness. Ease the burdon on Alexander by giving him half a game or give Robinson a chance to build confidence by getting stuck into a worn opponant.

As for the second row we have options but nobody has the balls to try them.

 

[vidiot]

Slipper is going well, but I just have this niggling concern that starting against the Poms is a bit make or (literally) break for him.

I guess if Moore is back, and there is some sort of plan to involve the rest of the pack in the scrums, it might just be make....

 

[Searsy]

I have a feeling that the size of the front row is affecting them not only in terms of power but in the the general binding of the scrum. For example, the tight head locks right shoulder should be in line with the spine of the tight head prop and the same for the loose side. If the front row isn't wide enough, the props either need to loosen their bind, or the second rowers will be pushing in on an angle. Also, the flankers role within the scrum is to ensure that they push their props ass in. I think we saw a bit of that on the weekend - Props ass shifts out because he is getting no support from his flankers, second rowers bind is too loose and they are breaking it when the props ass angles out.

 

[Scotty]

I think Slipper is tough enough to give him a shot at starting. I don't think he will solve all our problems, but he won't do any worse, so it is worth a try.

If he goes ok, then I'd better tempted to let him play out the game at TH and run the Ben's at LH. It might be a road too far, but we will see.

Obviously Moore and TPN will make a big difference as well.

 

[Groucho]

Regarding Gnostic, I'll defend him to some extent here. Sure, he might not always need to make the same point 10 times each thread - BUT - I wholly agree with his point. It doesn't appear to me that the Wallabies are coached at all. All the gains in ability from this "group" have come during the Super 14, with the possible exception of Beale. And the game plan is all over the place.

But Chisholm? Snaafu? Brown? Giteau? None of these selections have shown Robbie to know so much more about the game than the majority opinions expressed on this board.

I'm pleased to finally beat an ordinary AllBlack side after 11 attempts, but I still see the Wallabies as being no better than John Connolly's team. They're just younger.

I thought this was the greatest All Black side of the current geological era? :fishing

 

[fatprop]

Regarding Gnostic, I'll defend him to some extent here. Sure, he might not always need to make the same point 10 times each thread - BUT - I wholly agree with his point. It doesn't appear to me that the Wallabies are coached at all. All the gains in ability from this "group" have come during the Super 14, with the possible exception of Beale. And the game plan is all over the place.

But Chisholm? Snaafu? Brown? Giteau? None of these selections have shown Robbie to know so much more about the game than the majority opinions expressed on this board.

I'm pleased to finally beat an ordinary AllBlack side after 11 attempts, but I still see the Wallabies as being no better than John Connolly's team. They're just younger.

I thought Chisholm has been going pretty well

 

[barbarian]

Think the article that vidiot posted on the TPN thread is very pertinent here. From a Saffa site, some of the best scrum analysis I have seen in some time.

http://www.sarugby.com/2010/11/07/why-the-wallaby-scrum-flops/

 

[fatprop]

Think the article that vidiot posted on the TPN thread is very pertinent here. From a Saffa site, some of the best scrum analysis I have seen in some time.

http://www.sarugby.com/2010/11/07/why-the-wallaby-scrum-flops/

That is one great piece

 

[Joe Blow]

Slipper has looked far superior on the LH side. He has been serviceable at TH when needed but has actually improved our scrum considerably on the other side, his preferred I would guess.
Seeing that he is starting tomorrow I doubt we will see him start against the Poms.
It would be good to see him start at LH with Alexander at TH against the Italians.

Vidiots link is very interesting. Thanks.