Super Rugby Au Round 7 - Reds v Rebels @ Suncorp Stadium, 7:15pm Sat 15 Aug

[Brumby Runner]

But I note you are particularly harsh on players who might usurp Brumbies for Wallaby spots.

? Harsh on JOC (James O'Connor) for playing too deep? Which Brumby is the Wallabies 10 who he will usurp? My preferred 10 would be Deegan or To'omua though MT looks a lot better at 12.

Magnay for missing an important tackle? Not even in the running for a Wallabies spot atm.

Who else, please tell.

 

[Dan54]

You should just put ‘I think NZRU were right to want less Australian teams’ as your tag line and you won’t have to make all these long-winded posts bagging the quality.

Mate I have and always do post on SuperAU as superAU and have never compared it with NZ or any comp, and if you can show me where I have, or are you accusing RR of same in above post, that was the feeling I got like RR at end of game! If we don't do something about putting off rusted on supporters of our game, we will go backwards.

 

[Dan54]

After leaking 45 points last week the reds defence for this game would have been most pleasing for thorn.

The rebels need to be able to find better ways to unlock defences though.

RN as mate put it, Rebels certainly had no plan B, and we wondered if they had a plan A?

 

[Rugbynutter39]

RN as mate put it, Rebels certainly had no plan B, and we wondered if they had a plan A?

Familiar story with the rebels unfortunately

 

[TSR]

Well - I enjoyed the game. Obviously easier to enjoy when your team wins but I thought the contest was very willing and both sides had pluses and minuses. Whatever the criticism of the Rebels attack, the defensive effort to keep them scoreless in the second half was sensational.

 

[Cancelled Account]

? Harsh on JOC (James O'Connor) for playing too deep? Which Brumby is the Wallabies 10 who he will usurp? My preferred 10 would be Deegan or To'omua though MT looks a lot better at 12.

Magnay for missing an important tackle? Not even in the running for a Wallabies spot atm.

Who else, please tell.

Hate to say it but I’m thinking the To’omua and Hunt combination would be my pick. Hunt is playing some bloody good rugby. Move JOC (James O'Connor) to wing with Petaia at 13.

EDIT. JOC (James O'Connor) played a good fullback’s game last night. JOC (James O'Connor) for fullback to allow for a fast attacking wing - Filipo or Ralston.

 

[Dan54]

Does anyone else think Reece Hodge is being moved around positions or something to much, I thought he was poor last night, the ball he kicked dead was ridiculous, and most of his kicking was of poor quality, he dropped of some tackles, one when Stewart scored his try comes to mind, it is almost as if he either hasn't got his heart in it or, just a bit confused. Now in saying this I watched game live and not on TV so some might have seen his (or even whole game) differently on TV.

 

[PhilClinton]

Hate to say it but I’m thinking the To’omua and Hunt combination would be my pick. Hunt is playing some bloody good rugby. Move JOC (James O'Connor) to wing with Petaia at 13.

EDIT. JOC (James O'Connor) played a good fullback’s game last night. JOC (James O'Connor) for fullback to allow for a fast attacking wing - Filipo or Ralston.

JOC (James O'Connor) totally wasted on the wings with his current skill set - let’s not forget he’s also 30, he’s a smart and skillful player now, not overly explosive. Save the wing spots for as you say Daugunnu, Ralston, Koribete, Maddocks etc.

JOC (James O'Connor) definitely my starting 10 if I were picking the team, but I am not. I can definitely see the value with him at fullback, otherwise I’d have him on the bench rather than the wing.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Man, I don't see why you downplay positive attacking rugby like this, you've really ignored or missed a large number of factors which make this a well worked try.

Firstly the scrum wheeled up on the Reds LH side which removed Michael Wells from breaking off the side of the scrum at speed, whether the Reds front row intentionally wheeled it we will never know.

Secondly it was Tate's run from the back of the scrum which made Tuttle slow to push out and cover JOC (James O'Connor), Tuttle should have been marked by Wells, however since Wells was removed from the equation, and because Tate ran the ball rather then passing off the base this created a fraction of indecision for Tuttle about pushing out.

Thirdly, removing Michael Wells by wheeling the scrum and the indecision by Tuttle about pushing out now meant the Reds had a 4 v 2 overlap, this overlap is what caused the break by Stewart.

TLDR: it was a well worked try created by the scrum and Tuttles play off the back of the scrum.

I agree about the lead up to the line break, though some of your Tates and Tuttles seem to have got mixed up in the telling, but the movement could still have been stopped had Magnay stayed on Stewart.

 

[Cancelled Account]

JOC (James O'Connor) totally wasted on the wings with his current skill set - let’s not forget he’s also 30, he’s a smart and skillful player now, not overly explosive. Save the wing spots for as you say Daugunnu, Ralston, Koribete, Maddocks etc.

JOC (James O'Connor) definitely my starting 10 if I were picking the team, but I am not. I can definitely see the value with him at fullback, otherwise I’d have him on the bench rather than the wing.

JOC (James O'Connor) has some good skills but controlling a back line, knowing when to play deep and when to set your forwards into attack is not his specialty. I think he would compliment the Wallabies at fullback. Agree with you on the wingers.

EDIT. Petaia would be an immense fullback.

 

[Ignoto]

Our backline was disjointed and couldn’t support our forward runners. Too many kicks in the first half made it a very boring game.

I'll call bullshit on this on RR. We cane the players when they get to international level and get out kicked in games by the opposition, but when they try to implement a kicking game we cry for them to right it?

It is this type of attitude that stops Australian rugby players from learning their kicking skills and honing it in game situations. While I don't enjoy watching the ping ponging, as long as there are reasons behind why they kicked and what they're trying to achieve, I have no problem with it.

 

[Up the Guts]

Mate I have and always do post on SuperAU as superAU and have never compared it with NZ or any comp, and if you can show me where I have, or are you accusing RR of same in above post, that was the feeling I got like RR at end of game! If we don't do something about putting off rusted on supporters of our game, we will go backwards.

It’s always your ‘mate’ that thinks it is lower quality:

Ok was having a chat with mate yesterday, a bit like me and watches a hell of a lot of rugby, Aussie a 25 year member of at the Reds etc, so one to get a bit of gauge on rugby things with and he said one very worrying thing. When discussing Aus games on weekend, he said he didn't see Brumbies/Rebels game until sunday, I said ok you out Sat night?
The worrying thing was he said no, I just struggle to watch the Aus games straight after watching the NZ games because the step down is too much, like watching club rugby after rep rugby. The only reason I mention it, because he a real mad rugby man and if he thinks that, do you then get Fox to not show games from NZ before to keep top attention to game? I repeat he a real rugby man so, although I have heard similar from less engaged watcher's at work, it something we need to be aware of. I don't usually watch the Backpage on Fox, but saw a bit of it last night and though they not rugby men that I know of, they were talking about the gulf in class between the comps and skills. To really keep the numbers up for viewing etc we don't want people to think they watching a lesser comp in my opinion.
Don't shoot me, only what I have heard said and it concerns me.

 

[molman]

Hate to say it but I’m thinking the To’omua and Hunt combination would be my pick. Hunt is playing some bloody good rugby. Move JOC (James O'Connor) to wing with Petaia at 13.

EDIT. JOC (James O'Connor) played a good fullback’s game last night. JOC (James O'Connor) for fullback to allow for a fast attacking wing - Filipo or Ralston.

I think you'd want to be looking at who the likely NZ lineup is going to be and then start weighing up the strenghts and weaknesses of some of our combinations. It depends on what balance you want in the line that may mean you have someone like a TK at 13. Petaia is a talent, but he does also need some more game time, I'm keen to see how he goes over the next couple of weeks.

JOC (James O'Connor) isn't the 10 I'd choose, but honestly I'm not sure who I would. I'd be half tempted to go To'omua and then have Harrison at 15 and let him kick all our 3 pointers. That kid knows how to slot a kick.

 

[Cancelled Account]

I think you'd want to be looking at who the likely NZ lineup is going to be and then start weighing up the strenghts and weaknesses of some of our combinations. It depends on what balance you want in the line that may mean you have someone like a TK at 13. Petaia is a talent, but he does also need some more game time, I'm keen to see how he goes over the next couple of weeks.

JOC (James O'Connor) isn't the 10 I'd choose, but honestly I'm not sure who I would. I'd be half tempted to go To'omua and then have Harrison at 15 and let him kick all our 3 pointers. That kid knows how to slot a kick.

The only thing with Harrison is his limited speed and timing in attacking play. The back 3 need to have the speed. We need a kicker.

 

[TSR]

[quote="molman, post: 1155879, member:
JOC (James O'Connor) isn't the 10 I'd choose, but honestly I'm not sure who I would.[/quote]
This is the problem isn’t it - both To'omua & JOC (James O'Connor) would be better at 12, still not sure Harrison is ready and I don’t know that Deegan is the answer. He certainly had the chance to make a good case in combination with To'omua but I’m not sure he is test quality and he doesn’t have much time to prove he is.

Edit: I do think Harrison is a very likely long term solution - maybe as soon as next season - and with his goal kicking being so good I could see him getting a crack. Although maybe off the bench initially.

 

[Dan54]

It’s always your ‘mate’ that thinks it is lower quality:

So you calling me a liar? I am interested in his opinion because he has been around the Qld scene longer than me. I repeat I was at game, it seemed strange on bus etc afterwards on bus that none was talking about game etc, I also interested in opinions of those people or lack of at as they the people that are actually at games, you know the the people we want to keep going.. RR who was at game seemed to have had same experience, because I not building up game to something I didn't think it was, or others I spoke to, don't get yourself all twisted, hell you upset at me, at BR because he had perfectly acceptable (I thought) opinions on players. It got to know you going back over my posts and you stalking me, I do believe we should listen to what people say as the vast majority of rugby going people do not post in forums. But also no worries if you think all is rosey and that was a good game, that's great.

I will add one thing I think it was added to my frustration was seeing right in front of me at oranges Tim Horan doing the Fox halftime fill in and just being reminded the quality of players we have had at the Reds, and wondering where the hell the went!

 

[Cancelled Account]

I'll call bullshit on this on RR. We cane the players when they get to international level and get out kicked in games by the opposition, but when they try to implement a kicking game we cry for them to right it?

It is this type of attitude that stops Australian rugby players from learning their kicking skills and honing it in game situations. While I don't enjoy watching the ping ponging, as long as there are reasons behind why they kicked and what they're trying to achieve, I have no problem with it.

I think you only need to look at the percentages on where the game was played to know a good attacking team. If we cut down the kicking by half and got our troops back into the attacking line to push the ball to the forwards them this would have been an enjoyable win. Our forward pack is more dangerous than the Rebels and we didn’t use them effectively. JOC (James O'Connor) playing a fullback’s game didn’t help the cause.

 

[wamberal]

That was an incredible effort by the Reds. When the YC came out of the pocket with 10 to go, I thought the Rebels would swamp them.


Incidentally, I reckon thought should be given to trialling Pone F. as a #8. He seems to have a lot of toe for a big bloke.

 

[molman]

While I don't enjoy watching the ping ponging, as long as there are reasons behind why they kicked and what they're trying to achieve, I have no problem with it.

You can see it was a quite obvious game plan to counter the Rebels rush defence and break up their line, playing for territory and hopefully creating space.



I'm not sure how heads up the Reds were however, the fact that they (Reds) had, had so little ball and elected to ping pong it with a still rather creaky LO wasn't necessarily impressive. I would have liked to see a little more maturity in the decision making around when and obviously where to kick. 



Hodge likewise for the Rebels had a rather mixed night with his kicking game. He put in a great kick early on, but then one out on the full and then another bouncing over the dead ball line were rather cringe worthy.


 

[Cancelled Account]

Harrison just reminds me of Foley too much. To’omua with test experience and game control seems to be the best option. Give Harrison another year in Super Rugby to find his feet.