Wallabies vs England, Perth

[David]

Perhaps despite my earlier comments, given your v interesting account above, Cooper will on Saturday feel he owes Barnesy some fabulous passes and back up and lots of other favours!

Haha, perhaps. Who can tell what will happen come game time if our forwards can win enough ball, faiagaa isn't a playmaker/runner like gits but the backline still ran great at the Reds. So possibly if Barnes leaves the playmaking largely to Coops we may still have some entertaining footy especially when Genia comes on. However if Barnes tries to mark himself as the key playmaker it may limit Coops chances. And who knows, Coops and Barnes may quickly redevelop a bit of a combo, or it could go the other way down the shitter, who knows.

 

[RedsHappy]

Given the ages of those 3, that could very well be the 10/12/13 trio come WC 2015

I anticipate howls from some quarters in saying this, but I don't think it's 100% clear that Giteau is not in the grips of 'the Ponting syndrome', namely a formally great player in slow decline, still with value yes, but moving little step by little step down from peak. In the most pressure Tris last year, he was manifestly inconsistent in attack and field kicking, and the same types of issues recurred in Europe. Excellence one day, then dullness and off-pace. Let's hope this analysis is wrong. He's shone like a fine beacon for Australia over the years when numerous well-paid others stayed in the team and did not. One only ever wishes him well.

 

[RedsHappy]

..... So possibly if Barnes leaves the playmaking largely to Coops we may still have some entertaining footy especially when Genia comes on. ....

Is it not so that one of the most extraordinary and inexplicable decisions in top international rugby Tests this decade is that which, after all Genia's recent achievements, has Genia on the bench, and the hapless (in comparison) Burgess running on to feed to Coops?

 

[daz]

In fact, I think our elite rugby teams and coaches (Wallabies and S14) get off far too easily in the recent past, when their performances over time do not warrant the indulgence they tend to get from large tracts of the Australian rugby media and their local RUs.

Friend and Hickey may not agree with that this year. I do wonder though if RD has had a good run because people can see that something special might just be over the horizon. Of course, that light at the end of the tunnel might also be a freight train...

Being too 'patriotic' when performances don't really warrant it can be just as bad as excessive negativity.

Could not agree more. No room for anything less than 2 eyes wide open.

Nonetheless, please trust that come Saturday night, my son will in front of the TV with Wallabies jersey on, and we shall both be shouting, preying, wishing and hoping for the boys in G&G!

My son and I will be at the game, rugged up in G&G and doing pretty much everything you have mentioned too.

 

[Waratah]

We are superior in every single way

 

[RedsHappy]

....Friend and Hickey may not agree with that this year. I do wonder though if RD has had a good run because people can see that something special might just be over the horizon. Of course, that light at the end of the tunnel might also be a freight train...

Nothing will convince me - and I think lots of others - that there aren't v serious problems with Brumbies' coaching capabilities and team morale. The former glories are all too former and far back. Something big and explosive needs to be done. Radical change a la QRU is needed. Re Tahs: well the NSW RU is a notorious political hot-house and coaching there must have its challenges. Plus Tahs and Brumbies gate numbers and $s income are in continuous decline, a real concern, as it was in Brisbane until very recently. The S14 play isn't good (or the right type enough) enough for the upholding of mindshare and sports market share in the Sydney market. Tahs have some wonderful strengths but one senses the need for rethinks, renovations and some senior player changes to really liberate the excellent bits and drive for more enticing play and gain that elusive S15 Final (which Tahs are capable of).

 

[whezmabeer]

We are superior in every single way

What are you doing here tah?

 

[Brumby Jack]

With all this talk about how our front row is going to get smashed and we'll struggle against England, I almost choked to see that some bookies have Australia raging favorites.
England at $4.25 - are you serious??

 

[Ishmael]

Is it not so that one of the most extraordinary and inexplicable decisions in top international rugby Tests this decade is that which, after all Genia's recent achievements, has Genia on the bench, and the hapless (in comparison) Burgess running on to feed to Coops?

I don't think so. I'm probably alone in thinking this but I thought Burgess did very well against Fiji behind an uninterested pack and given that Genia's returning from injury I think it's a good move to make him earn his spot back. I'm thinking we'll probably see him around the 50 minute mark or so.

Re. Cooper and Barnes, I'm rather worried about this combination. I think both players do their best work when they're the sole playmaker, or when they're paired up with Gits since he basically plays as a creative centre. When both Cooper and Barnes were at the Reds they played their best games when one of them stood up and took complete control, like Barnes' effort against the Blues last year. Cooper's flourished with Finger outside him and the Tahs looked best when Barnes was at 10 with Carter and Horne in the centres. Hopefully they work out some sort of combination tomorrow but I'm thinking it could all turn to shit.

 

[Dear Leader]

Don't mean to sound flippant, but you think we could could get Dingo to fine Berrick $100 for every aimless kick he puts up? I hear he is very frugal so perhaps then the message may just sink in.

 

[mark_s]

Giteau out, Barnes to 12 Hynes onto the bench

No need to thank me for the scoop there. Just realised this has been discussed 4 pages ago!

 

[Langthorne]

The backs don't worry me at all.

The forwards, particularly the front row, are a worry in terms of experience, attitude and tactics.

I want to win, I hope to win, but with that pack I cannot expect to win.

 

[MrMouse]

I think at least one selection that people had issues with - Barnes' - has been validated here. Obviously RD et al had fears over Gits' fitness and Barnes was seen as next-best in that position. I'd like to see AFinger perform at Baa's level before we chuck him into the fire, and it'll be interesting to see if Barnes can work with Cooper with Coops running the show.

Is it not so that one of the most extraordinary and inexplicable decisions in top international rugby Tests this decade is that which, after all Genia's recent achievements, has Genia on the bench, and the hapless (in comparison) Burgess running on to feed to Coops?

Not sure why this is back on the table (perhaps state bias? :fishing), thought it had been discussed previously. They're worried about Genia's fitness, so they want to run him for 15-20min at the back end. I wouldn't have done that, maybe you wouldn't either, but noone, _noone_ believes Genia's benching is a form issue.

My problem with all that is risking an unfit Genia for a few minutes against England seems unusually like playing the short game from RD. I'd wait 'til he's 100% then bang him back in to start. But I agree with Ishmael's point that Burgo actually did pretty well v Fiji, so it's not so bad to have him there.

 

[Groucho]

The backs don't worry me at all.

The forwards, particularly the front row, are a worry in terms of experience, attitude and tactics.

I want to win, I hope to win, but with that pack I cannot expect to win.

Hmmmph. Personally I think all the people predicting that our front row will be smashed by a 2nd string (and 2nd string at best) English front row, just because our players are young and theirs are English, are way out of line. What you're saying in essence is that they'd get smashed no matter who the opposition is. Well, I prefer to show more respect, but maybe that's just me. Wait till they get smashed once then make that prediction.

 

[MrMouse]

Hmmmph. Personally I think all the people predicting that our front row will be smashed by a 2nd string (and 2nd string at best) English front row, just because our players are young and theirs are English, are way out of line. What you're saying in essence is that they'd get smashed no matter who the opposition is. Well, I prefer to show more respect, but maybe that's just me. Wait till they get smashed once then make that prediction.

Yeah, but 20/20 hindsight is boring and takes away 99% of the 'crow factor.' Balls out now, hakuna matata, if we're all wrong what's the worst that can happen? Some negative nancy says 'well, I told you to wait until after the game.' On the other hand, if we're RIGHT, oh the sweet silver lining of victory. We lose, but what righteous glory there will be bagging all and sundry.

Just saying...

 

[Groucho]

Yeah, but 20/20 hindsight is boring and takes away 99% of the 'crow factor.' Balls out now, hakuna matata, if we're all wrong what's the worst that can happen? Some negative nancy says 'well, I told you to wait until after the game.' On the other hand, if we're RIGHT, oh the sweet silver lining of victory. We lose, but what righteous glory there will be bagging all and sundry.

Just saying...

You lost me there, MrMouse. Are you saying that to predict the young Wallabies front row won't get smashed is negativity? Well, that would be a bit too sophisticated for a country boy like me!

But if you're saying that we should get our balls out and predict that Daley, Fingers and Ma'afu will smash the pasty Poms then I'm with you all the way.

GO WALLABIES!

 

[topo]

I am one who looked at the selection of that front row and was very worried. However, thinking about it some more, maybe it's not so dumb. There is no way they are going to dominate the English scrum but if they can find a way to break even it will give us some valuable experience in the bank for later on and next year. It would have been good if there was one rookie or 2 at the most instead of 4, but that's the cards that have been dealt. Robbie has shown faith in his squad and it's up to his players to respond now. We will find out a lot about Daley, in particular, tonight.

 

[Scarfman]

C'mon guys, grow a pair. I'll go out on a limb and say that we'll get humiliated in the scrum. Absolutely spanked.

I'm not being disloyal to the boys - I HOPE they do well. And if I was in charge of them in the dressing room I wouldn't say that. But on a forum I reckon it's fine to give my opinion of the matter. If I'm wrong, that'll be good.

 

[matty_k]

So is there going to be a live chat tonight?

 

[OZGOD]

What's the latest for those of us who aren't in OZ?