France v Australia

[cyclopath]

I wouldn't be moving Folau - no-one else is usually anywhere near as safe under the high ball, and you can bet we'll see some of that over the next 2 weeks. He had an off night tonight, but he's usually peerless in Oz.
Foley, or Cooper starts at 10, the other on the bench. Both can kick goals. We need to get some backline cohesion.
BUT - we really need to get consistency up front which is where we are getting reamed.
As we saw at the Tahs, the defensive structures that Grey / Cheika want to play take some time to learn - 2013 saw inconsistent Tahs defence, 2014 it was the best in comp. Obviously, differences occur at Test level, but clearly the players have not got it sorted yet. We need patience, but they don't have a lot of time before RWC 2015 to get it right.
Next 2 weeks could be a bit ugly.

 

[Paradox]

Don't blame Alexander given Kepu got dished up as well when Skelton came on. Alexander isn't a top scrummager but the immediate problems lay elsewhere. How many points from penalties did France kick with Kepu at 3 and Skelton packing behind him? Cheika is at fault here for a poor selection in Skelton who can't scrummage or catch lineout ball. The use of the bench and selection was crap. Cheika's first 4 replacements were quite interesting to say the least:

- Lilo, Tomane, Slipper, and Horwill (injured?)

This was interesting given the problems were at
- 9,10,7,6 and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s wing.

Lilo wasn't good but Horne came on and dropped the pill suffering as much as Lilo - getting crap service and hospital passes. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) got skinned and missed tackles in the first half - he hasn't been good this international season. We got owned at the breakdown (again). Phipps and Foley did not perform today. Foley kicked poorly with ball in hand and appeared to get lost after 2 phases. After this he just transfers all the pressure out wide and we go backwards. What's wrong with occasionally turning the ball back inside like Cooper did with great effect in a similar situation? Foley also appears to panic at the back. I'm not giving up on him but I feel he would be better utility off the bench. I really hate watching the Wallabies shovel the ball left to right with no looping, second touches from the flyhalf, inside passes, offloads, good close short passing between forwards and between the scrum half and forwards.

Hooper missed quite a few tackles and gave away 2 penalties in quick succession. One for being offside and another for a high shot. McMahon isn't up to it at this level yet. Simmons getting held up at the start of the second half was unforgivable. However, he got little support though the other forwards around him.

Why weren't Genia, Cooper, and Hodgson bought on just after half time when is was clear the halves weren't going well and breakdown was owned by France? I daresay Carter/Jones would have been far handier on the bench.

The Wallaby defense needs a lot of work and appears to be regressing.

 

[Mr Doug]

Has TGC flown Phibbs over as well - FFS.
Simmons butchered a kickoff exit with abysmal body height, even by Skelton's standards, and damn near butchered the next one on the same basis.
Cheika attack system has now been revealed in its full Tahs glory: last minute offloads. No plan to reliably get to the gain line, just a plan that if you do happen to cross the gain line flick it up and hope for the best.
Works in S 15 but not in tests.
The transfer of pressure by merely passing to the outside man when behind the gain is the #1 problem.
KB (Kurtley Beale)'s preferred lateral running will not change that when TGC rings him in this week.
Winning would have been a travesty and would have delayed the soul searching that is necessary.

I agree, IS, but, if it makes you feel any better, it's also a major problem with our Grandson's under-7s touch-footy team!!!

 

[Merrow]

For that reason, perhaps McMahon was tired. When you're tired you can't think clearly, Alexander only played 10 minutes, he wasn't tired, so he's more guilty.

Well, you are a Brumbies supporter and you are going to defend your player, but you must recognize that Alexander is the face of defeat. He's the prime example of the decline suffered by the Australian rugby.

No I'm not defending the player because I'm a Brumbies supporter. I'm saying the whole team was shit. You can't blame that loss on one player alone.

 

[Tomikin]

I'd love to see Cooper start next week, but I doubt it happens. Foley looked very ordinary tonight and the Wallaby attack only started to fire with Quade making things happen.

Phipps was above good, but not great.
Folau very ordinary. I don't know what Speight has to do to get a start, but he couldn't have been worse than Tomane.

Off the bench, I think Skelton will make way for Carter. Skelton had 0 positive impact, but a whole lot of negative. I can't believe there aren't better reserve prop options than Alexander and Robinson.

I doubt there'll be any changes except for the rushed reinclusion of Beale.

Tomane saved about 3 tries.. Fuck me

 

[Paradox]

Robinson's side was OK, Alexander's was going to shit, and Robinson had a few good carries. I'd keep him on the bench until Sio is back and firing next year, but we need to get someone besides Alexander at THP reserve. God knows who?

How may points did France get from scrum penalties with Kepu at 3? Don't blame Alexander or Kepu for this one.

 

[Tomikin]

Yeah, I really think we need to change up the 10 12, we look pedestrian in attack way to often. I'm also warming to the idea of moving Foley to fullback and folau to the wing. Izzy is still getting caught out in defence and we could really use a fullback that makes those covering tackles, which I think Foley does a better job of, though it may not be enough if a gain to be worthwhile.

Or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to fullback and Izzy and Speight on the wings.

 

[Paradox]

Well, you are a Brumbies supporter and you are going to defend your player, but you must recognize that Alexander is the face of defeat. He's the prime example of the decline suffered by the Australian rugby.

What a completely moronic post to blame the game on one player and also not even pin point the cause of the scrummaging problem which started when Skelton came on. As I said before, how many penalties did France with with Kepu at 3? Kepu was excellent prior to Skelton coming on.

 

[barbarian]

Hard to single out individual players in that effort. No-one was good, really. Don't think sweeping changes are in order.

I liked Quade Cooper, but I don't think he would have done any better than Foley with the speed of the French line. He looked great against a tiring line, sure, but I don't think he's a lay-down misere to start. WHat's more Foley kicked 100% (which we take for granted) and single-handedly created a try.

My main disappointment was the lineout- what was going on there? Has been good all year, but blew up in spectacular fashion. Can't pin that on Ben Alexander.
.

 

[Brumby Runner]

A lot of our big guns have been poor, Slipper, Hooper, Folau, Foley, Phipps.

Slipper a rock in the scrums and not poor in open play. Folau fair but the others were very poor.

 

[Lorenzo]

I think people are being kind when they hand-wave away our awful defense as being down to the adjustment factor in changing to cheika's defensive system.

Multiple people have pointed out that it took Cheika's teams in ireland, france and NSW a while to adjust. THe thing is, we don't have a while.

Either changing the defensive system (i have no idea what defensive systems exist, i would have thought defense is relatively straightforward with not room for different systems, but I could well be wrong) was a bad idea this close to the RWC, or the players are just underperforming. The players and coach don't both get a pass on this, IMO.

 

[Pusser]

Tomane saved about 3 tries.. Fuck me

Yes and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) seems to be exempted from criticism for missing Thomas twice in his try and nearly letting one through on the other wing when he blocked Foley and missed the tackle. Fortunately we had Tomane to clean it up.


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[Brumby Runner]

Absolutely correct. Great in the loose, but set piece he is really letting Kepu down. Has to lock his head in and get his shoulder under Kepu's arse.

Happened last week as well.

Those blue glasses are serving you well again. Skelton has done nothing in the loose.

 

[cyclopath]

How may points did France get from scrum penalties with Kepu at 3? Don't blame Alexander or Kepu for this one.

I'm not blaming a player for the loss, but Alexander has consistently been performing poorly at scrum for a while, really since the end of Super rugby. It's a problem. He hinges more often than not. Yes, there are others, and I don't recall saying the loss was all down to him. I certainly don't think Skelton is working in set piece at all, and his weak technique is making it harder. But last week, Kepu kept scrums up with Skelton on, albeit with great difficulty- there is a gulf in technique at THP currently, and no-one seems to have the solution.
Also, several of our pack had weak carries and were too easily turned over - Horwill, Simmons then Skelton and Alexander when we were hot on attack. It's poor.
I'm far from the only one seeing problems in some of these players.
Besides the starting front row, and McCalman, I thought our pack was pretty poor. Simmons had some moments.

 

[Paradox]

But last week, Kepu kept scrums up with Skelton on, albeit with great difficulty

What rubbish, we conceded a penalty try ffs. No Alexander involvement in any scrums in or around the penalty try. At least be honest.

 

[Brumby Runner]

If ever there was a case for a SH team raiding the NH then I think a kicking coach and a forwards coach for Aus would be pretty close to the top of the list.

Bardon generally I agree with most of what you say, but not on this occasion. The Wallabies' scrum and lineout is equal or better than most until the starters are replaced. When the replacements are midgets (hodgson) or ineffectual giants (Skelton) then what we need is a new fucking coach.

 

[cyclopath]

Yes and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) seems to be exempted from criticism for missing Thomas twice in his try and nearly letting one through on the other wing when he blocked Foley and missed the tackle. Fortunately we had Tomane to clean it up.


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No, he doesn't.
But over a longer period, if I had to pick 2 starting wingers from what we have, and one of them is Speight (if he is actually fit), I'd go with Speight and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). That doesn't mean Tomane is bad, but you gotta pick 2 of them, and they'd be mine for now.

 

[cyclopath]

What rubbish, we conceded a penalty try ffs.

Before that.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Horwill Simmons McMahon Skelton Lilo all need to go next week

Over-reaction methinks. Skelton definitely needs to learn his trade at Super level before getting another go in a test match, and only one of Simmons and Horwill should on the ground at the same time as they are too similar in the way they play these days, and Lealiifano should retain his spot.

 

[Paradox]

Before that.

Don't you call me an idiot. you made a poor argument you can't backup. Are you a mod? This is a personal attack and contrary to the rules of this forum. Ban yourself.

So there were no poor scrums prior to the penalty scrum?