France v Australia, Saturday 19 November

[formerflanker]

But the big positive for mine was that we are developing depth, and that depth can slot in when required and play to the game plan (there's another decent team who plays international rugby that does that...). This less experienced side also closed out a tight game which has got to be a positive learning.

Agreed. The depth players are also similar in style to the players in the first team, allowing the game plan to roll on irrespective of who is in the team.

 

[Highlander35]

Just saying. You deserved to win.

A line ball decision wasn't made (my heart was in mouth, and I do support Australia when they're not playing Scotland!), then a slight tactical error, both after the hooter is lucky because of the timing.

Luck (and/or poor reffing) typically evens out over the course of the game, or 60-40 at worst, to which it probably does.

The "luck" is just more obvious at the end of the game.

 

[formerflanker]

What an entertaining game. I enjoyed the tightness of the scoreline, the breaks made by the French, and was biting my fingers at scrum time. A great way to start the day.
I see that many defenders have realised that tackling Skelton anywhere above the knees is doomed to failure. They are targeting his ankles and scything him down.

 

[Brumby Runner]

The "luck" is just more obvious at the end of the game.

Like the time the French got lucky with only a few minutes left on the clock when they clearly knocked the ball on in the lineout but it wasn't officiated. That was pretty much why they were luckily in a position at the end to try the drop goal.

 

[BDA]

Yeh that lineout knock on was fairly obvious. I was yelling at the TV. I think that's the nature of test rugby. referees are gun shy in the final moment of the game and I don't mind that.

 

[dru]

Foley grabs meat off a choice little inside pass from Sanchez.

AUS 20 FRA 11 after 44 minutes.

Much has been said about the Genia-Cooper combination. That little move shows that at least in some areas (and probably more than that) a Genia-Foley combination is developing nicely.

 

[Tex]

Oh, and FFS

One would think that after a few weeks watching Coleman, Arnold, Timani (and to a lesser extent Simmons off the bench) with the ball, Skelton would have gotten his head around the simple concept of running onto the ball.

I said before the Scotland game that Big Willy was a liability and a mistake on MC's half.

I was told off for not giving the bloke a chance who is now at "peak fitness". Surely his ship has sailed.

I don't understand why people are so fascinated with Big Willy's.

Sure, it's got size, girth and is bloody impressive - if not a little scary - to look at.

But when it's time to do the dance, all parties realize that it's 90% show and can only penetrate the loosest of defenses.

The same logic applies to the French's monster tighthead. All good if he's there in the old mold to scrum. lift and shift bodies at rucks, but they tried to use him as a battering ram with a net negative impact. No momentum, dropped balls and bad offload decisions.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Like the time the French got lucky with only a few minutes left on the clock when they clearly knocked the ball on in the lineout but it wasn't officiated. That was pretty much why they were luckily in a position at the end to try the drop goal.

Think we were pretty happy to be avoiding as many scrums as we could at that point!

 

[fatprop]

Having only seen the second half, you weren't lucky because you didn't deserve to win.

You were lucky in the sense that a different ref (dare I say, a better one?) would have pinged Pocock for not supporting his body weight after the hooter.

And lucky in that the drop goal wasn't taken 2 phases earlier, when they were 5 metres to the right and both teams had roughly the same set up.

Regardless, you won, and you deserved the win, so there's not much else to say in that matter.

And possibly Pocock wouldn't have done that if the ref was someone else

 

[fatprop]

Probably wishful thinking. He seems like a top bloke and he's been struggling with Injury and mental health issues. Plus, in theory that mass should be useful in rugby he's just been struggling to utilize it properly.

I don't think he should have been selected for this tour, but I do think he is a player in transition. He is becoming more of a pro lock after getting his initial opportunities because he is that massive unit with many more glaring weaknesses.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Entertaining game and a well deserved win.

Poor old Slips was against a monster 145 kg THP and with an inexperienced front row.

Scrum was disappointing with the starters but it really went to shit when Sio, Moore and Tom R came on. And that was against their B front row.

Poey was huge but he gave away 3 penalties - those penalties are no different to a scrum penalty. It has the same net effect.

Very impressed with Morahan and TK's try was awesome.

McMahon looks in doubt for rest of tour (I think it looks like the same ankle) and I wonder if he will come home.

Simmo and Kane D went pretty good and I think we'll see an Arnold/Simmons lock combo next week with Douglas on the bench.

Was actually disappointed at the Latu "attempt" at stopping that try. He just looked like he was taken by surprise that the Frog would run that close to the ruck/ Anyway it looked shithouse.

Thought Foley did a good job at 10 and Cooper is now a distant second.

Overall the Wallaby defence scrambled well.

I don't think anyone played that well to usurp others in the Irish test (but Poey of course)

My wife's comment was that our bench (filled with "A" players) failed miserably to make an impact at all. Hard to argue with.

Anyway a win is a win. Onward and upwards

 

[terry j]

You could at least have posted this in the Scotland v Argentina thread

I doubt a comment about the australian captain and how he managed the ref would come up in the Scot v Arg thread, allowing a comparison to be made....so, you know, umm, it is kinda about the aus v fre game, hope you can work that out.

Is it really necessary for people to get their little jabs in every time they get pissed off on a bloody forum? Is that where society has regressed to in todays bloody social media world. FFS get a life, and how about we all be just that tiny bit 'bigger as a person' and realise that no, actually, the world is NOT that fucking interested in our petty little opinions.

In most fucking cases, believe it or not, our opinions DON'T make the world a better place. Wanna see where the net is actually taking us...read the comments section on any damned youtube video...

God I hope G&GR does not end up there.

 

[USARugger]

Much has been said about the Genia-Cooper combination. That little move shows that at least in some areas (and probably more than that) a Genia-Foley combination is developing nicely.

Or that the importance of these halfback "combinations" is overblown and even the coaching staff doesn't see it as too much of a factor, as there was zero hesitation to put the hot hand at 9 and the hot hand at 10 on the paddock at the same time the moment they were both available - seemingly regardless of what franchises they play for.

90% of playing well with the other half is both understanding the team structures/patterns and knowing the calls. When Cooper and Genia were doing magical stuff together at the Reds it wasn't because they were feeding off some ethereal psychic connection, it was because at that point they were both veterans in Link's system and knew when breaking the structure would provide a net benefit for the Reds.

Having spent as much time together in Wallabies camp as Foley and Genia have learning the new Wallabies system/structures I would be deeply disturbed if they couldn't play as if they had this experience playing to the same structures and patterns.

The form of either of the halves (with consideration given for any conflicting nuances to play style - but at the same time if a player can't meet the requirements of the system they probably shouldn't be in the side) is in my opinion what matters, not whether or not they've played at thr same Super Rugby franchise.

 

[dru]

Or that the importance of these halfback "combinations" is overblown and even the coaching staff doesn't see it as too much of a factor, as there was zero hesitation to put the hot hand at 9 and the hot hand at 10 on the paddock at the same time the moment they were both available - seemingly regardless of what franchises they play for.

90% of playing well with the other half is both understanding the team structures/patterns and knowing the calls. When Cooper and Genia were doing magical stuff together at the Reds it wasn't because they were feeding off some ethereal psychic connection, it was because at that point they were both veterans in Link's system and knew when breaking the structure would provide a net benefit for the Reds.

Having spent as much time together in Wallabies camp as Foley and Genia have learning the new Wallabies system/structures I would be deeply disturbed if they couldn't play as if they had this experience playing to the same structures and patterns.

The form of either of the halves (with consideration given for any conflicting nuances to play style - but at the same time if a player can't meet the requirements of the system they probably shouldn't be in the side) is in my opinion what matters, not whether or not they've played at thr same Super Rugby franchise.

With you generally though I'm not particularly concerned about existing Super combinations, just developing WB combinations.

What we talk about in the Genia-Cooper thing is an almost clairvoyant connection at times. The particular connection that starts this particular conversation was imo much more than simply game planning and strructure. It was a Genia snipe with both players in traffic but Foley judging exactly where to go to make the snipe complete. Lovely. I'd be paying it out if it invloved Cooper, I'll do the same with Foley.

BTW I don't necessarily believe that Foley is the better 10 over Cooper, just that the Genia-Foley combination is developing nicely.

 

[Gagger]

No, it's OK. You can admit you think that.

 

[USARugger]

Thanks for clarifying Dru - I did think you were making a reference to the common argument about pairing the Super Rugby halves at test level.

But like I said after this many years in Wallaby camp together for Foley and Genia to not be able to read eachother's play would be pretty alarming!

At the moment I think Foley offers considerably more on attack in reference to the type of attack Cheika wants to execute - even if his kicking shits me to death nearly every test he plays in.

 

[Scrubber2050]

With you generally though I'm not particularly concerned about existing Super combinations, just developing WB combinations.

What we talk about in the Genia-Cooper thing is an almost clairvoyant connection at times. The particular connection that starts this particular conversation was imo much more than simply game planning and strructure. It was a Genia snipe with both players in traffic but Foley judging exactly where to go to make the snipe complete. Lovely. I'd be paying it out if it invloved Cooper, I'll do the same with Foley.

BTW I don't necessarily believe that Foley is the better 10 over Cooper, just that the Genia-Foley combination is developing nicely.

Dare I say it but I think Foley is a better overall 10 than Quade.

Foley brings a consistency whereas Quade can bring that extra flair when he gets on the park.

Trouble is, he doesn't get on the park much and hen he does the "X" factor shit doesn't seem to happen much at all.

We now have some bodies out wider so that consistency for me, is the over-riding factor.

Maybe playing several games in a row in Super rugby will bring Quade back to his best.

 

[USARugger]

I don't think either of them are psrticularly complete 10s right now. Both have some glaring weaknesses, sort of a trend with Australian professional rugby.

If we could stitch the two of them together Australia would be a whole different animal for other nations to deal with (but he'd still be a shit tackler).

 

[Twoilms]

I don't think either of them are psrticularly complete 10s right now. Both have some glaring weaknesses, sort of a trend with Australian professional rugby.

If we could stitch the two of them together Australia would be a whole different animal for other nations to deal with (but he'd still be a shit tackler).

I wouldn't mind mixing a few of our players together. Imagine Hooper/Pocock in one player. Wouldn't be human.

 

[Scrubber2050]

I wouldn't mind mixing a few of our players together. Imagine Hooper/Pocock in one player. Wouldn't be human.

Have to get special jerseys and shorts for them with 4 arm and leg holes