Ireland v Wallabies, Saturday 15/11 (Sunday morning Aus time)

[molman]

People who follow rugby only remember certain things about the Wallabies:
* Grand Slam 1984 Ellas
* RWC 1991
* RWC 1999
* Lions Tour Winners 2001

All those eras had something in common - a bunch of people on and off the field who came together at the right time to create a legendary team.

(And, many times, opponents who were not near their peak or had fallen behind in some critical area e.g. our ascension to professionalism post-95 was streets ahead of everyone else).

In between those eras are gulfs of what we should expect our systems to produce i.e. plucky battlers who are going to struggle when more resources and better alignment create high-percentage, sustainable rugby.

Agreed. It’s been pretty easy to look at the direction Wallaby wins have gone over time irrespective of coaches, player selections and all the other week in week out aspects that people think are the issues (and fill post after post on these forums). End of the day it’s our system against another nations system.

I still feel like we have the capacity to be doing better than we are and if we had all our best on the field/bench we’re capable of beating many teams, but those golden eras I don’t see returning any time soon.

 

[rugbyAU]

JAS kicked at 78% as well.

72% last year

 

[rugbyAU]

View attachment 23631

2003

 

[HooperPocockSmith]

So we cannot pick them when we need them?

Maybe it’s the price (the odd game) we have to pay to see them properly develop.

 

[Tomthumb]

The agreement was always that he would play two games

Agreement with who?

 

[rugbyAU]

Agreement with who?

RA & Exeter

 

[Tomthumb]

RA & Exeter

Why? Tom Hooper played and the game was in the reg 9 window. Why does no other team have to negotiate for their players yet we consistently kowtow to them

 

[rugbyAU]

Why? Tom Hooper played and the game was in the reg 9 window. Why does no other team have to negotiate for their players yet we consistently kowtow to them

I don’t know but that’s was the agreement for him since April

 

[KOB1987]

Why? Tom Hooper played and the game was in the reg 9 window. Why does no other team have to negotiate for their players yet we consistently kowtow to them

I don’t know the answer to that but from what I read it was more specific than he would only play 2 games, it was that he wouldn’t play in the game v Italy.

 

[cyclopath]

Maybe it’s the price (the odd game) we have to pay to see them properly develop.

If they're not capped the other possibility is they stay there and qualify for another nation.

 

[Italophile]

Amazing Ireland were bagging out their 10 comparing him to sexton
The bloke killed it
If we had him and a good 9 you could win that game
Seriously I would be throwing the check book at a nrl half like Katoa who is very talented and only couple of years out of rugby
Otherwise without a decent 10 you are average and we have no good ones atm

He was being bagged because he struggled badly under pressure and is an absolute turnstile in defence. We placed him under no pressure and didn't test him.