New Zealand vs Australia - Bledisloe 2, 24th August 2013

[Scotty]

Arnold Palmer or some other golfing luminary is credited with saying "The more I practice the luckier I seem to get."

No reason why this can not apply to Rugby.

The man we all love to hate after RWC 2003 was reported to train 1 hour per day on his kicking in addition to all the other team and individual training sessions he had to attend. Little Jonny Wilko got lucky because he created all his own luck through hard work.

Gary Player

 

[ACT Crusader]

I don't agree that Link was out coached in any way, shape or form. It was pretty apparent that execution and some defensive lapses cost us on Saturday. At the 36 minute we had our noses in front and went on to remain well and truly in the game for some time after that. I did notice early on that the boys were playing with (to quote RD) a very different "shape."

Link has had all of a few weeks with this bunch and in all fairness that is not a lot of time to make huge changes in the way we have been playing. The boys will get there no doubt about it - maybe not next weekend but hopefully at the end of TRC.

Jolly, I'm interested in what you think happened in the time Link had with the Wallaby squad in the lead up to the test. If your point is that he didn't have a lot of time with them and hence wasn't ale to make huge changes, what was he doing/able to accomplish? Was he relying on past plays? Was he using the senior playing group to rely on for ideas/how things were previously done? What was he doing in this time? Did he just say "play what's in front of you" or "play your natural game".

I remember when Henry came into the AB coach gig in 2004 and was with the camp just a few weeks before playing the WC winning England side. He picked a somewhat controversial side, appointed a brand new captain, dropped the previous one, and a number of players that featured in the 03WC were nowhere to be seen and new players were brought in. it had plenty of AB supporters just a 'wee bit' nervous. It was a couple of scratchy performances but the ABs racked up big wins on the scoreboard. There were distinct changes to our defensive pattern that Henry brought in from test 1.

I don't think Link was under any illusion of the occasion on Saturday night and would've been working hard to get his team up for it. It's his team and his reputation on the line here. He's a proud man and I do recall his own smugness from years gone by when he was an Assistant in a good Wallaby era . But it wasn't Deans team/cattle out there, it was here and I do applaud him for bringing in the new players but they ran out of gas in my opinion and lost their way and confidence. To me that raises question marks over leadership and maturity.

In all seriousness I wish Link luck, because if this forum is an insight into the Wallaby fans psyche, he's going to need as the fans will be impatient.

 

[Groucho]

Gary Player

I think Thomas Jefferson, as someone said earlier:

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

 

[Dam0]

Sir Richard Hadlee said it at a school assembly when I was in primary school.

Damn plagiarist.

 

[Slim 293]

Basically beacause this is the way he plays.

Well not, it's actually not.........

It's how he played on the weekend but it's not how he's played for the Brumbies all year.........

First game nerves? Game plan?

Who knows?

But, he deserves another chance, and if there's no sign of improvement Link can go with Quade..........

It's too early to go making wholesale changes...........

 

[Slim 293]

But McKenzie is expected to keep the faith in the players he chose to launch his era as coach.​

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"We picked the guys we just played for a reason," McKenzie said. "I don't want to get a big broom and get stuck in.​

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...ith-in-wallabies/story-e6frg7o6-1226699525867​

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[Inside Shoulder]

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...ith-in-wallabies/story-e6frg7o6-1226699525867​

​

This worries me:
"The philosophy of how we want to play was evident."

I take that to mean wide - I guess it's just a question of whether the execution left out the go forward first or whether that's not in the philosophy.



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[Scotty]

I think Thomas Jefferson, as someone said earlier:

Yes, but Gary Player was the golfer being referred to.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

"Scan results may see the All Blacks wake up on Tuesday to the reality of Aaron Cruden (knee) and Beauden Barrett (calf) joining Dan Carter (calf) on the sideline for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup clash at Westpac Stadium in Wellington."

SMH


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[Scotty]

This worries me:
"The philosophy of how we want to play was evident."

I take that to mean wide - I guess it's just a question of whether the execution left out the go forward first or whether that's not in the philosophy.



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The thing that let their game plan down was the work at the breakdown. They wanted to attack through the centres but often didn't get fast enough ball to make it effective.

 

[Scotty]

I think the only change we are going to see is Fardy to 6 and Douglas to the bench with MMM out all together.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The thing that let their game plan down was the work at the breakdown. They wanted to attack through the centres but often didn't get fast enough ball to make it effective.

Not sure you'll ever get reliably fast ball to go as wide as they wanted to go and I'm not sure what weakness they see in Nonu or Smith.
I thought the real problem was isolation of the ball carrier by one means or another which I reckon is the leading symptom of too wide too early.
And we've slipped to 4th in IRB rankings: http://www.irb.com/rankings/full.html

 

[Lindommer]

Mogg on the bench, or out of the 23 for Cummins. Push Folau to FB and Cummins to 14.

My thoughts watching the match live included the opinion JOC (James O'Connor) had a poor game. His dancing-feet-routine-with-ball-in-hand is soooo predictable, and was easily shut down. His defence was woeful, in my opinion up to a sackable level. However, I'll cut him some slack as he hasn't played on the wing for some time, and not on the left at that. If he's going to be retained he should be moved to 14 which means Folau goes to fullback.

I don't get to watch many Force games, what side does Cummins play on? Is there a better left winger running around? Mogg kicks best with his left foot so he SHOULDN'T be give the 11 jumper.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Basically beacause this is the way he plays. You can expect from him a perfect defence and a good management of the game plan, but not a sparkling attack play or kicking the ball to gain territory or put pressure to the opponents. Luckily he's young and can still improve.
Besides, he's had his first cap against New Zealand, I cannot blame him for being even more conservative than usual.
I've been watching several Brumbies games this season and he hasn't surely stood out as the best flyhalf in Australia until now. He may be the most reliable though and I guess this is the reason he got the cap.
I'd give either Lealiifano or Foley a try against South Africa or Argentina and wouldn't completely discard Cooper.

No. Not at all. Matt has shown throughout this Super season that he can, and usually does, take the ball to the line before passing to his outside backs. He also varies his game by occasionally running, looking for a gap or by kicking, and he does have a good long and short kicking game. Without these skills, he surely would not have made the Wallabies' squad at all. That he didn't show this variation in his play last weekend, to my mind, showed that he was playing to a definite game plan. Hope the game plan is ramped up a bit this weekend.

 

[KOB1987]

This worries me:
"The philosophy of how we want to play was evident."

I take that to mean wide - I guess it's just a question of whether the execution left out the go forward first or whether that's not in the philosophy.



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My original thoughts of changes were similar to most, with Mogg being the only demotion and replaced by a winger, and then just a bit of a reshuffle amongst the rest. However, I am now thinking that the decision to drop Robinson was on par with that by A Jones to drop Topo for Lillicrap ahead of the 1987 RWC semi v France. I won't be surprised to see Robinson recalled..

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I just don't get the whole "he hasn't played on the wing for some time so lets forgive his mistakes" thing.

This is the Wallabies.

They are supposedly the best team in the land. If a bloke isn't up to playing a certain position because "he hasn't played there for a while", then select him in Aust A, buy him a ticket to the ITM cup/Currie Cup/French S14 rugby, or punt him to Shute Shield to find some form.

The Wallabies are not a training vehicle for people to "find form".

They are selected to WIN tests.

I pay my money to see the main event, not the sound check or final dress rehearsal. When The Brand has demonstrated that he can play in his selected position, then and only then should he be selected in the squad.

 

[Dam0]

Cruden and Barrett both out. Yikes.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11111418

No liking this post.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^ Bring Back Duck.

 

[FrankLind]

Either Tom Taylor of Slade to start. Hope it's Taylor.

Beauden Barrett out for this week.
Cruden out for 2 to 5 weeks.
Luke Romano out of the whole RC.

 

[Richo]

Either Tom Taylor of Slade to start. Hope it's Taylor.

Beauden Barrett out for this week.
Cruden out for 2 to 5 weeks.
Luke Romano out of the whole RC.

Bloody hell. Another 13-15 injuries like that and we might just steal the Bled back.