RWC - Wallabies v Ireland - 17th September 2011

[mark_s]

There was a lot of talk before the RWC about how the lack of a backup 7 and the number of players returning from injury without match fitness would hurt us and so it turned out last night.

Macalman was very visible as he had a great vantage point to observe many of the rucks. Last night was the worst I can remember TPN playing for a long time, even leaving aside his throwing woes. He was just so ineffective in general play and is normally someone who can move bodies at the breakdown (both in attack and defence). Samo also had a quiet game, I'll give him some leeway as he has played a lot of rugby in the last month, but why was he kept on so long - because Palu was on the bench he he has had stuff all game time in the last 3 months.

Then I come to slipper, as per the italy game, ineffective both at the set piece and breakdown. He is a good kid with alot of potential, but is off the pace and to me again is suffering from lack of game time leading up to the RWC. Further, Alexander was probably our better scrummaging prop last night so why take him off to bring slipper on.

The wobbs were beaten comprehensively on and off the field last night. While the loss makes our draw harder, the real problem is that each and everyone one of us Wobb fans know that we will be due for another performance like last night before the end of this tournament and there are no more second chances.

Finally, flying back from Melbourne on Friday I read an article on Deans in the Deal magazine (part of the Australian). Here is a quote that made me shudder at the time:

Does he lie awake calculating win-loss ratios? “It’s in the back of your mind. But you have to cater for the needs of the group, immediate and long-term. That’s the important stuff and from a leadership perspective, that’s what you have to do.”

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/top-of-his-game/story-e6frgabx-1226138106967

 

[RugbyReg]

That was Robbie's 50th test as Wallaby coach and I think it almost perfectly encapsulated his Wallaby career.
- a loss to a team we really shouldn't have lost to
- a seeming inability to get his team to 'turn up' week in and week out
- odd selections
- reluctance to use the bench
- a seeming lack of analysis or knowledge of what the opposition would bring to the table.

 

[lily]

Firstly we lost to Samoa with alot of the same players. Secondly what do you expect when you give 12 year olds with ADD 2 litre cokes before the game.
Once again headless chicken shit.

 

[Scarfman]

Mad Robbie McMad? He "developed" the side for 4 years and still managed to look like he had no idea. He decides that the RWC is a good time to experiement with not having an openside. He refuses to even consider playing our best 12 at 12. He drops Sharpe at the exact moment he comes into form. He plays loose heads at tight head and tight heads at loose head. He gives Hodgson about 10 minutes off the bench then drops him from the squad. He changes captains 3 games out from the RWC. He forgets that you are allowed to substitute players. And so on and so on and so on.

When do RedsHappy, Gnostic, Bruce Ross and I get our prize? Because I'd like to salvage something from the last 4 years. (And the next 2!)

 

[Slim 293]

Mad Robbie McMad? He "developed" the side for 4 years and still managed to look like he had no idea. He decides that the RWC is a good time to experiement with not having an openside. He refuses to even consider playing our best 12 at 12. He drops Sharpe at the exact moment he comes into form. He plays loose heads at tight head and tight heads at loose head. He gives Hodgson about 10 minutes off the bench then drops him from the squad. He changes captains 3 games out from the RWC. He forgets that you are allowed to substitute players. And so on and so on and so on.

When do RedsHappy, Gnostic, Bruce Ross and I get our prize? Because I'd like to salvage something from the last 4 years. (And the next 2!)

McCabe was playing though?

Unless you're talking about Giteau, but he's not in the squad...

 

[Athilnaur]

Full kudos to Ireland but Wallaby supporters are right to be furious.

We played juvenile tactics in the face of an amped opposition and lost at penaltyball in one of the most crucial games of four bloody years.

Where was the cool leadership? Wtf was Cooper thinking with his forced passes and rubbish chip kicks to clumps of Irish defenders?

I can get over the scrum, it was made to look worse than it was by a farcical ref, but I'd hoped we had that sorted. We don't.

Irish played spoiling rugby, assisted by a ref who confused the hell out of me and presumably our team.

What I can't get over is Quade's panicball or Deans selections and bench use. Or Horwill's failure to calm the Backline down and have them apply steady pressure instead of low percentage 'we'll be righ on the night' crap.

I can't get over how poorly our backrow performed. Deans I am talking to you.

I thought this team had greatness in them. Last night showed differently. Ironically if Italy beat Ireland, and I saw nothing last night to tell me it's impossible, we get out of jail.

As it stands tho, Wallabies deserve the ridicule they will get from us, the kiwis, and everyone else.

 

[BRIX]

That was Robbie's 50th test as Wallaby coach and I think it almost perfectly encapsulated his Wallaby career.
- a loss to a team we really shouldn't have lost to
- a seeming inability to get his team to 'turn up' week in and week out
- odd selections
- reluctance to use the bench
- a seeming lack of analysis or knowledge of what the opposition would bring to the table.

Yep, too right. It's obvious Deans hasn't returned Links' phone calls.

 

[Cutter]

Mad Robbie McMad? He "developed" the side for 4 years and still managed to look like he had no idea. He decides that the RWC is a good time to experiement with not having an openside. He refuses to even consider playing our best 12 at 12. He drops Sharpe at the exact moment he comes into form. He plays loose heads at tight head and tight heads at loose head. He gives Hodgson about 10 minutes off the bench then drops him from the squad. He changes captains 3 games out from the RWC. He forgets that you are allowed to substitute players. And so on and so on and so on.

When do RedsHappy, Gnostic, Bruce Ross and I get our prize? Because I'd like to salvage something from the last 4 years. (And the next 2!)

Surely the sweet taste of being right covers the chalky taste of a defeated fan?

 

[Slim 293]

It's all well and good to play at your best when taking on the All Blacks and Springboks, but you can't expect the supposed 'lesser' opposition to bow down...

 

[Scarfman]

McCabe was playing though?

Unless you're talking about Giteau, but he's not in the squad...

Are you joking or didn't you see the Force play this year? JOC (James O'Connor) is, according to MRMcM, too small for the 12 channel (too small to even try it).

Cutter - you would think it would help, wouldn't you? But I slept about 4 hours last night, and tossed and turned the rest of the night in rage and frustration.

 

[sicko'drico]

i was 14 when gordan hamilton scored that famous try & my dog bite me 4 celebrating & 2 make matters worse my dad hit me 4 cursing when lynagh dived over with seconds left...those memorys have now well & truly been banished from today on!! on positive note for u guys, this will surely make u an even stronger unit than before, iv no doubts about that & i for one will be rooting for the wallabies in the other half of the draw(assuming we finish top!) iv always been enthralled by the way u play & adapt accordingly & that wont change until the dust settles for me..i wish u all the best for the rest of the tournement & chin up "riptide" :O)

 

[Scarfman]

Cheers sicko.

We'll learn from it, I'm sure.

 

[Slim 293]

Are you joking or didn't you see the Force play this year? JOC (James O'Connor) is, according to MRMcM, too small for the 12 channel (too small to even try it).

Cutter - you would think it would help, wouldn't you? But I slept about 4 hours last night, and tossed and turned the rest of the night in rage and frustration.

Apologies, I thought you were on the Barnes brigade...

Yeah, surprising JOC (James O'Connor) has had no opportunities at 12, but when it didn't happen earlier in the season it wasn't going to happen at all, and thankfully he does well for us on the wing and has been required there with injuries to Mitchell and now Digby...

 

[MrTimms]

Same Scarfy, slept shit, woke this morning hoping it was a bad dream and have now read this thread over a hot brekky in Dunedin.

We were shite. Everything said here is right, forwards didn't show up, headless chooks... all of it.

Only positives ('cause that is what I try and do), Italy MAY beat Ireland and that will "right" the pool, but if it doesn't, we avoid England anyway and they are our bogey team. I think we can cope better with the SH opponents anyway.

If we had to lose one game, I would prefer a pool game to a knock-out.

Convinced? No, me neither...

 

[minorbird]

I haven't checked the rest of the thread to see if this has been mentioned, but what the hell was happening at the rucks? What happened to the aggressive counter-rucking that we saw being used with great effect in the tri-nations? Especially with Pocock out, this was basically the only way we could slow their ball (with McCalman MIA). There was a bit more of it in the second half (we can only hope the coaches pointed this out...) but they went away from it too early.

 

[Thomo]

That was Robbie's 50th test as Wallaby coach and I think it almost perfectly encapsulated his Wallaby career.
- a loss to a team we really shouldn't have lost to
- a seeming inability to get his team to 'turn up' week in and week out
- odd selections
- reluctance to use the bench
- a seeming lack of analysis or knowledge of what the opposition would bring to the table.

Yep, that's a perfect summary. To finish it off, compare it to what McKenzie has achieved in two years at QLD.

McKenzie has produced a smart, physically intense side, with excellent skills and a good heart. A team which is able to adapt each week. A team which has an ordinary pack on paper, but which delivers beautifully, week in, week out. He taken seemingly ordinary players like Robinson and Samo and made them look terrific. etc, etc, etc.

Which one is a good coach?

--
Mike

 

[antipodean]

i will be sympathetic, because i know exactly how you feel. sure we lost to argentina, struggled against georgia and romania in the last RWC. its a bloody bitter pill, but australia wil be better because of it. no BS, because they WILL learn :thumb

How is this lesson different to the Samoa one?

And McCalman... biggest selection mistake of the year. The guy plays second row or number 8, why make him a openside flanker out of the blue against Sean O Brien ?

It beggars belief.

 

[Scarfman]

One of the things that bothers me the most was knowing that Beau Robinson was NEVER going to feature in Robbie's plan's no matter how well he played and no matter how much we needed an openside. He's just not a Robbie kind of player. That really just burns me up, to be honest.

 

[DPK]

So this is how people get a reputation for being sore losers.

 

[redstragic]

Totally get this, Got like 6 guys who can play in the 2nd row and 1 open side flanker. Robbie Is the wrong type of genius making decisions like this