The reason JOC (James O'Connor) was absent from the RWC squad announcement...

[cyclopath]

I'm talking specifically right now, 4 weeks out from the RWC.

I do get the impression there is a bit more peer group pressure on the ABs, maybe down to the increased competition, maybe from the leadership down. It does seem the Cartel (much as I hate that stupid term for a coaching team) tolerates little or no shit. And I suspect some of their senior players would drag your sorry arse down to a photo session allowing only a quick stop for a chunder. Or maybe I am imagining it.

 

[naza]

We can't win a world cup if we are precious as a nation as to demonize a bloke for getting on the drink and not rocking into work the next day. I mean, shit, I do that once a month, minimum.

And I love the biffo. Love it ! We need more blokes going the biff - we're short of mongrel, let's cultivate it, not punish it. I don't care if a fight broke out cause they were arguing over who gets the pink gucci handbag...its a start !!

 

[Skippy]

We can't win a world cup if we are precious as a nation as to demonize a bloke for getting on the drink and not rocking into work the next day. I mean, shit, I do that once a month, minimum.

And I love the biffo. Love it ! We need more blokes going the biff - we're short of mongrel, let's cultivate it, not punish it. I don't care if a fight broke out cause they were arguing over who gets the pink gucci handbag...its a start !!

So wrong... but so right! Best post I've ever read on this site.

 

[Cutter]

Don Talbot rocked up at an Australian swimming squad gathering a year or two out from the Olympics a few years ago and said words to the effect:

To get where you want to get to, you can't be normal. To be an elite swimmer, you can't do the things your friends do. To make the Olympic team, let alone win a medal, you need to exercise levels of discipline you're only dreaming about. If you don't think you can do that, if you don't want to do that or if you're not prepared to do that, leave now; you won't make it and I don't want you distracting the immensely disciplined athletes around you who know what commitment is and know what it takes to get to the top.

That is why O'Connor should be punished. He might be a good player, far better than his immediate replacement even, but, without the right attitude, the right level of commitment and sacrifice, he will detract from the team over the long run. He'll also let himself down, but that's another story.

To go back to theories of punishment, he should also be punished to demonstrate to everyone what acceptable levels of behaviour are. I said above that he should be left out of the RWC squad and that is undoubtedly an extreme position. However, a one match suspension and suspended fine aren't substantial enough in my view.

As far as the fisticuffs go, I'm less fussed. What I don't want to see is the Wallabies brand (they do have one as opposed to JOC (James O'Connor)'s pretensions to have one) devalued. If they really want to go for it, put them in a ring in the gym and let them go for it until the blood flows in rivers for all I care. They shouldn't do it in public though.

 

[Scotty]

We can't win a world cup if we are precious as a nation as to demonize a bloke for getting on the drink and not rocking into work the next day. I mean, shit, I do that once a month, minimum.

And I love the biffo. Love it ! We need more blokes going the biff - we're short of mongrel, let's cultivate it, not punish it. I don't care if a fight broke out cause they were arguing over who gets the pink gucci handbag...its a start !!

So we can't win a world cup unless we pick players that are too soft to turn up for work the next day after a few beers (or more likely vodka cruisers in this instance)?

 

[Ruggo]

Wow, the bloke did wrong and has been punnished. The other crap about france is a storm in a tea cup. Sounds like some half arsed journalist got lazy in search of a worthy story so just roled out this crap. The fact so many people have clinged onto it is rather concerning for humanity.

 

[canowindra]

They were probably fighting over the x-box controllers. Hopefully Team Management have learnt their lesson and will in the future pack a few spares!

 

[What2040]

time to let it go

 

[Jnor]

If even Grumbles Growden can finish an article this morning with "much ado about nothing" then I don't think it's likely there's much more to be heard about the Paris incident.

 

[Braveheart81]

This has turned into such a beat up.

It seems that there are plenty of people out there who are so irate that a Wallaby was a bit irresponsible and want their pound of flesh. For what exactly? He's been stood down from the Tri Nations decider. That is punishment enough.

Get over it. People do stupid things on occasion.

 

[antipodean]

I do get the impression there is a bit more peer group pressure on the ABs, maybe down to the increased competition, maybe from the leadership down. It does seem the Cartel (much as I hate that stupid term for a coaching team) tolerates little or no shit. And I suspect some of their senior players would drag your sorry arse down to a photo session allowing only a quick stop for a chunder. Or maybe I am imagining it.

Graham has a policy of better people make better All Blacks.

The whole thing is surprising that his fellow squad members, let alone his mates let him sleep in, unless of course he didn't make it back to the hotel.

 

[sjg]

pretty sure this little scuffle has got more media attention than the famine in africa. anyone else think thats slightly messed up? they threw a few punches last year, didnt affect the team then, doesnt affect it now. irrelevant.

 

[Braveheart81]

I reckon the tension in the ABs camp would be incredible. A night on the cans and a little bit of drama after the test on Saturday night would probably help them.

Like in every All Black's World Cup campaign, the fear of failure will be overpowering. It's New Zealand's own little self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[Ruggo]

Graham has a policy of better people make better All Blacks.

Is Jimmy Cowan his test subject? :lmao::fishing

 

[antipodean]

Like in every All Black's World Cup campaign, the fear of failure will be overpowering. It's New Zealand's own little self-fulfilling prophecy.

You obviously have absolutely no concept of the expectation that comes with being an All Black. Unlike other nations that are prepared to be utter shit for years to only try and jam a knockout tournament win, the All Blacks are expected to win every time they take the field. It's the legacy borne of history - something that only the South Africans understand (those old enough to remember the pre-exclusion days).

As an example; Wilson Whinneray's 1963 All Blacks were undefeated in 36 of their 37 tour games - but at Rodney Parade on 30 October they came ... When Whinneray's all-conquering tourists arrived back home, the first question put to them was: "What happened in Newport?

Pressure to succeed is something they're used to.

 

[Braveheart81]

You obviously have absolutely no concept of the expectation that comes with being an All Black. Unlike other nations that are prepared to be utter shit for years to only try and jam a knockout tournament win, the All Blacks are expected to win every time they take the field. It's the legacy borne of history - something that only the South Africans understand (those old enough to remember the pre-exclusion days).

As an example; Wilson Whinneray's 1963 All Blacks were undefeated in 36 of their 37 tour games - but at Rodney Parade on 30 October they came ... When Whinneray's all-conquering tourists arrived back home, the first question put to them was: "What happened in Newport?

Pressure to succeed is something they're used to.

That is precisely the point I was making. Perhaps that incredible expectation placed on the All Blacks is precisely the reason why they've failed to win rugby's greatest prize since 1987.

How else can you explain their dominance of international rugby over the last 20 years yet in that time they've only made one RWC final?

I'm not trying to belittle the ABs here. I just think that perhaps too much expectation and pressure is a bad thing. They're still human after all.

 

[Athilnaur]

You obviously have absolutely no concept of the expectation that comes with being an All Black. Unlike other nations that are prepared to be utter shit for years to only try and jam a knockout tournament win, the All Blacks are expected to win every time they take the field. It's the legacy borne of history - something that only the South Africans understand (those old enough to remember the pre-exclusion days).

As an example; Wilson Whinneray's 1963 All Blacks were undefeated in 36 of their 37 tour games - but at Rodney Parade on 30 October they came ... When Whinneray's all-conquering tourists arrived back home, the first question put to them was: "What happened in Newport?

Pressure to succeed is something they're used to.

Now you are just being patronising. And to suggest other countries are 'utter shit for years to 'jam' a tournament win' is nothing short of arrogant.

There's a few possible reasons for why Kiwis have lost so many times. One is arrogance, one is that nasty five letter word they hate so much, one is you must have the worst luck in the planet - or the refs hate you.

You only need to lose one game in a RWC for it to all crash. The ABs, for all their dominance and deserved reputation, lose 1 in 4.

Managed to lose 4 of 5 RWCs tho. Even if you win this year it's to be expected, you are playing at home. Gonna hurt if you lose tho.

 

[antipodean]

That is precisely the point I was making.

My apologies then. But I don't believe that the inability of the All Blacks to have won most of the RWCs to date is a result of pressure. It's the nature of knockout tournaments. A traditional test series can be won while still losing a test. A knockout tournament isn't so forgiving.

Besides, the only team in the world that was a clear favourite to win the RWC has been England. Wasn't New Zealand in 1987, they were a team on the decline in '91 when Australia won. South Africa came from nowhere to win in '95. 1999 was as open as any RWC. England were deserved favourites in 2003. Both New Zealand and Australia bombed out spectacularly in 2007.

Now you are just being patronising. And to suggest other countries are 'utter shit for years to 'jam' a tournament win' is nothing short of arrogant.

It's neither. England were the best team in the world during the period 2001-2003, they instantly became disgracefully crap afterwards for years. South Africa have forgone competing for Tests, so has France and other nations. Talk of building for the RWC sound familiar? Dismissing results in the meantime placing an event held quadrenially over everything else?

There's a few possible reasons for why Kiwis have lost so many times. One is arrogance, one is that nasty five letter word they hate so much, one is you must have the worst luck in the planet - or the refs hate you.

Or...

You only need to lose one game in a RWC for it to all crash. The ABs, for all their dominance and deserved reputation, lose 1 in 4.

Exactly. Join the dots.

 

[liquor box]

That is why O'Connor should be punished. He might be a good player, far better than his immediate replacement even, but, without the right attitude, the right level of commitment and sacrifice, he will detract from the team over the long run. He'll also let himself down, but that's another story.

This is why he apologised to himself

 

[biggsy]

Its all bit silly on his behalf, and at the same time when he has next has cracker game and possibly kicks the winning goal again against the AB.... The media will then forget about this and call him a hero.....

Its been dealt within the ARU, And i'm sure ARU are over it and now looking at the world cup and this weekend game....And fingers cross nothing else happens in the mean time..


We don't know what happens behind closed doors and we shouldn't really care. We Should be looking into this weekends game and knowing that the WC is nearly into single days and its even better because here in Aus all the big games will start late afternoon, so no late nights and be home time after work to watch.
Giddy up.

And the best thing about the JOC (James O'Connor), is Ant Fainga'a is starting and ready to chop some knee caps.