Tri Nations Game 4 South Africa v Australia - Saturday 13 August 2011 - 3N2011

[tranquility]

It honestly makes me so happy that A Finger is getting these wraps. Those who watch him week-in, week-out understand how valuable he is to a football side. It frustrated me no end to hear that he was a "solid super rugby player who is not cut out for test match rugby" line repeated to nausiem.

I would also like Samo to start, but have Higgers on the bench like others are suggesting and let them play a tag-team role for that 8 jersey.

Good win lads, hats off.

 

[Fredfreduels]

Ant's tackling, while great for this game, may be found out against New Zealand. Look at the game tape from last year. Our front row is looking really good, Benny A has improved out of sight.

 

[The_Riddler]

It honestly makes me so happy that A Finger is getting these wraps. Those who watch him week-in, week-out understand how valuable he is to a football side. It frustrated me no end to hear that he was a "solid super rugby player who is not cut out for test match rugby" line repeated to nausiem.

I was amazed by A Finger's raw pace, hadn't really noticed it before. His cameo wasn't perfect (i.e. the couple of turnovers), but surely there was enough there to question AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s selection moving forward. I don't see Deans dropping McCabe unless it's for Barnes who I think is the best option at 12 at the World Cup. Apparently Horne had a blinder yesterday so query how the centre pairing will look come September. It wouldn't suprise me at all if AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is left out of the 22 once we hit the quarters.

 

[maxdacat]

Just watching the replay without the emotion - Bryce Lawrence is jaw droppingly abysmal

On that note it would be good to see some post match analysis of what was so bad. This isn't in a we wuz robbed kind of way but merely to highlight what looked like poor decision making all round.

The "lamestream" rugby media seem to ignore this aspect.

One point that stood out for me (amongst many) was the ref called a penalty for not rolling away saying "1 and 2 not rolling" then clarified it saying "2 I can understand but 1 you need to move" or something along those lines. Was it just one player or two infringing who informed the initial blow of the whistle?

Also at the end of the first half did we not manage a quick re-cycle because the saffa tackler was lying on our side of the ruck?

 

[tigerland12]

Ant's tackling, while great for this game, may be found out against New Zealand. Look at the game tape from last year.

Yeh because he hasn't improved or anything this season.....

 

[Searsy]

Did anyone watch the game on channel 9 last night? I know they take the fox feed, but they have no fucking idea when to slide in add breaks. They even took up the second half feed 40 seconds into the game. I will personally be boycotting swisse vitamins because they fucked up my universe last night.

 

[Sully]

Did anyone watch the game on channel 9 last night? I know they take the fox feed, but they have no fucking idea when to slide in add breaks. They even took up the second half feed 40 seconds into the game. I will personally be boycotting swisse vitamins because they fucked up my universe last night.

The Fox feed missed the first 40 sec too. I think it was a problem with the feed from SA. They have to raise revenue. I see that channel 9 is asking for longer breaks in League to allow for more adds and they have already tweaked AFL for the same reason

 

[Groucho]

I am a huge AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) fan, but I think he is passed it.

Hmmm... probably the first thing he's passed in a couple of seasons.

 

[vikingbrad]

One point that stood out for me (amongst many) was the ref called a penalty for not rolling away saying "1 and 2 not rolling" then clarified it saying "2 I can understand but 1 you need to move" or something along those lines. Was it just one player or two infringing who informed the initial blow of the whistle?

That was Kepu & Moore tackle. Kepu was stuck under other players but Moore was on top and could have moved away. Relatively fair call.

 

[Searsy]

The Fox feed missed the first 40 sec too. I think it was a problem with the feed from SA. They have to raise revenue. I see that channel 9 is asking for longer breaks in League to allow for more adds and they have already tweaked AFL for the same reason

Ahh fair enough, they just need to cut the time down and chuck them in at scrum time. There always seems to be some medical treatment required then.

Asking for longer breaks is a bit balls though. I remember watching a ice hockey game in Vancouver where they took breaks for adds. Made the game seem a little bit....shit.

 

[Sully]

Hmmm... probably the first thing he's passed in a couple of seasons.

I have actually got into the habit of saying "go yourself" every time he touches the ball. He seems incapable of setting up anyone. he passed to O'Connor with no space in the first half and his break in the second half came to nothing even though he had 2 quick men in support.

 

[DPK]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s out of form, but he still wasn't that bad last night. He was still pretty effective in defence.

I'd like to see Fainga'a brought in and McCabe moved to 13, with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) on the bench.

 

[Richo]

Barnes had a cracker yesterday. Should be brought back in, says I.

 

[whatty]

Not a bad bet on AUS i think. I will be very surprised if the boks don't look very rusty and drop a shit full of ball and loose by 5.

But still win the RWC obviously.

I agree Blue, Spies had his best game in three years for the Boks. JdV just looked abysmal and VERY slow.
FdP although looks like he is not up to speed still confirmed he is the right person for the job.

There is still hope but omg is this trying times to be a supporter living in NZ with this coaching staff and standard of play.

 

[OLDDOG]

It is such a shame that on Foxtel you cant press the red button and get the South African feed

mate, u dont wanna hear the saffa feed, it was nauseating......

 

[Bruce Ross]

I am coming to realise that Australia is not the Lucky Country after all; in rugby we are very much the Unlucky Country.

I try to ignore referees. As I have previously pointed out I categorise them as Random Decision Generators, so I have to rely on the wisdom of other people. The most authoritative and unbiased judges on the subject of refereeing would have to be the FoxSports commentators. This is not just because of their own personal integrity but more importantly because of two additional factors:

• The first is that more than a few of them satisfy the Matt Burke Criterion. Having "played at Super Rugby level" they are entitled to the presumption that they can "comprehend what happens out on the field."

• 
  Foxtel is part-owned by News Limited. We can assume that the FoxSports presenters are governed by the News Limited Code of Professional Conduct, the application of which has recently received world wide endorsement as the very exemplar of journalistic probity and rectitude. Now I am not suggesting that Rupert Murdoch himself would know that he owns rugby in the Southern Hemisphere or even that he himself would know what rugby is, but obviously Clarky, Marto, Kearnsey and the boys would be influenced by the total incorruptibility of their glorious leader.

I have listened to these perspicacious pontificators many times - in the full knowledge that these are hours of my life I can never get back - and each time they tell me that our brave lads out on the field of battle are being systematically dudded, raped and pillaged by the fools and/or knaves out in centre field and their dim-witted minions prowling the sidelines. Many times I have waited for an announcement that the referee had made some blunder which favoured our boys or that our players had gotten away with some sly chicanery. But alas, it never happens. As a race we are far too honorable to ever take an unearned advantage. Who would have thought that the descendants of convicts would turn out to be the most ethical and law-abiding nation in world sport?

No wonder my fellow G&GR members are united in righteous anger at the way we are systematically swindled on the rugby field.

 

[OLDDOG]

Re JOC (James O'Connor)'s kicking. Yes he did miss a couple of kicks, but I have to say his technique is excellent, he strokes a truly straight ball. The misses he did have were straight as a die, just a few degrees off. I'm not worried, as I believe he will get better as he gets more seasoned.
You guys wait and see what happens to carters radar when the AB's have their inevitable off game. He gets em when the blacks are in command, but is prone to dodginess when they're under the cosh. KIV.......

 

[Ruggo]

Well done Rocky. I am not a huge fan of yours but I know a good performance when I see one. Well done and your captaincy looked much better also.

Lawrence was disgusting. Whe a ref misses a few things in a game I think he is only human. When a ref is as pitifully hopeless as he was last night I want him sacked. Hey O'Brian, rugby fans deserve an appology for this shit.

Higgers was good in defence with some solid tackling but those hands of Samo's at the back of the scrum are just gold.

Wallabies looked tired tonight and a lot of early walking. There was some good domminant defence across the park also. Beale looks off the pace and his desicion making is a bit off. I think he bombed a try when he went back inside to JOC (James O'Connor) as McCabe on the outside was wide open.

Ant Fainga'a was just plain awsome when he came on. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is just not getting the job done at the moment. Drop him and Give him the kick up the bumb he needs to work his way back into form.

Sharpe had a fair game but I don't think he was compelling in trying to convince the selectors that he should start over Simmons.

We went over there, got the win and now have a break. That will do me your honour.

 

[Thomas]

However some of the Wallabies players really do need to work on their discipline as some of those penalties that were given correctly were absolutely stupid. Like Kepu's in the last 2 minutes.

Sorry for replying late to this but I don't think Kepu should have been penalised as it was a attempted maul by the Boks but no Wallaby players were bound to it so Kepu could have walk around the back and joined from there, but I didn't get a good view of it to see if there was another wallaby joined or not so I could be wrong.

 

[topo]

There's been a lot of love for Samo, and, don't get me wrong, I think he went alright too. However his job was made a hell of a lot easier because he came on at the same time as Bismarck which meant Smit went to THP and the Wallaby scrum immediately got ascendency. A bit unfair to compare his back of the scrum stuff with Higginbum who was at the back of a scrum that was breaking even at best. I didn't think Higgers did anything that showed that he had more to offer than McCalman, to be honest, either.