Derpus
George Gregan (70)
Eh far as I can tell people in Sydney only care about any team as long as they are good.
Wallabies 2023
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
Goosestep
Syd Malcolm (24)
Touché
Rebel man
Jim Lenehan (48)
Yeah let’s just limit the players we can pick from even more
Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
Even then, the Tahs as reigning premiers only got 17k to the season opener in 2015. Great beach weather, I recall.
Rebel man
Jim Lenehan (48)
Why did he turn the group over?
Because that’s what Rugby Australia wants from him. Now is as good a time as any to rip the band aid off
Tomikin
Simon Poidevin (60)
I accept but only if I can pick only if I can pick slipper at 10
I can understand the logic for a team like South Africa of kicking the ball away constantly. Even if open play is a dead stalemate, they are dominant at set piece so should win on the basis of winning penalties at scrums/mauls. And they probably do better on the pen count in open play too.
Every good team kicks the ball a lot, but you need some variety to confuse the opposition and create opportunities to kick the ball into space rather than just generating kick tennis. Ireland do this beautifully with multiple phases, then giving the ball to Sexton or James Lowe to kick into space that has been vacated by the defense.
All I've seen with EJ (Eddie Jones), both with late stage England and Australia, is smashing the ball up twice, then kicking it to a waiting defense. There's no creativity or misdirection. Valteni and Kerevi are being used as battering rams against a ready defense. It's no surprise that neither of them has gone on a single barnstorming run like we are used to seeing from them. All they are doing is running into three attackers. The object isn't even to generate fast ball, it's to set up a kick.
This is obviously Eddie's gameplan and it makes no sense. I honestly wonder if he has read the stats and interpreted them in a way that's illogical. Yes you don't score off 5th phase, but is it not possible you generate a better opportunity to kick by occasionally doing this?
And even so the Wallabies aren't set up to pull off this gameplan. Gordon's kicking is only OK, the back three aren't great at kicking save Donaldson's massive boot (let alone when he moves to 10 and none of the back three can kick well).
And the forwards aren't dominant at scrums and don't maul well. So the team is going to be bled dry off the field.
The one strength of the Australian team, both the pack and the backs, is that they are good ball runners, run good support lines, have skills with ball in hand. Guys like M Hooper, McReight, Samu, Valteni, Gleeson, Tupou, Bell, Kerevi, Petaia, Koriobete, Tate, IFL, Gordon/Quade/Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) are excellent running the ball. But the gameplan completely eliminates that strength from the Wallabies playbook. At bare minimum you should devise a few set plays or wrinkles that get the ball to some of the above players in a bit of space. Even watching Japan against England they managed to do this repeatedly against a far better defensive team.
But this team has barely been able to string a few phases together without kicking the ball away. What kind of genius coach can't figure out how to utilize his team's strengths?
Aside from the insanity of his selections, this is what truly worries me about EJ (Eddie Jones). I don't think his gameplan makes a whole lot of sense unless he's coaching South Africa. And he's shown no signs of wanting to alter this strategy.
Every good team kicks the ball a lot, but you need some variety to confuse the opposition and create opportunities to kick the ball into space rather than just generating kick tennis. Ireland do this beautifully with multiple phases, then giving the ball to Sexton or James Lowe to kick into space that has been vacated by the defense.
All I've seen with EJ (Eddie Jones), both with late stage England and Australia, is smashing the ball up twice, then kicking it to a waiting defense. There's no creativity or misdirection. Valteni and Kerevi are being used as battering rams against a ready defense. It's no surprise that neither of them has gone on a single barnstorming run like we are used to seeing from them. All they are doing is running into three attackers. The object isn't even to generate fast ball, it's to set up a kick.
This is obviously Eddie's gameplan and it makes no sense. I honestly wonder if he has read the stats and interpreted them in a way that's illogical. Yes you don't score off 5th phase, but is it not possible you generate a better opportunity to kick by occasionally doing this?
And even so the Wallabies aren't set up to pull off this gameplan. Gordon's kicking is only OK, the back three aren't great at kicking save Donaldson's massive boot (let alone when he moves to 10 and none of the back three can kick well).
And the forwards aren't dominant at scrums and don't maul well. So the team is going to be bled dry off the field.
The one strength of the Australian team, both the pack and the backs, is that they are good ball runners, run good support lines, have skills with ball in hand. Guys like M Hooper, McReight, Samu, Valteni, Gleeson, Tupou, Bell, Kerevi, Petaia, Koriobete, Tate, IFL, Gordon/Quade/Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) are excellent running the ball. But the gameplan completely eliminates that strength from the Wallabies playbook. At bare minimum you should devise a few set plays or wrinkles that get the ball to some of the above players in a bit of space. Even watching Japan against England they managed to do this repeatedly against a far better defensive team.
But this team has barely been able to string a few phases together without kicking the ball away. What kind of genius coach can't figure out how to utilize his team's strengths?
Aside from the insanity of his selections, this is what truly worries me about EJ (Eddie Jones). I don't think his gameplan makes a whole lot of sense unless he's coaching South Africa. And he's shown no signs of wanting to alter this strategy.
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
I went into this RWC with pretty low expectations and yet I suspect I'm going to end up even more disappointed than I originally thought. Maybe EJ (Eddie Jones) is playing some sort of 4D chess that a small brained person like myself can't grasp, but on the outside it sure looks like he's got little idea about how to make this squad better.
I can see us MAYBE squeaking past Wales, but that's at best. They'll be fancying their chances right now. A more likely scenario is we end up in this dire slugfest that will make the viewing public want to neck themselves and we get bounced out at the group stage.
I can see us MAYBE squeaking past Wales, but that's at best. They'll be fancying their chances right now. A more likely scenario is we end up in this dire slugfest that will make the viewing public want to neck themselves and we get bounced out at the group stage.
Penriff_boy
Billy Sheehan (19)
Eddie jones was satisfied after the Georgia win, In which we only won by 20 points against a complete minnow.
This clown has really fooled you lot.
This clown has really fooled you lot.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
Kind of get it but I’m also really worried about the standard of our Super Rugby sides after seeing guys we were impressed this season have their flaws laid bare constantly at international level.
Even guys that have looked great internationally in the past have looked fairly pedestrian: White, Valteni, Koro, Kerevi, Petaia (less track record). So I wouldn't necessarily take that to mean the younger guys with less track record aren't that good.
The team isn't clicking. The only players that looked really good were Skelton/Tupou/Bell and that's as they play mainly within 2 meters of the breakdown and haven't been dependent on any kind of team structure to excel/do their thing.
Everyone else has looked crap as they are dependent on some kind of team cohesion. That's my take anyways.
This team has looked worse than other squads with inferior players (Japan, Uruguay, Chile) that are playing better as a team.
wamberal99
Johnnie Wallace (23)
My theory is that attendances went south when Lote got the chop?
liquor box
Greg Davis (50)
Why is it that we need a 10 who can kick goals?
What ever happened to other players developing skills that will help their team and their prospects of being selected, we have had 2nd rowers win games for Australia by kicking penalties, what changed?
Practicing kicking may be a way for fringe players to get their spot and hold it, do we have a kicking coach in Australia who is working with all of our players?
What ever happened to other players developing skills that will help their team and their prospects of being selected, we have had 2nd rowers win games for Australia by kicking penalties, what changed?
Practicing kicking may be a way for fringe players to get their spot and hold it, do we have a kicking coach in Australia who is working with all of our players?
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
We don’t.
Arguably the kicker in the world is the French Fullback. Our centres were locked in (Ikitau) and they don’t kick and none of the Wingers do.
Hopefully over the next period we see someone like Jorgo lock down a spot because he can kick. Only didn’t for the Tahs because there were established guys in the side.
It will help Carter keep any career as well. I hope he kicks for the Rebels and grows it.
Eddie was quick to pick Donaldson for kicking but you could argue Lonergan would have been a good 9 in the squad. He’s probably the most consistent kicker in Australia.
Arguably the kicker in the world is the French Fullback. Our centres were locked in (Ikitau) and they don’t kick and none of the Wingers do.
Hopefully over the next period we see someone like Jorgo lock down a spot because he can kick. Only didn’t for the Tahs because there were established guys in the side.
It will help Carter keep any career as well. I hope he kicks for the Rebels and grows it.
Eddie was quick to pick Donaldson for kicking but you could argue Lonergan would have been a good 9 in the squad. He’s probably the most consistent kicker in Australia.
Rebel man
Jim Lenehan (48)
Every player in the backline should be able to kick from hand off both feet and you should have two or three options to kick from the tee.
It’s professional sport, if you’re not good at it learn.
Brumby Runner
David Wilson (68)
In his pathologically misguided way, I think Eddie is trying to develop a new form of rugby, being a hybrid League/Rugby style. On the evidence of his last 7 tests, Eddie still doesn't like the set piece aspects of Rugby, and has no time at all for phase play. His preference for ex-League players in his coaching setup also indicates an intention to take the game away from its roots imo. In short, he has been a disaster as the Wallabies coach and I'd like to see him gone asap.
Froggy
John Solomon (38)
I've kept quiet so far, but I'm over it now.
When Jones was appointed I suggested I didn't know whether he was an eccentric genius or a slightly unhinged ego-maniac. I think we now know the answer.
From crazy selections, all of which have been done to death but two of the most obvious being a rookie 10 with no back-up and no recognised goal-kicker, a new coaching crew, including a league defence coach who clearly doesn't understand that in rugby, when someone is tackled we don't all get back into position while he plays the ball, a game plan that includes immediately kicking posession back to a team who's strength is running the ball from open play, right through to press conferences making ludicrous claims and attacking anyone who doesn't treat him as the guru he thinks he is.
Eddie is all about 'look at me, I'm a genius because I do everything differently to everyone else', just pure ego.
Rennie wasn't knocking it out of the park, but I said at the time we should have stuck with him until after the WC and made an assessment then.
And as to those on here saying we are now a second tier team, there are a whole bunch of second tier teams pretty pissed off with that statement.
I will continue to be a loyal Wallabies supporter, and will be cheering them on against Wales, but get this clown out of here!
When Jones was appointed I suggested I didn't know whether he was an eccentric genius or a slightly unhinged ego-maniac. I think we now know the answer.
From crazy selections, all of which have been done to death but two of the most obvious being a rookie 10 with no back-up and no recognised goal-kicker, a new coaching crew, including a league defence coach who clearly doesn't understand that in rugby, when someone is tackled we don't all get back into position while he plays the ball, a game plan that includes immediately kicking posession back to a team who's strength is running the ball from open play, right through to press conferences making ludicrous claims and attacking anyone who doesn't treat him as the guru he thinks he is.
Eddie is all about 'look at me, I'm a genius because I do everything differently to everyone else', just pure ego.
Rennie wasn't knocking it out of the park, but I said at the time we should have stuck with him until after the WC and made an assessment then.
And as to those on here saying we are now a second tier team, there are a whole bunch of second tier teams pretty pissed off with that statement.
I will continue to be a loyal Wallabies supporter, and will be cheering them on against Wales, but get this clown out of here!
Tomikin
Simon Poidevin (60)
Arguably that's what happened with Donaldson
hammertimethere
Trevor Allan (34)
Sentence 1 - I'd bet good money that is factually wrong
Sentence 2 - Conceptually that's bullshit.
His only mandate would have been to improve the wallabies results. He's taken the route of going way early with the younger generation which is his prerogative as the man in the chair, but he has risked taking massive body blows to the Wallabies 2023 RWC performance and the confidence of these young players. Now was not as good a time as any to make wholesale changes. Incremental changes to the team based of a combination of form, experience, injury, moving OS with the renovation complete by mid 2024 would have been a better approach.
FWIW I would have left out Uelese, Arnold, Kemeny, Donaldson, Jorgensen, Perese and included Mafi, Neville, M Hooper, Cooper, Hodge and Ikitau (if fit or a chance of being so for the play offs). You can argue all you want about these players not having won much in the gold jersey, but they've all won alot more that those who replaced them. Maybe they're not all starters but it would have strengthened the squad considerably.
dillyboy
Nev Cottrell (35)
Initially I didn't mind the Eddie call as I didn't see us getting it done with Rennie.
Now seeing what we've dished out this year I think you're spot on - should have stuck with Rennie for the WC then see how we went to decide if he was renewed....
Eddie's captains calls just haven't worked & I feel he's too stubborn to admit it & make the necessary changes