Completely agree with this. I’d have Hooper on the bench covering 2nd row. Fair bit of punch and physicality with him and Gleeson coming off the bench. They were also probably Aus rugbys best fwds in super rugby.
Wallabies v Fiji, Sunday, 6 July, 1:30pm @ McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
- Thread starter Wilson
- Start date
BDA
Jim Lenehan (48)
Got plenty of thoughts.
1. It never ceases to amaze me at the hubris with which we seem to approach any game where we are favourites on paper...the decision at half time to decline to put the ball into touch when we're 14 nil up and instead attack from our own half was so on brand for our team. We're just terrible front runners.
2. a typically sloppy first game of the season from our guys. The only part of our game that was really impressive was the defensive effort late in the second half and the resolve it took to win at the death
3. Injuries aside i couldnt think of a better warm up game to prepare us for the lions. Fiji were big and physical and really tested our defensive patterns. stealing the game at the death is great for the teams belief and its way better than had we simply won comfortably. That said had we lost it would have been a minor disaster.
4. The pedantic referee really gave me the shits. I really hope this is not what we have to expect moving forward with the series (there was a bit of it in the nz / france game yesterday too). At least one of the 'not-straight' line out call was virtually straight and would not be call 9 times out of 10. The wright forward pass is the type of thing i prefer as a spectator to give the attacking team the benefit of the doubt (particularly if you have to look at it 12 times to form an opinion). Just seemed like the refs were looking for ways to keep the game close in the first half. In the second half fiji threw a bunch of not straight lineout at only one was called. The ref seemed intent to slowing his scrum calls so much that it seemed to fuck up both sides. This is not the kind of reffing that is going to help win over casuals.
1. It never ceases to amaze me at the hubris with which we seem to approach any game where we are favourites on paper...the decision at half time to decline to put the ball into touch when we're 14 nil up and instead attack from our own half was so on brand for our team. We're just terrible front runners.
2. a typically sloppy first game of the season from our guys. The only part of our game that was really impressive was the defensive effort late in the second half and the resolve it took to win at the death
3. Injuries aside i couldnt think of a better warm up game to prepare us for the lions. Fiji were big and physical and really tested our defensive patterns. stealing the game at the death is great for the teams belief and its way better than had we simply won comfortably. That said had we lost it would have been a minor disaster.
4. The pedantic referee really gave me the shits. I really hope this is not what we have to expect moving forward with the series (there was a bit of it in the nz / france game yesterday too). At least one of the 'not-straight' line out call was virtually straight and would not be call 9 times out of 10. The wright forward pass is the type of thing i prefer as a spectator to give the attacking team the benefit of the doubt (particularly if you have to look at it 12 times to form an opinion). Just seemed like the refs were looking for ways to keep the game close in the first half. In the second half fiji threw a bunch of not straight lineout at only one was called. The ref seemed intent to slowing his scrum calls so much that it seemed to fuck up both sides. This is not the kind of reffing that is going to help win over casuals.
Rugby Head
Ted Thorn (20)
Agree with the two open sides, a 7 should be able to go the full 80. I could be wrong but think the Lions are playing with such pace as they are playing against our provincial sides. They believe they are far superior hence playing running rugby and having a crack. Once they play our national side, I think they will go back to the boring old northern hemisphere brand of footy.
Wilson
Tim Horan (67)
Rugbypass is my preferred source post match these days:
Australia vs Fiji | Match Stats | RugbyPass
Looking for Australia vs Fiji? We got you covered. We have the most up to date scores, game stats & results here.
www.rugbypass.com
Opta has had good ones across the season this year, but it remains to be seen what they'll offer publicly for the tests.
Shiggins
Michael Lynagh (62)
Thanks mate. I think some people underestimate tizzano because he doesn't do the flashy stuff even though he scored the most trys this year. For a player off the bench who played 23 minutes. to make 13 tackles (4th highest for the game) and make the most tackles per minute overall is impressive. No misses. And it was at a time Fiji were looking very dangerous and could have opened the game up. Defence wins games and when he is making than many tackles it's more how he slows the ball down than pilfers as players like mcreight sit back and wait to pounce on the ball.Rugbypass is my preferred source post match these days:
Australia vs Fiji | Match Stats | RugbyPass
Looking for Australia vs Fiji? We got you covered. We have the most up to date scores, game stats & results here.
Opta has had good ones across the season this year, but it remains to be seen what they'll offer publicly for the tests.
We need a good pilferer for the lions tests and no one really showed up tonight in that aspect.
Wilson
Tim Horan (67)
Tizzano was solid when he came on and did better than how people seem to have reacted, but his timing was off ruck-wise and he and Daugunu largely just got in McReight's way. He's still well ahead of those outside the squad for mine, but I don't see him in the 23 unless we're going 6-2. He does make some sense coming on to partner McReight for a final 20 though, he is a dominant tackler who sets up pilfers well (rather than getting over the ball too much himself). Only really works if Skelton is starting (leaving the field when Tizzano comes on) or not in the 23.
McReight is an excellent pilferer and made 3 steals in this match (2 listed, but he also toreador-ed a clear out for a penalty) while also slowing the Fijian ball down very well - there's a reason they largely scored from turnover, not phase play, despite having the majority of possession (52-48). You can't really ask for much more from a fetcher.
BDA
Jim Lenehan (48)
I kind of agree with this. I think tate is best suited coming on when there's a few more tired legs
Shiggins
Michael Lynagh (62)
I actually agree about tizzano in the 23 if Bobby V is fit. I would prefer Gleeson in the form he is in coming in as more of a ball carrier. Mcreight is great over the ball I agree. I miss the days Pocock would get a handful of turnovers every game. I think if the neck roll rule was introduced earlier he would have played more tests.
Yeah I thought tates service was pretty good. His passes were hitting their marks. Then white came on and it was just so much quicker and crisper. Tate is very very dangerous in the 2nd half with firing defence and that’s where I’d play him.
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
With you on that FP. I thought some poor decision making was the difference between us winning 30-15 or squeaking home. We should never have gone the chip and chase on half time and I'd like to suggest that we wouldn't have done it against NZ, SAf etc.
I did like the Gleeson, Wilson combo at stages of the game, where one was running off the shoulder of the other. When we clicked we were playing at pace and getting over the gain line. I also thought some of our short passing was excellent too. We could have got more pay out of that several times, including the disallowed try in the second half. The defence was mostly pretty good, as was the lineout.
We're obviously going to need to go up several gears against the Lions, because they'll have the bench strength to go at us for the full 80.
I did like the Gleeson, Wilson combo at stages of the game, where one was running off the shoulder of the other. When we clicked we were playing at pace and getting over the gain line. I also thought some of our short passing was excellent too. We could have got more pay out of that several times, including the disallowed try in the second half. The defence was mostly pretty good, as was the lineout.
We're obviously going to need to go up several gears against the Lions, because they'll have the bench strength to go at us for the full 80.
Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
I'd like to as well, but I'm really not sure it's the truth
TSR
Steve Williams (59)
Sure - but most players also did plenty well.
Tate’s passing was pretty spot on and his running game was a big part of what looked good in the first half. Frost got through a truckload of work. Yes - he got run around for the line break that led to the try before half time but most tight forwards would have in that spot. The forwards generally were industrious and the backline made a bunch of well constructed line breaks. Talking about subs like Tizzano & White looking better off the bench - we’ve been down this road before so many times. Guys look great coming off the bench because the other team is fatigued but then get a chance to start and look no better than the guy they replaced.
Overall I like where our attack is going but, like Fatprop notes above there were a couple of poor decisions and a couple of bits of skill execution within the game that were costly. At least twice we should have taken the points, a couple of the short kicks weren’t effective and we should have iced at least 2-3 more of the line breaks.
On the try disallowed for fhe forward pass - I get the whole thing about the ball drifting forward - but surely Potter had to be a touch deeper there. Running that flat Wright almost has fo throw it forward. If Potter is 2-3 metres deeper much easier for Wright to put it in front of him without throwing a questionable pass.
Tate’s passing was pretty spot on and his running game was a big part of what looked good in the first half. Frost got through a truckload of work. Yes - he got run around for the line break that led to the try before half time but most tight forwards would have in that spot. The forwards generally were industrious and the backline made a bunch of well constructed line breaks. Talking about subs like Tizzano & White looking better off the bench - we’ve been down this road before so many times. Guys look great coming off the bench because the other team is fatigued but then get a chance to start and look no better than the guy they replaced.
Overall I like where our attack is going but, like Fatprop notes above there were a couple of poor decisions and a couple of bits of skill execution within the game that were costly. At least twice we should have taken the points, a couple of the short kicks weren’t effective and we should have iced at least 2-3 more of the line breaks.
On the try disallowed for fhe forward pass - I get the whole thing about the ball drifting forward - but surely Potter had to be a touch deeper there. Running that flat Wright almost has fo throw it forward. If Potter is 2-3 metres deeper much easier for Wright to put it in front of him without throwing a questionable pass.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
The pedantic reffing is something we have to live with at test rugby. Our refs were told to try and get game played at pace etc in supre and to keep TMO out. But the WR (World Rugby) isn't going to at test level. Mind you if we saw any calls that could of been made against our team in super we tended to hear moans and guess they trying to avoid that. I thought the Wright forward pass where they had to look about 7 times was a classic case if it that close, just let it go. Mind you Fijian supporters may disagree. I really only want to see reasonably clear things brought back by TMO anyway.