Wallabies v Italy, Florence, Sun 13th Nov 12am AEDT

[Members Section]

I think you can draw a fairly straight line between the coaching decisions this week (making SO MANY changes and just getting the balance of the team so wrong) and the performance of that players.

“Hey guys. We don’t really care about this game and we are resting our really good players for the next game. So good luck out there. Go get ‘em”

He treated the Italians with disrespect & also treats our jersey with disrespect ffs these men are supposed to be representing our country & each position has turned into a revolving door. Players aren’t earning spots anymore

 

[RugbyReg]

I disagree.

Gordon's sin bin was clearly a "fugget, I didn't wanna play today anyway". Only time i've seen worse is when Horwill clearly demonstrated how much he didn't wanna play under Graham.

Gordon was not alone today.

Couldn’t disagree more.

 

[Pfitzy]

I think you can draw a fairly straight line between the coaching decisions this week (making SO MANY changes and just getting the balance of the team so wrong) and the performance of that players.

“Hey guys. We don’t really care about this game and we are resting our really good players for the next game. So good luck out there. Go get ‘em”

Uh.... maybe I'm reading what you said wrong, but that's utter horseshit Reg. You've been around these environments, you know how it works. The coaching statement is actually "If you want into the top XV then this is your chance, go show us what you've got"

There is an acknowledgement that Italy aren't as tough France, and that some players need rest.

If you're getting word from inside the camp that players are unhappy, maybe that validates your statement.

 

[gel]

Couldn’t disagree more.

Two minutes from the end and you need to score twice to win. Do you hurry up and force the other team into rushing their defence or scrum and give yourselves a chance to score twice? Or waste all (and it was ALL!) of the time and risk a situation where you need heoics from a young individual after the clock?

The performances of these players across multiple years, coaches and setups do not support your belief.

 

[KOB1987]

I disagree.

Gordon's sin bin was clearly a "fugget, I didn't wanna play today anyway". Only time i've seen worse is when Horwill clearly demonstrated how much he didn't wanna play under Graham.

Gordon was not alone today.

Right or wrong that comes down to coaching.

You and I could do a better job. I’m not holding my hopes up but hopefully Marinos and McLennan have a ‘fuck this shit’ moment and wield the sledgehammer accordingly.

And before anyone asks, no I don’t know the answer. If I wasn’t a Tahs supporter I’d suggest Coleman. I was behind Link in a coffee queue the other day so he is around somewhere. Alan Jones is still alive. So is Bob Dwyer. And Rod Macqueen. Anyone could outperform the current shit show.

 

[gel]

Except for a general fact that we're not a Tier 1 nation, and never really have been.

We had absolutely been tier 1 for about 30 years straight.

 

[Pfitzy]

I think it’s amusing you come here to complain about people being passionate about their team losing.

You're easily amused. But then, you're a Queenslander aren't you?

It wasn’t a loss to NZ, SA, England etc. it was a historic loss to Italy. I agree with you that some of anger has been directed at the wrong parties. But it’s reasonable to believe 99% of Wallabies supporters are feeling the same way right now.

The game is well and truly dead here in Oz if supporters should all just ‘cheer up’ and be happy with that loss.

Historic losses happen. The circumstances under which they happen are many and varied (ABs v Ireland, Argentina as examples). We have losses to Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa in our history.

Things get forgotten in the wake of the 91 and 99 RWC: we're a second tier nation who punch above their weight. In 2006 the thought of losing to Scotland was almost outside living memory, but they're 50% in the last ten fixtures since.

This was always a risk given we're into the third or fourth tier in certain positions of our very shallow player pool.

A player pool built by a largely amateur system, that is critically disjointed in the areas it needs the most cohesion.

 

[Dctarget]

Thoughts on how McReight went?

 

[Pfitzy]

We had absolutely been tier 1 for about 30 years straight.

Which 30 years? In the 80s we had a few years of success, then in the early and late 90s. In between there have been gulfs of average performances. Certain historic milestones stand out like a drawn tour in South Africa or a rare Bledisloe win. But we're reaping what we sow at this point in professionalism.

Fact: at points in our history, squads of excellent players with excellent leadership have come together - in spite of the systems providing them - and been as good or better than their peers at Test level. When those individuals aren't there, the system isn't providing enough excellence to drive performance standards.

 

[Pfitzy]

Thoughts on how McReight went?

Looked to make a few tackles and gave away ?one? penalty?

Other than that, not quite as prominent as I expected. Hard when you've been outside the 23 for weeks.

 

[stillmissit]

He treated the Italians with disrespect & also treats our jersey with disrespect ffs these men are supposed to be representing our country & each position has turned into a revolving door. Players aren’t earning spots anymore

MS, Our discipline is almost non-existent and I noticed half the team at some time during the game was talking to the ref! AAA should have shut that down. The effects of our coaching staff is hard to see, it seems like ground hog day every game. I am struggling to see improvement in combinations, forward effectiveness and improvements in our D. I am too frustrated about the breakdown to get into it but suffice to say it has been crap for years and it remains crap.......

 

[rugboy]

Thoughts on how McReight went?

Was average at best. For all the commentary about how Hooper is ineffective over the ball, McReight was absent today against supposedly lesser opposition. The 3 penalties he conceded were a game high.

 

[stillmissit]

Thoughts on how McReight went?

I thought he and Skelton were the best of our 8. Too much looking and not enough doing by the other 6, still beaten at our breakdown, a couple of TO's doesn't hide the fact we were beaten in the fwds, as they decide the win and the backs decide the margin - we were beaten, could have pulled a Scotland out of the bag, but last night the bag stayed shut.

 

[Slim 293]

Looked to make a few tackles and gave away ?one? penalty?

Other than that, not quite as prominent as I expected. Hard when you've been outside the 23 for weeks.

He made the most tackles, but also gave away the most penalties…

 

[PhilClinton]

Gotta wonder how some of the rotations have affected McReight’s confidence. He was playing at a level deserving of keeping his jersey since he came into the side for Hooper earlier this year.

Since then he’s been dropped out of the 23 for Samu and Hooper at different occasions.

He’s no world beater, but he’s young and has been pretty good generally at Super Rugby level and in his Wallaby games. He would be one of my pick and stick selections as a long term option at 7.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Official IRB Analytical & Statistical Match Report:

 

[Lindommer]

Another big point. Australia is the only SH nation who plays 5 games in EOTY tour. It's a silly decision, Rugby Australia only thinks in money but you lose prestige.

You don't have 2 top teams, you MUST pick Australia A for some games.

Australia - 5 games
New Zealand - 3 games
Argentina - 3 games
South Africa - 4 games

New Zealand - 4 games
28/10 Japan
5/11 Wales
13/11 Scotland
19/11 England

 

[Pfitzy]

I thought he and Skelton were the best of our 8. Too much looking and not enough doing by the other 6,

Maybe a little unfair on guys like Hanigan who carried a lot into the line and was there for the link plays.

The rest were too up and down

 

[stillmissit]

Was average at best. For all the commentary about how Hooper is ineffective over the ball, McReight was absent today against supposedly lesser opposition. The 3 penalties he conceded were a game high.

Disagree, he led the tackle count 10 and missed 0. Got one TO and one of the penalties he was the only fwd there. Have another look at the stats of all fwds and although it only tells you part of the story it's an important part.

 

[Pokinacha]

Every time the ref was near the pack the occa voice you heard through his mic was Hanigan Geeing up the boys. He was everywhere he needed to be and didn’t do anything stupid. Hanigan played well behind a crap team