Official Rugby Thread

[hendrix]

Cheika has named a rather experimental side for this, including benching Pocock and starting Cooper. I'm interested to see if the Auckland crowd is over the booing yet, or if they are still afraid of a wittle boy from Tokoroa who dared to ruffle Richie.

I don't think this team will win the Bledisloe, but I understand Cheika's thinking in giving everyone a crack - and it also means the AB's won't have a chance to see if they can nullify the Pooper, until we meet at the RWC anyway.

That is interesting. Did he name the team before or after Hansen?

I can't stand the booing. So embarrassing.

 

[ripper868]

I think it was after by a couple of hours.

I think most of the world recognise it's the noisy minority who do it, in 2011 though it just happened that the noisy minority got all the tickets!

Bottom line, interesting choices from Cheika, and besides, if we really wanted to win we'd just resort to thuggery.

 

[Hurricane]

 

[ripper868]

Quade is a professional boxer you know

 

[social]

stupid decision. They win on Saturday and they would own us at the world cup. Plus this Wallaby team would start to believe in themselves.

Ranking of 10s in Aussie

Foley
Toomua
Giteau
Daylight
Daylight
Cooper

For my sins, I went to a couple of Waratahs matches this year and if Foley is the best we've got, then we are ****ed

I detest how far Cooper stands back but at least he is talented - Foley stands back further and is ****

In short, Cooper's best is infinitely better than Foley's and even at his worst, he is not far behind Foley's average performance

Give me Toomua & Lealiifano over both of them

 

[Hurricane]

For my sins, I went to a couple of Waratahs matches this year and if Foley is the best we've got, then we are ****ed

I detest how far Cooper stands back but at least he is talented - Foley stands back further and is ****

In short, Cooper's best is infinitely better than Foley's and even at his worst, he is not far behind Foley's average performance

Give me Toomua & Lealiifano over both of them

Cooper is arguably one of the better if not the best Super Rugby 10s I have seen period. Better than DC at the level. Has never looked looked competent at test match level. Foley is a reliable player in tests and yes invisible at Super rugby level on some evenings. Some people are just more suited to tests.

Cooper if he could tackle would be better suited to other positions. I don't really see the need for a number 10 who is good at making creative runs and line breaks. Especially if he is unable to deliver that part of his game when playing against the world's very best tacklers.

 

[hendrix]

Nah Cooper's had some good international games against us. He's a good player. It would be nice if he could tackle but none of them have complete games. I do rate Toomua though.

 

[ripper868]

Some seriously dumb plays from wallabies today. From the first try on the turnover the wallabies haven't been close.

 

[ripper868]

Absolutely embarrassing now. All Blacks are sure things for the World Cup. Quade will be the scapegoat of this for his yellow card, but if Mumm and Moore make the initial tackles, it never happens. And if if and buts etc... All blacks better across the board man for man tonight. Israel Folau a freak in the air.

 

[social]

Meh!

Game won at selection table and Oz took the piss

Biggest concern for Wallabies is lineout

Love how the ABs continue to kick the ball to Folau - seriously dumb

 

[social]

Absolutely embarrassing now. All Blacks are sure things for the World Cup. Quade will be the scapegoat of this for his yellow card, but if Mumm and Moore make the initial tackles, it never happens. And if if and buts etc... All blacks better across the board man for man tonight. Israel Folau a freak in the air.

Smith should've gone for a yellow - game wasn't won or lost because of yellows but failure to give a locked-on against the ABs hurt us big time

Main issue was that Cheika didn't pay due respect to the best team in the world and pick our best side

 

[hendrix]

Big difference at 12 with Nonu creating space inside and outside him. And the forwards did much better at the rucks.

 

[social]

Big difference at 12 with Nonu creating space inside and outside him. And the forwards did much better at the rucks.

And we hardly played the best player in the world at the breakdown

Nonu rarely gets the ball in a go-forward position if Pocock is selected

Cheika fooled around and had his arse handed to him

 

[dermo]

just some dumb plays from the wallabies, like nothing cross field kicks straight to the nz back 3, they'll eat that up all day.

not the end of the world though, we definitely aren't the first team to get blown away at eden park

 

[social]

After the last 2 weeks, favourites for the RWC are England (please God no) and Oz

Bridge too far for this bunch of ABs

 

[Hurricane]

Meh!

Game won at selection table and Oz took the piss

Biggest concern for Wallabies is lineout

Love how the ABs continue to kick the ball to Folau - seriously dumb

Smith should've gone for a yellow - game wasn't won or lost because of yellows but failure to give a locked-on against the ABs hurt us big time

Main issue was that Cheika didn't pay due respect to the best team in the world and pick our best side

Agree with all of that and this is what I said on a rugby discussion forum just now

I am thrilled with that score line. I felt that the Australians disrepected the Bledisloe cup by not choosing to play their best 15 players in the match.
Pocock has to start, Skelton is not a starting player even if he is a decent reserve, and Cooper hasn't looked capable of playing international rugby for some years. The last point is worth elaborating on. His performance tonight comes as no surprise. Why was he starting when there were a number of other better options available for the ten jersey.

This result will be a set back for australian rugby and I don't understand why they didn't play the same starting 15 as last week. Rotation policies have their place but not in a Bledisloe cup decider unless like I said you simply don't care about the tradition of that cup which is what I am led to believe is the Australian coaching staff's attitude after these decisions.
I am not reacting like this with hindsight glasses on. I said these selection decisions were stupid before the game started some days ago.

 

[Hurricane]

After the last 2 weeks, favourites for the RWC are England (please God no) and Oz

Bridge too far for this bunch of ABs

England yes

Oz no - this match alone will dent their confidence. They started tonight's match with a hiss and roar because they believed in themselves and that soon fell away. Self belief is critical.

The other reason I am not tipping Oz after tonight is Australia don't know their combinations because they used different line ups in each match. Players must get to know each other. And Pocock in particular needs a few tests in the 8 jersey to get better at the technical facets. Tonight he could have benefitted from getting a full 80 minutes.

 

[hendrix]

RE: the Wallabies

- I still think Skelton is a passenger unless he's coming on as an impact player for the last 15-20. Just not mobile enough.
- What's happened to Slipper? They need a few runs up the guts.
- Nic White is their worst halfback. Seriously, just because he did one good thing last week doesn't make him a good player. Phipps and Genia are miles better.

 

[Hurricane]

RE: the Wallabies

- I still think Skelton is a passenger unless he's coming on as an impact player for the last 15-20. Just not mobile enough.
- What's happened to Slipper? They need a few runs up the guts.
- Nic White is their worst halfback. Seriously, just because he did one good thing last week doesn't make him a good player. Phipps and Genia are miles better.

Ja - to your point on Skelton
oui - to your point on Slipper
Nic White is better than Phipps but both aren't test quality. Who knows maybe Phipps is better. I wouldn't have either of them though. Genia by default. Even though he has regressed.

 

[social]

Agree with all of that and this is what I said on a rugby discussion forum just now

Yep - good post

I'm sure the coach was quoted as saying something to the effect of "we had always planned to select this team for this match" during the week

That's all well and good but this match was arguably the biggest for Oz rugby since the 2003 RWC final and IMO should have been treated as such