Pool D - Australia, Wales, Georgia, Fiji, Uruguay

[Burgey]

My word but they love reffing the **** out of the Wallabies don't they? Amazing that a bloke is penalised for effectively defending himself from a high shot. Then almost immediately afterwards they don't ref the offside. Sure the Wallabies made blunders and have a lot wrong in the administration, coaching, selection and playing staff but that's 10 points right there and effective elimination from the tournament.

It doesn't matter mate. They're a low outfit which was blessed by an historical accident in having a stack of greats arrive at the same time in the 90s and early 00s. Now they've reverted to mean, like the West Indies with cricket and their side in the 80s.

It's a very rare occurrence for any game in any code of football to really be decided on a refereeing error, when you have 80 minutes to score points and influence a game. I'd be more concerned at them parking on the other mob's try line for 15 minutes and coming up empty. Or your half back not having the vision to spot a bloke aiming for an intercept before throwing a 25m pass from the back of a ruck. That's not bad refereeing, that's **** football from second rate players.

 

[the big bambino]

I haven't been following closely for a few years because I just got so sick of the same mistakes happening without improvement. Tbf Cheika has done well with the scrum however. And the hooker looks like he can throw straight. But something's wrong if they are still playing Foley, AAC, O'Connor (ffs) and even Genia - though I like him dumb passes aside.

Still they got within 4. I suspect the impact of bad refereeing decisions is more than the points conceded. It would have to impact the way you play. Am I allowed to run at this bloke? Can I put my arm up to defend myself if he goes high? Messes with your head I'd say. The game was tight coming into half time and I decided to feed my young fella a small tub of yoghurt. Took barely a minute. When done we were down 23 - 8! I just looked up to the heavens and said Oh yeah - you're good.

 

[Burgey]

Nah, they had a zillion chances to win that game and weren't good enough. Even their last try was as much good luck as management, given the bloke who made the break (I don't know who it was) had the winger unmarked outside him and decided to go himself only to be tackled. Fortunately for him they maintained possession and went over a few phases later, otherwise he might have done his recovery session at the beach off Fukushima. Like I said, a heap of chances but couldn't get it done.

 

[ripper868]

Burge are you ok mate? That's 4 posts of more than a snarky one liner slagging the game as a whole...have you become an actual wallabies supporter? With the amount of pain their performance has brought you I'd say your almost as invested as John Howard.

 

[Flem274*]

adam ashley cooper and o'connor were and are perfectly fine players.

the problems to me are more with foley going to pot since 2015 and having players with big limitations in the backs. genia is slow to pass, nick white is very predictable with what he's going to do and kerevi would be world class if he could pass the ball after gaining meters.

but yea you don't win world cups with an undecided #10. it's not foley tho, it's toomua or lealiifano.

the wallabies are still good enough to and will ruin someones year in the knock outs at some point because when they click, they click big time but they don't have 3 wins in a row in them imo.

 

[the big bambino]

i've seen O'Connor for a number of years and games. He's **** and its amazing he's ever picked.

 

[Burgey]

Burge are you ok mate? That's 4 posts of more than a snarky one liner slagging the game as a whole...have you become an actual wallabies supporter? With the amount of pain their performance has brought you I'd say your almost as invested as John Howard.

Don't mind the game when it's played by people not born with a silver spoon up their arse. Which rules out every representative Australian side.

 

[hendrix]

i've seen O'Connor for a number of years and games. He's **** and its amazing he's ever picked.

Man, funny how players can be so polarising.

Can't agree with you at all there. He's a good player now.

He should have been developed into a great player by now as when he was first selected he was one of the most talented rugby players I've ever seen - he legite reminded me of a young Dan Carter. Unfortunately it seems he's squandered that talent to some degree but he's still one of the better Wallabies IMO.

I always thought he should've stayed at 10 but I think he's OK at centre. Has been guilty of trying to do a bit too much lately which is probably frustration on his part.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wobblies showing a bit of a lack of discipline in the first half. Two men in the bin for high tackles and another two who could easily have joined them.

8 penalties in 35 minutes will hurt you.

On a more cheery note, it's lovely to see the ongoing mo renaissance. We have Nic White's junior Merv effort, Pataia's endearingly rubbish teenage tache and, perhaps most impressively, the Uruguayan hooker's tache/mullet combo that, coupled with his slight paunch, gives him the look of a young Ron Jeremy.

 

[GotSpin]

That was a terrible half for the wallabies

 

[Howe_zat]

Wobblies showing a bit of a lack of discipline in the first half. Two men in the bin for high tackles and another two who could easily have joined them.

8 penalties in 35 minutes will hurt you.

Well Cheika did say he doesn’t know the rules any more. It’s questionable he ever did in the first place, since he thinks every penalty ever given against him is wrong, so this is gonna keep happening. It’s not going to hurt them today though. I think Fiji’s pigs ear of their game against Uruguay means that Australia are the first team officially through to the knockouts when they finish off this win.

One other thing in the Aussies favour - their change kit is awesome

 

[Howe_zat]

This is going to be a cricket score.

I will never get why people love to complain about not beating minnows hard enough.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Fair play to Uruguay. Deserved that at least.

 

[Howe_zat]

Made a decent account of themselves at this World Cup haven’t they? Won their big fixture and refused to be walked over even when they’re getting smashed.

 

[GotSpin]

Uruguay put up a decent effort

 

[BoyBrumby]

Made a decent account of themselves at this World Cup haven’t they? Won their big fixture and refused to be walked over even when they’re getting smashed.

Definitely improving, yeah.

The Fijian game showed they're no longer a soft touch. Hopefully the fitness levels and depth of talent continue to rise with (as one understands) a lot of their chaps now fully professional in the American league.

 

[ripper868]

Sadly work kept me from the matches today...it appears I missed nought but Nother display of not putting the foot on the throat...wallabies headed for a QF exit sadly

 

[Uppercut]

Good start here.

Comms are in no doubt at all but I'm not sure that pass is forward. I think the ball only goes forward because of his momentum and if he hadn't been hit it wouldn't be given.

 

[ripper868]

I agree with you on that Uppercut, was backwards out the hands, momentum takes it forward. Good thing they scores 2 mins later. Owen's lucky that the Fiji played didnt land on his head, worthy of a yellow...come on fiji!

 

[social]

Wallabies performance against Wales was awful and this game is proving it

Wales will run them down due to fitness but they ain’t good