Official Rugby Thread

[ripper868]

2nd Half opening up a bit though, some decent tries for the Wales guys, England look out on their feet.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Honestly. Did we even create a chance worthy of the name? Set piece went to shyte under pressure too.

Borthwick has been a massive mistake and we need to get rid.

Smith too. He had his Quins' #8 and scrum-half with him today (and Marchant at 13) so there's no excuse. Not up to running a test XV. Ford has to come back in.

 

[ripper868]

Boks v Argentina looks decent as well - got horrible sound issues though which makes it unwatchable.

 

[Molehill]

Boks v Argentina looks decent as well - got horrible sound issues though which makes it unwatchable.

Yeah, I watched it on mute. Argentina well beaten in the end by the Boks reserves.

As for Wales/England, a truly horrific game. England just seemed to be testing their box kicking process until they seemingly got knackered in the second half. The team just didn't seem fit, I know they want to peak in a month but they were a long way off. It should at least have helped Borthwick work out which players to drop, but they're such a horrible team to watch. At no point do they ever attack from broken play (which is something Smith does happily at Quins). Are they not allowed to? If you're going to rely on your set piece, the fact the line out was a mess made it even more concerning. Borthwick seems out of his depth already.

 

[weeman27bob]

We're going to have to look an awful lot more competent when we get our first XV out on the park, although I thought Steward had a relatively decent showing all things considered.

 

[Molehill]

Steward is the best full back in the world at catching a high ball, not sure why teams would even bother using that tactic towards him. Unfortunately, I'm coming to the conclusion he doesn't do an awful lot else.

 

[Burgey]

Bledisloe is gone, sure, but they've shown some good things.

Ping @poorlyagedthings

 

[Ali TT]

Borthwick the Peter Moores or Chris Silverwood of English rugby?

Saying that, not sure even the best coach in world rugby could resurrect this dumpster fire of and English team.

 

[Molehill]

Borthwick the Peter Moores or Chris Silverwood of English rugby?

Saying that, not sure even the best coach in world rugby could resurrect this dumpster fire of and English team.

I don't think the players are that bad. How come Smith can ignite the Quins backline into being one of the most free flowing units in Europe, but it doesn't happen for England?

It's like Root's England before Bazball. All they probably need is a Kiwi Coach who won't insist on kicking it up in the air all the time.

But yeah, Borthwick is seemingly a horrible appointment.

 

[ripper868]

Ping @poorlyagedthings

Yeah and nah, I still felt that we'd lose even from that leading position, but it was at least a step better than the drubbing in Melbourne...sadly these are the small moral victories I have to settle for now. I've got cousins who will have been born and finished university since the last time we had the Bledisloe....Im pretty numb to the pain now, but it's the hope every 2-7 years that kills ya.

 

[andruid]

I don't think the players are that bad. How come Smith can ignite the Quins backline into being one of the most free flowing units in Europe, but it doesn't happen for England?

It's like Root's England before Bazball. All they probably need is a Kiwi Coach who won't insist on kicking it up in the air all the time.

But yeah, Borthwick is seemingly a horrible appointment.

Perhaps it is symptomatic of the jobs for thw boys mindset Sir Clive Woodward lambasted in the Guardian recently.

 

[Molehill]

Perhaps it is symptomatic of the jobs for thw boys mindset Sir Clive Woodward lambasted in the Guardian recently.

It is undoubtedly that. Jones was a good appointment as he shook up the system, but he was kept on for 2 years too long. When it starts going rotten with him you need to get rid asap. It's a shame we couldn't have got Farrell.

Having said that, Lancaster did well at Leinster after leaving England and now has a job at Racing. The RFU just stinks to be honest, I feel a little bit like @Burgey does with the Aussies about this set up at the moment.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah and nah, I still felt that we'd lose even from that leading position, but it was at least a step better than the drubbing in Melbourne...sadly these are the small moral victories I have to settle for now. I've got cousins who will have been born and finished university since the last time we had the Bledisloe....Im pretty numb to the pain now, but it's the hope every 2-7 years that kills ya.

The answer lies west of ANZAC Parade, maybe as far west as - heaven forbid - Parramatta, Liverpool and Penrith with their diverse communities, abundant talent and their public schools. someone should give the Wallaby selectors some pegs for their noses and order them out that way to find some kids who wren't born with silver spoons up their arses and who turn up their toes at the first whiff of being told "no" by their opposition - the first time many of them have experienced the word.

 

[social]

The answer lies west of ANZAC Parade, maybe as far west as - heaven forbid - Parramatta, Liverpool and Penrith with their diverse communities, abundant talent and their public schools. someone should give the Wallaby selectors some pegs for their noses and order them out that way to find some kids who wren't born with silver spoons up their arses and who turn up their toes at the first whiff of being told "no" by their opposition - the first time many of them have experienced the word.

Nope

Most kids on rugby scholarships at private schools come from those areas

Sua’ali’i grew up in Penrith and went to public schools before getting a scholarship to Kings

I have been there & done that with Social Jr and the problems are obvious and impossible to fix atm

Firstly, the majority of parents don’t want their kids playing the game as they feel that the risk of life changing injury is too high

Administrators deny this but it’s a fact

Secondly, most kids prefer other sports

Either way, the above will not change until the rules do & that’s not about to happen

 

[Burgey]

Sua’ali’i grew up in Penrith and went to public schools before getting a scholarship to Kings

Do you reckon he gets picked if he doesn't take the gig at King's, likewise Beale at Joey's?

 

[social]

Do you reckon he gets picked if he doesn't take the gig at King's, likewise Beale at Joey's?

They were playing league as juniors so no

 

[the big bambino]

A lot of Polynesians play for the Wallabies so I don't think it's because there are too many rich kids in the team. Different story from the admin whom I think are all elitists. I don't think they connect with their players and the players motivation has suffered as a result.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Is the WC in 2027 likely to make much of a difference? Seemed to capture the public's imagination in a way union doesn't usually in 2003.

ARU persuaded quite a few of the then top league boys to cross codes too: Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers.

Different financial situation back then, obvz, but union's international pool is several times deeper than league's so maybe one or two might be persuaded?

 

[social]

Is the WC in 2027 likely to make much of a difference? Seemed to capture the public's imagination in a way union doesn't usually in 2003.

ARU persuaded quite a few of the then top league boys to cross codes too: Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers.

Different financial situation back then, obvz, but union's international pool is several times deeper than league's so maybe one or two might be persuaded?

Sua’li’i has already signed but backs aren’t really a priority as the Wallabies need props and locks

Rugby league players aren’t generally suited to those positions as they’re bricks with massive motors (see Sam Burgess) who don’t have the particular technical skills required for that game

Factor in the fact that RA is basically broke and hard to see them getting what they need from league

 

[ripper868]

Is the WC in 2027 likely to make much of a difference? Seemed to capture the public's imagination in a way union doesn't usually in 2003.

ARU persuaded quite a few of the then top league boys to cross codes too: Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers.

Different financial situation back then, obvz, but union's international pool is several times deeper than league's so maybe one or two might be persuaded?

Think the biggest difference between 03 (and the late 90's/early 00's) is the Wallabies had won 2 of the last 3 RWC's, were regularly competitive with and occasionally considered as the best in the world (see names: Eales, Larkham, Gregan, Smith, Roff, Horan, Little, Burke, Latham, with a splash of league crossover successes in Tuqiri, Sailor (ish), Rogers and Walker, and basically being a whole bunch more likeable and 'regular' than the brat packs to follow of JOC, Cooper, Beale et al.

Think the biggest part is 20 years of losing means kids don't want a part of it, it's easier to bandwagon on a League team than it is to only have the Wallabies. The lack of international contest doesn't seem to matter in League, it's always been streets ahead of rugby in NSW and QLD for eyeballs and boots on feet. AFL ditto in Victoria.

I don't think the answer is in more established league crossovers, the answer is in getting those kids at the grassroots, which as Burgey pointed out doesn't happen, especially with the NRL gifting contracts to any kid who can tackle and run quick from age 10.

It's also not regularly on FTA tv, which NRL and AFL are, so again, it's just not seen by the masses, and therefore not embraced. Heck, I grew up in a rugby family, but was all league/sokkah until I was about 10 years old as it's what I mostly saw on tv. I didn't get into rugby proper until some family friends got Fox Sports and we'd have regular BBQ's to watch the rugby at their place.

having not live din Aus for 8 years now, I can't comment much about if the 'heartlands' of Sydney's East still even give a toss about rugby, as I assume most of those types died off in the early 00's.

I hope 2027 is a huge success, but also won't be surprised if we do and England 2015 and go out in the pools of our own tournament.

Go the Wallabies.