Official Rugby Thread

[GotSpin]

2nd biggest losing margin ever (despite what Maloney was saying on comms) - most points ever conceded though.

53-8 v South Africa in 2008 is the biggest losing margin.

That was quite incredible in the last 30 minutes.

Korobiete looks past it too

 

[ripper868]

I've never seen a team give up like that.

To lead 20-3, and lose 67-27 is...insane.

Lions could well put on 100 next year. And I don't see where the answers are for the wallabies...there just doesn't seem to be the cattle to make a farm at the moment.

 

[social]

You guys seem to have forgotten that this Wallabies team is closer to the standard of Italy or Japan than one of the better teams

We’re going to get hammered consistently v decent teams for a long time

 

[ripper868]

I'm not forgetting that, we've been **** for a long time. but even Japan and Italy would struggle to ship 64 points in 50 minutes.

 

[GotSpin]

You guys seem to have forgotten that this Wallabies team is closer to the standard of Italy or Japan than one of the better teams

We’re going to get hammered consistently v decent teams for a long time

That was like watching a national team play a club team in the second half for a warm up match though

 

[social]

That was like watching a national team play a club team in the second half for a warm up match though

Argentina is good but we’re very average even with everyone available and healthy

Have a look at our front row

Bell & Tupou are world class but only fit enough to play 30 minutes atm so get replaced by Slipper & Alaatoa

Slipper is finished and AA is either not match fit or finished as well so we’re ****ed for 40-50 minutes

Then you have the backs

Most are inexperienced & too small anyway

Watch an NRL game and I guarantee that virtually every team has a number of backs who are better equipped for test rugby

We’re miles behind and there’s not much light at the end of the tunnel in the short term

 

[Burgey]

64 is coincidentally also the number of people in Australia who watched the game.

 

[Ali TT]

64 is coincidentally also the number of people in Australia who watched the game.

The magnitude of the defeat is so large that it has even gone beyond Burgey's comprehension and he ended up stopping 3 short.

 

[ashley bach]

Odds of Burgey popping in here to laugh 1.15

64 is coincidentally also the number of people in Australia who watched the game.

The odds may not have been so great but sure money is good money.

 

[Burgey]

The magnitude of the defeat is so large that it has even gone beyond Burgey's comprehension and he ended up stopping 3 short.

I think three people turned it off early

 

[Molehill]

Worth remembering that there’s at least 5 sides better than Argentina. A truly shocking debacle that should send shockwaves through Aussie sport.

 

[Furball]

I think three people turned it off early

By the sounds of it all 3 were on the pitch at the time.

 

[Burgey]

Worth remembering that there’s at least 5 sides better than Argentina. A truly shocking debacle that should send shockwaves through Aussie sport.

But few care tbh. Haven’t since they put themselves behind a paywall in about the mid 2000s.

 

[ripper868]

I'm just glad I was old enough to know what a good Wallabies side was, and the rugby they played.

Similarly, it ****ing pains me how far the game has fallen off. As a nation we have great athletes across the NRL and AFL, that if it was like RSA/NZ where rugby is the top dog (in terms of the oval shaped balls anyway), things could be so so much better. But instead, we piss those athletes away in local competitions where the peak is a state level match and selection in a non-playing all Australian team that every now and then beats up on Irish amateurs.

Sadly, Burgey isn't wrong about how the game is perceived, and the reluctance to change how things are has led to this ****fest the wallabies and the game as a whole are now in in Aus.

And even when we do have some talents come through, our own policies about international selection just means the cream who **** off to France/Japan for cash aren't in the picture, and why wouldn't you go OS when the admins decide they'd rather piss millions at Folau/Suali et al.

I'll keep watching, I'll keep hoping, but even my golden glasses are getting dusty on the mantlepiece - we won't see the Bledisloe for another 15 years, and will be a decent shout of copying England from 2015 and going out in the group of our own world cup.

 

[James]

I'm just glad I was old enough to know what a good Wallabies side was, and the rugby they played.

Similarly, it ****ing pains me how far the game has fallen off. As a nation we have great athletes across the NRL and AFL, that if it was like RSA/NZ where rugby is the top dog (in terms of the oval shaped balls anyway), things could be so so much better. But instead, we piss those athletes away in local competitions where the peak is a state level match and selection in a non-playing all Australian team that every now and then beats up on Irish amateurs.

Feel for Wallabies fans like yourself who grew up watching legends of the game. And during that era, the Bledisloe and then Super Rugby was at its peak.

Like you said, the NRL and AFL have some incredible athletics, just a shame they're not playing Union. 20 years ago they might well have been given the state of the game at that point, but seems increasingly more unlikely as the years tick by that youngsters will choose Union over the other codes.

I think a lot of NZ fans fear for the state of All Black rugby and Super rugby also, because it's really just the local NZ derbies that prove massive contests now. The Brumbies are always there or there abouts, but it's not what it once was, especially missing the SA teams.

 

[ashley bach]

It was a lifetime ago when the Ella brothers were a shining light for the Wallabies.

 

[StephenZA]

It great to see the Boks doing well. Did not think I would see that during the doldrums of 2017. And I love the fact Rassie is pushing the guys to higher levels and building depth on the squad. And I don't want to put it down all to one man. But the best comment I have heard is "Rassie is targeting another RWC, but what SA rugby needs to target is another Rassie"

 

[Molehill]

But few care tbh. Haven’t since they put themselves behind a paywall in about the mid 2000s.

Just out of interest, which sports in Aus are free to air? There's not a whole lot in the UK really bar highlights packages. You could argue that certain sports have improved since the money from Sky has filtered through eg Cricket World Cup wins.

 

[Burgey]

There's three NRL matches each week on FTA, I think three or four AFL games too. Test and T20 cricket, the Aus Open tennis, national and world swimming titles. That's probably about it I think.

But imo rugby really hurt itself by putting the Super Rugby on pay TV years ago and not doing a deal where at least each State had its team's game on FTA every week. It's one of four football codes here in a small population. Market is very competitive for viewers and players.

 

[Molehill]

There's three NRL matches each week on FTA, I think three or four AFL games too. Test and T20 cricket, the Aus Open tennis, national and world swimming titles. That's probably about it I think.

But imo rugby really hurt itself by putting the Super Rugby on pay TV years ago and not doing a deal where at least each State had its team's game on FTA every week. It's one of four football codes here in a small population. Market is very competitive for viewers and players.

That's a lot more live FTA sport than in the UK really.

Rugby does still have the 6 Nations on FTA which I think is one of the protected events from ever going behind a paywall (Wimbledon, World Cups and Olympics basically the others). There appears to be a solid enough junior club structure in the country to keep the grass roots maintained, probably helped by the paywall money feeding through. But the best players do still seem to come out of the private schools.

Are the number of clubs in Aus dwindling?