Official Rugby Thread

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Yeah Rene gave up to soon.

Did you see Nanai Williams "D up" on the weekend and smash that guy? He has been told by the selectors to work on his tackling and he has been listening.

As much as I hate Crotty - the fact that he doesn't make any mistakes and just does his core role impresses me.

Was Rene ever that good?

Might have been useful for the Warriors if he had changed codes but hardly world class

Guys like Folau, Hayne and Inglis would have torn him to pieces every day of the week

 

[Hurricane]

Was Rene ever that good?

Might have been useful for the Warriors if he had changed codes but hardly world class

Guys like Folau and Inglis would have torn him to pieces every day of the week

Not world class because there are probably 2 or 3 teams he couldn't crack - but he would make all the other ones quite easily.

Also I don't think comparing people to Inglis is relevant given he is basically a footballing god.

 

[hendrix]

Was Rene ever that good?

Might have been useful for the Warriors if he had changed codes but hardly world class

Guys like Folau, Hayne and Inglis would have torn him to pieces every day of the week

Ranger was exceptional.

I have no idea why you're talking about Hayne and Inglis.

 

[Hurricane]

24 in a row unbeaten is the next goal. 19 is where we are right now.

 

[the big bambino]

Oz were rubbish

I am consistently amazed at how guys who are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars per year can be so bad at the basics

For example, Palu's only job in minute one was to take the ball up and set it back

Could he do it?

**** no

That set the stage and we were appalling from that moment on

This game was such a wreckage I don't know where to begin. You've provided the starting point though. I have banged my head against the wall at the chronic inability of the Wallabies to master the basics. We can't catch or pass under pressure. We are consistently terrible at the kick off. Is there a hooker who can throw a straight ball into the lineout AND can play for Australia? You'd have thought we'd have noticed the traditional weakness of the tight 5 in scrums by now and even remedied it.

Nup.

Do that and then start thinking about tactics and strategies to beat the ABs.

I like Beale in the side for his flair. I said earlier and believe more so now he shouldn't have been 5/8 when he hasn't been there all season. I'd have Foley and Phipps in the halves next test just as their form suggested they deserved to be from game one. Beale at inside, Kuridrani outside and A-C on the wing for McCabe. Nathan Charles is injured. Seriously I suggest playing the Brumbies' reserve hooker Mann-Rea. He can throw a straight ball atleast.

 

[hendrix]

So Quade Cooper is injured right?

Honestly think that QC and James O'Connor (get him back, you're mad not to) are the only fly halves the Aussies should consider for the world cup. There's no point picking players that can't do basic first 5 stuff like take on the line and stand shallow enough that you don't run your outside backs out of the game. Beale hasn't learnt how to read the game and make a decision and the others just stand way too deep.

and Genia is a million times better than the other pretenders at 9. White might be a reasonable backup but he's not in the same class.

 

[hendrix]

Just found this:

No Cookies | Fox Sports News, Live Sport, Sports | Fox Sports

He's wasted on the wing but it's better than nothing I suppose. Would play QC at 10, JOC at 12 or the other way around. Then Ashley-Cooper at 13, Digby at 11, Folau at 15 and any other right winger you want to pick. Probably even Beale.

 

[ripper868]

O'Connor at 10 works about as well as Beale at 10 - he's not a natural 10. They were at Schoolboy level but not at this level. I honestly think O'Connor's best position is the wing. his feet are lightning, hands are safe and boot is good. His defence goes alright too when he commits to it.

We were smashed in the last test, my friend summed it up well by asking "where the **** are our players" - it deadset looked like the AB's had 6 or 7 extra players on the field sometimes. Anyway, onwards and upwards, bring on the Saffas.

On another note, Argentina may not be quite as **** as people think, 2 close run things with the Boks and they really should have won the 2nd test in Argentina, blowing a good lead - credit to the boks for pulling it back really. their inclusion into TRC is very much justified and can only result in a stronger game in South America.

 

[Hurricane]

This game was such a wreckage I don't know where to begin. You've provided the starting point though. I have banged my head against the wall at the chronic inability of the Wallabies to master the basics. We can't catch or pass under pressure. We are consistently terrible at the kick off. Is there a hooker who can throw a straight ball into the lineout AND can play for Australia? You'd have thought we'd have noticed the traditional weakness of the tight 5 in scrums by now and even remedied it.

Nup.

Do that and then start thinking about tactics and strategies to beat the ABs.

I like Beale in the side for his flair. I said earlier and believe more so now he shouldn't have been 5/8 when he hasn't been there all season. I'd have Foley and Phipps in the halves next test just as their form suggested they deserved to be from game one. Beale at inside, Kuridrani outside and A-C on the wing for McCabe. Nathan Charles is injured. Seriously I suggest playing the Brumbies' reserve hooker Mann-Rea. He can throw a straight ball atleast.

This post is all types of goodness. You should be coach.

 

[Hurricane]

O'Connor at 10 works about as well as Beale at 10 - he's not a natural 10. They were at Schoolboy level but not at this level. I honestly think O'Connor's best position is the wing. his feet are lightning, hands are safe and boot is good. His defence goes alright too when he commits to it.

We were smashed in the last test, my friend summed it up well by asking "where the **** are our players" - it deadset looked like the AB's had 6 or 7 extra players on the field sometimes. Anyway, onwards and upwards, bring on the Saffas.

On another note, Argentina may not be quite as **** as people think, 2 close run things with the Boks and they really should have won the 2nd test in Argentina, blowing a good lead - credit to the boks for pulling it back really. their inclusion into TRC is very much justified and can only result in a stronger game in South America.

AWTA

I can't even bring myself to make a post on JOC. Your words are sufficient for me.

 

[hendrix]

O'Connor at 10 works about as well as Beale at 10 - he's not a natural 10. They were at Schoolboy level but not at this level. I honestly think O'Connor's best position is the wing. his feet are lightning, hands are safe and boot is good. His defence goes alright too when he commits to it.
.

Disagree. He looks way more of a natural 10 than Beale. He actually runs straight at the line and engages defenders, for a start. Beale has no idea how to do this. At a minimum I'd have him at 12.

But anyway, I've made my thoughts clear on that.

 

[Hurricane]

I don't know if Brumby will be ok with me reposting but desperate times call for desperate measures

Nah, he is.

Whatever his talents are, O'Connor's not a first receiver's ******.

Have to say Alexander and Moore were huge today.

& I consider them to be poor excuses for test tight heads and rakes, as a rule.

Credit where it's due and all that.

But O'Connor at #10 is almost an ironic selection.

 

[the big bambino]

Cooper is recovering from injury and I don't know where Genia is atm. They are our best halves and hopefully will have them back soon. Til then its Phipps and Foley. Can't stand JOC. Such an attitude for such an under achiever.

 

[hendrix]

are those fake Brumby quotes?

 

[ripper868]

Disagree. He looks way more of a natural 10 than Beale. He actually runs straight at the line and engages defenders, for a start. Beale has no idea how to do this. At a minimum I'd have him at 12.

But anyway, I've made my thoughts clear on that.

That probably says just how much of a non natural 10 KB is really. I've not seen one game where JoC has controlled his backline and distributed well, I reference in particular the Lions series last year. I agree he runs well and commits defenders, he actually did that in the 3rd test, ran at defence and scored a good stepping wingers try in close to the posts. Happy to agree to disagree, and would be happy for JOC to show me wrong, but really it's Cooper and Foley who are our best 10s for me, and JoC, **** that he is, probably one of our best w(h)ingers.

Genia currently injured, had ankle surgery towards end of season, likely to miss the northern tour as well last I heard.

 

[Spark]

are those fake Brumby quotes?

different forum.

 

[Hurricane]

Check out squads below.

Australia

15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Sam Carter, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 James Hanson, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga’a, 17 Pek Cowan, 18 Ben Alexander, 19 James Horwill, 20 Scott Higginbotham, 21 Matt Hodgson, 22 Nic White, 23 Kurtley Beale.

South Africa

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Jean de Villiers (capt), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Warren Whiteley, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Damian de Allende.

This is my dream australian team. I pray on my knees that australia wins so that they don't discard that line up. Why they couldn't have done this against us is not for me to speculate. The important thing is that they have done it now. C'mon Aussie. And C'mon Foley.

 

[the big bambino]

Mann-Rea in the squad now. Our tight 5 is always under scrutiny but this lot is as good as any other options. I'd have Beale for Toomua as the only change. Fingers crossed we don't get smashed bcos I can't see any improvements that can be made until our injured players like Moore, Cooper and Genia are available and Speight qualifies.

 

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Wallabies are just a **** team

It's ****ing embarrassing that professional athletes that are paid hundreds of k per year cannot perform the basics you are taught as a 12yo

 

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Take it all back - we're geniuses