Bledisloe time

[chrisD]

Suppose, pretty good sounds about right, I was just under the impression we were dealing with a best ever team or something.

 

[Silent But Deadly]

Wallabies should be ashamed of themselves. It was embarrasing to watch. AB's should have smashed us by 50. McCaw made the point post-game that the playing group were a little rusty as they had only ben together for a week...Wallabies on the other hand had 3 week together. I'm so pissed off. Horne has to go. Beale should be dropped. Palu, Cooper and O'Connor need to come back. Not that it will help us at Eden Park.

 

[Steve_oneskie]

Yep unfortunately Pocock looks like he is out for the rest of the season, Hooper and Gill will need to step up, although im not sure if they are ready yet.

On the whole the game was pretty poor, The All Blacks looked sloppy in parts and the Wallabies were shocking in parts. Although i liked how the Wallabies played in the second half they managed to control the ball more and stopped making stupid school boy errors like trying the run the ball out of their 22.

 

[Silent But Deadly]

Yep unfortunately Pocock looks like he is out for the rest of the season, Hooper and Gill will need to step up, although im not sure if they are ready yet.

On the whole the game was pretty poor, The All Blacks looked sloppy in parts and the Wallabies were shocking in parts. Although i liked how the Wallabies played in the second half they managed to control the ball more and stopped making stupid school boy errors like trying the run the ball out of their 22.

Yes a good opportunity for Hooper/Gill to get some experience. Not blaming the fer at all but he had a shocker. That aside I agree we played better in the 2nd half, but we still played like tools. Kicking the ball away as soon as we get it. You can only assume it's a Deans tactic. I've been defending him for quite a while now but I don't think I can anymore. Time to face up to the fact that he's not the answer to Australian Rugby. He's had what 4 years? I think we re-signed him just before the RWC for another 2 or 3 as well...for what it's worth, this is th team I hope to see named for thjis weekend:

15. O'Connor
14. Mitchell
13. Ashley-Cooper
12. Barnes
11. Ioane
10. Cooper
9. Genia
8. Palu
7. Hooper/Gill
6. Dennis
5. Sharpe
4. Pyle
3. Alexander
2. Moore
1. Robinson

Reserves: Kepu, Polota-Nau, Simmons, Hooper/Gill, Higginbotham, Phipps, Vuna

If O'Connor isn't fit, then AAC to fullback, Ioane to 13 and Vuna to the wing.

 

[Parra]

Kicking the ball away after we defend well and fight for it is an absolute blight on the aussie team and has been for a while now. That and slowing the play down to ensure the defence is well and truly set. What other team deliberately slows the play when they are supposedly attacking? I don't know who is to blame for this - Genia or Deans, but one of them has to go. Right now.

I'll correct that. Deans has to go right now and if Genia is the reason for the slowest ball ever seen then he should go as well. Immediately.

 

[Silent But Deadly]

I don't think Genia is the problem. Very few halves in world rugby has his vision. He's one of the few in this hapless outfit that provide any spark at all. On top of that, his combination with Cooper is something that we will need if we are any chance of causing an upset. Even the AB's are wary of Genia. They don't say that about many people. In saying that I agree - he's too slow at getting the ball outof the ruck. It's in stark contrast to Aaron Smith and Hougaard...

 

[Thomas]

It has nothing to do with Genia. Slow ball is all down to the forwards. If they allow the opposition to even slightly slow the ball down, then Genia is forced to delay his pass. You saw a few brief moments on Saturday when the Wallabies had quick ball. That's when things get moving. When the Reds trundle forward in the S15, Genia is in his element because the Reds forwards know exactly what needs to be done. The issue with the Wallaby forward pack is that it is full of f**king Waratahs.

The thing is, this fast ball from rucks is the Wallabies "Plan A". There are no other plans. That's why, in the last 2 years, teams that slow down our ball generally win. It's what Ireland and Samoa did last year and it's what NZ do well.

 

[Parra]

How many times did Genia just stand at the back of a ruck with the ball right in front of him while AB forwards got set in defence. Slow ball is one thing, standing there and staring at it is no good either though. Even a boring box kick is a better preference to the hospital passes he started throwing with AB forwards just waiting to pounce.

 

[shiznit]

i gotta say... i actually agree with Parra.

Genia did have moments where he let the All Black defense set themselves.

the difference between the good halfbacks and the great halfbacks is that the great halfbacks are able to give good service even when there not getting good ball.

Pichot was an example of a guy who could give great pill even when he was going backwards.

same goes for George Gregan... and van der Westhuizen. i see Fourie du Preez in a similar light.

Justin Marshall and Byron Kelleher were guys who i thought were good halfbacks... but were shite when the all blacks were under the pump.

for the record... i think Genia will be one of the greats... so i actually expect he will pick up his game.

 

[Silent But Deadly]

Wallabies team this week:
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Drew Mitchell
13. Rob Horne
12. Berrick Barnes
11. Digby Ioane
10. Quade Cooper
9. Will Genia
8. Scott Higginbotham
7. Michael Hooper
6. Dave Dennis
5. Nathan Sharpe
4. Sitaleki Timani
3. Ben Alexander
2. Tatafu Polota Nau
1. Benn Robinson
Bench: TBA

Happy to see Beale gone and Cooper and Mitchell in. Not happy to see Horne and Timani still there.

 

[aqua_duck]

Timani is the most useless 6'8 120kg bloke I've ever seen

 

[Fufu Andronez]

Timani is the most useless 6'8 120kg bloke I've ever seen

Totally agree. Could be an absolute weapon if he had even a lil bit off acceleration about him though.

 

[Silent But Deadly]

Totally agree. Could be an absolute weapon if he had even a lil bit off acceleration about him though.

That's the problem - we're slecting players based on what they 'could' do as opposed to what are doing...Beale being dropped is a good thing in the long run. I want him back next game but he needs to take his medicine this week.

 

[Thomas]

Beale will come on with 30 or so to go and hopefully spark something other than a flurry of dropped balls.

 

[abpanther]

Wallabies suck man, why are the going for the high ball?

Ref sucks too

SBW ripping shit up

 

[chrisD]

Pretty quiet in here.

 

[Silent But Deadly]

Yeah ref was awful but he didn't cost us the game. We came out with the right attitude and intensity and i thought 'hang on, i give us half a chance here'...but then we followed what must be the coaches game plan of kicking the ball away as soon as we get it. FMD i'm sooo over Drongo Deans. He obviously doesn't think the players are capable of hanging onto the ball and building momentum and pressure. If he doesn't show faith in them, how are the bloody players meant to have faith in each other?! AB's are a class act and deserve to hold all of the titles at the moment but i really think we could give them a run for their money if we came up with a decent game plan...

 

[GC_Gladiator]

I struggle to see a player in our first 15 that would make the all blacks first 15 (maybe Genia, Ioane or Pocock). No surprise that we've been comprehensively outplayed. We did well to keep it close.

 

[shiznit]

i still don't think we were out of 3rd gear.... we blew at least 3 direct chances to score.

we have a lot to work on before we take on the argies in wellington.

 

[Silent But Deadly]

It was scary to see Cruden come on and DC move to 12. I reckon they should do that all the time. You ony have to look at the players that didn't make the squad to see how much depth they have (ie. Rutledge, Williams, Thompson, Kerr-Barlow, Taylor...the list goes on). Wallabies need to get rid of Horne! Timani had a good game for once so he gets another chance. We need to bring in Vuna to replace Mitchell & O'Connor to 12 (Barnes to bench). AAC to 13 FFS!!!!