Connolly: Gregans my man

[skeepe]

Knuckles dusted off and willing to give Gregan a shot at 2007
Scott Walsh
Friday, 3 February 2006

Besieged Wallabies skipper George Gregan's chances of reaching the 2007 World Cup took a giant leap yesterday when the Australian Rugby Union announced John Connolly as its new national coach.



Connolly, 54, officially filled the void left by sacked mentor Eddie Jones, vowing a meeting with Gregan was higher on his priority list than finalising assistant coaches or a selection panel.

"One hundred and eighteen Tests and I think he is one of Australia's great players - [Gregan] will be one of the first people I meet with over the next day or so," Connolly said.

Gregan confirmed before the ACT Brumbies' internal trial at Viking Park last night he had spoken with Connolly during the selection process and had also called the Queenslander yesterday to congratulate him on his appointment. The before-and-after conversations strongly indicate "Knuckles" Connolly holds a different opinion to Ewen McKenzie about a need for "generational change" in the Wallabies.

NSW Waratahs coach McKenzie, who was believed not to support Gregan staying in the team, was the early favourite for the Wallabies job but pulled out mid-race.

Despite Connolly's first-day endorsement, Gregan, 32, hosed down suggestions the appointment was a Test lifeline for him.

He said his priority was the approaching Super 14 season starting in Perth on Friday.

"It's definitely a move forward because now we've got a head coach for Australian rugby," Gregan said. "It's a bit presumptuous really, talking about whether you can work with him [Connolly].

"I've got a trial today and I've got a very important match next week for the Brumbies against the Force.

"Getting in the national team is a by-product of playing well in Super 14 and that's what my focus is at the moment." Connolly fuelled speculation Gregan would feature in his World Cup plans yesterday, heaping praise on the record-breaking scrumhalf.

"Like everyone else he has things to prove to make the side but I think he is one of Australia's great players and at the moment we only have two or three certain selections in the team."

Connolly refused to say whether Gregan was one of those "certainties", but he brushed aside talk his coaching regime would condemn the most capped Australian player to retirement.

A second factor in Gregan's favour for staying in a gold jersey is NSW Waratahs captain Chris Whitaker's decision to move to Europe at the end of the Super 14 season.

If Gregan was to have been ousted this year, Whitaker would have been his most likely successor.

For Connolly, beyond meeting with Gregan will be sorting out a new coaching structure, which he described as "flatter" than that of autocrat Jones. There would be attack and defence coaches with another assistant to look solely after restarts.

Welsh assistant Scott Johnson is expected to fill the attack role while former Reds hooker Michael is in the running to fill one of the secondary positions.

Connolly, known for a 10-man style of rugby during his extended coaching tenure with Queensland, will target sorting out Australia's failing set piece, declaring yesterday the Wallabies were "technically deficient" in several areas.

While his focus would remain the World Cup in France next year, Connolly was still aiming to win back the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cups in his first year at the helm. Australian Rugby Union chief executive Gary Flowers described Connolly's appointment as a "fresh start" for Australian rugby. "We strongly believe that we have a very talented and capable coaching team that will address the problems that have recently been identified," Flowers said.

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&story_id=456306&category=general%20sport&m=2&y=2006

Nice one Knuckles. Glad to see the outrageous Sydney media vendetta against Gregan hasn't influenced him one bit. Gregan to lead the Wallabies in 2006 and beyoned

 

[ozbash]

"One hundred and eighteen Tests and I think he is one of Australia's great players - [Gregan] will be one of the first people I meet with over the next day or so," Connolly said.

connolly is a smart man. not that long ago i rated georgie the best in the world and imo he is still up there.

 

[lockyno1]

"One hundred and eighteen Tests and I think he is one of Australia's great players - [Gregan] will be one of the first people I meet with over the next day or so," Connolly said.

connolly is a smart man. not that long ago i rated georgie the best in the world and imo he is still up there.

One can only hope that Gregan is injured or run over by a car! That way his career will be over!

 

[skeepe]

One can only hope that Gregan is injured or run over by a car! That way his career will be over!

And so your true colours come out. Wishing injury or death on a fellow human being just because you can't handle the fact that those who actually know anything about rugby still rate him. You disgust me.

You are lower than scum.

 

[lockyno1]

And so your true colours come out. Wishing injury or death on a fellow human being just because you can't handle the fact that those who actually know anything about rugby still rate him. You disgust me.

You are lower than scum.

We have better options than Gregan! My side would have either Henjak or Valentine as the no9, or Giteau. I have no problems with Gregan being in the squad, but it is time to move on to a younger starting no9. Even if it means 50 mins of Henjak/Valentine/Giteau and then 30 of Gregan till the others can play a full 80 of test football then it is fine! I just don't want Gregan in the starting side, Simple.

 

[skeepe]

Your opinions mean nothing on this issue anymore. You have clearly shown that you are motivated by malice and jealousy rather than the skills of a player with your disgusting comments earlier.

Aside from that, Valentine is nowhere near test level and never will be. Henjak is still learning his trade and will need to stop going missing at crunch times before he can be considered a starting Wallaby, and Giteau doesn't even play halfback! Clearly, Gregan is the only smart choice with Whitakker's retirement from international rugby.

But Gregan will earn his spot this year, this I can promise you.

 

[lockyno1]

Your opinions mean nothing on this issue anymore. You have clearly shown that you are motivated by malice and jealousy rather than the skills of a player with your disgusting comments earlier.

Aside from that, Valentine is nowhere near test level and never will be. Henjak is still learning his trade and will need to stop going missing at crunch times before he can be considered a starting Wallaby, and Giteau doesn't even play halfback! Clearly, Gregan is the only smart choice with Whitakker's retirement from international rugby.

But Gregan will earn his spot this year, this I can promise you.

The best halfback we have won't play in the WC! And that bloke is Whittaker! Gregan takes so long passing the ball that I can have a coffee by the time he passes it to Larkham! By the way why shouldn't Giteau be considered for the no9 becuase he aint going to be at 12 or 13 in the starting lineup becuase he is too small for starters. Turuni has the 13, Johanson has to be close to sealing the 12 with a solid year. Giteau will struggle to get a starting spot unless he can play halfback!

Henjak was a lot better than Gregan on the European tour, so he deserves first crack. Now I am from Queensland so I may have a bit of bias towards Valentine but what we are missing is a bit of muscle and a bit of niggle! Good halfbacks do this. Valentine is known to be a pest on the field. He may not be ready yet but he could be at the end of the super 14.

 

[skeepe]

Turinui has the 13 sewn up? How? He was AWFUL! Did you watch any of the European tour matches, or just read what the Sydney media told you?

 

[lockyno1]

Turinui has the 13 sewn up? How? He was AWFUL! Did you watch any of the European tour matches, or just read what the Sydney media told you?

Turinui was reasonable. I thought he did his job well but he had no service from halfback or five-eigth really. His defence was okay but he made a few errors. He is young and is probally the best 13 we have. Mortlock gets injured every game so there is no point putting him there. Rogers is good in attack but can't defend! Morgan basically has the position!

 

[skeepe]

Mortlock gets injured every game so there is no point putting him there. Rogers

:lol:

Funniest thing I've heard all year. Let's not put our best #13 in the #13 position because there's a chance he just might get injured. You don't support NZ do you?

 

[lockyno1]

:lol:

Funniest thing I've heard all year. Let's not put our best #13 in the #13 position because there's a chance he just might get injured. You don't support NZ do you?

Mortlock has done both knees, ankle, shoulder, etc. He is one of the more injury-prone players in Australia. Didn't he get injured again a few weeks ago! It's bad having players in your starting 15 that are likely to miss tests due to injury. The person I think is the best 13 is Rathbone BUT that is not saying he will get the job. Turnui will becuase he has a bit more experience in that position.

 

[blackfriday]

surely theres enough time to make lote a decent outside centre - imagine him and johannson running around midfield beating up smaller opposition backs!

 

[aussies1st]

I wouldn't mind Lote at outside center. In test matches I just didn't see Turini do much. For NSW you could see he was a very solid player and appeared quicker than he looked. But for the Wallabies he went MIA but the forward pack can take blame for part of that.

 

[lockyno1]

surely theres enough time to make lote a decent outside centre - imagine him and johannson running around midfield beating up smaller opposition backs!

Problem with lote is that he does not pass! He needs to pass a bit to be an outside centre!

 

[Iafeta]

We have better options than Gregan! My side would have either Henjak or Valentine as the no9, or Giteau. I have no problems with Gregan being in the squad, but it is time to move on to a younger starting no9. Even if it means 50 mins of Henjak/Valentine/Giteau and then 30 of Gregan till the others can play a full 80 of test football then it is fine! I just don't want Gregan in the starting side, Simple.

Giteau? Matt friggen Giteau? He's a second five or first five. Why not put Al Baxter in there?

Valentine is a below average Super 12 halfback. Nothing special.

Henjak hasn't shown me enough sitting on the bench catching splinters behind Gregan at state level.

The time for "younger" players is after the World Cup IMO. Just to refresh your mind, the World Cup is only one year away and probably not too hard a road to run for a 118 capped halfback.

 

[Iafeta]

Furthermore Locky, while its easy to attribute slow ball to the halves, I'd take a look at your Hamburglers up front. Obese, unfit, poor technique, slow around the track would be some terms to describe your collective propping group. If you ain't going forward, or at least achieving parity, the guys behind you are futile. Even George Smith looks pedestrian of late playing behind these out of shape, poorly trained rhinos.

 

[skeepe]

Spot on Iafeta. What amazes me is that the hatred of Gregan is so ingrained in some Australians (mainly New South Welshman, but that's more to do with the NSW/ACT rivalry) that they can't see that, whether they like it or not, he's pretty much the only choice we have at the moment and he's not playing bad rugby either.

Yet whenever I speak to someone overseas, or read comments made by overseas players, coaches etc, they all say that Gregan is still one of the best halfbacks in world rugby. Only in NSW is he considered past it.

To the anti-Gregan crew: how is Gregan or any other halfback supposed to get quick ball to the backs when the forwards have not done their job and presented the ball properly or quickly? If any part of the Australian team needs a shake-up, it's the forwards. Baxter and Dunning need to be put out to pasture. It's just a shame Darwin had to retire prematurely... his partnership with Young, while not the best in the world, at least managed to hold its own in the scrums.

 

[ThrashViking]

Gregan will go down as one of the greatest halfbacks ever, he's always lifted against New Zealand & has turned many a game around.
Australia's problems is in the front row, they've had no forward momentem in the past 12 months. How do you expect Gregan to get fast ball out to the backline with a front row that would struggle to make the Wairarapa Bush Colts Side? He cant. Smith & Waugh also struggled and looked pedestrian in the european tour.
Locky, leave the hall.

 

[Iafeta]

Dead right Thrash Viking, I know a few of my old Wairarapa Bush mates would celevate at the prospect of scrummaging against the Wallabies front row.

The worst front 3 in world rugby currently belongs to Australia. Its not even up to the riggors of NPC 3rd division rugby.

Anyone who believes its easy to snap the ball out to the backline behind that is kidding themselves and does not understand the fundamentals of rugby union. Even a good, long quick passer would struggle behind it. Gregan isn't in his career best form, but he's the best the Australians have long term particularly in leiu of the fact Whittaker won't be around in 2007. He's been a world class servant of Australian rugby being made to look foolish by fools who don't understand you can't deliver to a backline when you're being shunted back yourself. Just ask the ABs of a few years ago, it didn't matter they had Cullen, Wilson and Lomu as the back three, they hardly saw the ball in good space at times because they were being shunted backwards up front. Nowadays, the ABs success IMO doesn't begin at Richie McCaw, or Piri Weepu, or Dan Carter, or Joe Rockocoko, as good as they all are they are standing behind Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman, awesome scrummagers, and damn good all-round the paddock prop fields, arguably the best in their respective positions.

 

[lockyno1]

Dead right Thrash Viking, I know a few of my old Wairarapa Bush mates would celevate at the prospect of scrummaging against the Wallabies front row.

The worst front 3 in world rugby currently belongs to Australia. Its not even up to the riggors of NPC 3rd division rugby.

Anyone who believes its easy to snap the ball out to the backline behind that is kidding themselves and does not understand the fundamentals of rugby union. Even a good, long quick passer would struggle behind it. Gregan isn't in his career best form, but he's the best the Australians have long term particularly in leiu of the fact Whittaker won't be around in 2007. He's been a world class servant of Australian rugby being made to look foolish by fools who don't understand you can't deliver to a backline when you're being shunted back yourself. Just ask the ABs of a few years ago, it didn't matter they had Cullen, Wilson and Lomu as the back three, they hardly saw the ball in good space at times because they were being shunted backwards up front. Nowadays, the ABs success IMO doesn't begin at Richie McCaw, or Piri Weepu, or Dan Carter, or Joe Rockocoko, as good as they all are they are standing behind Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman, awesome scrummagers, and damn good all-round the paddock prop fields, arguably the best in their respective positions.

Whittaker seemed to get it out quicker than Gregan (and I am not from NSW). He may not have played all that well in general play but his passing was a lot quicker. Look I am not saying for him to be dropped altogether but I would like someone else tried as the starting no9. Have Gregan on the bench by all means.