Tri-Nations Game 1

[lockyno1]

Outside centre is a very specialised position you cannot just chuck someone in there who has not played centre in his life to fill in and hopefully do well. It doesn't work. Cross and Adam Ashley-Cooper have more experience in the centres. As for Tuquiri he is in crap form- I didn't even want him in the side, Digby Iaone should have not lost his spot for him but thats another issue. Hewat is not in great form, and he has missed a ridiculous amount of EASY matchwinning kicks this season. No way would I put Hewat in the side on current form, 2-3 years ago maybe not now though too many ahead of him.

 

[Thomas]

Hang on....don't you hate rugby union...or yawnion as you've mentioned it in The Fight Club???

 

[ozbash]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4100506a1823.html

Wallaby Matt Dunning barely had his feet back on Australian soil yesterday before declaring he is desperate to take on the world's top-rated prop, All Blacks tight-head Carl Hayman, in the first Bledisloe Cup clash in Melbourne on Saturday week.


After producing his finest test performance in the Wallabies' 22-19 Tri Nations loss to the Springboks at Cape Town on Saturday, Dunning immediately turned his attention to Hayman. Dunning recognised he "played well" against South Africa in a Wallabies front row that had been dismissed beforehand as "an average Currie Cup front row".

But the once-maligned loose-head was yesterday quick to state that he has much more to offer and would relish the opportunity of taking on Hayman.

"I am just watching tapes now of Carl Hayman because if I get picked for the game in Melbourne he will be the next challenge," Dunning said.

"He is world-class. He is the best. So we will be able to see how good [I am] after that, I guess."

Dunning agreed the challenge stands as the possible hallmark of his 29-cap Test career, especially as he has never started in a test against Hayman.

"I haven't played a lot against him. I have been on the bench mainly when I've played the All Blacks. But I'm under no illusion as to how good he is," he said.

"I just have to work really hard in the next two weeks, just the little technical things of my own that I can work on and hopefully do well against him."

Dunning agreed that his 80-minute performance against the Springboks was his best in the Wallabies strip.

"I think it would have been," he said. "It was the first 80 minutes I have played at first-class level ... maybe since 2005. The last 20 was pretty tiring though."

And while he said there was "still much I can improve on", he was quick to credit the Wallabies coaching staff for their role in his development.

"I still have a lot of improvement to do and sometimes that is harder when you are older because you have more bad habits to break," Dunning said.

"It's mental, too. This year I have had a different outlook on football generally. And I think it is working."

But Dunning admitted the barbs directed at him, Wallabies tight-head Al Baxter and hooker Stephen Moore had helped.

"I read one paper in South Africa that said the Australian side is world-class, but the front row is an average Currie Cup [South Africa's provincial competition] front row," Dunning said.

"So yeah ... I took a bit of motivation from that. I wasn't angry or bitter. But it helped to motivate."

 

[Thomas]

For someone as obese as Dunning...I can't fathom as to how he can get around a football field as fast as he can.

He had a blinder on saturday....was always the first or second man back in defence. Perhaps he's switched from pies to sausage rolls.

 

[lockyno1]

Hang on....don't you hate rugby union...or yawnion as you've mentioned it in The Fight Club???

Don't watch a lot of it, but I watch enough. I do watch the Wallabies matches and the Force's matches though. I hate teams that kick a billion penalty goals but I don't HATE rugby.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

For someone as obese as Dunning...I can't fathom as to how he can get around a football field as fast as he can.

He had a blinder on saturday....was always the first or second man back in defence. Perhaps he's switched from pies to sausage rolls.

To be fair on Dunning he's not as fat as he looks, he's one of those unfortunate chubby-faced types. He's still a bit roly though and he's not a massive bloke for a prop, even if he's improved I think he;s going to get owned by Hayman, who to put it simply is an absolute machine.

 

[Mal Meninga]

Doesn't bode too well for the Saffers I reckon. They won't be able to rely on 50 metre droppies to save their arses when they're playing in the rain at sea level away from home somewhere.

Steyne is a freakish talent and those long drop goals aren't 'rare' for him. Saw him do it plenty of times in S14 away from South Africa, make no mistake this kid is going to be a rugby legend.

 

[Thomas]

Yeah I work with a saffa who used to play with him. Apparently Steyne has been booting them like that since he was 14.

At altitude he once kicked 5 droppies in a row from inside the 40m mark (his own 40m mark) at training.

 

[lockyno1]

Does show why there is a big need to reduce the points for drop goals though. 2 points is more than enough for them.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Does show why there is a big need to reduce the points for drop goals though. 2 points is more than enough for them.

Agreed, I don't like the tactic that SA teams sometimes resort to where the just drop-kick their way to victory. Drop goals should be used to get your nose in front in a deadlocked situation near full-time or in extra-time (ala Wilko in the WC final)

 

[lockyno1]

Agreed, I don't like the tactic that SA teams sometimes resort to where the just drop-kick their way to victory. Drop goals should be used to get your nose in front in a deadlocked situation near full-time or in extra-time (ala Wilko in the WC final)

Spot on!

 

[Mal Meninga]

The points system should be changed rather than "You can only kick them in certain situations." When you've got a bloke like Steyne who can kick it from 50+ out, is there that much of an extra incentive to chance your arm in broken play? Only NZ can truly exploit the counter.

Also another rule which is pissing me off - kicking inside the 22. Why is the sport rewarding a punt out on the full? Oh and scrums, they take up way too much time and rarely deliver a tighthead despite the nature of the 'contest'.

I guess that's why I watch league

 

[Twizzle]

they should drop them back to 2 points

3 points for a drop kick is too much and it may stop the kick-a thon stuff

its not what the crowds want to see

 

[lockyno1]

Exactky Twiz, it honestly shouldn't be..well we can't score tries so lets just bang over drop goals all match. This isn't a go at Steyn but too often we see drop goal-a-thons from South African and European sides to be honest.

 

[Thomas]

Really?

How often do we see drop-goal-athons?

Not that often really. That Steyne kick was pure brilliance. If it hadn't have gone over the Aussies probably would have won the game.

What I would like to see is this:

If an attacking team attempts a drop goal or a penalty outside the 40m mark and it doesn't go over, the defending team gets a scrum from where the kick was taken. That will discourage teams from taking 49m penalty kicks and drop goals.

 

[bayrep]

The points system should be changed rather than "You can only kick them in certain situations." When you've got a bloke like Steyne who can kick it from 50+ out, is there that much of an extra incentive to chance your arm in broken play? Only NZ can truly exploit the counter.

Also another rule which is pissing me off - kicking inside the 22. Why is the sport rewarding a punt out on the full? Oh and scrums, they take up way too much time and rarely deliver a tighthead despite the nature of the 'contest'.

I guess that's why I watch league

I think the new rules they are trialing for rugby in club rugby in Aus and SA have taken out some of the kicking rules i.e not allowed to kick out on the full from the 22 etc, I saw a news item on the trial in Aus and the try count was way up a lot less stoppage etc and the players couldnt stop going on about the flow of the game.

 

[lockyno1]

I like the new rules- better more tries, and much more attacking in the game

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I think the new rules they are trialing for rugby in club rugby in Aus and SA have taken out some of the kicking rules i.e not allowed to kick out on the full from the 22 etc, I saw a news item on the trial in Aus and the try count was way up a lot less stoppage etc and the players couldnt stop going on about the flow of the game.

Yeah the feedback I've heard about it has been very poisitive too. More short-arm penaltiers resulting in quick taps instead of shots at goal, and a much faster game.