Erudite Rugby Thread

Great post. I would like to see SA vs some minnow. It would be enjoyae to watch the backline in full flight.

 

I am thrilled with that score line. I felt that the Australians disrepected the Bledisloe cup by not choosing to play their best 15 players in the match.
Pocock has to start, Skelton is not a starting player even if he is a decent reserve, and Cooper hasn't looked capable of playing international rugby for some years. The last point is worth elaborating on. His performance tonight comes as no surprise. Why was he starting when there were a number of other better options available for the ten jersey.


This result will be a set back for australian rugby and I don't understand why they didn't play the same starting 15 as last week. Rotation policies have their place but not in a Bledisloe cup decider unless like I said you simply don't care about the tradition of that cup which is what I am led to believe is the Australian coaching staff's attitude after these decisions.
I am not reacting like this with hindsight glasses on. I said these selection decisions were stupid before the game started some days ago.


Cross posting this from two other sites I contribute to.

 

Ran a foul (how do you write that?) of an australian fan for ripping Cooper to shreds. Still he had no right being selected tonight.

 

I actually followed his play with great interest. I suspect you are just on the wind up though having just probably just returned home after a night out on the lagers (and ales).

His throw ins to the lineouts (8 out of 10) his best night ever. I wanted him to be poor so I could pan him.
His effort in scrums 0 out of 10. I won't give him negative because there were no tight heads, but we got owned in the first scrum of the night and that is the most important hit of the game. We also lost some other scrums.

As for his try. I don't think Colin Slade would have enough gas to score that try, and he certainly wouldn't have the side step that went with it.

Again however he should lose his front rowers card for even scoring that try in the first place. What self respecting front rower side steps anybody? You run right over the top of the fullback. That is how the fatties have done it over the years and should keep doing it.

You just focus on your set piece Dane which is sub standard - and leave the try scoring to people whose job it is.

 

I'll pay that to a degree. But doesn't momentum mean anything to coaches? For the first five minutes of the game tonight Australia owned us. Maybe the first ten minutes. And that was all due to the momentum of winning last week. They rushed up quickly and with enthusiasm to snuff out each surge we made.
They win tonight and they would have had more zeal in their game through out the world cup. Aussie got thrashed tonight and that is never a good thing.

We all knew (apologies again to Australian fan on TSF but you can't read this) that Cooper was garbage what did we accomplish by proving that for the tenth time. We knew that Skelton was a poor starter and is better off the bench. We knew that Pocock needed to start but he didn't.

Work on your combinations australia. Nail your starting 15 and your reserve 7 players. Who gives a toss who the other 18 players you are taking on the plane. Hopefully they won't get called on and if they do then you have lost anyway.

 

Anyone can look good against Namibia - but I am now wanting Cody Taylor to take Dane Coles' spot in the team. He serviced the line out well and scrummaged well.

Will firm up my opinion if he gets a start against better opposition.

 

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I think your lineout normally functions really well anyway - with or without Coles. The scrums are a concern but I don't have much of a clue about them. Woodcock looks past it to me but he may have 3 big games left in him still. Coles is a good player. The only concern with him is that he has a brain explosion. He is always getting involved in a bit of niggle.

 

I am not his biggest fan but to be fair to him he hasn't been involved in argie bargie for about a year. I don't think the ABs are interested in him taking dumb penalties. When you get a talking to from the AB coaching staff you listen. Gone are the days of Grizz Wylie where you would get a punch in the teeth if it looked like you weren't listening and that is not hyperbole, but the general ethos is the same. The coaches don't mince words and have plenty of other players to choose from if you are going to be receptive to messages. He has been learning, not from his own cognition but from some stern words.

I would like to see the scrum with Taylor in it against Georgia I think that would be a real test for him. Like I said you can't really say too much about the scrum since the opposition was Namibia. Certainly the line outs looked good though.

 

Dane Coles today had the ball in the red zone and instead of rumbling it up, he did a chip kick out to the wing. I have now seen it all.