TN 7 - Wobblies v Boks - Bloemfontein

[Geeves]

Well half an axe has been taken to the woeful wallabies with 3 forwards demoted to the bench.  Out of the squad would have been my preference for Brown and Mumm and lets face it the promotion of Chisholm instead of Rob Simmons (who didn't make the bench) doesn't fill me with confidence.  Moore starts instead of Faingaa who did not have his best game this season but the kid is worth preserving with.  I'm looking forward to seeing what McCalman can do but the injury to Higgenbotham is just plain annoying as I would prefer to see him in action.  Although part of me is betting that Elsom had something to do with the injury. Elsom does not fill me with confidence as a leader. 

The backs are not tinkered with now WTF it must be the first time this year that the same backline runs out 2 weeks in a row.  What is going on?

Which wallaby team will turn up? For some reason I'm expecting a loss so therefore they may actually flog them this week.  But that would show consistency in their inconsistency so it could then be a loss, or are they just tricking me.  then again that would assume they had a brain.

Australia: Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Ben McCalman, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (capt), Nathan Sharpe, Mark Chisholm, Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson. Res: Saia Faingaa, James Slipper, Dean Mumm, Richard Brown, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Anthony Faingaa.

South Africa: Francois Steyn, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (capt), Gurthro Steenkamp. Res: Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Juan de Jongh, Gio Aplon

[DH]

Its funny just how important that tight 5 is even now in modern professional rugby union. Its always been the case in the game, but with players getting more mobile etc, their was that idea that players will end up looking like league players (i.e all the same - similar heights & weights).

You still need a strong scrum, tall locks etc etc

If the Wallabies were able to get that right, all the other problems would go away.

cheers
DH

[Geeves]

If the Wallabies were able to get that right, all the other problems would go away.

cheers
DH

Well yes the bulk of the pack are injured but I still don't believe that will make all the other problems go away.  If you go back to Macqueen's day the team always looked as it had a "get out of jail" card up its sleeve.  There was a sense of composure, skill, intellect and self belief that is not evident in this side.  It had leaders and trust its members to deliver something special when the game was on the knife edge.  Moore often than not they pulled out the magic card and got away with a last minute win.

This mob don't have it in fact they appear to have a "confidence dissolves" or "go to jail" card shoved up their clacker so that when pressure is on they buckle.  Hell I used to make fun about the AB's going to butter when the heat was on but now the wallabies have it.   For those that know the BBC show Coupling the wallabies confidence can be linked to the melty man issue.  The more they think about confidence the more likely it will fail.

[JJ]

I think if we get a new coach our problems might, if not go away, at least be manageable. Lets face it Geeves we are never in the forseeable future going to have the depth or social mix in rugby to match our trination rivals. What we need from the tight five is something approaching parity.
However none of this matters a tuppenny f--k if the coaching staff can't properly manage the limited playing staff, nor it seems instill some feeling of accountability into the team culture & satnite stuffed by the loss of a game that should have been won.
There was quite a long & well argued response on the G&Grugby site this week about how Deans & his team had missed virtually very KPI over the past 3 years. Probably best summed up by another poster that simply said only (1) one KPI matters now - either win the next 2 trination matches or Fuck off!! I can't see the kiwis putting up with this sort of coaching crap for 3 years. The Wallaby image is turning to crap before our eyes - if this keeps up the only people in the stands will be family & friends & there won't be many of them.
 Where's the missing LINK?? 
                                               jj

[Hamish]

There was quite a long & well argued response on the G&Grugby site this week about how Deans & his team had missed virtually very KPI over the past 3 years. Probably best summed up by another poster that simply said only (1) one KPI matters now - either win the next 2 trination matches or Fuck off!! I can't see the kiwis putting up with this sort of coaching crap for 3 years. The Wallaby image is turning to crap before our eyes - if this keeps up the only people in the stands will be family & friends & there won't be many of them.
 Where's the missing LINK?? 
                                               jj

The Master Plan is progressing as hoped...........I wonder how much the NZRU is paying Robbie for his services to NZ rugby.....

[Geeves]

There was quite a long & well argued response on the G&Grugby site this week about how Deans & his team had missed virtually very KPI over the past 3 years. Probably best summed up by another poster that simply said only (1) one KPI matters now - either win the next 2 trination matches or Fuck off!! I can't see the kiwis putting up with this sort of coaching crap for 3 years. The Wallaby image is turning to crap before our eyes - if this keeps up the only people in the stands will be family & friends & there won't be many of them.
 Where's the missing LINK?? 
                                               jj

The Master Plan is progressing as hoped...........I wonder how much the NZRU is paying Robbie for his services to NZ rugby.....

Hey Possumhead that reminds me did we ever pay that bloke off the clean stadium mistake?

[JJ]

Perhaps Robbie reads this site!!! Anyway he got game 1 done & dusted (just)!

Disturbed to hear the news re earthquake sunday morning. I hope all our posters & family & friends are ok. Did Jade or Lancaster Pk or whatever its called these days come thru unscathed? I know possumhead & the ARU would be happy to help out by partnering if needed.
                                                        jj
 

[Geeves]

That was an annoying game. 

Wallaby clinical attack with lapses in defence, structure and commitment, while SA got smart and changed their tactics.

A fundamental question has to be asked after that game.  After such a commanding start and full on attack in the opening 25 when 4 tries were scored and leading 31 to 13.  Why the hell to they then in effect decide to preserve the lead by failing to control possession for long phases of the game.  The major highlight in the second half for me was Beale getting smacked in the head by the ball.

They still need to learn to control a game.  Yes its impossible to control a whole game but getting shut out of the game by the opposition for a long extended phase or phases is just not on.  Having the ability to minimise the time that the opposition is dictating terms is still something that these players have not shown me.

[JJ]

Well I think their lack of control comes from a lack of faith in themselves & the the team. I also think its understandable. Whenever I played in a side that wasn't confident in the scrum or the lineout we were always looking to lock it down as soon as we could get reasonable points ahead. I think particularly in the case of the Boks & ABs there's a feeling within this current side that they aren't quite up to the opposition in the physical contest. This results in them kicking the pill away to gain field position before they get bashed up & turn it over. The team IMO badly needs a couple of (big) hardmen to do some "sorting out" when it starts to get tough.

I guess it gets down to a mind set - we've almost always produced plenty of what was on display on satnite - but getting that hard & mean tight 5 has always be difficult. One of the things I like about Link is his skill in developing those skills in what often seem nice mild mannered individuals before he gets into their heads (2010 Reds pack). This is not to say we aren't improving since I believe we are but not fast enough & not much at all in the key area mentioned above.

If we don't change Robbie then I think Ewan could be bought in to at least get some steel into the forwards & perhaps we could have a specialist defensive coach to complete the picture.
                                                    jj

[BallBoy]

What a campaign from the Boks  & still P Divvy has no reason to fear being sacked - according to our "administrators" this is not even up for discussion his predecessors had to sweat bullets - for this bloke there are just no repercussions - he just carries on camping.

Not saying replace the oke (personally would not mind) but his public utterances and performance record continues its route down the spiral

[Geeves]

The team IMO badly needs a couple of (big) hardmen to do some "sorting out" when it starts to get tough.

I want Van Humphries in the squad but I think the bugger is still injured. The leadership and spine he puts into the Reds pack can not be underestimated.  When things go to s##t he steps up and tells the side what to do.  The other player I wanted called up was also injured.  Waugh would have provided a calming hardworking influce at 8 instead of Brown.  I think what has annoyed me is the number of injuries to the: front line; old warhorses; and the up and comers.  If we start to list the number of players injured in pack, off the top of my head

Front row: Alexander, TPN, Frier, Weeks (?), Baxter (? still don't see him as long term solution)
Second row: Horwill, Van Humphries, (that young Brumbies lock who was on NH tour),
Loosies: Higgenbotham, Palu, Waugh, 

Damn that is an entire pack of players that would normally be in contention.  If you consider Horwill, TPN, Palu, Van etc provide that missing mongrel.  It is a different team.  But it doesn't excuse the likes of Mumm, Brown, Elsom for not providing the mongrel the side needs.

[Geeves]

What a campaign from the Boks  & still P Divvy has no reason to fear being sacked - according to our "administrators" this is not even up for discussion his predecessors had to sweat bullets - for this bloke there are just no repercussions - he just carries on camping.

Not saying replace the oke (personally would not mind) but his public utterances and performance record continues its route down the spiral

He was an interesting selection in the first place.  I swore the Bulls coach (?) was going to get that gig.  As how he had transformed the Bulls was special. 

I do have to agree that his public utterances are of a concern.  I was under the impression that last year the team effective ran the show anyway and the coach was just a rambling puppet.