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Official Rugby Thread
- Thread starter KennyD
- Start date
Pretentious, how?
Hurricane
Hall of Fame Member
He's having a lend.
Really? ?? Lol
Hurricane
Hall of Fame Member
Ripper respects the All Blacks as far as I know. Probably doesn't like rabid AB fans which luckily we don't have any of on this site. Such fans have hurt the AB brand with overseas fans.
"We're the number 1 team etc etc"
James
Cricket Web Owner
Definitely agree with this. He was outstanding. I just hope he doesn't get pushed out when SBW returns next year.
hendrix
Hall of Fame Member
We briefly had Rene Ranger, who was better than any of Kahui, Fekitoa or SBW.
ripper868
International Coach
Frost - I've got plenty of time for The AB's and love the way they play their rugby and the intensity they bring to every contest, whether that be against Australia, England, South Africa or the Padstow U11's. The rabid supporters (of any team really) that insist on booing/harassing players is indeed what I dislike - see New Zealand Media on Quade Cooper in 2011 for best example, some of the carry on from then has continued to flow even now to the point where NZ commentators are mentioning how embarrassing it is (see Reds games in NZ in 2013/14). Happy to admit I'm a Quade fan and know the guy semi-personally so can vouch that he is indeed not the second coming of Christ, but nor is he the manifestation of Diablo himself that the NZ media wanted everyone to believe.
To the Rugby:
The French series for me showed many things, the glaring ones for me were:
Bernard Foley is capable but not a dominant #10. He never seemed to control his outside backs or direct play terribly well. Perhaps shifting Toomua to 10 for the third test would have been nice for a look.
Nic White is a good #9 but a little to focused on being an angry little man as opposed to actually playing half back and directing the forwards. Phipps is ****house, despite his tap and go try which was a nice sneaky #9 try.
Horwill will be a bench player the rest of his wallaby career unless he turns it around quicksmart. Skelton, Jones, Carter, Simmons all in front of him for mine. It hurts me to say that.
Hooper is brilliant in the loose. I'd like to see him doing more of the classic #7 work with pilfers but it appears his role has been defined as chase everything, run everything, tackle everything and let the other lads worry about the breakdown. Could work well in tandem with a certain bloke called Pocock (remember him? He'll be good for the World Cup).
While we dominated this series, the Frogs looked about as scary as Miranda Kerr in a boxing ring. The All Blacks, Boks and Argies will be tougher, more physical and probably roll us if we play with the same lack of direction we had at times against the French.
My (Wallaby) team for bledisloe 1:
1. Slipper
2. TAF
3. Kepu
4. Skelton
5. Simmons
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Palu
9. White (assuming Genia out with ankle)
10. Toomua
12. Beale or McCabe - depending on how we want to play.
13. Kuridrani
11. Cummins
14, AAC (prefer at 13 but no other wingers available)
15. Folau
Hard on Foley but I just don't think he's at test standard.
To the Rugby:
The French series for me showed many things, the glaring ones for me were:
Bernard Foley is capable but not a dominant #10. He never seemed to control his outside backs or direct play terribly well. Perhaps shifting Toomua to 10 for the third test would have been nice for a look.
Nic White is a good #9 but a little to focused on being an angry little man as opposed to actually playing half back and directing the forwards. Phipps is ****house, despite his tap and go try which was a nice sneaky #9 try.
Horwill will be a bench player the rest of his wallaby career unless he turns it around quicksmart. Skelton, Jones, Carter, Simmons all in front of him for mine. It hurts me to say that.
Hooper is brilliant in the loose. I'd like to see him doing more of the classic #7 work with pilfers but it appears his role has been defined as chase everything, run everything, tackle everything and let the other lads worry about the breakdown. Could work well in tandem with a certain bloke called Pocock (remember him? He'll be good for the World Cup).
While we dominated this series, the Frogs looked about as scary as Miranda Kerr in a boxing ring. The All Blacks, Boks and Argies will be tougher, more physical and probably roll us if we play with the same lack of direction we had at times against the French.
My (Wallaby) team for bledisloe 1:
1. Slipper
2. TAF
3. Kepu
4. Skelton
5. Simmons
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Palu
9. White (assuming Genia out with ankle)
10. Toomua
12. Beale or McCabe - depending on how we want to play.
13. Kuridrani
11. Cummins
14, AAC (prefer at 13 but no other wingers available)
15. Folau
Hard on Foley but I just don't think he's at test standard.
Hurricane
Hall of Fame Member
I don't know what I think of not playing a specialist 6. You will definitely be giving up some size and weight in the pack and if you do that your number 8 and your 4 and 5 will have to be big mother****ers to compensate. And your number 8 will have to be a lineout option.
Last edited:
dermo
International Vice-Captain
agreed, hoopers ability to bend the line and his work as a link man is far more valuable to the team than the 1 extra pilfer pocock brings.
regardless we have pick one or the other because skelton and palu have to be in the side and neither are line out jumpers
Yup I agree, I often cringe with some of our commentators.