Rugby - Truck and Trailer!

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Originally posted by Tamerlin

And I don't like Mr White neither!

Is there one you do like? Mmmm. Obviously the one who gives les grenouilles 25 undeserved penalties in a match.

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Originally posted by Havak

I see Giteau is the current Aussie kicker - does that mean Flatley (not in the 22) is injured? Even that Rob Andrew fan boy Matt Burke took the late pot shots against the Boks because Giteau has a 50/50 average I'm told?

Flatley still isn't back from the broken arm he sustained in S12, though he's not far away, apparently. Where he slots into the team now is a different matter. Giteau has just about made inside centre his own and his field kicking is superior to Larkham's. Giteau is Flatley with more speed, more skills, and superior field kicking.

With Burke not starting, Joe Roff was kicking before he was injured. With Roff out, and Burke still not starting, we're getting down to third and fourth choice. Giteau kicks for his club but Roff kicks for the Brumbies. The only other potential kicker in the team is Mortlock, but he hasn't kicked for eons. Burke did come on and pot the crucial - and far from easy - penalty late in the match last week. Giteau can kick much better than he did last week. Basically, we're stuck with what we've got, but plans need to be put in place now for when Roff departs next season.

[LDiCesare]

Is there one you do like?

Indeed... I'll give 10 civgold to anyone who said something which was not negative about a referee in one of these threads. Irony will be spotted. (I think I could make it all my civgold, I wouldn't get out poorer).
(And I don't bet cause I can't see the games )

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Originally posted by LDiCesare

Indeed... I'll give 10 civgold to anyone who said something which was not negative about a referee in one of these threads. Irony will be spotted. (I think I could make it all my civgold, I wouldn't get out poorer).

You'd make trillions!

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Wallabies 23 -d- All Blacks 18

Well, well. The only thing G. Henry learned from last week's Wallabies -v- Boks match was to try to copy the Boks' rushing, offside defence. Except the Boks do it with a touch of finesse. The All Blacks' blatant, often deliberate offside earned them the yellow card they deserved. There could have been more.

Anyway, the match never reached great technical heights, in fact it was error-ridden, but Bledisloe matches can be like that. Carlos was, once again, exposed, and finished up on the bench. While our pack suffered some pushing around, the forwards outplayed the oppo's - N. Sharpe had another fine game around the paddock, A. Willliams did next to nothing except get carded, J. Harrison niggled C. Jack out of the game - and I thought our back row gave the All Blacks' a lesson in effectiveness. How they miss Richie McCaw. And Keith Robinson, who wouldn't have taken what J. Harrison was handing out. Our backline received better service and was much more threatening. Frankly, we had opportunities to win by quite a bit more, frustrated by some poor decision making on our part and some mighty All Black defence.

J. Kaplan? At his inconsistent, pedantic, rattled best. He gets rattled. I've seen it happen before. He was quite right to card the ABs for deliberate offside - he could have picked any number of offenders - but he, too often, loses the plot. His decisions on length of advantage seem to be entirely arbitrary, and his decision to reverse the penalty against Gregan was ludicrous. A skipper is entitled to talk to a ref. Gregan pointed out, politely, that Carlos was deliberately offside, that it was the third or fourth time the ABs had done it, and he was pinged for "back chat". Kaplan lost the plot.

[LDiCesare]

Since refs seem so well appreciated, I suggest you look at this site and its quiz: http://www.learnrugbylaws.com
It's quite interesting.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar

Is there one you do like? Mmmm. Obviously the one who gives les grenouilles 25 undeserved penalties in a match.

Mr Roland is good as far as I am concerned. I liked Mr Joël Dumé but he is retired now.

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Originally posted by LDiCesare
Since refs seem so well appreciated, I suggest you look at this site and its quiz: http://www.learnrugbylaws.com
It's quite interesting.

Yes it is. Unfortunately, the questions and answers are badly worded. It's arguable that question 2 can be answered both (a) and (c).

Although I've just checked back at the site. The questions come in a random order. My question 2 related to what constituted a knock on.

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Originally posted by Tamerlin


Mr Roland is good as far as I am concerned.

The Irish grenouille? He was dreadful two weeks ago.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar


The Irish grenouille? He was dreadful two weeks ago.

The conditions were dreadful themselves...

[Caligastia]

Well done Australia.

I really thought Henry should have brought Mehrtens on a lot sooner. How soon before the NZ public start to feel a case of buyer's remorse? I'm not sure Henry will make it to the next world cup.

With NZ and Australia both on 9 3N points the winner will be the one who beats SA by the most. But then again, SA could still take it if they win both games with a bonus point and deprive the other two teams of any.

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Originally posted by Tamerlin


The conditions were dreadful themselves...

I blame the ref for the conditons too!

Sad news over there this morning. The former skipper shooting his wife?

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Originally posted by Caligastia
Well done Australia.

I really thought Henry should have brought Mehrtens on a lot sooner. How soon before the NZ public start to feel a case of buyer's remorse? I'm not sure Henry will make it to the next world cup.

Mehrtens had a good half an hour on the field. He didn't achieve much, and the way G. Henry is employing his flat backline, I don't think there was much he could achieve. Amongst other problems, I don't think G. Henry properly understands the use of a flat backline. You need a lot of deception and variation to make it work because, almost by definition, the backs are virtually flat-footed when they receive the ball. Even dynamic passing leaves them easy targets for an aggressing defence because, standing so flat, they're almost in the defenders' faces. Which is deception and variation are so important. You have to confuse the defence to create the openings. It might even be hypothothised that defences are so fit and so well-drilled these days that flat backlines are a thing of the past. Ultimately, though, I think playing so flat works against the ABs' back three's greatest asset - their speed and ability to pick angles.

With NZ and Australia both on 9 3N points the winner will be the one who beats SA by the most. But then again, SA could still take it if they win both games with a bonus point and deprive the other two teams of any.

Yes, it's set up for a terrific final round of matches. Can the Wallabies overcome their South African hoodoo? We've won only once over there in many outings. G. Henry desperately needs McCaw and Robinson back, and, perhaps more importantly, to sort out his backline problems. If I were him, I'd toss out the flat approach and give his back three what they most enjoy - space to utilise their speed and angles. If the Boks can better coordinate their backs and forwards, I can see them pinching the thing out from under everyone's noses.

[Havak]

With all this talk of referees can I point out that it was Chris White’s report from the touch line that got Ali Williams sent to the bin. An English conspiracy?

Then again – 2 tries in three games – the ABs are the new England!!!

It was actually a thoroughly enjoyable game. I watched every minute of it. two things sprang out at me – one is that Carlos should be a very worried man this week. His discipline could have cost NZ a lot more if Kaplan had been harsher on the offsides but also his actual positioning at times was awry – he often went AWOL as what you southern guys would call ‘first receiver’.

The second thing that struck me was how often the AB defensive line was onside. Was it once or twice? I read a great deal of commentary last week from the AB camp on how they had only scored two tries in two tests because the opposition defences were coming at them from offside positions – I would have to say I think they learnt from the experience as it is precisely what they did on Saturday. Kaplan seemed fairly pedantic at times and certainly made the game stutter with his very non-SH take on advantage but he could have been a lot harsher on the ABs – I think I counted four warnings before Williams was carded?

I have to admit I also enjoyed the handbags between Carlos and Larkham – and Plank and both of the AB locks. I love watching Harrison – a real nice guy off the pitch but very little self control on it – he is always getting dragged into niggle. I think Chris Jack should shave – he was far more effective without that beard.

I’m not sure that I have ever seen a ref reverse a decision before simply because a skipper approached him about the offence the opposition had committed to point out it was not the first time. A very harsh call by Kaplan.

I guess it has to be advantage Wallabies now – they will go into that last game knowing exactly what they need to do. As for the ABs I think it has to be plan B time – and the ‘acid test’ for Henry is upon us?

Interestingly I wrote the above before reading Finbars match report – I am sure it must worry him that I also picked a few of his points out?

*cough* Try this as the Havak defence: a lucky win is turned into something it isn't.

I don’t understand – I have never played up lucky wins. You must have realised that in June when I didn’t play up those three lucky wins over England?

The fact that you've put your hard-earned on it should worry G. Henry enormously!

I’m still in shock that I picked the ‘right horse for once!

Giteau is Flatley with more speed, more skills, and superior field kicking.

Some of the handling on Saturday was very impressive that’s for sure – and this lad also has terrific acceleration – it certainly catches defenders out at times.

With Roff and Burke both history after this season it may give Flatley the lifeline he needs. Can he cover fullback I wonder?

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Originally posted by Havak
With all this talk of referees can I point out that it was Chris White’s report from the touch line that got Ali Williams sent to the bin. An English conspiracy?

Presumably Kaplan hadn't seen Williams offside. His lock mate was right beside him a mile offside! Then again, Kaplan let them get away with murder most of the night!

It was actually a thoroughly enjoyable game. I watched every minute of it. two things sprang out at me – one is that Carlos should be a very worried man this week. His discipline could have cost NZ a lot more if Kaplan had been harsher on the offsides but also his actual positioning at times was awry – he often went AWOL as what you southern guys would call ‘first receiver’.

I think he's lost a lot of confidence. His dud restart that didn't go the ten was symptomatic.

The second thing that struck me was how often the AB defensive line was onside. Was it once or twice? I read a great deal of commentary last week from the AB camp on how they had only scored two tries in two tests because the opposition defences were coming at them from offside positions – I would have to say I think they learnt from the experience as it is precisely what they did on Saturday. Kaplan seemed fairly pedantic at times and certainly made the game stutter with his very non-SH take on advantage but he could have been a lot harsher on the ABs – I think I counted four warnings before Williams was carded?

A clumsy attempt to emulate the Boks. At times, I could've sworn they were coached to be deliberately offside. Why?, I can't imagine.

have to admit I also enjoyed the handbags between Carlos and Larkham – and Plank and both of the AB locks. I love watching Harrison – a real nice guy off the pitch but very little self control on it – he is always getting dragged into niggle. I think Chris Jack should shave – he was far more effective without that beard.

Watch it again. Plank went out there to niggle Jack all night, to distract him. Jack ended up complaining to the ref!

I’m not sure that I have ever seen a ref reverse a decision before simply because a skipper approached him about the offence the opposition had committed to point out it was not the first time. A very harsh call by Kaplan.

It was a stupid decision. Kaplan gets rattled, loses the plot. I've seen it before. And his approach to advantage was unfathomable.

Interestingly I wrote the above before reading Finbars match report – I am sure it must worry him that I also picked a few of his points out?

It was all screamingly achingly obvious! But I was pleased to see N. Sharpe do it two weeks in a row. Very strong game again.

But what do you make of this AB obsession with the ultra-flat backline? Why? Why start speedsters flat-footed?

I don’t understand – I have never played up lucky wins. You must have realised that in June when I didn’t play up those three lucky wins over England?

I believe there's an outside chance I might have been recalling a non-try at Twickenham a couple of years ago.

Some of the handling on Saturday was very impressive that’s for sure – and this lad also has terrific acceleration – it certainly catches defenders out at times.

He's Larkham replacement when Larkham finally calls it quits. Very, very talented, and barely 21. He's the one who made the terribly nervous debut at Twickenham two years ago. Eddie picked him to tour before he'd played S12.

With Roff and Burke both history after this season it may give Flatley the lifeline he needs. Can he cover fullback I wonder?

I think he's only ever played a bit of 9, mainly 10 and 12. I think he'll stay a back-up 10 and 12. There are a couple of younger, specialist fullbacks coming through. Without Flatley, and without Roff and Burke, our problem will be a reliable goal kicker.