Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[Havak]

Anyone who earns that number of caps deserves the respect of every rugby fan. Perhaps not amongst the greatest but no one could question his commitment.

I've seen enough false dawns not to be surpised by anything. A dire kicking fest with the Scots sneaking their first Twickers win in many decades would not surpise me anymore. But I still HOPE they can kick on from it.

The ABs remain the benchmark by some distance.

Australia - watching the Welsh game 'highlights' it seems to me they were very direct. Very un-Australian in how direct they were. I do not like agreeing with the great whale of an ego that is David Campese but it does seem the backs lack threat and that buzzword of the hour - creativity?

As for Wales they simply are not playing the same way that won them the Slam. Hesitant, nervous, direct and back to boshing it up the middle as plan A, B and C?

I'm glad Halpenny seems to be okay. He stood out amongst his team mates this series as actually wanting to get into the game consistently.

[finbar]

The ridiculous injury toll hasn't helped the Wallaby backline this season. McKibbin, the 9 flown over to sit on the bench for the Wales game, was the fifth 9 selected this season. The fourth choice crocked himself against Italy. The third choice - and he's rubbish - has been starting since Genia bunged his knee because the second choice needed a shoulder op. There have been at least four different FBs. AAC has merry-go-rounded - see what I did there? created a verb? - between wing, FB and OC, and I don't know how many different wingers have started.

But that doesn't hide the fact that the Wallaby backline has never functioned as it should under Deans, even with the full complement available. And he's the backs coach. You'll see the occasional organised play from a set-piece but there has never been any freedom, any adventure - the hallmarks of a Wallaby backline. He proposes "playing what's in front of you", which implies freedom, but his tactics have generally been defensive and kick-oriented. The WC saw this at its appalling, self-defeating best. His ongoing love affair with McCabe at IC - a very brave, gutsy player, but a limited bosh artist - is symptomatic. The ball never gets past him. In short, you're never going to see anything like the old Wallabies under Robbie Deans. I'd also go as far as to say that the team has maintained its position in the top 3 in the world largely due to the players' G&D and commitment rather than from anything Deans has done. Sad, really.

For Wales' game plan - the one that took them to the GS - to work, they need to be constantly on the front foot. Otherwise their monster backs are next to useless. Cuthbert, particularly, who is clueless in defence. Leaving aside their naivety in the last minutes of matches, their major problem this season, I think, has been failing to get onto the front foot enough. Phillips is too slow and ponderous, their work at the breakdown is abysmal - the Wallabies turned them over half a dozen times - and their lineout has been a liability. They have all their eggs in one rugby basket and the basket has a hole in it.

Halfpenny has been their only serious contributor. And his bulking up seems not to have affected him in the slightest. Except, perhaps, to make him even braver than before. He knows no fear, often to his own detriment.

[kittenOFchaos]

Australia - watching the Welsh game 'highlights' it seems to me they were very direct. Very un-Australian in how direct they were. I do not like agreeing with the great whale of an ego that is David Campese but it does seem the backs lack threat and that buzzword of the hour - creativity?

Once Genia, O'Connor and Quade Cooper return all will be right with that back-line. The sore-spot for Australia remains the scrum.

[kittenOFchaos]

Okay, the pools for the 2015 RWC...

Pool A: Australia, England, Wales, Oceania 1, play-off winner
Pool B: South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2
Pool C: New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1
Pool D: France, Ireland, Italy, Americas 1, Europe 2

It is daft that the draw is done this far out from the tournament...I'm sure they've their reasons/excuses.

Pool A - The pool of death...Wales often beat England, but always lose to Australia whilst England can beat Australia.... Someone 'big' is going home, probably Wales if they persist with Priestland. Why Gatland has opted to play Priestland despite his massive failings during and since the RWC is beyond me.

Pool B - Scotland can beat Samoa and South Africa...we stand a chance of making it out of the group if the new coach can turn things around. If it was played tomorrow then no doubt Scotland would lose to one of the teams from the Americas (probably Canada) after beating Samoa and then go out on points.

Pool C - Rather boring. New Zealand as per usual have a relatively easy pool which increases of their chances of slipping up when they actually meet some opposition. I think it is safe to say that Argentina will also go through.

Pool D - I'm sure France and Ireland are pleased as Italy isn't quite up to their standard. However, if you are a runner up in this group you probably will face New Zealand in the Quarter Finals. Good luck with that Ireland.

[finbar]

The scrum is less of a problem than it was now that LH Benn Robinson, in particular, is getting back to fitness. They were murdered by France - and won't be the last - and struggled against Italy because a novice ref let Castro do what he liked. Then they dealt with England. It would be nice to think that Genia, O'Connor and co will fix all the backline problems but they won't on their own. Rarely under Robbie Deans have we seen their potential. The tonking of France a couple of years ago would be the exception. He doesn't coach for what you'd call traditional Wallaby backline flair. Sadly.

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Apparently the IRB want the pools decided this far out so that their "business partners" can identify where the bigger teams - hence most supporters - will be based, letting them prepare in advance to fleece said supporters. Buying up all the accommodation, for example.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, if Ireland don't win their group they'll probably face New Zealand. That sounds like quite and incentive to beat France.

[Havak]

It's a bizarre sport, the Aussies did better in the scrum against England than the Kiwis.

"I think they [England] would embrace the opportunity to play in the finest rugby stadium in the world," said WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis.

Absolutely Mr Lewis. That would be Twickenham.

Seriously I would hope even the IRB won't give Wales HOME fixtures against England or Australia.

[finbar]

It's a bizarre sport, the Aussies did better in the scrum against England than the Kiwis.

"I think they [England] would embrace the opportunity to play in the finest rugby stadium in the world," said WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis.

Absolutely Mr Lewis. That would be Twickenham.

Seriously I would hope even the IRB won't give Wales HOME fixtures against England or Australia.

England have already told Wales to stuff off. Good thing too.

As to the Wallabies dealing with the English scrum, a lot of it was down to Marler, whose inexperience showed. He couldn't get away with some of the stuff he gets away with in the Premiership.

Carter won player of the year. Well, for me, the player of the year wasn't even nominated. That handy All Black 8, K. Read. Best 8 on the rugby planet by a way at the moment, methinks.

Robbie Deans is talking about coaching the Wallabies to the next WC. Not if I have any say in it.

[Havak]

He has no idea who he is dealing with there I suspect.

Tend to agree about Read. He is the skipper in waiting for the ABs too I believe?

Interesting about Marler. I have noticed with him that his discipline is shaky, very prone to a bit of handbags.

Whilst England told Wales to stuff off they then rather ungraciously did suggest HQ. I suspect Wembley or similar will be the venue.

[finbar]

Marler's discipline can be shaky, yes, but he just wasn't binding against the Wallabies. His arm was flailing in midair and he was going down. He'll get better though. Corbisiero is a stronger scrummager at the moment, even if he's allowed to get away too much with boring in. He's been to the Castro school of scrummaging. Castro got away with murder for Italy against the Wallabies. A novice Bok ref let him do what he wanted.

Yes, Read is the next AB skipper. Great player. They also missed Kaino this season. Terribly.

[finbar]

As I suspected, Quade Cooper will stay in Oz rugby. The lad isn't the brightest in the world and he, for his sins, has the same manager as SBW, a complete and utter charlatan, a deal-maker whose least interest is the bigger picture of his client's lifetime. The sooner said manager is taken out the back and shot the better. Oz rugby needs Cooper around for many reasons. He's a huge drawcard at S15 level, keeping rugby's profile high in a country where rugby is still very much a minority sport. If he can transfer his form to Test level, so much the better.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/no-quade-escape-cooper-to-stay-in-australian-rugby-20121206-2axx6.html

[Havak]

That has to be a good thing for Oz rugger I agree. France is generally splashing the cash at the moment.

Managers/agents are all out the same mould I think, some just had more s*** poured into the mould?

Castro is a crafty operator for sure. But then most coal face workers will abuse weak refs if they can get away with it?

[finbar]

Some more than others. Italian-speaking Leicester cafe owners, in particular.

[Havak]

He is a fine exponent of the art, I agree.

Treviso visit Welford Road on Sunday, it will be interesting to see how they go.