Go the wallabies!

Too true. Looks like the Aust euphoria won't last long. 14-7 NZ way now

They did

Al,
You are so right.
My lounge room will neve be the same. The lounge, wall unit and door jamb can't scrummage for chit!!
My daughters don't get it. They say the Wallabies can't hear me. Be buggered, I'm sure everyone in New Zealand knows how I feel!!

At least Knuckles Connelly is keen on the spine Rod MacQueen believed the team needed!

Geoff.

hahahahahaha Geoff. I'm sitting here with a head cold so getting worked up about it just makes things worse :))) I was looking forward to "knuckles" introducing a bit of mongrel into the team but looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer.

Most of our forwards looked like they could do with another 50 or so laps around the oval to get rid of the 'padding' they seem to be carrying.

What I am surprised about is we still concentrate on that old 'new' tactic of passing as far as Larkham and then turning the ball inside LOL It works for us about once every 10 years when the opposition gets bored :))))))))))

Al,
Turning it in or running back in is a good tactic in Rugby once you've run out of options and only when you've run out of options, that's where the cavalry live, the forwards.
There are about 10 to 20 scrums per test match.
I was once coached by an old Wallabies selector, player and coach who's idea was about 10 to 20 scrums per game equals 70 scrums per training session. We did the lot along with rucking, mauling and linouts. At the end of the session we did rolling mauls! After that we minced around with the comic readers to make sure they knew what the game plan was!
Be buggered I was fit in those days!!

As you can tell I'm very bleep with the Wallabies, I'm waiting for Knuckles to put back what the team needs!!

Geoff.

PS, Just had an idea, Tommy Raudonikis is available for sport psychology!!

Geoff ,

As a former breakaway , I also cry , seeing our scrum being pushed all over the park . We need props with authority.They breed them by the ton in SA and NZ , but we can't produce two .

The team cannot win while the scrum is going backwards .

My family will not stay in the room with me when we play a test . I rant and rage , I dodge and weave , I abuse the ref - all that good stuff .

Cheers ,

Willie .

LOL it looks like a padded room with a TV if we three get together to watch one of these games hahahahaha

ps I think Tommy would drive those forwards a lot harder than wee Georgie does :)))

Now that would be fun, I'll get may mate Mal down from Grafton and what a foursome!
His family go out when the Wallabies are playing!

Yes Willie, I don't get how in SA and NZ test quality props grow on tree's. Hardest part is it takes decades to get the store of rat cunning needed to play at the top levels.
Propping is about 10% Strength, 70% Technique and about 20% Sheer Pig Headedness, Rat Cunning and Bush Nouse.

Geoff.

Could be worse, could be Aussie Rules

Hahahahaha I agree with both of you :))))

It's not silly - it's about field position, the idea being to play the game at the right end of the field. A couple of reasons, any penalties against your team are not going to be converted, secondly, its about pressure, whether you have the ball in hand or not ie. pressure for a mistake from the opposition and then you are in a position to attack the line. It's not about contesting the ball anymore, its about pressure positioning to capitalise on any opportunities.

Moggs,

Read the post again. You can't exert pressure if none of your teammates are anywhere near the opposition when they receive the ball.

Moggs,

My apologies if the above reply seemed sharp or abrasive. It definitely was'nt meant to be harsh.

Well Moggs, At a scrum - you contest the ball, a lineout - you contest the ball, You judge the kick out at a kick off so that you contest the ball, rucks & mauls - you contest the ball. So,...why kick it away? You have much more chance of causing a mistake to be made under pressure if you ....wait for it ....contest the ball :-))

Not harsh Al :-)

Sorry, wasn't very clear - yes, you contest the ball, but the idea is to do it in the oppositions 22 if at all possible. It isn't kicking it away, it is making the opposition play in their own quarter. Of course you contest the ball wherever it is, but the kicking game is designed to make it happen at the right end :)

And Al, agreed - it is no good kicking possesion away if there are no chasers - but that is rarely the case in the modern game IMO.

Doesn't matter, we got well and truly beaten. It's ok though, the wallabies are building towards the WC next year whereas the Kiwis are doing their usual 'peak' 1 year early! LOL

hehehehe you could be right about the Kiwis Moggs. It really peeeeeeeses them off :)))))) We've still got plenty of time to iron out the wrinkles. We did'nt exactly have the best props in the world in '99 either.

Yeah but we have nicer hand bags then you do - nah nah ne nah nah

hahahahaha no argument from me Kiwi Kia. Maybe JC should have taken his onto the field as a 'blind' :)))))))))