The "mobile pack" is because they have no "weight or girth" in their squad or anywhere near it and without it they are going nowhere. Sorry they are about 7/8th team in the world and slipping.
The Lions are, and always will be, a make do and mend team without any real cohesion as they only get together about three weeks before a Test whereas their opposition have had months........in reality, no first class nation should lose to the Lions in the modern game........
well wait a second there is a bunch of combinations from the same team, e.g. this year it was basically all Wales with some England+Ireland garnish. They have one month, some national sides have less before big tournaments (*cough*) and they're hand-picked from 4 elite (or 3.5) nations, or at very least Tier 1 nations.
I vociferously disagree with you, and it's no apprehension, but
no way should first class nations beat the Lions as a given, it's an earned thing each and every time. It's clearly shameful they managed to lose to some Australian domestic team, and in retrospect the Wallabies did incredibly well against the Lions this tour. They honestly should have lost all 3 tests, and by a mile in at least two.
I don't care about the chemistry thing, I fully understand the importance of chemistry, trust me, but George North, Halfpenny, Tuilagi, Adam Jones, Robshaw, are you kidding me ??
As for the Aussies being 8th world wide, it's an interesting comment...not even sure if I can fully disagree, or clearly agree with that....
Yoe, I know that's their culture, but it isn't league...
Compare their pack to how it was only 2-3 years ago.
oh hey, I'm certainly not justifying that bizarre choice. And they've had trouble in the scrum for a looooong time. I can't recall the last 90's match I've seen of the Wallabies, but just 2 days ago I was watching England Australia 2004, the one where Aus. scores a try at the last second to take it 21-19 in Twickers, and England basically stay in the game because they have forwards and Australia can't contain them. There's a penalty try, whether awarded as such or a running maul with individual awarded for it, not sure. And another similar one. Then there's a legit England try, but Australia we can say has had a HISTORY of having to make up for their crappy scrum.
And I know what you mean with your last sentence, but still, THIS is the Wallaby scrum 3 years ago:
only thing is...they had such great backs, back then, they'd actually win these kinds of matches : p (this one clearly included).
A bit of a silly statement really when they have beaten the back to back 6 Nations champions 8 times in a row, beaten England away the last meeting, whilst France finished last in the 6 Nations.
As yet, they've only lost to New Zealand and South Africa. Losing to those two sides doesn't make you 7th/8th in the world. They are still a top 4 side in my opinion, there's no way you can justify putting a side that's finished bottom of the 6 Nations or lost 8 matches in a row against them ahead of them based on these results.
Actually I think Tony *miiiiiight* (might) just have a point. No girth ? Aussies get smashed in France, lost to even Scotland AT HOME, get annihilated at home by NZ then lose there...it's a little exaggerated to say 7th/8th, but beating Wales so many times in a row is perfectly irrelevant to the current plot, we're talking Wallabies the past 2 years max.
But it's true they've shown signs of progressively weakening...since about the RWC or rather right past that. Uncharacteristic losses, and they BARELY got Wales the last 2 times at home. BARELY got past Italy and then Wales in November 2012.
And now they're taking, excuse me, poundings at home against NZ and SA which isn't a shame by any means to anyone. But this is the WALLABIES we're talking about here, and they're clearly, clearly well behind both at this point. They're no longer part of the "Big 3" now.
I don't know how it's possible to have such a mediocre team when it's a wide country with lots and lots of young citizens around the country playing Rugby, maybe they play all those variations (sevens, league, Aussie football or wtvr it's called) too much these days ? Has union lost its predominance in the country ?...anyways.
But with a pro league like Super Rugby, consistently playing greats from SA and NZ...isn't this a little unacceptable they got to this point ?
