Australia v England #2

[TRF_Olyy]

I agree on both points about Hape, there are players who aren't getting game time, then Hape comes along and gets straight in the team.

I also agree about Youngs, when he came on the pick and drive stopped and players started running onto the ball and making ground, only a metre of so, but ground is ground.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Despite how awful England were last saturday I'm still looking forward to the next test.
Because I still expect us to have that dominancei n the scrum, and theres no way our defence can be as bad as last week....(please.....?)

Please please please dontselect Danny care at 9 MJ. my backline would be 9 youngs 10 flood 11ashton 12 tindall 13 waldouck 14 cueto 15 foden

then again I dont think tinkerign with the backline will help untill we can really sort out our training or coachign programmes and mentalities

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Some bad news (again, just for the English) - AAC and Giteau both fit, and Genia is back to full fitness, so will probably start.
So imagine last weeks backs, with an even better FB, SH and inside centre....shite.

 

[Peat]

If you don't want Hape there based on residency qualifications, its probably not a good idea to suggest Brad Barritt as an alternative...

Brad Barritt qualifies for England not through residency, but through nationality; he's a UK passport holder and I assume one of his parents is English born (no idea which off hand and can't find out easily). I have no problem with such players representing England.

I do have a problem with players who qualify through the minimum three years residency playing, particularly when they've already represented another country in Rugby League. I'll grudgingly accept it as its part of the game and there's no point handicapping ourselves but we shouldn't be looking at them before we look at genuine English nationals.

edit: It's a grandparent apparently. Either way, ancestry and passport holding is good enough for me, residence alone isn't.

As for Youngs vs. Care... I like Care, I rate him but England are ruining him. He's in poor form anyway and shouldn't have been our starting scrum-half but Danny should have watched Ben control the forwards, watch him reach the rucks quickly and provide quick service and felt embarassed he wasn't doing the same. Youngs is a far better scrum-half than him at the moment... maybe we should start Care, to stop them ruining Youngs as well.

 

[Muzzy]

Game 2.
Laurie Weeks
Pek Cowan

who the hell are they? and why is them being injured considered a crisis

 

[Wally]

who the hell are they? and why is them being injured considered a crisis

I didn't say those two being injured in isolation was a crisis. I said the number of injuries to the front row stocks throughout the entire Australian squad can be considered a crisis. You can now add Tatafu Palatu-Nau to that list as he has been ruled out for the game this weekend.

This means Wallabies selectors have no alternative but to persevere with their inexperienced Test front row against England on Saturday night. Unless we can totally turn around last week's scrum performance, which is unlikely, game 2 is going to be somewhat of an eyesore. This is due to the fact that England are now going to base their whole game plan around the scrum. They are going to kick for territory. They are going to tighten up, and if last week is anything to go by the Wallabies might not have a chance to run them around.

 

[Wally]

The Qantas Wallabies team to play England in the second Cook Cup Test at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, on Saturday 19 June, 8.05pm kick off [AEST] is:
15. James O'Connor (Western Force)
14. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
13. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
12. Matt Giteau (Brumbies)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
8. Richard Brown (Western Force)
7. David Pocock (Western Force)
6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies, captain)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
3. Salesi Ma'afu (Brumbies)
2. Saia Faingaa (Queensland Reds)
1. Ben Daley (Queensland Reds)

Run On Reserves:
16. Huia Edmonds (Brumbies)
17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
18. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
19. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
20. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
21. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
22. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)

Australia v England – Historical Notes
• This is the 39th Test match between Australia and England. Australia has won 23 and England 14 while the 1997 contest in London resulted in a 15-15 draw.
• Australia has won 14 of the 16 matches played between the two countries on Australian soil.
• Both of England's wins in Australia occurred in the same year – 2003, firstly 25-14 at Melbourne in the Cook Cup Test, and then 20-17 (after extra time) in the Rugby World Cup final at Sydney, five months later. Current England manager, Martin Johnson, was captain in both of those games.
• In winning his 82nd cap, lock Nathan Sharpe will become the seventh most capped Australian player in his own right, moving ahead of Matthew Burke (81).
• Matt Giteau plays his 80th Test match, tying Tim Horan and Stirling Mortlock as the ninth most capped Wallaby player.
• Australia is bidding for four consecutive wins over England for just the second time. Australia won four games against England between 1984 and 1988. The current run is just the third instance of Australia having won three straight against England.
• The three tries Australia scored against England last week in Perth took the team's tally from all Test matches against that nation to 97.
• The two teams compete for the Cook Cup, which was established in 1997. The trophy is named after Captain James Cook and is currently held by Australia.
• Although the links between the countries are undoubtedly close, the intensity of the rivalry between the two is a relatively modern phenomenon. This is evidenced by the fact that only six Tests had been played prior to the 1970s. Australia and England have twice met in Rugby World Cup finals, sharing the spoils one apiece, each having prevailed on the other's home turf.
• Australia has appeared in 26 Tests at the Olympic Stadium in Homebush Bay, winning 21 of them, for an 81% winning ratio. England (once) and New Zealand (four times) are the only visiting teams to have beaten Australia at the ground.
• England was the first visiting Test side to play at ANZ Stadium, playing at the venue the year before the 2000 Olympics, for which the stadium was host.
• Current England manager Martin Johnson led the British & Irish Lions to a 23-29 defeat in the deciding third Test of the 2001 series, but returned to the ground triumphantly two years later, leading England to victory over Australia in extra-time of the 2003 Rugby World Cup final.
• England flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson, who supplied the winning dropped goal in extra time during the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, will this year be appearing at the ground for the first time since that match if he features.
• As well as three previous Tests against Australia at the ground for one win and two defeats, England also beat France 24-7 in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2003 at the venue.

-rugby.com.au

 

[Teh Mite]

For England... Hape & Payne start. No concerns of interest in that one then!

On the plus side, Lawes and Youngs start.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The scrum dominance last week assures that Payne will be in the squad until he retires. If Johnson doesn't drop him when he's gifting the other team points, why would he when he does averagely?

Glad that Youngs and Lawes get starts (AT LAST for Lawes) - disappointed at Armitage on the bench, he's been one of the poorest players in the midweek matches - making the wrong decisions at FB, poor handling and poor positioning. Also there's no cover for centre on the bench now (well, i suppose he can shift Flood to centre and Wilko to ten if there's an injury?)

I'm expecting the Aussies to win by a bigger margin than last week, but hopefully we can get a real try

 

[Peat]

Delon has played at 13 for LI.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ah right, thought he just played wing and FB

 

[Peat]

Don't think he's ever played 13 at this level mind, and offers less cover in general than Tait - but I'd beginning to think Johnno caught Tait ******* in his cornflakes, so there we go.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Tait ran the ball/didn't kick/didn't pick on drive on tuesday,
This makes Johnson mad.

 

[Teh Mite]

Just noticed nobody's actually posted the team yet;

ENGLAND TEAM TO PLAY AUSTRALIA
Friendly (Second Test)
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Saturday, June 19th, 2010
Kick off 11:00am BST
15 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
14 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks)
13 Mike Tindall (Gloucester)
12 Shontayne Hape (Bath)
11 Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
10 Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1 Tim Payne (London Wasps)
2 Steve Thompson (Brive)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
5 Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
6 Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
7 Lewis Moody (Leicester Tigers)(capt)
8 Nick Easter (HArlequins)

Replacements
16 George Chuter (Leicester Tigers)
17 David Wilson (Bath)
18 Simon Shaw (London Wasps)
19 James Haskell (Stade Francais)
20 Danny Care (Harlequins)
21 Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon)
22 Delon Armitage (London Irish)


As for Delon Armitage; He's been **** for a long time now and hasn't done a thing all season to warrant a call-up, centre or fullback alike.

 

[veux]

When will Johno learn

 

[cyRil]

Do you reckon England will ever pick a team that includes the country's best players?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not until after the world cup (which is when i presume Johnson will disappear)

 

[Loane]

Obviously very worried by our pack. Will be amazing if they can turn things around (even a little) in a week. Wonderful to see Genia and Cooper back together - those two are used to playing behind an inferior pack.

 

[Peat]

Do you reckon England will ever pick a team that includes the country's best players?

Not on Johnno's watch.

Besides, if we bring form into the equation, definitley not on Johnno's watch as the current coaches seem to leech form, confidence and ability from the players under their command...

 

[MichaelBoard]

England just really frustrate me. They play a boring forward based game and are at the best of times ordinary in internationals but to their credit somehow really perform at the World Cup (winning in 2003 and finalists in 2007). I think a really ttack minded coach needs to come in, really be brave in selection and shake things up. Personally I'm not a fan of Tindall and I think his inclusion is based on past reputation rather than form these days.

There are still a few survivors from 2003 who are worthy of selection and are still good players, I'm talking about the likes of Vickery and Shaw and a few others. Like I said whoever the coach is come World Cup time, he really needs to get them playing some attacking rugby and select the players who can do this. Although I hate to admit it the England try against Wales after the interception was quality and I'd like to see more of that because that try showed they can do it, but it has to be done more regularly. I'm not saying abandon their strengths totally, which is the forwards but just to use it as an attacking basis more rather than totally rely on it.

I'd bring back David Strettle (bit lightweight but pacey and exciting), keep Chris Ashton, Ben Foden, I like Toby Flood/Riki Flutey in the centre, perhaps partnering that big centre that plays his rugby in France (not sure of his name now, black guy). I've also been a fan of both Jamie Noon and Shane Geraghty for a long time and I really like Danny Hipkiss and have for ages, real quality player. Paul Sackey would provide adequate cover for the wing (not his greatest fan but he is quick, strong and can be exciting), really not a fan at all of Bannahan, find him boring, one dimensional and just not very good if I'm honest but suppose he provides another option, not that I'd pick him, suppose it comes down to personal preference.

Theres also some very good scrumhalves available to England, I'd go with Danny Care but I like that scrumhalf Paul something (can't recall his surname), think he might play for Harlequins or London Irish maybe? Don't rule out Harry Ellis come the World Cup either, also a good player.

The pack is very good. Traditionally it always is with England. Both Tom Croft and Nick Kennedy are brilliant players and with the likes of Matt Stevens and Andrew Sheridan to come back and make themselves available which will bolster the front-row that is a very good frontrow. Simon Shaw brings brilliant experience in the second row and I still like Worsley at flanker, huge physical presence.

Just out of curiosity whatever happened to Magnus Lund? I know he plays his rugby in France these days, but he looked really promising at one point, just wondered why he fell so far down the pecking order.