Rugby Championship: Australia - New Zealand (18/08/2012)

[Captain Fantastic]

Was it just me or did Rolland ignore blatantly not straight lineout throws?

My first post guys and a big hi from NZ...But I have to agree completely!!!....I was wondering what the heck was going on and TBH why the touch line judges also were not infering?

 

[Captain Fantastic]

My view of the game was one of fustration at the lack of flow (more due to a Irish ref administering NH practices that always differ to SH refs) I am unsure that both teams can blame rustiness as they have already played 7 tests between them thus far.

Disturbingly the amount of basic handling errors from both sides was also very evident and for the very first time in any tests that I have watched for the Bledisloe, I actually found myself wondering off through a lack of interest.

The crazy tactics taken by the Wallabies at times was just beyond the realm of common sense. I still can not understand why Genia went missing? It was like he had his license to thril taken off him?

The midfield combo worked for me - afterall we scored two absolutely wonderful set piece tries and the threat that both SBW and Nonu bought to the game was positive rather than negative.

Our forward pack though solid was not dominant, however it probably became evident throughout the game that they didnt really need to and one got the feeling that both teams were only running on about 80% power and passion.

Well done to the All Blacks as they have done what the Boks and Wallabies always struggle with and that is too win away. The AB's went to the most unsuccesful stadium for them in Australia with 50,000 screaming Wallabie fans and still managed to win with what I would call as a below par 70-80% effort. However the AB's will be better for it next week but so will the Wallabies.

Cant wait - GO THE AB's!!!!

I have just finished watching the Boks play against the Argies and TBH the AB's and the Wallabies need to improve as they looked solid against the Argies. However they have lossed arguably their best player in Bissie Du Plesis for the rest of the season which is a big blow for them...The Argies did show enough passion and stickability to show that they will not be easy beats on their homegrounds.

 

[smartcooky]

IMO, the key to last night's win was keeping two of the Aussie stars quiet... Pocock and Genia.

Pocock in particular was rendered totally ineffective; he didn't get a single turnover all night!

Robbie Deans has been talking him up as the best No. 7 in the world, but he is missing a really important part of the No. 7 game and he must learn it if he wants to carry the mantle of greatness. Its the part that Richie McCaw is the master at.....knowing when he has reached the limit of the referee's patience! His inability to recognise the boundaries and when he had crossed them, meant that he became a liability rather than an asset, a frustrated player who gave up penalties when things didn't go his way.

I have no doubt that Pocock will become Australia's greatest No. 7 one day, but that is some time off. At the moment, the All Blacks appear to have his measure!

 

[Keithmurdoch]

To be fair to Pocock, though, your best oppertunities to snaffle ball generally present themselves after a couple of phases, and we didn't get more than a couple of phases last night without the bloody whistle going off

 

[TNT88]

I enjoyed the game. NZ were the better team (and are the benchmark in world rugby). Surely now the Wallabies know what needs to be done to get to that level, they certainly have the talent. There was no confidence in defence at some points. Players didn't seem to trust their system would stop the NZ attack. And that ended up in defensive errors. Anyway let's hope they get their **** sorted for game 2.

Also, I thought the match officials were good. If we keep seeing that standard throughout the tournament it will be a good one.

 

[admartian]

Frustrating game to watch. Any time either team got any momentum, either they lost the ball or Rolland blew for a pedantic penalty.

Was impressed by Dagg, DC' Mealamu, and Messam. Aaron Smith played well too.


I think every time we play the Wallabies, they nominate one of their players to try and 'thug' McCaw. Way more than other teams do, and nears inappropriate. Last night, it was Higginbotham. If he wasnt walking on Richie, he was holding onto him or shoving his face into the ground unnecessarily trying to upset him.

Watch it again and you'll see.

I wonder who it'll be the thug this Saturday....

 

[Dizzy]

Hey guys,.. Well, what is there to say about this game?.. This had to be one of the most boring games I've watched in recent years. And not because of the teams, it was the blatant whistle blowing of Rolland... And I actually thought he was a good ref,... Not saying that he didn't know what he was doing but geez,...

Where were the advantages?!?!?.... And he penalised the All Blacks twice from memory for falling over WAY PASSED the ruck, where as the Wallabies were falling over right on top of the ruck... And there were some poorly thrown lineouts he missed as well, not to mention the carried back rule when Aus kicked it out on the full..

Overall just wanted to say, Rolland ruined this game for me and I reckon the Aussies are really lucky he did too, If those All Black backs got more ball, it would have been raining tries!

 

[austingtir]

Hey guys,.. Well, what is there to say about this game?.. This had to be one of the most boring games I've watched in recent years. And not because of the teams, it was the blatant whistle blowing of Rolland... And I actually thought he was a good ref,... Not saying that he didn't know what he was doing but geez,...

Where were the advantages?!?!?.... And he penalised the All Blacks twice from memory for falling over WAY PASSED the ruck, where as the Wallabies were falling over right on top of the ruck... And there were some poorly thrown lineouts he missed as well, not to mention the carried back rule when Aus kicked it out on the full..

Overall just wanted to say, Rolland ruined this game for me and I reckon the Aussies are really lucky he did too, If those All Black backs got more ball, it would have been raining tries!

I agree i also think it was rolland that ruined this game for both teams and anybody watching it. I got the feeling in watching the game the AB's had cruise control on for long periods in that game. To me they were actually no where near what they are capable of and could of really blown Australia off the field..... probably good they did not as still next week for another chance.

Those two rucks just about made me blow my top the first one was bad enough but that second one where we blew right through them and fell over the bodies left behind was just one of the most ridiculous decisions iv seen in a long time. I guess he was consistent on it. Neither team got away with blowing through fairly legally.

It will be bloody intresting in the next game to see if the Aussies improve much if not dingo's a goner before the end of the year i suspect.

 

[nickdnz]

I agree i also think it was rolland that ruined this game for both teams and anybody watching it. I got the feeling in watching the game the AB's had cruise control on for long periods in that game. To me they were actually no where near what they are capable of and could of really blown Australia off the field..... probably good they did not as still next week for another chance.

Those two rucks just about made me blow my top the first one was bad enough but that second one where we blew right through them and fell over the bodies left behind was just one of the most ridiculous decisions iv seen in a long time. I guess he was consistent on it. Neither team got away with blowing through fairly legally.

It will be bloody intresting in the next game to see if the Aussies improve much if not dingo's a goner before the end of the year i suspect.

The terrible moment for me was when Sekope Kepu came on our side of the ruck and tried to clear players out from behind, and the ref missed it. For an extremely pedantic performance, I can't believe he missed it.

 

[agenclub]

I would love to see how we would play at full strength and how different things would be. The All Blacks dont have one player that could make that side better – that is as full strength as it gets for them unless you mount an argument that Nonu or SBW should make way for Conrd Smith but I think that the result of such change would be negligible.

merchant account

 

[big ginger 8]

Smith is a much better option at 13 than anyone else in N.Z.

 

[TNT88]

Smith is a much better option at 13 than anyone else in N.Z.

Or anyone else in the world...

 

[lynam1104]

[video]http://www.google.com/imgres?q=brian+o%27driscoll&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=599&tbm=isch&tbnid=b_Af3DzO1ayYTM:&imgrefurl=http://backpagerugby.com/featured/audio-reading-of-bod-autobiography-gift-grub/&docid=WqwiJE2uPOMIxM&imgurl=http://backpagerugby.com/files/2012/01/BrianODriscoll_Irelandtraining_Donnybrook_edited-1.jpg&w=495&h=495&ei=ECgxUKm9Ns7irAeK0YGQAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=382&sig=108887677219087530862&page=1&tbnh=122&tbnw=127&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:117&tx=21&ty=36[/video]

 

[welshglory]

:lol:

Jaque Fourie > Conrad Smith >>>>>>>>> O'Driscoll

 

[lynam1104]

Not many centers understand life os GOD, I mean BOD "knowledge is knowing tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad."

 

[Draggs]

[video]http://www.google.com/imgres?q=brian+o%27driscoll&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=599&tbm=isch&tbnid=b_Af3DzO1ayYTM:&imgrefurl=http://backpagerugby.com/featured/audio-reading-of-bod-autobiography-gift-grub/&docid=WqwiJE2uPOMIxM&imgurl=http://backpagerugby.com/files/2012/01/BrianODriscoll_Irelandtraining_Donnybrook_edited-1.jpg&w=495&h=495&ei=ECgxUKm9Ns7irAeK0YGQAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=382&sig=108887677219087530862&page=1&tbnh=122&tbnw=127&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:117&tx=21&ty=36[/video]

Third test says otherwise. Smith is the best outside centre in the world, and has been for at least two years.
Fourie was great 2009/10, but Smith has been consistently better.

 

[lynam1104]

As much as as it saddens me i have to say Bod is no longer his best he dose pull out that occasional game but for me this is his last season.

Fourie is a good center but no longer playing test rugby. For now smith takes it but i've never been convinced by him.

 

[welshglory]

There does seem to be a dearth of quality 13's at the moment.

 

[big ginger 8]

Yeah one test doesn't mean he's suddenly not as good. He was brilliant in the H Cup final and the 2nd test. He'll up it for the Lions.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Conrad Smith is the balls. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool.