Spring Tour: Australia v Wales -2nd Test. (16/06/2012 10:00GMT)

[Sam Owen]

Just saw this game and what a cracker it was. Wales first try looked like a double movement to me but Im not sure of the ruling on double movements. Good game both teams, looking forward to the next one.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

In League it would've been a double movement, but fine in union

 

[dullonien]

The jumping of the gun must be stopped. Runners get penalized if they jump the gun, so there should be more done in rugby. Also as madflyhalf pointed out with the interpretation of the hit - sounds silly but maybe referee's need to be more clear with teams prior to match what an early engage is??

With the new rule coming in it should make it easier for teams to time their engagement, because SET is a one syllable word instead of the two that is EN-GAGE. Because of this, I'd like to see the punishments for early engagements increased. Give both teams one chance, then move straight to penalties. Hopefully this would discourage teams from trying to jump the gun, but still allow the teams one chance to get used to the timing of the ref. Here in the NH, referees already start awarding penalties after a few infringements from the same team, Nigel Owens in particular. Ultimately, it's obvious that this is not simply mistakes from the poor scrummaging teams, but a tactic to try and de-power the stronger opposition scrum, and just awarding free kicks isn't sufficient punishment.

Just saw this game and what a cracker it was. Wales first try looked like a double movement to me but Im not sure of the ruling on double movements. Good game both teams, looking forward to the next one.

Nah, no double movement there. North was allowed to place the ball, which he did immediately.

 

[Draggs]

Just got online for the first time since Thusday. Gutted.
Seems like we still lack the bottle to win against reputable opposition.
Anybody able to tell me who was good/bad? I can't bring myself to watch this.

 

[dullonien]

Excellent: Halfpenny.
Good: Alun Wyn Jones, Bradley Davies, Ryan Jones, Jon Davies, Lydiate.
Good, but no chance to show much: North, Cuthbert, Beck, Adam Jones.
Average: Gethin Jenkins.
Bad: Rees, Phillips, Priestland.

Possibly being a little harsh on Gethin Jenkins, but just felt that He wasn't half as prominent as he usually is around the loose. He conceded a couple of penalties at scrum time as well, although I question the referee's decisions there.

 

[Draggs]

I have to wonder, what would people have said if Priestland was Hook.
Hook poor matches in 2011: 2 (France, Aus)
Priestland poor matches in 2012: 5 (England, Italy, France, Aus x2)

Cheers Dull, appreciate the list.
Also, who is out best hooker?!?!

 

[Thingimubob]

I reckon Hibbard is, lineout throwing was better than Rees's, plus a good impact in the loose. He did however give away the penalty that gave Aus the field position for the maul, massively unnecessary penalty to give away in the Aus half.

Also anyone read the interview with Warburton on the beeb website? He was saying that the forwards hadnt planned at all to kick the ball downfield, and the general game plan in those last minute or so was the keep the ball in hand. Apparently Ryan Jones was shouting 'NO!' at Priestland when he was kicking the ball away...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Blame Webb then, as Priestland didnt want the ball either. If he hadn't have kicked then chances are he'd have been turned over or conceded a penalty anyway, so after Webb made the decision to pass back it was the only option.

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[Thingimubob]

Blame Webb then, as Priestland didnt want the ball either. If he hadn't have kicked then chances are he'd have been turned over or conceded a penalty anyway, so after Webb made the decision to pass back it was the only option.

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Yeah that's a good point. Think I remember him not having a huge amount of option when he got the ball, though would've been far better if he aimed for the touchline rather than straight down the throat of the Aussie back 3... In all fairness to him, he didn't do a huge amount wrong outside his poor kicking out of hand. His defence has certainly improved a lot.
We NEED to win this last test, even if we have lost the series, coming away without a single win would be massively disappointing, especially since we've run the Aussies close without really playing all that well.

 

[Peat]

Blame Webb then, as Priestland didnt want the ball either. If he hadn't have kicked then chances are he'd have been turned over or conceded a penalty anyway, so after Webb made the decision to pass back it was the only option.

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It's a fair point. I'd expect my scrum-half to take control in that situation.

 

[dullonien]

It's a fair point. I'd expect my scrum-half to take control in that situation.

Certainly. It was Webb's fault for deciding to pass it out instead of keeping it close. But it was what, his 2nd cap? That brings us back to the management, and why they decided to take off Phillips so late in the game. Sure he wasn't having his best of games, but by that point with the game so close he was exactly the kind of scrum half you want to close the game out. The fact that Webb is inexperienced just makes the decision worse.

It's not something I'm going to hold against Webb. It was a small but costly error, the kind that most players will do at some stage in their development as a player.

 

[psychic duck]

Certainly. It was Webb's fault for deciding to pass it out instead of keeping it close. But it was what, his 2nd cap? That brings us back to the management, and why they decided to take off Phillips so late in the game. Sure he wasn't having his best of games, but by that point with the game so close he was exactly the kind of scrum half you want to close the game out. The fact that Webb is inexperienced just makes the decision worse.

It's not something I'm going to hold against Webb. It was a small but costly error, the kind that most players will do at some stage in their development as a player.

and also it was a small mistake that would have been forgotten if it happened at 15 minutes in the match, also I seem to remember another Welsh scrum half that match gave Australia good territory which they went and scored a try from ...

that's the mistake that should be talked about, shouldn't be a discussion anyway as Wales shouldn't have collapsed the maul which definitely wasn't Webb's or Priestland's fault

 

[dullonien]

Man, re-watching the match and the ref made so many poor calls in the final 10mins. He made two mistakes at the scrum before Barnes missed his penalty. The first scrum after Wales requested another scrum, Wales demolished Aus, with Gethin driving straight through his opposition, and the ref just re-sets. He then awards a penalty to the Wallabies when both go down.

Next up, he misses a blatant forward pass when Ioane makes a break through. And misses a knock on later in the same move.

He then misses some obstruction with an Aussie ball carrier running into his own man blatantly stopping a Welsh player from tackling.

There was still some silly errors by Wales, but there was plenty of un-deserved pressure put on Wales in those final 10mins.

 

[cyRil]

Next up, he misses a blatant forward pass when Ioane makes a break through. And misses a knock on later in the same move.

That one got on my wick the most - McCabe took the ball off Ioane in front of him and then blatantly knocked it on. All 'sour grapes', but costly nonetheless come the end.

 

[dasNdanger]

Just finished watching the match - what a great contest! Would have liked to see Wales win, but oh well...maybe next time!


das