and the stuff in the glass is battery acid :sarcastic:
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and the stuff in the glass is battery acid :sarcastic:
will someone have the courage to tell him you have RED wine with steak?
Ewen McKenzie admits Wallabies fans are walking as poor form continues
by: Jim Tucker
THE ragged Wallabies’ most dire losing streak on home soil in 42 years has forced coach Ewen McKenzie to admit he is already losing the fans he was hired to woo.
Saturday night’s 38-12 crash against South Africa needs to trigger a savage assessment of the mistake-a-thon that is Australian rugby right now.
McKenzie yesterday started that inquisition on the 18 costly turnovers that gifted momentum to the Springboks again and again.
Scoring just three tries in three losses of squandered chances has dimmed the glow of his appointment.
“I’m not going to sit here and pretend it’s all rosy or make excuses,” McKenzie said.
“Everyone is going to be a bit iffy about us at the moment.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of grabbing back the rugby public and showing we are fair dinkum.”
McKenzie sticking with planEwen McKenzie says he'll continue to promote positive rugby depite slumping to his third defeat as Wallabies coach.
The 2013 Wallabies are already in a hole as the first to lose three straight Tests on home soil since the Boks swept the 1971 series 3-0.
It will take more than a compelling win over Argentinia in Perth on Saturday to turn the tide but that has to be the start, especially for a forward effort of far greater authority.
While James Slipper, James O’Connor and Israel Folau produced high quality games against the Springboks, dropped ball, pushed passes and wrong options were littered through the ranks.
McKenzie was blunt about the Wallabies having to tweak their creative, running game mantra if needed.
“Look, we have consistently made more linebreaks, broken more tackles, run for more metres and had more positive gainline speed-of-ball than our opponents in the last three Tests,” McKenzie said.
“We’re also kicking less than our opponents. We have to re-look at what’s winning games but our turnover rate is too high. It’s as simple as that.
“I think it is errors of judgement rather than not having the skill but we are letting teams off the hook. Maybe, we have to dumb things down but we want to invest in skilful rugby.”
Catching and passing at the right time is hardly rocket science and captain Will Genia agreed poor decisions were killing the side.
Typical frustration boiled at Suncorp Stadium when Quade Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, Folau and Slipper produced a super-slick interchange midway through the second half which might have locked the scores at 19-all if it had turned into a try."
Instead, Lealiifano fumbled when the Boks defence hit. The big moment bungled.
Added Genia: “I hope the public keep faith. We’ve got to win but we also want to be entertaining. We'll keep working.”
Former Wallaby Julian Huxley felt compelled to offer McKenzie support and time by tweeting: “Five years of mismanagement of the Wallabies cannot be turned around in one month.”
http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby-g...-1226714831846
Regarding the game, Genia is good, but whenever he is captain he seems to struggle, perhaps the burden of that roles takes his mind off his primary role for delivering the ball.
I thought QC was average and couldn't believe Cummins stayed on the pitch after half time. He fluffed two good passes in the first half, and did little to impress in the second. He, like Hooper, is not yet an international class player. I thought JOC had a great game, maybe he is concentrating on his game after all, but IF was amazing, some of the high balls this guy takes were great. Full Back is certainly his position.
The scrums were good from a new law point of view, but terrible from an Australia point of view. They were taken apart by The Beast at almost every one.
YC against Hooper every time, I thought it was the right decision. I am not always George Clancy's biggest fan, but I thought he had a good game.
I agree with others, Argentina will be confident about going for their first win in the comp.
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The two handling errors aside, I thought Cummins went ok - certainly wasn't the worst back out there! Deserves to keep his spot this weekend imo.
The backs arent the problem the forwards are
The Argie pack will be licking it's lips
Yip! The tight 5 were rubbish!
there is a gulf between not doing much wrong and 'having a high quality game'
I wouldn't have said anybody in the Wallabies had a high quality game on Saturday.
JOC and Izzy were far from the worst.
If Slipper was amongst the best would we have been quite as raped in the scrum?
Question is - what can be done about the set piece? I'm not seeing too many possibilities to shuffle the tight 5. Not many in the back row either (McCalman in, Mowen to 6, Fardy to lock or bench?).
One thing I noticed watching our scrum get demolished was the terrible technique of our flankers. Aside from the persistent prairie-dogging, when they did push the bind was so high it was far more down than forward. It is hard enough taking on the meat-eaters at scrum time anyway, last thing they need is to be six on eight or even have two of your own working against you.
They should really be dissecting the structure and binding first and foremost. I reckon they might find that a lot of the problem sits behind the front row.