All Blacks continue hoodoo with 22-16 defeat of Australia at Eden Park

[tragic]

I'm still a bit too angry to really speak about this game.

I'm not a Baxter fan, but I think he was poorly done by. Joubert rates 2/10 for that effort.

[travelling_gerry]

July 19, 2009 - 4:33PM

An exasperated Robbie Deans believes the Wallabies scrum is being picked on by referees because of the bad reputation it has had in the past.

Australian tighthead Al Baxter was pinged several times by South African referee Craig Joubert for scrum infringements, some of which cost the Wallabies priceless attacking opportunities during Saturday's 22-16 Eden Park loss.

Even New Zealand commentators were bemused by some of the decisions, while Deans was seen on television throwing his hands up in frustration after one call.

He later agreed with a television interviewer who had suggested Baxter was being "picked on".

Asked at the post-match press conference how frustrated Baxter was by the decisions, Deans replied: "Clearly very frustrated. I think he was frustrated with good reason, to be fair.

"I don't wish to talk any further about it. I don't see any benefit in it. It's an area of frustration."

But the disappointed coach did elaborate when asked later if Australia's reputation for poor scrummaging - largely dispelled by a powerhouse performance against England last year - was still costing his side.

"There's absolutely no doubt about that," he said.

"It's not my area but there are people responsible for that, the adjudication of the game, they should deal with it because it's a source of frustration, not just for players but for spectators as well.

"It's nonsense."

Baxter said Joubert had an issue with his binding in the scrums.

"He was saying I need your bind higher on the opposition," the prop said.

"Obviously there was a disconnect between what I thought I was doing and what was happening."

But Baxter said he would analyse video of the game before deciding whether the calls were fair.

"He's a top-level referee, he's been there plenty of times before so it's something we'll have to look at and make sure we get sorted out.

"It certainly hurt momentum at certain times."

Deans also said Australia's wobbles under the high ball were partly due to refereeing.

"There's a lot going on around that I think needs to be adjudicated as well ... (at times), you can't even get to the ball," he said.

Asked if the refereeing was the most disappointing aspect of the Wallabies' loss, Deans was philosophical.

"That's just part of life, that's the way it is, life is unjust," he said.

"What did Bill Gates say? It's unjust, get used to it."

Deans said the loss, after the Wallabies had led 10-0 at their hoodoo ground, had flattened his players.

"I guess in this instance they have a sense of not being far away which in an ironic way makes it worse," he said.

"I suspect just from observation that it probably hurt more (than other games)."

© 2009 AAP

http://news.rugbyheaven.com.au/break...0719-dpem.html

[travelling_gerry]

July 19, 2009 - 5:37AM

The Wallabies have declared they can still get their hands on the Bledisloe Cup this year by beating the All Blacks in three straight Tests.

Still hurting after the one that got away at Eden Park, the Australians believe they are improving at a rate fast enough to catch New Zealand and reclaim the trophy they last held in 2002.

Commentators had lined up to say the Wallabies needed to break their Auckland hoodoo against an out of form All Blacks with several stars short of a gallop and superstar five-eighth Dan Carter missing to have any chance of a trans-Tasman series win.

That wasn't to be in a 22-16 loss which now sees Australia needing to win in Sydney next month, and then in Wellington and Tokyo later this year.

"We came here with a clear mindset to get the job done and hence, obviously, a lot of the guys are quite frustrated and quite disappointed," captain Stirling Mortlock said.

But asked if a series win was now in the too-hard basket, he was adamant.

"No way," he said.

"If you ask any of the group, we're not focused too far ahead of ourselves.

"Obviously this has made it tougher but there's another three matches against the All Blacks."

Australia's players were feeling as much frustration as disappointment after the match, angry with bombing a certain try in the first half and mystified as to why they were pinged by referee Craig Joubert so many times at scrum time.

"From a group perspective that's a good learn," Mortlock said.

"Hopefully the way forward for us is we take heed of the opportunity that we're making rather than be daunted by that fact, embrace those opportunities.

"I don't think we're too far off doing that."

Even though it happened in just the 18th minute, Berrick Barnes' failure to deliver a simple ball to a flying Mortlock and then George Smith's dropped ball with the line wide open, was one of the game's turning points.

Barnes didn't dodge questions about it.

"Shit happens," he told AAP. "You have your best intentions.

"If I had it again I'd give it inside to Stirlo but it's right, you look up, (it was) your falcon, it would have made The Footy Show anyway in Australia so there's a start."

Mortlock added: "The reality of that situation was we were spoiled by choice ... there was a lot of gold jerseys around that opportunity and sometimes that makes it harder."

Australia's blindside flanker curse continued with Richard Brown in doubt for the South Africa tour after suffering a foot injury.

He was however cleared of a break on Sunday afternoon and will be assessed further during the week.

Barnes and Matt Giteau suffered knocks to their hips but the injuries are not considered serious, while James Horwill broke his nose but is not in doubt for the Tri-Nations clash with South Africa in Cape Town on August 8.

"That's a very important game in terms of the series," Barnes said.

"We went there last year and proved we can do it and that's good confidence going into it but we know that they've come out of one of the toughest series going on (against the British and Irish Lions)."

© 2009 AAP

Ed: No Berrick, Shit doesn't just HAPPEN. Arseholes cause it.

[shasta]

It's never Trestles fault, it's just that every Ref in the world has it in for him.

What was you take on the scrum penalties against him yesterday then, Burgs. I haven't had a look at the tape yet but from memory I thought Woodcock was first to the ground on all three and had his hand on the ground to take his weight on one occasion. The way I saw it he'd dropped his bind too but Baxter looked OK.

[Hoolly Doolly]

Joubert is kak........that is all.

[Flamethrower]

Penalty 1: Baxter looked surprised.

Penalty 2: Baxter looked bewildered.

Penalty 3: Baxter looked like he was about to rip Joubert's head off.

I've never been a Baxter fan however I feel he was dudded this time. Interesting that the scrum only collapsed when the Kiwi's were under the pump and needed a Penalty to relieve the pressure.

[lmaag]

What was you take on the scrum penalties against him yesterday then, Burgs. I haven't had a look at the tape yet but from memory I thought Woodcock was first to the ground on all three and had his hand on the ground to take his weight on one occasion. The way I saw it he'd dropped his bind too but Baxter looked OK.

Absolutely and well said, have a look at woodcock's elbow position, straight down, head position and curved back, Baxter did a good job. Joubert should hang his head in shame with those ridiculous calls against him.

Baxter's scrummaging has come a mile, agree with Dean's that he probably gets judged harshly.

[shasta]

Thank god I had been roped into playing League up here .

Playing for Broncos or Roosters?. Have one in the Rec Club for me after the match anyway.

And welcome to the dark side.

Another one out of the closet, Jargs.

[jargan83]

I too am no Baxter fan, but even I thought he was hard done by. I remember at least one of the replays where they showed the "reverse angle" and clearly it was Baxter's opponant's arm going to ground first while Baxter was bound and Baxter got pinged for it?

Did anyone see Woodcock's post game interview when he was asked about the referee's performance? He couldn't hide his grin

Giteau didn't really impress me, Barnes did allright despite blowing a try (can we blame George Smith for that?). Back 3 were ordinary, especially under the high ball and we were also remined why the Mitchell Freeway should never be allowed to kick a ball.

JO'C believing some of his own hype maybe? He had a shocker, definately not a DVD to send to his mum and dad

Another one out of the closet, Jargs.

Outing people one by one........

[Burgs]

I saw a couple each way and about five around the park he was lucky not to be pinged for, primarily flopping on top of the ruck.
The bottom line is it doesn't really matter what we judge it to be, every match he is in he gets pinged and so it is a self perpetuating truth/myth that the officials will be on to and he is therefore a serious liability to the Wallabies ever winning a tight match.
If we (Wallabies) are going to bang our heads against a wall then at least change walls every now and then to see if there is a different result.

[Hoolly Doolly]

Giteau didn't really impress me.............

Thanks largely to some very poor service from Luke Burgess. Without the ELV's Burgess doesnt have the skills to cut it im afraid. Cant do any of the fundamentals well enuff at this level. Box kicking was pretty ordinary and at times chose to pick and drive instead of pass......DUDE UR A BLOODY SCRUMHALF!! Passes were often above the first receivers head eg the pass to gits that got smothered by kaino.
Time to start Valentine and work Genia into the starting role.

[sandgroperrugby]

Phil Waugh should have come onto to sure up the breakdown area with Palu off and Smith moving to 8. But hey could have should have but they lost lets hope they can get back on track for Cape Town. Bring back Hodgson at 6 for the next test.

[robyn <3]

Thanks largely to some very poor service from Luke Burgess. Without the ELV's Burgess doesnt have the skills to cut it im afraid. Cant do any of the fundamentals well enuff at this level. Box kicking was pretty ordinary and at times chose to pick and drive instead of pass......DUDE UR A BLOODY SCRUMHALF!! Passes were often above the first receivers head eg the pass to gits that got smothered by kaino.
Time to start Valentine and work Genia into the starting role.

Valo's been roppedd though. Bet Deans is kicking himself about that one. I thought Valentine had actually been rather good during the pre-trination games. I think we could use him.

Hodgo's still sore, isn't he?

[AndyS]

He may have made it through 80 minutes, but did anyone see Palu in play? The only instance I noticed was three passes from the breakdown, finishing with him running as last man on the wing (of all places!). Given we were getting killed at the breakdown (and none of our forwards have much to take credit for there - inaccurate and insipid), I thought his time might have been better spend doing some of the hard yards.

[Hoolly Doolly]

Palu was def a no show at the breakdown.
Cant wait to see a back row of elsom, smith and brown.