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Trying times for Tuqiri
By Wayne Smith
September 22, 2007
THEY also serve who stand and wait, attracting the defence in the meantime, as Wallabies attack coach Scott Johnson reminded Lote Tuqiri's detractors.
It has been raining tries for the other members of Australia's back three at the World Cup, with fullback Chris Latham nabbing four against Japan and Wales and left wingers Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper two and one respectively.
But out on the right wing the El Nino system hovering over Tuqiri shows no signs of abating. If anything, it's intensifying.
Save for a two-try sunshower against Fiji in Perth in June and a light scud of rain when he belatedly crossed for his first try of the year in the New South wales Waratahs' last match of the season, it has been a dry, parched year for Australia's highest-paid player.
Desperate for an explanation, Tuqiri even hit on the fact that, by switching from the left wing to the right, he now finds himself deprived of a little time and space because right-handers pass the ball more fluently and speedily to their left than to their right.
"It does come a little bit slower, or I think so, anyway," Tuqiri said on the eve of tomorrow night's match against Fiji in Montpellier.
It sounds as though he is clutching at straws, but in fact Johnson insists there is statistical evidence to suggest that 5 per cent more Test tries are scored on the left wing than on the right.
Somewhat less strained is Tuqiri's other theory that "before" - which is Wallaby code for back when Eddie Jones was coach - the ball was relayed out to him as a matter of course.
He was The Man as far as Jones was concerned, and getting the ball into his hands by the fastest means possible was at the core of the team's game plan.
While Tuqiri is comfortable with the change in philosophy that has sent his stats into steep decline, at heart he is a winger and wingers need to score tries.
"The guys inside are putting more responsibility on themselves to be making plays now, whereas before the ball was just getting shovelled," Tuqiri said.
Johnson wastes little time on Tuqiri's lack of tries, dismissing it as almost irrelevant in any assessment of what the giant winger brings to the Wallabies.
"People get carried away with looking at try-scoring stats and they forget there are two parts to the game - defence as well as attack," Johnson said. "Lote imposes himself defensively on a game."
Just how insignificant a part try-scoring plays in assessing the Wallaby wingers is highlighted by the fact that, while Tuqiri's continued selection on the right flank is not an issue, Mitchell's place on the left remains a week-to-week proposition, despite him scoring tries with his first two touches of the football in the World Cup, against Japan.
"It's competitive out there, no doubt about that," Connolly said.
Had Mitchell done nothing more than hang on to the ball and not dangerously upturn Welsh hooker Matthew Rees, he would have had an outstanding day at Millennium Stadium.
But costing the Wallabies two tries because of fumbles in attack and a third in defence - with Welsh winger Shane Williams scoring while his Australian marker was in the sin bin - leaves the Force flyer with a lot of ground to make up tomorrow against Fiji.
Fiji coach Ilie Tabua kept the Wallabies dangling by not releasing his team until the last moment but, as Connolly reiterated, this is a match in which Australia needs to stay tight, disciplined and direct.
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
Mitchell 3 - Tuqiri 0
I think the "Force flyer" made up any lost ground and well passed the Fijian flop.
I wonder what the Tuqiri apologists have for us this week/weak...
He was even being fed on the right Wing for most of the first half and still couldn't get through.
More training less media conferences thanks Lote.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Maybe Shep should show him how it's done![]()
Posted via space
Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Originally Posted by Burgs
![]()
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
Birds of a feather...![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
I actually think he had a reasonable game this week, he was instrumental in getting Gits first try and Mitchells third. And he was hard done by when Mattie decided to grab his second with that great inside twist instead of laying off where tuquiri was ready to pounce unmarked.
he also showed great commitment to the breakdown and i saw him get involved in several rucks.
the worst part of the aussie game was their slack defending, especially around the scrum. Gregan was ordinary and was showed up several times by his opposing halfback especially Raulini with that huuuge gap in the lineout that he exploited. Cordingly definitely stepped up the game in that area and his passes were crisp and he didnt take risks.
Lote is the master at setting up tries and attracting defenders. Basically all of DrewShmoo's tries have occurred because of the presence of Lote on the field. And all of Latham's too, come to think of it.
Laura Force Addict v Chook scrabble-off on Facebook: laura & Force Addict 0 | chook 9
Gigsa made me do it
"He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty." – Lao Tzu
"it has been a dry, parched year for Australia's highest-paid player"
isnt that giteau?
lote played pretty well last night, he would have had his first try if not for a forward pass. and he has definatley been a presence in setting up a few.
i dont think giteau was being selfish last night, because from what i saw on the replay it looked like lote was into touch. so i just guessed that gits help into the ball because he knew he had the chance to score, which he did.
overall he was one of the better players last night.
Lote's biggest problem is he's been with the Tah's for to long and forgotten how to score tries and win.Originally Posted by chook
Posted via space
Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
No. Gits may well be the highest earner, but Tuqiri is paid the most by rugby (i.e S14 and the ARU).Originally Posted by |jono|
he had a good game last night and every time he got the ball he got over the advantage line and won contact. his offload to giteau for his 1st try was fantastic. he was good in defence as well.
I actually thought Lote did well, and I'm much happier when he does well than when he doesn't![]()
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
Well I reckon he did an average job against an average opposition, is an average player in 2007 and deserves to paid the average wage.
He had moments that helped, as did all twenty one (can't count poor old Stanners) players, but still turned the ball over in tackles, still tackled too high and still didn't score after being fed for a half.
A world class big Wing would have taken the first Fijian try scorer into touch with a well timed low tackle from the same starting position, but as usual wonder boy tried to tackle his shoulders and was completely ineffective.
I'm glad we have the Wingers we have at the Force and wouldn't want Tuqiri and all the associated ego and exemptions that surround him, even if he was being paid the average wage.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.