WALLABIES TEAM TO PLAY ARGENTINA IN MENDOZA NAMED

[chibi]

I think we had a national coaching programme once, which has been discontinued. That was brought in to foster talent through the youth levels, making sure the appropriate skill-sets were being developed.

I'm not sure though, anyone care to shed some light on this?

[Rex Messup]

I believe there is plenty of Kaino's running around in Australia

The problem is the talent identification and pathways. The old school tie system creates the connections and progression into the senior ranks of Australian rugby. Watching the Oz schoolboys showed they are not picking the best players. They were soft as shite. We have all know very talented players that didn't make it because they lacked the connections rather than the talent.

I'm not convinced Link is picking the best forwards for his pack either. He wanted a mobile hard working pack for his up tempo game. I get the mindset. It's easy to criticise with hindsight. I was very optimistic towards his selectons and reasoning prior to the RC. Now I think he has to look at a bit more impact and hurt from his pack.

Our super teams compete with them.

Tactically, we just aren't where we used to be.

It's Kafer time

[brokendown gunfighter]

Rex,
we've got nothing
Deadset

[Rex Messup]

Gunny loves a handbag stoush

[GIGS20]

I'm not convinced Link is picking the best forwards for his pack either. He wanted a mobile hard working pack for his up tempo game. I get the mindset. It's easy to criticise with hindsight. I was very optimistic towards his selectons and reasoning prior to the RC. Now I think he has to look at a bit more impact and hurt from his pack.

It's Kafer time

I agree with the comments about the pack. Blind Freddie could have seen that we needed to at least achieve parity in the scrum Against Argentina. They have crowed about their scrum all season, it's almost as if they don't care that the rest of the World know that they're one dimensional. We didn't need to dominate, but we did need to survive......we didn't.

Looking at the game in hindsight, the backs weren't all that bad. Folau played his best game of the year, sharing the ball appropriately and running it intelligently, good under the high ball and effective in defense (sorry Shasta, I know you want me to bag him because of his origins so you can defend that, but that's not why I've been bagging him) foley was not perfect, but he was pretty good considering the pressure he was under, Tomane wasn't sparkling, but he was a dynamo in defense (and he needed to be) (I could continue, but I think you get the message) the forwards were where we got hammered. Several bad decisions in the pack compounded to make the game impossible for us to win. Hooper And Higginbotham CANNOT start a test together, it just opens up the entire middle of the field. the front row (ok we can forgive the Hooker saga, you can't expect your sixth string number two to compete) We're poor. The locks (Horwill was willing, but unsupported and lazy once he hit the ground) weren't effective and the back row....I've already talked about. I'd expect better from a coach who used to play in the front row.

What happened was, link was drawn into picking a team that was totally unsuited to the game that they Pumas played. And the team on the field was unable to stop Argentina playing the way they wanted. This is not a smart move by the coach and should be cause for serious questions at the top level.

Would Kafer be better, granted he's a good analyst, knows the game well and can put together good two minute presentations for the Telly, but is he the man for the job? I think no. He has been just as effusive in his praise of some of the underperforming superstars as anybody else on fox sports and they are obviously performing to some sort of script, we don't need a scripted stuffed shirt wanker to follow the party line (because lets not forget, the party line is marching us through one of the worst periods in Wallaby HISTORY) we need somebody to stand up to the powerbrokers pulling the strings and ACTUALLY PICK THE BEST TEAM FOR THE JOB. I don't think Kafer is that man (but am a little short of applicants myself) Deans Failed, Link failed, Foley would fail, Cheika might get by, but he's such an asshole that I'd start watching France if he was picked.......I don't know who it should be.

[James]

Looking at the game in hindsight, the backs weren't all that bad. Folau played his best game of the year, sharing the ball appropriately and running it intelligently, good under the high ball and effective in defense

I thought he was shithouse and has been for most of this year. A couple of the decisions he made were dire. A poorly timed offload that caused a turn over in our 22. We had a scrum move where Folau received the ball miles behind the game line (what the hell to begin with) but he followed suit with all the stuff ups before him and kicked (grubber?) into the Argentinean defensive wall only to tackle an opposition player in the air (that push in the back meant nothing really) and get penalised. Clueless.

[jargan83]

Maybe we need an arsehole? Cheika seems to have told NSWRU to keep out of playing matters maybe he can do the same for the the ARU?

[Alison]

John Mitchell?!!

[James]

Maybe we need an arsehole? Cheika seems to have told NSWRU to keep out of playing matters maybe he can do the same for the the ARU?

Since there is a rule stating that 50% of the starting XV must be Waratahs maybe it wouldn't be such a bad call. What has Ewen Mackenzie actually achieved? Deans was doing better than Mackenzie. That doesn't mean things won't improve and Mackenzie deserves the BOTD until the end of next year, but after the World Cup Cheika will be in the box seat and he knows it.

[jargan83]

I'm not advocating the sacking of Link by any stretch yet. But some of his selections have had me left scratching my head to say the least.

He will be judged primarily on the performance next year in particular the world cup.

John Mitchell?!!

I doubt it. Fairly or unfairly I think enough mud has stuck from his time at the Force. I agree with a post from Gigs in another thread that said Mitchell came across as a twat. He had player problems at the Force and seems to have just transferred it to Australian Rugby as whole.

[Ralto]

Maybe we need an arsehole? Cheika seems to have told NSWRU to keep out of playing matters maybe he can do the same for the the ARU?

We all love Link, that cute mix of cuddly and grumpy, and he's suffered because he was left a toxic setup from Dingo, he's not had all the players he wanted at the times he wanted, he's kept us steady at number 2 for a while, (scratch that number 4 in the world), introduced us to some obscure local reds boys. He's had no O'Connor, Cooper, Gateux, and Mitchell running agendas, and apart from Beale he's had a pretty compliant group of talented players to imprint his game plan on. However, Link just doesn't seem to be able to coax consistent performances from the players, as a result the Wallabys continue to shudder along.

Cheika was touted as the messiah when it was rumoured he was about to sign with the Force. Supposedly he was only successful because he had a team with 10 or twelve Wallabys in it. His personality is never going to win over a lot of people, he did however do what was asked of him at the 'Tahs. It might be interesting if he ever gets the chance to run a team with 15 Wallabys in it

[Tonkar]

The warratahs is a brought team that the Aru and Pulver had an agenda to take the Super 15 title by any means and it is slowing coming out how rigged the games were.. Refs saying the winning penalty was a mistake sure it was money in his bank account... How many more games were thrown Warratahs way a sly penalty here or there and a few missed things in games... Cheiks will be next Wallaby coach just have to wait till link sinks some more..

[GIGS20]

It might be interesting if he ever gets the chance to run a team with 15 Wallabys in it

as opposed to his current team of 13 wallabies and one Springbok?

[GIGS20]

I thought he was shithouse and has been for most of this year. A couple of the decisions he made were dire. A poorly timed offload that caused a turn over in our 22. We had a scrum move where Folau received the ball miles behind the game line (what the hell to begin with) but he followed suit with all the stuff ups before him and kicked (grubber?) into the Argentinean defensive wall only to tackle an opposition player in the air (that push in the back meant nothing really) and get penalised. Clueless.

Actually yeah, now that you bring that kick up.......

Maybe I was seduced by the fact that he passed the ball before being tackled.

[The InnFORCEr]

Not sure if anyone has discussed the Hopper situation with the ref during this match where at one point the ref told Hooper to "go and have chat with the team" to which Hooper replied along the lines of "I've already told them three times, I don't know what else to do".

Those are not the words of a leader, be it slightly inexperienced or not IMHO.

The answer, for those playing at home was "Yes Sir, can I please have a moment"