Deans moans about Italy cunning

[travelling_gerry]

Deans moans about Italy cunning

November 21, 2010

Click for more photos Australia defeat Italy in Florence

Australian fullback Kurtley Beale (C) argues with Italian players. Photo: AFP


FLORENCE: Australia coach Robbie Deans moaned about Italy's cunning scrum play as his team battled to a hard-earned 32-14 victory here on Saturday.
Australia scored two tries to one by the Azzurri and Berrick Barnes also knocked over six penalties in a game that although at times fairly close provided little in terms of suspense.
The only real success the Azzurri got in the game was from forcing penalties at the scrum, but Deans felt those weren't fair.

"I feel the tight-head (Martin Castrogiovanni) gets far to much pay for rolling in and (referee) Christophe Berdos was going round the other side and getting it wrong," he said.
"He's an experienced tight-head so he plays the game, he knows where the ref is and chooses his moments cleverly and they profitted from that.

"But (Australia loose-head) James Slipper did very well, the boys worked their way through those challenges."


One of the few times the scrum went against Italy was in the final action of the game when the ball popped out the side and Rocky Elsom was left free to just pick it up and score.
"I think it was an exceptional try," he joked before praising Italy's scrum.

"When we were packing against them the ball would just sit there right in the middle which shows the confidence they had in their scrum, but if they stepped back it came right over to our side.
"That one was in the danger zone but you have to give them credit for having that confidence in their scrum."

As for Australia's attacking, Elsom said they could have done better.
"Some of the choices we made weren't ideal but you've got to take the good with the bad sometimes," he said.

"Particularly in the second half they were willing to give away penalties and ultimately they put too much distance between them and us. It's a test match and we're happy with the win."
Italy's South African coach Nick Mallett was delighted with his team's defensive performance and defended the lack of success they had up front.

"I don't think the attack wasn't good, we had a chance when Luke McLean passed to Tommaso Benvenuti and he dropped it but if McLean feints, Curtley Beale had gone over when he got the ball and it would have been a try under the posts," said Mallett.

"We did well on the turnover even if we didn't go forward. Obviously we don't have players of the same level as (Australia fly-half) Quade Cooper but we have good players and we shouldn't say they can't attack. We'll keep working and it will come in the future.

"The spirit of a team is not how they attack but how they defend and we had 22 players who gave their all.
"I'm disappointed about the last try because 25-14 (the score before Elsom's try) was a fair score for this game and the last try was a real kick in the teeth given the great work we did in this game."

Italy captain Sergio Parisse said it was a much improved performance from their 22-16 defeat to Argentina last week and he also praised Mallett's bravery in giving 20-year-old Edoardo Gori his debut.

"Of course we're a bit more satisfied with this game than last week's because Australia are a team that play a lot of attacking rugby and it's difficult to defend," he said.

"We did well in defence, they scored only two tries and the second was a present from us.
"We're satisfied also with the choices Nick made because he takes the responsibility when things go badly so he should take the credit when they go well.

"Picking a 20-year-old debutant at scrum-half who has never even played a top level game was a risk but he had a great game against a great team."

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...121-1827w.html

[Rex Messup]

The only good thing to come out of the wallaby performance was to see barnes kicking goals. Converting our points sure helps.

[zimeric]

this happens to any team that usually plays against 2nd tier opponents ..the less fancied team (eg: Scotland, fiji) will on the odd occasion pull off a rousing win against a powerhouse...

Complacency & Over excitement are the hidden dangers..

i think Barnes put it very well "'It was hard playing against Italy because there were a few holes out there,'' Barnes said. ''When you play sides like the All Blacks, you don't get too many of them and so you jump at every chance you get.

''Tonight we probably did that too often and didn't capitalise on them. Then you find yourself in a dog fight, which is similar to many other Tests against Italy. But we got away with it.

''Execution does kill you. Our shapes are opening sides up and, it is great that our attack is doing that. It is now on us to try and be a lot more patient at times.''


Against France they will lift their concentration and intensity.

[Rex Messup]

The difference is the allblacks would have put 60 on them

[James]

14th, November, 2009.

New Zealand defeat Italy 20-6.

[travelling_gerry]

Robbie Deans wants referees to stamp out 'trickery' he says opposing scrums are using on Wallabies

* By David Beniuk
* AAP
* November 22, 2010 8:25PM

*
*
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Robbie Deans, Kurtley Beale

Robbie Deans ... wants referees to ruel out scrum "trickery".

Robbie Deans challenges referees to see through the "trickery" he says opposing scrums are using on the Wallabies.

Australia's scrum was penalised six times in the 32-14 win over Italy before French referee Christophe Berdos eventually recognised the Azzurri pack weren't angels and a decision went the Wallabies' way.

Deans praised Berdos for eventually seeing the contest for what it was rather than going on a preconception that the Australian scrum is weak, a long-time complaint of the coach.

"The really exciting thing was it's the first instance we have had a referee base a decision on reality as opposed to pre-conceived ideas," Deans said.

"(Italian prop Martin) Castrogiovanni was having a giggle. He was having a laugh.

"He probably chose the wrong bloke to do it with, because scrummaging is big in France and Christophe is smart enough to take a look."

Deans is hoping the Florence Test could be a turning point in how referees view the Australian scrum, much maligned since at least the infamous meltdown at Twickenham five years ago.

There's no hiding the fact the pack has struggled, particularly in Perth against England this year and in Cardiff against Wales earlier this month.

In their defence, though, injuries meant the Perth Test featured a rookie front row and the Wallabies were down to what is now their fourth choice hooker at Millennium Stadium.

Deans believes opposing packs are using Australia's reputation to hoodwink referees.

"We came off a fixture against the All Blacks (in Hong Kong), they don't scrummage," Deans said, taking a rare swipe at his homeland.

"They just manipulate, they play the referee constantly. It's all about trickery.

"Then you get across the UK and they scrummage more so. There are elements of trickery but they do want to go forward with that trickery."

French rugby is one of the bastions of the scrum and Deans was not backward in letting this Saturday's (Sunday morning AEDT) referee, New Zealander Bryce Lawrence, know his pack were up for a genuine contest at scrum time if he will allow one.

"You watch the scrummaging in the Heineken Cup and the Top 14, it's fantastic but the referees contribute to that because they allow them to scrummage," Deans said.

"In the southern hemisphere we contributed to our own demise to a large extent because the referees are afraid of the scrummage.

"I can tell you we are looking forward to the scrummage because we are going to have what we need."

The Stade de France match will be Australia's last against a European side before next year's World Cup, where their draw means they will meet sides from the northern hemisphere in crucial games.

It means a psychological edge will be on offer this weekend.

"It's a long time before we play again, so from the individuals' perspective, what they do ... will be really important because that will be their last impression," Deans said.

"You hear players talking about going into the summer often. It's not a great sensation going into the summer when your last experience in the game is poor."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wa...-1225958790969

[pieter blackie]

The only good thing to come out of the wallaby performance was to see barnes kicking goals. Converting our points sure helps.

Mate this is the first thing that make sense that came out of your mouth the whole week

[GIGS20]

I actually don't mind Robbie deans' comments about the reefing of the scrum. As many times as I watch the penalty castrogiovanni was given, I can't see the difference between that and all the ones he milked.

I'm no student of the scrum, but if Phil Kearns is astute enough to see what was going on, surely blind free die could have made the call!
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[Rex Messup]

The "worlds best tighthead" was boring in. Even Ecky could have picked up on it. Referees are a blight on the game. As part of the initiation, they should be given an IQ test

---------- Post added at 19:00 ---------- Previous post was at 18:58 ----------

Mate this is the first thing that make sense that came out of your mouth the whole week

Chin up Piete

I'm sorry if you think hiring a scrum coach who can't scrum is a good idea. I didn't think it would be so controversial.

Perhaps we should all go and fiddle whilst Rome burns.

Prior and proper preparation prevents p1ss poor performance

[welshrugbyfan]

I'm no student of the scrum

Actually that was a good match to watch the difference between sticking to the rules and breaking the rules.

Both done by Castrogiavanni.

Some scrums he'd stay dead straight and others just plain bore in. The boreing in were clear as day. Too bad the ref couldn't see it.

[James]

That was one of the beauties of the ELVs- if the ref screws up you only get short-armed. I'd like to see the ratio of scrum collapses to completed scrums between the ELVs period and the current international series. Unfortunately I somehow think the ELVs brought about more scrum collapses.

[zimeric]

anyone pick up on the subtle heading for this article? moaning and cunning (sp)

[shasta]

The boreing in were clear as day. Too bad the ref couldn't see it.

The same has been happening for some time particularly against the AB's in recent Tri Nations matches. Woodcock has been getting away with bullshit galore. Wayne Barnes finally seemed to suss it in the HK test when he swapped to his side of the scrum and immediately blew him up. That looked as if the assistant ref might have given him the heads up and our scrum went OK for the remainder. Problem was he'd already awarded a few penalties on our feed, including one 5m from our line which led to an AB try.

Hopefully this is being seen by the relevant authorities and will be policed a bit better. Particularly about a year from now. None of this applies to the scrummaging against England and Wales. They smashed us.

[todd4]

[/COLOR]

anyone pick up on the subtle heading for this article? moaning and cunning (sp)

I'm a bit slow Zim. you're going to have to spell it out for me....

[TOCC]

Any wonder why the scrum didn't collappse on our feed for the first 4 or so australian scrums... It was because the ref was on our side of the scrum with castro and slipper, meant castro scrummaged legally and was negated by slipper...


Yet when it was the Italian scrum and ref was on the other side from castor and slipper, castor bored in and the scrums would collapse..

Can't really blame castro though, been the best prop in the world is dictated by ones ability to scrummage illegally and get away with it, as well as keeping the opposition prop scrummaging legally, it's about pushing the law. Slipper will be better for the experience and will have hopefully learned how to deal with that style of scrummaging..
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