Rugby Championship: New Zealand - Australia (25/08/2012)

[smartcooky]

Cooper worries me as a NZ fan. With Barnes I know what he can do and it doesn't worry me. Cooper can do something amazing or something hopeless, but it is the unpredictability that worries me. If he strings enough good things together he can turn the game pretty quickly.

Hopefully he has another shocker. Wonder if the crowd will be on him again.

Do you wonder whether or not Dolly Parton sleeps on her back!!

 

[nickdnz]

Do you wonder whether or not Dolly Parton sleeps on her back!!

Haha, I'd actually imagine that the Cooper hatred has gone down hill by now. After his injury I got the impression that most felt the Cooper thing had gone too far. I hope he doesn't get too much pressure from the crowd, at least not in the form of booing (providing he keeps his knees to himself).

 

[saderista]

I just hope both teams up the skill level a notch or two this week, it was a poor display in Bled 1.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Went for 250 Vcash on the Wallabies (good odds) even though I think the AB's are favorites by 12 points.

 

[smartcooky]

Haha, I'd actually imagine that the Cooper hatred has gone down hill by now. After his injury I got the impression that most felt the Cooper thing had gone too far. I hope he doesn't get too much pressure from the crowd, at least not in the form of booing (providing he keeps his knees to himself).

Yeah, maybe

However, I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever for Cooper. What happened to him with the crowd hassle at the world cup was entirely down to him being a dirty little foot-tripping, head-kicking cheap shot artist.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Tatafu Polota-Nau seems ti be injured, so Stephen Moore will start and Saia Fainga'a will be on the bench.

http://planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3821_8011038,00.html

 

[admartian]

Cooper worries me as a NZ fan. With Barnes I know what he can do and it doesn't worry me. Cooper can do something amazing or something hopeless, but it is the unpredictability that worries me. If he strings enough good things together he can turn the game pretty quickly.

Hopefully he has another shocker. Wonder if the crowd will be on him again.

The thing with Quade is that he's a confidence/streaky player. Things go depending on how the team goes; rather than the other way around. If you chojke the breakdown and stifle Genia's ball; rushing Quade will be easier.

The key is not to get tunnel vision on Quade though. He's like a more cocky/arrogant/cunty and less taleneted version of Shaun Johnson.

Yeah, maybe

However, I have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever for Cooper. What happened to him with the crowd hassle at the world cup was entirely down to him being a dirty little foot-tripping, head-kicking cheap shot artist.

I agree.

While I'm not for booing injured players, Quade deserves everything he gets.

 

[Dizzy]

Better lineup from Deans.. Don't know why he doesn't stick with this squad throughout, although I'd pick AAC at centre over Horne and put Beale back to fullback, and the Wallaby backline would be faultless providing Cooper has an "on" day! and Beale doesn't come up against Dagg then they'll be fine!..

AB's to take it out

 

[Darwin]

You would have to think New Zealand are overwhelming favourites for this match - though as Steve Hansen rightly pointed out we were also overwhelming favourites for the RWC final, and that game was a bit too close for comfort!

Crockett vs Alexander is an interesting match-up - I'd expect Crockett should have a good edge here at scrum time (as Alexander isn't really a great scrummaing TH prop), though I wouldn't be surprised if Crockett gets penalised a few times. The injury to Polota-Nau is not a big blow for Australia in my opinion, as I rate Moore at least as highly as Polota-Nau. New Zealand will want to improve their distribution from the lineout this weekend - I would quite like to see Retallick come off the bench in place of Whitelock this weekend if NZ are looking comfortable with 20 mins to go. Likewise it would be good to see Vito get 20-odd mins.

Hopefully SBW goes back to running straight and hard this week (preferabbly straight at Quade Cooper ), which should suck in defenders and make a bit of space out wide for Gear, Jane, and Dagg to exploit. If New Zealand gets another midfield scrum they should try to repliacte the move they used for Dagg's try - if the defending wing drifts out to cover Dagg we could see Carter putting Gear through a big gap.

 

[Larksea]

I see cooper and barnes as massive targets for SBW and Nonu

I'd like to see them both (and gear) be used as first receiver running directly at these guys.

get the popcorn ready!

 

[InsaneAsylum]

it's probably the best "dingo's breakfast" team that could have been put together albeit horne should have been out, aac to 13 and beale in at 15.

Cooper's mentality has changed somewhat in the last year, it's obvious that he's done a fair bit of media training and my guess is he's also spent a lot of time with a sports psych. I think at least some of the crowd will boo to begin with but it will fade out by half time. everyone learned their lesson from the world cup, including cooper.

 

[Dizzy]

Like your selections there Insane!

 

[The_Wol]

Robbie Deans should be fired, he's a disgrace to Australia and probably a hero in NZ

 

[InsaneAsylum]

lol i think overall deans is doing a resonable job, at least sacking him wont help. I do get frustrated with his talking in riddles and corporate buzz words like "we took a lot of key learnings out of that game". he just needs to be honest with the fans and visibly passionate about his job.

i think the problem is our waratah quota system. it's like there's a handshake agreement betwen the ARU and NSW. we need to take the politics out of the game and pick our best players on form. NZ seems to have no politics when it comes to selection, it's simple and based on picking the best player in each position. I think deans would like to pick who he wants, but is hampered by the politics of the system.

 

[Larksea]

he's not so popular in NZ, in fact a recent poll had him 8th in a list of New Zealand's most hated All Blacks. No idea where that came from though.

The writing is on the wall for deans, his charm is wearing off on the Aussie public. You have to think he's been fairly unlucky though. Look at the Aussie super rugby teams? Their best team was 6th on the table and did not get past the first week of the playoffs hardly an indicator that he has good stock to work with, at the least the aussie players are not coming into the international season with much confidence from super rugby.

It is one way to look at it, but another way is that Aussie don't have the best depth but they do have a seriously good 20 odd players at the shape end who are world class and a handful of the best players in the world.

Aussies have had a bit of an edge over the springboks but I think Robbie Deans biggest failure is the two losses to Scotland and the loss to Samoa. Heck if the All Blacks lost to a side at the wrong end of the top 10 in the world rankings it would likely cost the coach their job. And the failure to maintain his performances with the wallabies when they have gotten close to the All Blacks level or beaten them.

the killer really is where the wallabies have lost game were their tactics and game plan have really failed them.

heck you never know, a win in auckland could seal him through to 2015. But what are the chances of that?

 

[smartcooky]

Robbie Deans should be fired, he's a disgrace to Australia and probably a hero in NZ

The NZRU knew that Deans was suspect at International level (2003 RWC) thats why they went with Ted.

IMO, the NZRU were more than happy to see Deans go to the Land of the Bouncing Rat

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

he's not so popular in NZ, in fact a recent poll had him 8th in a list of New Zealand's most hated All Blacks. No idea where that came from though.

This was actually an Oz poll, Australia's least favourite All Black.

On the topic of coaches, I think the next couple of coaches will come from Rennie, Gatland and Joseph, with the former two probably the most likely guys to take over...

 

[Keithmurdoch]

The whole system's rooted in oz, get rid of the CEO first and foremost, then see who the new one wants as coach. Five teams my arse.
Have to say though, if you've got problems with a particular player's one on one defense, dropping him to bring in Quade "o sh#t O Sh*t OH SH#T" Cooper might not turn out to be the fix-all you hoped for

 

[madflyhalf]

lol i think overall deans is doing a resonable job, at least sacking him wont help. I do get frustrated with his talking in riddles and corporate buzz words like "we took a lot of key learnings out of that game". he just needs to be honest with the fans and visibly passionate about his job.

i think the problem is our waratah quota system. it's like there's a handshake agreement betwen the ARU and NSW. we need to take the politics out of the game and pick our best players on form. NZ seems to have no politics when it comes to selection, it's simple and based on picking the best player in each position. I think deans would like to pick who he wants, but is hampered by the politics of the system.

I definetly agree...

While early in is job (until 2010) looks he was creating very good stuff (renewing the team, nice structures, play what's in front of you was working well with the right players), now it looks it has all settled.

I would have liked some more experiments in june once achieved series win against Wales, the third match could have been a good stage to introduce some of the youngest guns to international level!
Guys like Hooper, Gill, Schatz, Morahan, Shipperley etc.. are all really good prospect, but now in TRC they could suffer pressure along with a team not full fit and slightly manipulated in selection.

The most important stuff is the lack of structures and patterns, though a new change in coaches could affect previous movements and took a while to implement the new ones. Maybe they just need time... but again, talking about time after 4 years doesn't look good!

I hope in november we can see some experiments, due to Pocock absence, for example something like
6 Dennis
7 Gill
8 Schatz
Hooper and Samo on the bench, I think Higginbotham to this team now means 1 less player in the forward, and a bad handling back!
Neville, Pyle and Jones in the second row spots!

O'Connor 10, with Barnes 12, Ashley-Cooper 13 and Shipperley 15.


Something... anything! Please!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

looooooool who's the insaaaaaaane fellow who dealt all that cash on a draw ?!! I'm cracking up !! :sarcastic_hand: