Lions v Wallabies

[TerryO]

Bugger!

Bloody :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: POMS!

[sheerluck]

I wondered who'd get in first!

Another really good game. The score line didn't really reflect how close the game was in terms of possession and territory stats. But this is me not caring, and happy to see a 25 point beating. :D

Just goes to show that a team is bigger than one man, BOD being left out worked.

And it seems the North vs Folau battle was won by North. ;)

[stuee]

Good to see Wales, I meant the Lions get up :wasntme:

I think the Lions outclassed the wallabies just about everywhere. Some real flair tonight, just unfortunate it wasn't coming from the team in gold. Was very enjoyable to watch some classy play for a change. Good bye robbie deans.

The worst thing about the Lions winning will be listening to all the Poms that have been here for 20+ years bragging about it :p

[Bardizzo]

I wondered who'd get in first!

Another really good game. The score line didn't really reflect how close the game was in terms of possession and territory stats. But this is me not caring, and happy to see a 25 point beating. :D

Just goes to show that a team is bigger than one man, BOD being left out worked.

And it seems the North vs Folau battle was won by North. ;)

Great game, no one expected that result!!
Just because the Lions won by a record score does not vindicate gatlands decision to drop O Driscoll. They might have hit the half century if he played!:D

[sheerluck]

.......They might have hit the half century if he played!:D

They also might have donned grass skirts and danced the hula back and forth on the halfway line at half time, if only Gatland had selected more Hawaiians. ;)

[Bardizzo]

Very true, less likely though!:)

[TerryO]

They also might have donned grass skirts and danced the hula back and forth on the halfway line at half time, if only Gatland had selected more Hawaiians. ;)


You mean Tongans don't you? ...:angel:

[Reads90]

Good to see Wales, I meant the Lions get up :wasntme:



The worst thing about the Lions winning will be listening to all the Poms that have been here for 20+ years bragging about it :p

Well 8 years for me but yeah your right we will be

After all I still mention to my Aussie misses about 2003 final all the time :-)

[bob10]

Well done Lions, farewell Mr Deans, you did your best, but any coach that chooses a 33 year old, just back from serious knee injury, over a young up & comer, has to accept the consequences. Genia should never have had to catch that first kickoff, Kane Douglas , it was your call. Now the hunt must be on for a number 10, and 12, that can defend in their respective channels. O'Conner scored a good try, but that doesn't disguise the fact he is not a no. 10. Top marks to the Lions forwards, they gave us a lesson in scrum play, especially in manipulating known scrum pendant Romain Poite. I think there are 8 tests to go this year, against NZ, S.A. & Argentina. Jake White, as soon as the Super final is over, must take over the coaching role. He knows how to bring on young players, and he has developed a genuine no. 10, at the Brumbies. Ewans' turn will come, but his mission, if he accepts it, is to make the Rebels a genuine title contender. Just my opinion.

Congratulations , Lions, you deserved that win. Now all your supporters have to do is find another chant. It's as annoying as " Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.....", you know the rest. :p Bob

[will d8r]

The best team won by far.Could someone please tell me why the Wallabies continually break basic rules ie hold the ball in rucks ,shoulder charge,etc.How many points have they lost doing this.Also miss catching the ball, bad passing also kick the ball to the other team who mostly score from it.They can play well but stupid mistakes let them down Robbie's time is up. I would like to see one of those know everything commentators take on the job.Cheers Will

[TerryO]

Well Will, most would say its the coaches fault and once they get rid of Deans all will be well. Time will tell and now more than likely Deans is now gone, my guess is in 12 to 24 months time the Deans knockers will be looking for a different scapegoat.

Seriously Deans is not the reason the Wallabies make basic almost school boy playing mistakes.

[sheerluck]

You mean Tongans don't you? ...:angel:

You're just jealous because our Tongans were better than your Tongans, Samoans and Kiwis on the night.:D

[TerryO]

Bring on the Bledisloe Cup ...:twisted:

[sheerluck]

Bring on the Bledisloe Cup ...:twisted:

That's only a few weeks away. And I'll be cheering the Wallabies on For that. I hope that the team and coach (either they stick by and support Deans, or make a firm choice otherwise) issues are solved by then.

There's some really good talent in the Wallabies side, and some that are just hangers on. They really need to be united to dent the All Blacks.

[incisor]

Bring on the Bledisloe Cup ...:twisted:

lets hope we can find a decent side to field...

;)

[bob10]

[QUOTE=TerryO;1944213

Seriously Deans is not the reason the Wallabies make basic almost school boy playing mistakes.[/QUOTE]

How is it then, that the Brumbies, & to a lesser extent the Reds, can play to a higher standard than the Wallabies, most times. And why did the Waratahs have such a high representation in the squad? Yes, Deans is not the main reason , the NSWRU mafia , and all the NSW centric commentators have a case to answer. Don't forget, when Qld, ACT, & VIC rugby wanted to form a 2nd tier rugby comp., similar to what NZ & S.Africa have, the NSWRU vetoed the idea, because some high profile Sydney clubs would not be in the mix. I feel sorry for Deans, in a way, he had to agree to bringing George Smith back, and to have players past their use by date [ think Barnes, Ashley cooper, Palu, Kepu, Smith] kept in the side, or the NSW clique would have him out the back door. Deans is an astute coach, he would have known O'Connor is not a no.10, but he persisted with him. Why? Pressure from the clique. Sexton gave the wallabies a masterclass in no. 10 play, but he is average, at best. The All Blacks & Springboks would put 30 to 40 points on this Lions side. Don't blame the players, the system is stuck in the past, and I know of some very good rugby players up here who have either moved to Rugby League, or gone to work in the mines, because they can't see a future in Rugby, in Australia, the way it is managed at the moment.

The other point I would like to make is, shouldn't serial off field offenders be made to earn their return to the Wallabies, thru the lower grades, rather than be treated as koala bears. Certain players have cheapened the Wallaby ethos. This country is light years behind NZ, in the way they manage their product, Rugby Union. We have the players, they are being let down, just my opinion. Bob

[newlandyowner]

Beale and JOC should have been stood down for their 4am burger dash. They have no respect for the jersey or playing for their country. I'm guessing his attitude is the reason he has been dropped by the Rebels.

Deans will go, but I don't agree it's all his fault. The depth in Australian rugby is seriously lacking. There needs to be a national competition.
That's the reason JOC played no 10, too risky playing an uncapped player when facing the calibre in the Lions. But ultimately Deans will pay for the poor performances.

Quade wouldn't have done any better. He would have spent all night watching the big Lions running straight at him and let too many tackles go.

The Wallabies lack basic skills and leadership. There was more than enough caps between the 15 players that took the field last night to soak up the pressure and turn the game around.

Time to have a clean out starting from the CEO down and rebuild.

Can't wait for the Bledisloe Cup.........we will lock it away for another season!!!!!

[rb30gtr]

Great match, well deserved win by the Lions. I don't think I saw Aus win one scrum the whole game.

Also to brag, I won last minute tickets from Land Rover, went to darling harbour on Saturday went for a ride in the D4 over the course, entered the 25 words or less competition and won!

We sat right in the middle of the sea or red, awesome atmosphere but damn that chant is annoying.

[Hastykiwi]

Beale and JOC should have been stood down for their 4am burger dash. They have no respect for the jersey or playing for their country. I'm guessing his attitude is the reason he has been dropped by the Rebels.

Deans will go, but I don't agree it's all his fault. The depth in Australian rugby is seriously lacking. There needs to be a national competition.
That's the reason JOC played no 10, too risky playing an uncapped player when facing the calibre in the Lions. But ultimately Deans will pay for the poor performances.

Quade wouldn't have done any better. He would have spent all night watching the big Lions running straight at him and let too many tackles go.

The Wallabies lack basic skills and leadership. There was more than enough caps between the 15 players that took the field last night to soak up the pressure and turn the game around.

Time to have a clean out starting from the CEO down and rebuild.

Can't wait for the Bledisloe Cup.........we will lock it away for another season!!!!!

Yep, a major sponsor or JOC is what I'm hearing.

[Walandy owner]

The lions forwards set the platform for this win, no doubt about it. Forward dominance paved the way for the series decider. I totally support the wallabies and was hoping the forwards would front up. They did not. Therefore, no basic platform with which to launch an offence. The only time I would not support the wallabies is when my beloved all blacks are playing. Yep, another kiwi. Still I was hoping the wallabies would get up for this one. Unfortunately not to be. The Brits had the wood on th Wallabies through the whole series. Sadly our Aussie cousins think that changing coaches will make a difference. At the endof the day the players have to step up to the mark day in and day out. This is something ingrained in the kiwi psyche when it comes to rugby. I think there is plenty of talent in Australia. I do agree that the ARU could do a lot more to develop the game and create a stronger national competition. Until there is a serious national competition that identifies talent from all over Australia and nourishes that talent like the NRL it will be a long time between drinks before the Wallabies will foot it on a regular basis with the All Blacks. I believe there is enough talent in Australia to develop a team worthy of playing rugby at a high level week in week out.

[Cobber]

The best team definitely won :)

The real winner apparently has been the economy - the Lions fans have pumped many millions of dollars into the economy, and not just where the games have been played :cool:

[Chilly]

Good to see Wales, I meant the Lions get up :wasntme:

I think the Lions outclassed the wallabies just about everywhere. Some real flair tonight, just unfortunate it wasn't coming from the team in gold. Was very enjoyable to watch some classy play for a change. Good bye robbie deans.

The worst thing about the Lions winning will be listening to all the Poms that have been here for 20+ years bragging about it :p

So.....it will be great for us Poms who have been here only SEVEN years to brag about it then!!! hee hee

[bob10]

Mr O'Connor is in for a reality check, not before time, best thing to happen to him is to be made to work in the real world, perhaps for a grumpy hard nosed tradesman, as his labourer. Bob

Rugby - Rebels part ways with O'Connor (http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/super-rugby/melbourne-rebels-decline-to-offer-wallabies-star-james-oconnor-a-super-rugby-contract-extension/story-e6frf4qu-1226675502988)

[sheerluck]

Looks like it's confirmed Ewen McKenzie is replacing Robbie Deans:
Robbie Deans leaves Wallabies post with sheepish shrug | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/opinion/robbie-deans-leaves-wallabies-post-with-sheepish-shrug/story-e6frfs99-1226676170030)

[SBD4]

Mr O'Connor is in for a reality check, not before time, best thing to happen to him is to be made to work in the real world, perhaps for a grumpy hard nosed tradesman, as his labourer. Bob

Rugby - Rebels part ways with O'Connor (http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/super-rugby/melbourne-rebels-decline-to-offer-wallabies-star-james-oconnor-a-super-rugby-contract-extension/story-e6frf4qu-1226675502988)

O'Conner was given his first Wallabies jersey way too early in life - it has given him a sense of entitlement.

[TerryO]

Good luck with any new coach. I bet there is very little difference in the results. It's players who need to shoulder most of the blame for the poor performances.

Bring on the Bledisloe cup. ...:twisted:

[bob10]

Good luck with any new coach. I bet there is very little difference in the results. It's players who need to shoulder most of the blame for the poor performances.

Bring on the Bledisloe cup. ...:twisted:
Get the right players, in the right positions, with the right coach....don't forget Deans was dropped as All Blacks coach when they failed, in the 2003 World Cup. [ Kiwis only remember the good times ;) ] With Cooper at no 10 in the first lions test, his kicking would have won the game. In the second, he would have controlled the backs far better than O'Connor. His defence, however? It's academic now, but will be very interesting to see the team for the first game against the All Blacks. I don't expect a massive turnaround, it will be slow & steady, with Ewan. The key will be the assistant coaches, put together a quality coaching team [ as the All Blacks have done], and then you will see a very competitive Wallaby side. Can't wait, there is nothing better in the World than the look on the face of a deflated Kiwi supporter.:Thump::DBob

[bob10]

O'Conner was given his first Wallabies jersey way too early in life - it has given him a sense of entitlement.

The sense of entitlement came from his days at Nudgee College, :angel: Bob

[DiscoWeb]

The facts as I see them.

1. Deans is a world class coach but just could not get the best out of this playing group.

2. MacKenzie walked into a rabble at the Reds and turned them around in 12 months.

3. It is wonderful that we are broad minded enough to consider a non Australian as our National coach but crazy that we should consider ourselves in the position where we have not developed a deep enough talent pool to do so. Selecting Ewen is the right move.

4. Australian Rugby needs to be bigger than any one or two or three players and be prepared to drop and leave dropped for a reasonable time any player who can not act like a professional or show disrespect for the privileged they have. We need to bring back respect for the jersey and pride in being selected each and every time.

5. O'Conner is not a No 10.

6. We need a scrummaging No.3 who can get around the field and be effective. Not a really effective ball running No.3 who is only an average scrummager.

7. David Pocock IS BLOODY IMPORTANT to Australian Rugby, even if Hooper and Gill are very good.

8. We had perhaps world rugbys newest superstars and possibly one of it's best running wingers, in Israel Falou and in 3 test matches I cannot recall him getting good clean back line ball in a one on one situation from any set piece. If we have him, even if only for a little while lets bloody well use him.

Lets hope we can get this on track for the next round of tests.

Well done the lions they gave us a lesson.

George

[sheerluck]

O'Conner was given his first Wallabies jersey way too early in life - it has given him a sense of entitlement.

According to Foxsports, 4 out of the 5 Aussie Super rugby teams have said they don't want O'Connor even though he's out of contract. The team that have said they would be interested are Western Force, and only under strict conditions.

So there's a chance young O'Connor may be brought to heel. May only be a small chance, as he seems to display the arrogance of someone handed everything on a plate at a young age. I was watching an interview of him joining the Rebels, where he was talking about enhancing his "rugby brand". :eek:

Someone who has spent too much time with the marketeers I fear.

[DiscoWeb]

I was watching an interview of him joining the Rebels, where he was talking about enhancing his "rugby brand". :eek:



A quote he will regret for every I suspect.

George

[newlandyowner]

The other thing a few of the Wallabies lack is heart.
Look at the way Queensland and NSW state of origin teams go at it every year. All the players selected for both teams understand the history of the occasion ,the importance of not taking a backwards step and leaving it all on the field. Even though QLD have had the upper hand for a long time, NSW still turn up every game and fight to the end.

Majority of the Wallaby players that played that test series had no heart and gave up. The series was there for the taking at 19-16. That is a big problem with the Wallabies, and is something you shouldn't have to teach players at their level.

Will be interesting to see how Ewen goes, a good decision to let Deans go. Hopefully Ewen can salvage some pride and get Australian rugby back some credit.

The AB's, Puma's and Springboks are all lying in wait!!

[bob10]

Well done the lions they gave us a lesson.

George

Thank goodness for the Lions tour , otherwise we would still be blindly stumbling along , players out of position, dysfunctional back line, disjointed forward play , questionable tactics. The Wallabies playing to their potential should have beaten the Lions, Ewan will install some long needed discipline into the side. He also knows the importance of getting the front row right. No-one should expect instant results, but it is a step in the right direction. As for O'Connor, the best thing for him if he wants to continue in Rugby would be to go back to club rugby, rediscover grass roots rugby, and perhaps even work for a living for a while. [ heaven forbid!] This upheaval has the potential to be the best thing that could happen for him, if handled correctly. He is at a fork in the road of life, and he has a choice to make. Wouldn't hurt to ditch his manager & make his own decisions. Just my opinion, Bob

[TerryO]

I hope your correct Bob.

[Walandy owner]

Seriously,

There is nothing dramatically wrong with Australian rugby. They are consistently among the very best playing nations in the world. But to beat the best you have to be the best. It is not a given that the AB's will win every time they step out. Quite the contrary. The AB psyche instils not only self belief but total awareness that there is a fine line between winning and losing. This creates motivation to perform at a high level every time the team steps out onto the field whether they are playing Japan or Australia. There is no difference in mental preparation for either team.
The Wallabies know this and to a man commit to performing at their very best each time they step onto the field. Granted there are rare occasions when the team do not quite reach their mental peak. Rugby is a team sport. No one player can or ever will make a significant difference to the outcome of a game unless the whole team are performing well. Dan Carter is not the B-all or end all of the All Black team. The All BLacks do not rely upon a game plan around one player. That's just silly. It's a TEAM game. When the Wallabies to a man mentally prepare and commit each and every time they play, that is the day the Wallabies will be the equal of any team. Until then, no excuse under the sun is going to make any difference to the outcome.

[Hastykiwi]

Seriously,

There is nothing dramatically wrong with Australian rugby. They are consistently among the very best playing nations in the world. But to beat the best you have to be the best. It is not a given that the AB's will win every time they step out. Quite the contrary. The AB psyche instils not only self belief but total awareness that there is a fine line between winning and losing. This creates motivation to perform at a high level every time the team steps out onto the field whether they are playing Japan or Australia. There is no difference in mental preparation for either team.
The Wallabies know this and to a man commit to performing at their very best each time they step onto the field. Granted there are rare occasions when the team do not quite reach their mental peak. Rugby is a team sport. No one player can or ever will make a significant difference to the outcome of a game unless the whole team are performing well. Dan Carter is not the B-all or end all of the All Black team. The All BLacks do not rely upon a game plan around one player. That's just silly. It's a TEAM game. When the Wallabies to a man mentally prepare and commit each and every time they play, that is the day the Wallabies will be the equal of any team. Until then, no excuse under the sun is going to make any difference to the outcome.



Thank goodness for the Lions tour , otherwise we would still be blindly stumbling along , players out of position, dysfunctional back line, disjointed forward play , questionable tactics. The Wallabies playing to their potential should have beaten the Lions, Ewan will install some long needed discipline into the side. He also knows the importance of getting the front row right. No-one should expect instant results, but it is a step in the right direction. As for O'Connor, the best thing for him if he wants to continue in Rugby would be to go back to club rugby, rediscover grass roots rugby, and perhaps even work for a living for a while. [ heaven forbid!] This upheaval has the potential to be the best thing that could happen for him, if handled correctly. He is at a fork in the road of life, and he has a choice to make. Wouldn't hurt to ditch his manager & make his own decisions. Just my opinion, Bob

I reckon there's merit in all of this, but I question a couple of things.
1. Is McKenzie going to pick a vastly different side. No, because there isn't a vast array of talent to choose from. Its a few quality players, who leap from S15 franchise one after the other, surrounded by journey men. He might be able extract a little more from them, but will it be the game breaker.

2 Following on from this, Deans picked from what he had. Did he mould them in to a cohesive winning outfit? No. But did Aus rugby and the S15 coaches present him with an array of world class tight forwards to build a scrum on? No.

The way I see it Deans wasn't making the most of what he had, but Aus wasn't giving him much either, and simply changing the National coach isn't going to fix it long term.
Until the ARU develops a feeder competition for S15, things will just keep going around in circles unless by chance the stars align and you find the perfect convergence of players, Coach and timing.

cheers
NIck

[DiscoWeb]

[I]
Until the ARU develops a feeder competition for S15, things will just keep going around in circles unless by chance the stars align and you find the perfect convergence of players, Coach and timing.

cheers
NIck

You are absolutely correct.

That use to be a very strong Sydney Club comp and well organised QLD system.

The Sydney club comp has been decimated and is given little to no support and the QLD system bleeds plays to all S15 franchises.

The Aust Rugby Championship was around for 1 yr then dumped, a crazy decision then and now ?

George