turmeric says...

@jmehrtens the result on paper was much the same as the 22 - 0 result was this week; the score flattered the Ozzies. The scoreline is not always an indication of th relative strengths (and weaknesses) of each team. The first game OZ stayed in touch because the whole game was a shambles. The ABs were pretty bad, the OZies were significantly worse and the ref was dominant blowing penalties at every chance he got. IMO the ref evened out the score quite a bit.

Posted 00:00 27th August 2012

turmeric says...

Also @Wallaroo I think you should cut Read a bit of slack. He has proven time and time again he is up there (if not the best) number 8 in the world for some time. While I agree his performance on the weekend was not the greatest, the back end of his Super Rugby tournament was plagued with injury and so to expect him to come back all guns blazing straight away might be a bit much. I'd say you will see a big improvement from him next game and by the end of the tournament he will once again be considered hands down the best 8 in the game!

Posted 21:53 20th August 2012

Wallaroo says...

@turmeric, the basis was my expectation from them overall. Sadly dominating the Wallaby scrum is not exactly an indication of firepower, hard to admit as a Wallabies supporter but truth is truth period; so I won't compare or use the Wallaby scrum as an indication that the AB front row was anywhere near it's potential.

Posted 16:03 20th August 2012

tha_mai says...

three6three6 - good post, but as an alternative, you say Deans has improved versus SA while not making progress v NZ. I'd suggest that possibly it was SA who lost form (the PdV years) rather than Oz improving in the current era.

What hasn't improved is Deans' after match efforts. I used to think Mitchell was bad.

Posted 09:35 20th August 2012

jonesy2 says...

daggs, do you like daggs? this is a more immense performance from israel than most people are thinking because he has been a star at super rugby level for a while and people think he has played more test matches than he has but he only was starting this year after mils retired and has started off by putting the irish fullback in his place and now turned in this performance in the biggest game on a rugby calender. legit superstar now. how about kev hardly playing this year and puts in that performance, simply incredible.

melkdave-- you cant give low marks if a guy didnt put a foot wrong. most got about 7 or 8 out of 10 and the ones who was awesome got the marks they deserved. the ABs best performance would see 10s and 9s accross the board.

georgesmith-- you have taken the cake as the most mind bogglingly insane poster, congrats

Posted 08:05 20th August 2012

tha_mai says...

just by way of comparison, NZ news site also gave player reviews, and none rated higher than 7.5/10 (Dagg, Carter, Read, McCaw) -perhaps a more realistic view.

Posted 06:37 20th August 2012

three6three6 says...

Do consistent losses against the All Blacks mean that opposing coaches are not doing their job properly? Coaching a team like the Wallabies at this level must be very frustrating - after all the coaches can not get themselves onto the pitch and play.

There is little doubt that in the big matches over the last few years that the Wallabies have underperformed against the All Blacks. The Bledisloe Cup has been safely in the hands of the New Zealanders for the last nine years (since 2003). The matches between the two protagonists have usually been intense affairs and very competitive.... with the All Blacks prevailing.

The history between the two nations is roughly the ABs winning 2/3 rds with the Walabies wining 1/3 rd. This of course is a long term average - averaging the good times with the lean times. There is no doubt that the Wallabies have been going through a very lean time recently (since the hacyon days of the 1990s) when playing the ABs. But these are abnormal results against the number one rugby playing nation in the world. Bye the way the number two team in the world based upon their win-loss record is the Bokke (not the Wallabies).

What R.Deans has managed to do during his tenure with the Wallabies is make them more successful against the Bokke - especially away from home. He has also managed to bring on the next generation of Wallaby players.... Of course these achievements pale into insignificance when compared with the nagging open wounds created by the inability to beat up the "recalcitrant younger brother".

Posted 03:55 20th August 2012

georgesmith says...

@ hellovanite. mate... the closet ain't empty at all. Tis in-fact full but only R. Deans is playing blind. N.Cummins is there. Young M. Hoooper is there. R.Simmons is there so I don't know what the whole fuss is about in the Wallabies camp. The answer is quite simple. R. Deans has lost the plot so we must cut him loose. This is performance-based of course. Maybe he should go back and start coaching Canterbury in the ITM Cup. There has to be lot of changes in the line-up now. If he retains liabilities like S.Kepu, N.Sharpe and D. Dennis then it will be a massacre in Auckland next week,

Posted 21:28 19th August 2012

hellovanite says...

Georgesmith... R.Deans and his picks aye... well I'd chime in with that old saying, you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear! Me thinks Robbie has looked and found the cupboard somewhat bare.There are injuries and I suspect the Wallabys are missing the likes of O"Connor and McCabe in the midfield, Drew on the wing and I'd like to see Hooper get a run at 7 too!

Posted 10:42 19th August 2012

kitch says...

prior to the game i was critical of dags lack of form but he played the best he has for a long time .. well deserved 9/10

i also gave kevvy a hard time but id give him a 9.. his throwing improved out of sight!!

the much vaunted sbw was average at best.. 2 of his 'game changing' off loads which 'only he can do' couldve easily turned the game aussies way if they werent so inept on the night.. just a pass mark at 5

nonu a 6.. made a reasonable fist of being out of position and was kept busy defensively when aussie tried to get around the black wall of death in the centres

hosea was perhaps the most disappointing on the night..4/10...his lines were a tad behind the play and he lacks the skill to beat a man when theres little room to move.. if any changes were to be made it would be here.

as a team id give the ABs a 7/10 but i do hate the aimless up n unders which is pretty much just handing the ball over, esp when theres no one chasing!

Posted 04:16 19th August 2012