Four Nations Rugger......

JGK wrote:Wow, I thought it couldn't get any worse than last week.

That was a shambolic effort by the Wannabees.

The last two games are a fair pointer to how much NZ is ahead of the rest, much like the Australian XI a little while back. Other teams will have the odd good day but you are not going to boss them across a series.

What needs to happen for the Wallabies to dominate the blecks? It's quite simple, The ARU needs to contract four forwards with Brad Thorn like intelligence and work ethic and six backs with the power, speed, intelligence & size to punch holes in any defence.

Over to you John O'Neill, do you fecking job.

JGK wrote:Wow, I thought it couldn't get any worse than last week.

That was a shambolic effort by the Wannabees.

It's the pressure of knowing in your guts that your team is way out of its depth against that opposition.

Meanwhile The Argies have stuffed my tipping by drawing with the Boks.

The first thing to do is replace Deans who has been the number 1

RUGBY FAIL

bodyline wrote:The first thing to do is replace Deans who has been the number 1

RUGBY FAIL

That won't resolve our fundamental shortcomings.

Mick Sawyer wrote:

bodyline wrote:The first thing to do is replace Deans who has been the number 1

RUGBY FAIL

That won't resolve our fundamental shortcomings.

I am not sure the introduction of Force and Rebels helped.

bodyline wrote:
I am not sure the introduction of Force and Rebels helped.

I don't think we'll get a true picture on that for another 10 years.

Diluting the talent pool doesn't help the S15 cause, but I'm still in favour. With no semi professional second tier competition we need as may professional player places as possible.

There's no question that our rugby needs to the Wallabies to be consistently successful against all opposition. Kids who don't grow up in a rugby household don't dream of playing for a team of perceived losers. In an increasingly competitive talent environment rugby needs to be even bolder than the AFL when they recruited Hunt & Folau.

Lights gone off at the Westpac stadium

Argies doing well against the Blecks. Only a point down at half time.

Well FMD, the Wannabees actually win a game. The Saffies must be seriously rubbish.

Yes, amazing that the Saffers are even worse at rugby than us. I notice on 'The Offsiders' that they've been saying that rugby is a dying sport in the southern hemisphere because only the kiwis seem to be decent at it these days.

I actually tipped the Wobblies & by the correct points margin too. I based my tip soley on the lousy record SA has in Perth. I think it'll be a different story when the Boks play at home.

[horrie]SA lost the home game?[/horrie]

Red wrote:Yes, amazing that the Saffers are even worse at rugby than us. I notice on 'The Offsiders' that they've been saying that rugby is a dying sport in the southern hemisphere because only the kiwis seem to be decent at it these days.

The "Offsiders" are a little wide of the mark. The kiwis have been the benchmark for 85 of the past 100 years. The second and third best teams in the world .......... the Boks & the Wallabies. They are world standard sides.

However, the good health of game in Australia does need the Wallabies to be successful against the ABs far more frequently. The ARU need to spend money on talent, with apologies for banging the same old drum.

FFS, Genia out for the season. Follows season ending injuries to the previous captains in Horwill and Pocock.

I wonder if we could make Richie McCaw our captain ex parte.

Beale had another rubbish game. Went walkabout like his Souths brethren.

Barnes is also injured. looks like we will be fielding a 2nd XV against the Argies.

JGK wrote:FFS, Genia out for the season. Follows season ending injuries to the previous captains in Horwill and Pocock.

I wonder if we could make Richie McCaw our captain ex parte.

Genia was injured in the tacke after taking a high ball, protecting his fullback from further embarrassment.

Mick Sawyer wrote:

Red wrote:Yes, amazing that the Saffers are even worse at rugby than us. I notice on 'The Offsiders' that they've been saying that rugby is a dying sport in the southern hemisphere because only the kiwis seem to be decent at it these days.

The "Offsiders" are a little wide of the mark. The kiwis have been the benchmark for 85 of the past 100 years. The second and third best teams in the world .......... the Boks & the Wallabies. They are world standard sides.

However, the good health of game in Australia does need the Wallabies to be successful against the ABs far more frequently. The ARU need to spend money on talent, with apologies for banging the same old drum.

It may be the national sport in NZ but they only have 4 million or so population (plus Pacific island recruits) - Australia, South Africa, England and France have many times that population even if it's not the number one sport, not sure how the numbers of active players/clubs compare but would still be surprising if NZ came out top. But although they have often slipped up with a World Cup within their grasp, the All Blacks consistently dominate, so are the other major nations just not getting the best out of their talent?

beamer wrote:

Mick Sawyer wrote:

Red wrote:Yes, amazing that the Saffers are even worse at rugby than us. I notice on 'The Offsiders' that they've been saying that rugby is a dying sport in the southern hemisphere because only the kiwis seem to be decent at it these days.

The "Offsiders" are a little wide of the mark. The kiwis have been the benchmark for 85 of the past 100 years. The second and third best teams in the world .......... the Boks & the Wallabies. They are world standard sides.

However, the good health of game in Australia does need the Wallabies to be successful against the ABs far more frequently. The ARU need to spend money on talent, with apologies for banging the same old drum.

It may be the national sport in NZ but they only have 4 million or so population (plus Pacific island recruits) - Australia, South Africa, England and France have many times that population even if it's not the number one sport, not sure how the numbers of active players/clubs compare but would still be surprising if NZ came out top. But although they have often slipped up with a World Cup within their grasp, the All Blacks consistently dominate, so are the other major nations just not getting the best out of their talent?

England has the most active players. Mick is incorrect in his statement that the ABs being the benchmark. Prior to SA's isolation the ABs had never won a series in SA.

Lachie Turner, Drew Mitchell, Rob Horne, Christian Lealiifano, Tomane, James O'Connor, Will Genia, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Ben McCalman, James Horwill, Sitaleki Timani, Palmer or Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu.

Not a bad looking Wallabies lineup. Unfortunately, none of them WILL be lining up. That is the list of current injured players. It will definately be an Australia B side that will take on the unpredictable Puma's tonight. Impossible to say who will win this one.

Does Alex Quntouris moonlight with the wannabes?

Clearly.

Horwill, Pocock and Genia. Surely Beale had to be the captain?

tricycle wrote:Horwill, Pocock and Genia. Surely Beale had to be the captain?

**chuckle**