BaxTAH doesn't want to revenge the poms??

[robyn <3]

I'm a little confused. He wants to beat them (I HOPE!) but he doesn't want revenge.

Wallabies not eyeing Cup revenge: Baxter

Some teammates will disagree, but Australia's most-capped prop insists revenge is not on the menu So does this mean we won't win? Because to me a win is revenge... for the Wallabies as they turn their attention to next Saturday's showdown with England at Twickenham.

After Italy, the Wallabies will switch focus to their arch enemies for what looms as the most significant Test of their five-match European tour.

Twice in the past three years, England have humiliated Australia, and more specifically the Wallabies pack, setting the scene for a mouth-watering confrontation next weekend.

Veteran tighthead Al Baxter has often been made the scapegoat for the Wallabies' front-row woes. EDIT- NO WAY! You guys think Baxter is a scrummaging problem.. WHAT?!

Mostly because he featured in both defeats Is there a message here?, first the infamous capitulation at Twickenham on the 2005 spring tour - when the Wallabies suffered the indignity of being reduced to uncontested scrums - and then last year's Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss in Marseille.

But the 61-Test mainstay refuses to look back in anger and says the Wallabies will only be out to prove to themselves - no-one else - that they have long since moved on from two of the darkest days in Australian rugby history.

"Circumstances have changed," Baxter said. "New coach, new team, heaps of new players.

"So I think this tour is much more about us trying to go out there and test ourselves, certainly us forwards against some of the best packs in the world.

"For me, probably the three best scrummaging packs in the world would be the English, the Italians and the New Zealanders. And so on this tour, we'll have had those three teams."

Baxter claimed the Wallabies were not looking for retribution for their World Cup pummelling in Marseille.

"We're more angry at ourselves for playing so poorly I think everyone is expecting more than RWC semi, yes..., especially since we felt we played pretty well in the World Cup in the first four games. Then when you play poorly when it's must-win, that's disappointing," he said.

"So, as strange as it sounds, this tour is very much about us."

Baxter admitted that, personally, he may walk into a firestorm when he arrives in London on Sunday ahead of a week of badgering from the tabloid press which no doubt will be eager to also remind the 31-year-old of the Wallabies' inglorious scrummaging performance in 2005. YOU MEAN BAXTER WAS A BAD SCRUMMAGER! SMH... you took the wrong pills this morning.
"Definitely and that's what you expect and certainly I've been around long enough (should have just finished the sentence there) that it doesn't really worry me," he said.

"They're certainly entitled to their opinions and they're certainly entitled to write what they like but, at the end of the day, we're really keen to prove to ourselves within the side.

"The opinions that matter are those of your teammates and your coaches and the guys around us."

He said the silver lining from that dreaded experience was that it proved to be a turning point for Australian rugby in that it prompted the appointment of specialist scrum coaches like 1999 World Cup-winning hooker Michael Foley.

"Before, we had the physio doing some part-time scrummaging work and that's just ridiculous when you've got a medical staff member throwing in his two bob," Baxter said.

"It was the catalyst to changing the whole emphasis of certainly coaching and also coaching of set-piece rugby in Australia.

"It became once again a focus instead of something to restart play, which it had got to. It's a whole different emphasis now."
SMH

Wallabies not eyeing Cup revenge: Baxter - Rugby Heaven - Breaking News

I am seriously confused. Anyone want to explain it to me a little more?

[blueandblack]

First of all, make sure the URL matches the item you post. Your provided link goes to the "Wallabies vow to take Italy head on" story. The Al Baxter thing you just posted is from: Wallabies not eyeing Cup revenge: Baxter - Rugby Heaven - Breaking News .

Too much lote-bashing is doing your head in . Stay away from the tahs for a little bit.

[Burgs]

"Circumstances have changed," Baxter said. "New coach, new team, heaps of new players.

ie, no more excuses as you are the common denominator left you berk

[robyn <3]

Too much lote-bashing is doing your head in . Stay away from the tahs for a little bit.

B&B, it's kinda hard. Almost all of the wallabies team for tonight has NSW Waratahs next to their name. It's a tad depressing... I'm allowed to post wrong links.

It's official- Baxter is just weird.

[GIGS20]

It appears nobody has yet explained the gist of this article to robyn. It seems to fall unto me.

The last two times the Wallabies has played Australia somebody (one time All Baxter the next John O'Neill) has basically pumped up the pommy pack by saying they hate England. Al Baxter has simply gone on the record before the match saying he's got nothing to do with any intended slight. Expect him, upon the first engagement of the scrum to sincerely apologise for anything he might do (or have done) that offends anybody of English heritage and ask sweetly if the Pommy forwards wouldn't mind taking it easy on him, since they obviously don't need to try too hard to make him look like a pile of shit.

Essentially Trestle is scared shitless of giving the English pack a reason to do the same things to him that they have enjoyed doing for years now. I guess it's no surprise really, the sort of thing you'd expect from a prop who HAS NO SPINE!!!!!!

Bag the tosser and put up somebody who at least THINKS he has the goods to take on the poms in the set-piece!

[robyn <3]

It appears nobody has yet explained the gist of this article to robyn. It seems to fall unto me.

The last two times the Wallabies has played Australia somebody (one time All Baxter the next John O'Neill) has basically pumped up the pommy pack by saying they hate England. Al Baxter has simply gone on the record before the match saying he's got nothing to do with any intended slight. Expect him, upon the first engagement of the scrum to sincerely apologise for anything he might do (or have done) that offends anybody of English heritage and ask sweetly if the Pommy forwards wouldn't mind taking it easy on him, since they obviously don't need to try too hard to make him look like a pile of shit.

Essentially Trestle is scared shitless of giving the English pack a reason to do the same things to him that they have enjoyed doing for years now. I guess it's no surprise really, the sort of thing you'd expect from a prop who HAS NO SPINE!!!!!!

Bag the tosser and put up somebody who at least THINKS he has the goods to take on the poms in the set-piece!

Thankyou GIGS... It all makes sense now. What Baxter lacks on the rugby field he makes up for in trying to sweet-talk people into believe he LETS the poms win everytime.

It's extra official- Baxter is SUPER weird.

Robinson + Alexander for our frontrow next weekend. We can let the sweet-talker sit this one out

[Burgs]

Hopefully Trestle won't be a part of the action to become a part of the problem...

[Stone Cold]

Screw you all...big Al has improved out of sight since 2005 debacle and I for one am sick of all the negativity out there

He plays for the Wallabies and is picked consistently. Why don't we back all our players (im talking wallabies and not just force players) and stop bagging them constantly (lote excluded - i mean whats with that guy?)

[GIGS20]

Hmmmm tough call there Stoney, I don't recall having said too much against too many of the Wallabies, but am open to being proven wrong. The fact is, I have a couple of issues with selections and they're pretty plain.
1 Our Front row is dodgy, I've said it before, I'll say it again, we need to find solutions to the problem and IMHO the problem is that the current lot aren't up to it. I don't know whether any of the other props in Oz are up to it because there seems to be an insistence on selecting 'experienced' props rather than trying to find good props.
2 I reckon it sucks quite a bit that expensive league crossover experiments in the backs keep getting selected regardless of performance or lack thereof. (ie Lote and to a lesser extent Tahu)

But to say it's all one-eyed Forceism is rubbish (at least as it applies to me) I am well known on this forum as a bloke that reckons the Reds are crap, I've had (and enjoyed) many a protracted argument with Tic and TOCC on the matter, yet I have continually mentioned Both Berrick Barnes and James Horwill's stellar performances this year. Likewise, I bash the 'Tahs every chance I get (why wouldn't you....seriously) but I remember calling for Burgess to be given more time at 9 once he proved himself. I'll give Baxter a gon not when he improves, but when he proves himself capable of mixing it with quality international opposition consistently.....he's got a bloody lot of improvement before that line is crossed.

At the end of the day, we might just look around our young front-rowers and say.....'bugger, Trestle and Donut are the best we've got, we'll have to put up with them' In that case, I'll accept that hes the only bloke we can put there, but I just don't think the looking is really happening.

[Burgs]

I used to talk him up Stone, until I got sick of him proving me wrong.
I wanted him to be the answer, I even wanted him to come to WA with the inaugural selection!
He looked the part of a modern day Prop and Darwin's equal or better but unfortunately that is and never has been the case.
When you really like, or dislike, a players selection you tend to watch them more closely and I always have an eye on Baxter when he is on, knowing I have passed judgement previously.
He is consistently crap and consistently costs us penalties/free kicks both in the scrums and attacking in the loose. He is also very poor at covering in defence.
At least I guess he can't be blamed for not being consistent!
In the mean time he has been consistently picked, holding back the exposure of others.
Case in point, Alexander gets his first cap against reportedly the best front row combination in Europe and dominated in a virtual man of the match worthy display.
Kepu will hopefully get the same opportunity.
If I felt he had a good match I would say so but I haven't had cause to in the last four years.

[AndyS]

That is my problem with Baxter and Dunning - they get picked because they are the only guys with experience, which means they remain the only ones with experience.

[frontrow]

Well, we all know my views so no need to rehash them once again...Bring on the bennnnns....

[TOCC]

to be fair the Wallabies have tried several props over the last few years, Ben Robinson, Ben Alexander, Matt Dunning, Al Baxter, Rodney Blake, Sekope Kepu, Nic Henderson, Greg Holmes and Guy Shepherdson.

I think Holmes, Robinson and Alexnader have shown that they have the potential to further there Wallaby careers.

[joblot]

Screw you all...big Al has improved out of sight since 2005 debacle and I for one am sick of all the negativity out there

He plays for the Wallabies and is picked consistently. Why don't we back all our players (im talking wallabies and not just force players) and stop bagging them constantly (lote excluded - i mean whats with that guy?)

I agree, he admits to his past weaknesses and has worked bloody hard to correct them, which he has done in spades. All tis negative crap is exactly the mental weakness displayed by that Irish prick in Hong Kong. Give the bloke a fair go; is that not what we are renowned for?

[mudskipper]

At lest he knows he won't get a Northern Hemisphere contract when he finishes…well play for a English club. You would think as an architect he would know how to hold things up…

Baxter bashing is a bit tough… Really we still all miss Ben Darwin. Baxter replaced a injured Ben Darwin during the 2003 Rugby World Cup, starting in the opening match against Argentina as well as the Final against England.

To be fair many bash Baxter, he may not be the best prop but he doesn’t give up trying to get better… and respect that quality in anyone. Give Alexander a season without injury he will be the like starter. One other thing about Baxter that many might not know is he is another Canberra development, then Shore then Sydney Uni & Waratahs…

The Force needs proficient props and Al Baxter is better than what’s there now...