Walla-bans: six of the best suspended for a Test, nine more disciplined for booze up

[The InnFORCEr]

Good strong message, but poor timing, should have been the Ireland match bans.

Good to see QC not involved, and not surprised the Honeybadger was!

HB and Benny had better get used to it, it seem's these are the expectations Foles seeks as well.

I bet those given the opportunity shine and we win by plenty with selection dilemmas the following week

[zed]

He's done the right thing. 3 days out from an international test and they're out on the p!ss till the early hours isn't acceptable for professional sportsmen. I don't think many Perth club players would be doing that a few days out from an important game.

[Alison]

I'm surprised Benny Mac was involved.

[eleypinkbit]

http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-union/unio...119-2xrw7.html

Peter Fitz take on the incident. It's what everyone was thinking, amazing Quade wasn't involved!
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[The InnFORCEr]

But when will the story leak that Rabbit was the ring leader

[The InnFORCEr]

Wallabies bans send firm message: coach

By Jim Morton,
AAP
Updated November 19, 2013, 1:46 am


Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has scoffed at suggestions of overkill in his decision to sensationally stand down six players for late night drinking on their end-of-season tour.

McKenzie has staunchly defended his hard-line stance to mete out one-Test bans that also compromise selections for this weekend's clash with Scotland at Murrayfield.

Fifteen players in total - almost half the 32-man squad - were disciplined after they stayed out in Dublin to the early hours of Wednesday morning before last weekend's impressive 32-15 win over Ireland.

Starting wingers Adam Ashley-Cooper and Nick Cummins, as well as reserve forwards Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson, Paddy Ryan and Liam Gill were most severely punished as they were members of the match-day 23 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

Australia went on to produce their best performance of a forgettable year by scoring four tries to nil against the Irish.

There were no complaints or police involvement, but McKenzie said he could not overlook breaks in team protocols as he looks to improve team culture and turn his rebuilding side into 2015 World Cup champions.

"The easiest thing to do in these situations is to do nothing," he said. "But to do nothing will give you mediocrity.

"We need to set high standards and then make sure we stick to them.

"Everyone wants to win a World Cup but its the behaviours that will get you there, you have to concentrate on the behaviours."

All bar second-string prop Ryan will miss Sunday morning's Test (AEDT) at Murrayfield, the fourth match on Australia's end-of-season tour.

Ryan will sit out the final match on tour, against Wales, so the Wallabies can supply a proper bench against the Scots.

It also means McKenzie must be "creative" in his three-quarter line selections, with Ashley-Cooper and Cummins out and red-carded outside centre Tevita Kuridrani facing a likely judicial suspension for his tip tackle on Irish flanker Peter O'Mahony.

An angry McKenzie labelled the unwanted episode a "massive distraction" but said setting high standards and ensuring a strong culture was crucial to turning around a team that has dropped to No.4 on the world rankings.

"It's the glue that actually binds a team together," he said. "It's what is going to make a difference.

"Every team I have been involved with before, if you can manage a team culture and get a strength in that area it can give you the advantage you need to be a championship side.

"We're not in that space yet but we're moving there and this is a speed bump for us."

McKenzie denied he could have dealt with the situation justly before the Ireland Test, after finding out late Wednesday afternoon.

He said he spent the next two days uncovering details and speaking to players individually before the Ireland game.

The players were told their punishments on Sunday morning and the team was addressed collectively by McKenzie and ARU chief executive Bill Pulver before flying to Edinburgh.

"As you can imagine, if I was dealing with one person it would have been easier than dealing with 15," he said.

"If I could have acted quicker I would have. It's as simple as that."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...ralia-players/

[Sheikh]

What does that leave us with especially centre and wing. Assuming kuridrani gets suspended then I guess CFS plays 13. Who else is left, not Mike Harris surely
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JO'C? He's in the UK and has been with London Irish now for a few weeks.

[brokendown gunfighter]

how ironic would that be?

pigs might also fly!

[The InnFORCEr]

how ironic would that be?

pigs might also fly!

I thought they called him Rabbit

[shasta]

The explanation of the timing is fair enough. So are the penalties. The match on the weekend could have been another Scotish ambush with that kind of attitude. Now there will a load of players with either a point to prove or a shot at redemption. Good move Link.

[shasta]

Peter Fitz take on the incident. It's what everyone was thinking, amazing Quade wasn't involved!
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"like finding out someone ate all the pies at parliament house and Clive Palmer is not the culprit."

[Happy]

"done it before the Scottish Test, which they will be able to win anyway without them."

I do not hold Fitz's enthusiam, this not only screams arrogance but screams complete disrepect to Scotland.

[zimeric]

a good move... but....
Im a little concerned that virtually the whole team was out and about and noone in authority (leadership group/coach/assistant coaches etc..) stepped in early and said right guys thats enough lets head home..

poor form guys.. hope they get the idea from now on in.

[The InnFORCEr]

Gregan backs McKenzie's Wallaby bans

By Jim Morton,
AAP
Updated November 19, 2013, 9:44 am



George Gregan, Test rugby's most-capped player, has commended Ewen McKenzie for his early and hard-line stance to improve Wallabies culture.

While McKenzie has shocked many by suspending six players and putting nine others on notice for a late night out in Dublin, former Wallabies skipper Gregan supported the coach for his no-nonsense approach to ensuring higher team standards.

After several seasons where senior players became increasingly disenchanted with previous coach Robbie Deans' forgiving attitude toward wayward stars James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale, McKenzie has unleashed on the current end-of-season tour.

Despite there being no public complaints or police involvement, 15 players copped the brunt of their new mentor's displeasure for breaking team protocols by staying out past midnight and drinking in Dublin last week.

There was a day off from training (on Wednesday) to follow, and the Wallabies went on to produce their best performance of a disappointing year by thumping Ireland 32-15, but nothing is being brushed under the carpet.

McKenzie laid a firm marker down as he attempts to put his slipping world No.4-ranked side back on track well before the 2015 World Cup.

"The easiest thing to do in these situations is to do nothing," McKenzie said in Edinburgh. "But to do nothing will give you mediocrity.

"Everyone wants to win a World Cup but it's the behaviours that will get you there. You have to concentrate on the behaviours.

"It (culture) is the glue that actually binds a team together. It's what is going to make a difference.

"Every team I have been involved with before, if you can manage a team culture and get a strength in that area it can give you the advantage you need to be a championship side."

Starting wingers Adam Ashley-Cooper and Nick Cummins and forward reserves Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson and Liam Gill have been stood down for Saturday's clash with Scotland while prop Paddy Ryan will serve his one-match suspension the following week for the tour finale against Wales.

Players have been barred from speaking to the media but it's understood some are unhappy with what they see as an overly-harsh reaction.

Gregan, inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame on Tuesday (AEDT), said all Wallabies players should be well aware of the standards expected off the field.

"You are always on display as a Wallaby and people are watching you and there's a certain level of expectation when you are representing the Wallabies," said 139-Test halfback Gregan, who recently stood down from the ARU board.

"Culture is based on behaviour and he's setting that down very, very early and that's one of the things you have to commend him for...players will get an understanding of what's expected.

"If you don't it's not good for the team environment."

Although their starting forward pack will remain intact, Australia's backline has been thrown into disarray for the Test against the Scots.

The bans to the two wingers, plus a likely suspension to centre Tevita Kuridrani for his dangerous tackle on the weekend, will force McKenzie to be creative in his three-quarter line selections.

But he said rugby needed to present its best possible image to its fans and the general public in a highly-competitive sporting market or suffer the consequences.

"There's a flow on (affect)," he said. "These things don't drift along in the background because in the end they bite you."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...ralia-players/

[Tazzmania]

a good move... but....
Im a little concerned that virtually the whole team was out and about and noone in authority (leadership group/coach/assistant coaches etc..) stepped in early and said right guys thats enough lets head home..

poor form guys.. hope they get the idea from now on in.

What leadership group, something else is brewing here as this seems to to suggests a split playing group, and if so I see it blowing up in the near future.

This coach goes on tour with one captain and picks another first week on tour? Great leadership

This coach dishes out punishment to half the team but ironically players in positions that we can get away with to a large extent and only imposes the ban a week later or is this a split team?

This coach I have a funny feeling threw his toys out the cot when Jake White was thrown into the coaching mix and possibly left such a sour taste that Jake White walked after appearing to be a man of integrity?

This coach ensured JOC was tossed out for what now appears discretions that may not have only been his fault and maybe he was not the instigator.

Until we can regularily beat teams ranked one, two and three we are never going to be taken seriously and this shows us up for a mickey mouse operation yet again.

Roll on Super 15 I am sick of this Wallaby crap already, time to get behind the Force