Wallabies face demanding schedule ahead of 2011 Rugby World Cup

Wallabies face demanding schedule ahead of 2011 Rugby World Cup

By Iain Payten
September 17, 2010 The Wallabies face their most demanding schedule next season, playing up to 23 first-class games with no rest in preparation for their Rugby World Cup assault.
The heavy workload is part of coach Robbie Deans' plans to have his troops well and truly battle-hardened by the time the tournament kicks off in September.
The revelation comes as Super rugby embarks on a major overhaul next season with 18 rounds followed by three weeks of finals.
ARU chief executive John O'Neill said the subject was addressed when he attended a lunch on Monday with Deans and Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom.
"That was the question, 'is there going to be too much rugby next year?'," O'Neill said.
"And Deans' response was that's exactly what we need - more rugby.
"The idea of resting players is not on, it's not on our agenda."
The Australian sides each have up to 19 Super rugby matches and then there are four Tri Nations games.
"If the co-operation we are looking for across the five franchises continues as we expect it will, the players will arrive in the Wallabies squad in July and August ready to play," O'Neill said.
"Fit, rugby ready and well prepared for the World Cup."
O'Neill said previously Australia had compensated for the shorter Super 14 competition by playing more Test matches.
But the big problem was a lot of European countries sent out understrength sides to Australia for the June internationals.
All that will change under the new format, which marks the biggest shake-up to southern hemisphere rugby since 1996.
"I think going forward the shopfront is Super rugby and the Test matches go back to being the jewel in the crown," O'Neill said

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...016959,00.html

So if the extra games make it a more even playing field on the international scene and the wallabies start getting knocked off by the NH teams and then their world ranking starts to slip will the ARU want to go back to the 13 game format?

that doesnt really make any sense

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Originally Posted by TOCC

that doesnt really make any sense

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There was me thinking I was the only one
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Probably a good idea. Our team is probably the youngest there, guys like O'Conner, Ma'afu, Slipper, McCalman, Faiinga's, Genia, Pocock, Cooper, Beale, Turner...ect. Could use the extra games and should all be close to some sort of peak next year.

I just hope they don't over-use the older guys in the squad in the demanding schedule. Sharpe, Moore, Giteau, Cooper(AA)...ect. Are not exactly going to benefit from so many games.

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Originally Posted by TOCC

that doesnt really make any sense

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To clarify.

NH teams play a shit load more rugby.

Now the SH teams will have to play a shit load more rugby as well.

When they meet they will both have played a shit load of rugby.

It will be more even and the SH teams may start to lose a few more which means their standing on the world rankings may slip.

Once the wallabies slip down past a NH team I wonder if they'll blame the extra games and put it back to a 13 week comp........

NH Rugby is crap as evidenced by the 3 major SH nations owning spots 1-3 in the rankings. Also evidenced by the fact that the SH nations win up there in the Spring Tours often enough
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Originally Posted by welshrugbyfan

To clarify.

NH teams play a shit load more rugby.

Now the SH teams will have to play a shit load more rugby as well.

When they meet they will both have played a shit load of rugby.

It will be more even and the SH teams may start to lose a few more which means their standing on the world rankings may slip.

Once the wallabies slip down past a NH team I wonder if they'll blame the extra games and put it back to a 13 week comp........

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Piffle. The the Southern Hemisphere has rugby running all through the Super 14 (pre-season matches usually start 1st Feb) which is almost immediately followed by June tests which is almost immediately followed by the Tri-Nations (which is a lot tougher than playing Italy and Scotland) after which most of the SA and NZ players end up back in the Currie Cup or ITM Cup until they leave for the November tests which leaves 2 months before the rugby starts up again. If we have less games that is well and truly made up for by the far better quality of opposition and massive travel times.

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Originally Posted by James

Piffle. The the Southern Hemisphere has rugby running all through the Super 14 (pre-season matches usually start 1st Feb) which is almost immediately followed by June tests which is almost immediately followed by the Tri-Nations (which is a lot tougher than playing Italy and Scotland) after which most of the SA and NZ players end up back in the Currie Cup or ITM Cup until they leave for the November tests which leaves 2 months before the rugby starts up again. If we have less games that is well and truly made up for by the far better quality of opposition and massive travel times.

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Bah, NH rugby rocks. Heineken Cup is the best comp around. Why do you people bite so quickly? Sometimes fishing for bites on here is too easy;)

Scotland are pretty tough they beat your mob anyway:iconrofl:

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Originally Posted by welshrugbyfan

Bah, NH rugby rocks. Heineken Cup is the best comp around. Why do you people bite so quickly? Sometimes fishing for bites on here is too easy;)

Scotland are pretty tough they beat your mob anyway:iconrofl:

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Since the Tri-Nations has finished and rugby news has dried up there is really nothing better to do. :(

Just because the Wallabies lost to Scotland doesn't make it a difficult test (it makes the Wallabies useless). Besides you probably weren't born yet when Wales last beat New Zealand and you guys have only beaten South Africa once since the beginning of the professional era. We should do an exchange with the Wallabies playing in the Six-Nations and Wales can come down here. Then you'd finally win something. The Wooden Spoon. :iconrofl:

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Originally Posted by James

Since the Tri-Nations has finished and rugby news has dried up there is really nothing better to do. :(

Just because the Wallabies lost to Scotland doesn't make it a difficult test (it makes the Wallabies useless). Besides you probably weren't born yet when Wales last beat New Zealand and you guys have only beaten South Africa once since the beginning of the professional era. We should do an exchange with the Wallabies playing in the Six-Nations and Wales can come down here. Then you'd finally win something. The Wooden Spoon. :iconrofl:

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That was actully pretty funny, you made me laugh.

Hey we won the Grand slam in 2005 and 2008 so at least we've got some silverware from recent outings. When did you last win anything, 2001 wasn't it?

You guys were only 1 extremely lucky kick from winning the wooden spoon again anyway.:)

Theres a reason NZ, Australia and SA are 1, 2 and 3 on the rankings.

They might as well rename the 6 Nations the "Best of the Rest" trophy :)
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Originally Posted by welshrugbyfan

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. When did you last win anything, 2001 wasn't it?

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Only recently won the Mandela Plate..... one of the most coveted trophies in international rugby.. :)

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Originally Posted by jargan83

Theres a reason NZ, Australia and SA are 1, 2 and 3 on the rankings.

They might as well rename the 6 Nations the "Best of the Rest" trophy :)
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Don't you mean the best of the rest after Argentina?

I think the sooker world cup is a pointer to the demands of professional sport and the drain it places on athletes. After 9 months and too many games to count, the best players rally for the sooker world cup. Most of them were too jaded to perform.

Not enough rugby brings rust, lack of match fitness and toughness.

It's a difficult balance. Australia will be better served from having a much wider squad battle hardened in test rugby. The next world cup will see wallaby selectors with more options than ever before.

We're gunna kick some arse

Wales will be conquered on our journey to Bill. They'll be easy