Australia V France

[westies man]

The big 3 Southern hemisphere sides plus Eng, Ire, Wales and France coaching staff have already put their cue's in the rack.
Plenty of smoke screen's and game's getting played.
The above team's all have lot's more to come, but won't show it for another 11 month's and for what reason would you.
The game is becoming like a game of chess

[jono]

Don't believe I wrote "they're ready" - if you'd tried reading my post properly. The point I'm making is that as professional players it shouldn't be that hard to follow instructions from coaching staff and just do what you've been training for the past months. Yes - Believe it.

sorry I meant to type "already"

A wallabies team not changing tactics at half time that haven't been working isn't symbolic of the new coach. We've been known for flogging the same dead horse since eddie Jones was coaching.

Like him or hate him as the coach. Give the bloke a chance. He only met some of his players less than a month ago

[hertryk]

Can I say.......Woeful! But hey! The cavalry is coming...we can all be relieved now.... Beale is on his way!,,, I see pigs flying everywhere....there goes another one...........

[Invictus]

You can't expect to win test matches when your players core skills are lacking. This has been a problem for at least 10 years. Kick, pass, catch, tackle - simple stuff. The entire system is responsible for this, not just the national coach.

Cheika, however, should be criticised for the game plan (if your opponent has 14 men in the defensive line then surely there must be space behind it) and for the use of the bench.

[Hansie]

The big 3 Southern hemisphere sides plus Eng, Ire, Wales and France coaching staff have already put their cue's in the rack.
Plenty of smoke screen's and game's getting played.
The above team's all have lot's more to come, but won't show it for another 11 month's and for what reason would you.
The game is becoming like a game of chess

Agreed Westie, but the basics have gone, even if they are right, you don't need to show your hand on patterns and calls.

Simmonds should have controlled the charge down in the first 10 seconds. These guys should have reflexes like a domestic cat. Horwill's ball carrying is pathetic as is Ben Alexander. Rule Nos 1 to 1267 are exactly the same PROTECT THE PILL

I hope Chieka had them doing 400 press-ups and 600 burpees on Sunday morning for starters before meeting Beale in Dublin.

[GIGS20]

sorry I meant to type "already"

A wallabies team not changing tactics at half time that haven't been working isn't symbolic of the new coach. We've been known for flogging the same dead horse since eddie Jones was coaching.

so there's really not one thing he could have tried?

Really?

Not hooking somebody in the 42nd minute?

Not removing the captaincy from Hooper and giving it to one of the Vice Captains (who were on the field at the time) to see what that did?

Not suggesting a SINGLE PLAY that they could have TRIED even if it failed?

Sorry Jono, you can do a lot in a half time, and nothing was done.......before you counter with the argument that it's the players not listening to the coach, I'll respond by saying, that's one reason a coach has a bench. If they don't play to the plan, Hook 'em

He did NOTHING, that makes him just as bad as all those other useless prats you so correctly identified in your post.

[Tonkar]

I am on the same page as Gigs here.. I also think that a more mature head as Captain is needed ...Some one who has played the last 15 mins of Big tests in sticky situations,. Also someone who is able and not scared to call a coach thru the runner and say its time to play the bench..make the call that a player is needed due to on field changes (( Player Fatigue in opposing team or his own ))... The captain is on the field and has the feel for the game... Hodgo did a great job against the Baa Baas as in that game nothing was conventional.
The Baa Baas played like the Harlem Globetrotters try anything and see what happens((( Nothing to loose attitude))) and Hodgo was able to read the opposing players and change the game plan to get over the game line... Hooper would have been lost he is still young and needs to learn to read the opposing players as well as the opposing game plan it will come with time but not now.... Opposing Captains must find him easy to read...

[chibi]

In the second Bledisloe, it took us until the All Blacks had scored 46 points on the Wallabies before we tried something different at the kick-off. This week against France, the Wallabies used a driving maul to good effect once, then didn't try it again for the rest of the match; using ineffective one-out hit-ups. Against the Irish back in the 2011 RWC, we ran with high body position ineffectively and the Irish used stand-up tackles to slow down the recycle and win the ball back; we never changed body position or used multiple forwards to support the ball-carrier in response.

I don't understand why the ARU isn't addressing the issue that our players don't know how to intelligently change tactics to play the game. Why can't we see our players being capable of making changes on the field? I can't see how it's the coaches' faults, this has been happening for a decade. Shouldn't players making it through the club rugby grades up to first grade, then provincial, then test matches, be able to make these decisions?

Australia used to be the world's cleverest rugby nation; we had to be, in order to give our smaller playing population a chance against the rest of the world; where's it all gone?

[Rex Messup]

Agree with Chibi. We just aren't that clever anymore
You used to hear the bokke and the allblacks humble in their assessment.......we can't believe that crock of sh1t beat us, they are very intelligent!!!!!!!!!!!

Some reality people. Hodgo probably won't be in the team when Pocock comes back so we can't make him captain. He has had chances in the starting 15 in the past and didn't take them. I am a huge fan and he is playing his best rugby. The ugly truth is that he probably isn't in the long term plans.

I don't think a 22 year old has the match experience and maturity to be captain but I don't know the bloke. You don't hear grumbles from the group that he doesn't have the respect of the players. He's well 'ard. A 22 year old with that much fibrous tissue on his forehead suggests he doesn't mind the tough stuff. He has the "crazy eyes". For all Pocock's bulk and strength, he doesn't seem to intimidate anybody at test level. He is a much better fetcher than Hooper. Next year will be interesting.

I doubt anybody outside the Force-mad fan club would think Godwin is a serious test prospect. The ugly truth. He is well behind Beale, Toomua, lealifano, Cooper, JOC, or Kuridrani who many experts think should be playing 12.

Our problem is our pack. With consistent front foot ball, our backline has the talent to win us games. We just don't dominate set piece or the collision zones. Until we sort our powder puff pack out, we will be usually 2nd best. Last weekend the backline was under a lot of pressure because they were playing behind the advantage line heading backwards on most plays and they had defence all over them as they were catching the pill. You can't create space if you are getting hammered as you catch the ball.

Our other problem is the inability to adapt. The driving maul that we scored easily from should have turned on some light bulbs......it didn't. No farking clue.

Gigs, your X chromosome is dominant. Try some peptides

[andrewg]

Some reality people. Hodgo probably won't be in the team when Pocock comes back so we can't make him captain. He has had chances in the starting 15 in the past and didn't take them. I am a huge fan and he is playing his best rugby. The ugly truth is that he probably isn't in the long term plans.

Realistically Hodgson is really only an option for the next two tests.

After that its a break and birth of his 2nd son before joining the Western Force for the remainder of the pre-season.

All other discussions re Hodgson playing more games for the Wallabies depend the form and fitness of all other younger/bigger back rowers in Super XV in 2015 .

Deans made a big mistake in not initially taking Hodgson to New Zealand for the last RWC. It was a major contributing factor in our loss to Ireland which caused the Wallabies to switch pools.

When Deans did bring Hodgson in he didn't use him and then didn't use him in the shorter Spring Tour of that year.

Hodgson has already admitted to feeling pretty gutted after those experiences. Nevertheless 2012 was an incredible year of Hodgson providing full back row coverage for the WF due to injuries to others and supporting Pocock as Captain.

2013 saw Michael Foley as the new WF Coach and Hodgson as Captain and the building of a new team culture. Hodgson's season was impacted by the need for shoulder and ankle reconstructions at the end of the season.

In 2014 he was arguably the best No 7 in Super XV, while leading the Western Force to its most successful year.
He was rated as such by SA SuperSports and was given an Hon Mention by the Kiwis in their Season 2014 Wrap.

Hodgson can be expected to again give the Western Force his best efforts in 2015.

If needed to be part of the Wallabies RWC squad in 2015, Hodgson can be relied upon to give his all and continue to just do what he does.

[chibi]

Well seeing as the World Cup is less than a year away, make hay while the sun shines. We need a pilferer and an inspiration, Hodgo fits the bill. I think the Western Force will be a very interesting prospect next season, if they continue their upward trend from this year, then more of them should be in the national set-up.

[shasta]

Pocock has had a bastard of a time with injuries since going to Canberra. See what a lack of judgement can do. But if he makes anywhere close to a full recovery of form he'll be the 7, surely? Don't know what they will do with Hooper but I really hope they don't try to make Pockock into a Blindside to accommodate him.

[AndyS]

Given his strength and ability to get his body height so low, I'm almost surprised they haven't tried to turn him into a hooker.

[GIGS20]

I think I suggested that a while ago. Now, I don't think his knees would cope.

[Herbasimplex]

When was the last time pocock played a full season of super rugby? You can improve muscle mass but nothing can be done with ligaments which is why his knees are shot. His body shape is not natural for him, hence his constant breakdowns. Sorry to say i think pocock's best days are behind him.

Deans not having a dedicated 7 to replace pocock at RWC 2011 was plain silly. Even more silly was not doing anything with Hodgson when he was brought over. Would love to see hodgo start in this match and do to the irish what he should have done on 17/9/11.