Trial Games

[WF1964]

I don't quite get the purpose of trial games - can anyone enlighten me.

I had assumed they were practice for the imminent season but they involve players not in the EPS.

[theforceguy]

I took this from an article on RUGBYWA

Amongst the 27 man squad are five local West Australian club players who’ll bolster numbers after a host of contracted squad members are eased back into competition or given additional time to complete recovery programmes ahead of the season proper.

“It’s all about managing the squad and ensuring that come February 24 when we take on the Brumbies in Canberra to open the season we’ve got a fit and healthy group to choose from,” Graham said.

“Getting game time into the squad is important and as such we’ve prepared well and will be using the match in Darwin to put some structures together.

“We haven’t taken any unnecessary risks with players who are finalising their recovery programmes or who might have a niggle that needs a little more time to get right.

“For guys like David Pocock and Nathan Sharpe, they played a lot of rugby at the back end of last year and I felt the best thing was to get additional conditioning into them without the physicality of a game,” Graham said.

[WF1964]

Thanks TFG.

Matt Hodgson is blogging about the Darwin trip and writes:

"The thing that excites me most is the inclusion of the local talent, not only with Kieran Longbottom and Ryan Hodson in the squad but with the like of Jake Ball, J Pretorius, Crowley and Bunce all getting there taste of Super Rugby. It is opportunities like this that can be the catalyst to a career in the game."

http://www.matthodgson.com.au/rugby/road-trip-darwin/

[GIGS20]

Wf 1964, I believe trials are about PREPARATION for the impending season, not necessarily practice of the match situation per se. Such preparation might include 80 minutes of solid rugby with your first pick 22 surely, but it might just as well involve a combination of match fitness for players returning from injury, trialling new plays and structures and also giving uncontracted players a live trial to see where there at. All of these questions need to be answered, and a trial match can be used to answer them.

This is the primary reason why the results of trial matches a, cannot be predicted and b, are never indicative of results in the season.....let's face it, if we're 20 points better than the Brumbies at 1/2 time, we'll probably practice some high risk stuff in the second half to see how it goes. We might spend a significant amount of time kicking the ball back to them to see how our defense is going, or possibly kick into touch at every opportunity to work our lineout. Each of these activities are preparatory, but not necessarily match focussed......so don't panic, enjoy the spectacle, and particularly the opportunity to gain bragging rights in a situation where, if you lose, you can just say "trial results mean nothing" and move on.

[WF1964]

I thought I read somewhere that the Brumbies are virtually playing their first 22.
Or is that because they didn't have any returning Wallabies.

[GIGS20]

I thought I read somewhere that the Brumbies are virtually playing their first 22.
Or is that because they didn't have any returning Wallabies.

Probably that, along with the fact that their first 22 have virtually never played a game together. Each team takes different priorities to a trial match, and you can only gain any prediction from them if you know what each team is thinking. Generally first trials mean absolutely nothing as teams are still stuffing around with plays and combinations. The last trial of the preseason is usually a better indicator, since most teams are looking to run through all their match day procedures and harden up their first 22, but even that is questionable, particularly if one team is struggling to find answers

[mudskipper]

I thought I read somewhere that the Brumbies are virtually playing their first 22.
Or is that because they didn't have any returning Wallabies.

Brumbies want to trial some combos... it will be mixed... I'm not sure how long their Wallabies will play... White, Larkham and Fisher will mix it up a bit...

I just hope both teams play well, the coaches let some new dudes have a go and all leave the field with no long-term injuries...

[GIGS20]

Is there any hint of a broadcast, live stream or live blog for those of us who are trapped down south?

[travelling_gerry]

You ask...we deliver.