Comments on: Italy 18 v 25 Australia, Rome, 11 November 2006 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/11/12/italy-15-v-44-australia-rome-11-november-2006/ Fearlessly dispensing political, legal and economic analysis (and some whimsy) since 2002 Wed, 23 May 2012 14:55:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Patrick http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/11/12/italy-15-v-44-australia-rome-11-november-2006/#comment-61932 Patrick Sun, 12 Nov 2006 22:59:31 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/11/12/italy-15-v-44-australia-rome-11-november-2006/#comment-61932 I do basically agree cs. Actually I think Gregan could have added a lot of value, and I have never been an anti-GG. Cannon was stupid, as I think I said, but unlucky as well. The problem with Robinson is probably the same as with Sheperdson - he needs time to struggle to get up to speed. Next week is the real test - Ireland are shaping to thump us, although I don't think they will on the last two games you would bet on it! I do basically agree cs. Actually I think Gregan could have added a lot of value, and I have never been an anti-GG. Cannon was stupid, as I think I said, but unlucky as well.

The problem with Robinson is probably the same as with Sheperdson – he needs time to struggle to get up to speed.

Next week is the real test – Ireland are shaping to thump us, although I don’t think they will on the last two games you would bet on it!

]]> By: Ken Parish http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/11/12/italy-15-v-44-australia-rome-11-november-2006/#comment-61480 Ken Parish Sun, 12 Nov 2006 05:39:47 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/11/12/italy-15-v-44-australia-rome-11-november-2006/#comment-61480 Glad to see you still dropping in occasionally cs. Lucky I resisted the temptation to stay up and watch the game. It sounds like it would have been truly agonising. Glad to see you still dropping in occasionally cs. Lucky I resisted the temptation to stay up and watch the game. It sounds like it would have been truly agonising.

]]> By: cs http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/11/12/italy-15-v-44-australia-rome-11-november-2006/#comment-61449 cs Sun, 12 Nov 2006 03:43:20 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/11/12/italy-15-v-44-australia-rome-11-november-2006/#comment-61449 Look, it was an absolutely terrible performance, Patrick. A complete shambles. Apart from the line-out, the forwards were hopeless as a pack (with only Elsom and the new no 8 doing OK as individuals). This in turn made Giteau look worse than Gregan ever did. Forget about the two-steps theory blah blah. Almost all the flack Gregan has taken has been unfair, as no half ever, and I mean ever, looks good behind a collapsing pack. Anti-Gregan commentators like Greg Crowden have been obsessed with attacking the symptom, not the cause. Giteau has shown he has the talent to be our number two half-back selection, and eventually number one, but he is far from on top of the job yet. In turn, all the backs looked hopeless, with the exception of Mortlock. They couldn't pass, couldn't catch, and the less said about their appalling kicking the better. The ill-disciplined behaviour of Cannon and Lote was embarrassing to watch. All up, this was a horrow show, as bad as anything under Eddie Jones last year. What do do? The first thing I'd do is put Rogers on the bench, as a second half replacement. He is only a 50/50 bet at best whenever he gets near the ball, which is not good enough. Put Bernie back in his proper spot, and bring a real rugby player like Turinui into the centres. Phil Waugh must be in the pack, if only for his leadership. I don't have enough expertise to know what is wrong with the scrum, but badly wrong it still is, after a whole season trying to repair it. My inclination would be to drop (retire, actually) Cannon for Paul and to lament that we don't have Adam Frier on tour, and to also put Benn Robinson on. The last chance to show some overseas form is coming up with the Ireland test, the toughest match of the tour. If the Wallabies don't stand up this week, a World Cup semi-final berth might be as much as we can hope for in France. Look, it was an absolutely terrible performance, Patrick. A complete shambles. Apart from the line-out, the forwards were hopeless as a pack (with only Elsom and the new no 8 doing OK as individuals). This in turn made Giteau look worse than Gregan ever did. Forget about the two-steps theory blah blah. Almost all the flack Gregan has taken has been unfair, as no half ever, and I mean ever, looks good behind a collapsing pack. Anti-Gregan commentators like Greg Crowden have been obsessed with attacking the symptom, not the cause. Giteau has shown he has the talent to be our number two half-back selection, and eventually number one, but he is far from on top of the job yet. In turn, all the backs looked hopeless, with the exception of Mortlock. They couldn’t pass, couldn’t catch, and the less said about their appalling kicking the better. The ill-disciplined behaviour of Cannon and Lote was embarrassing to watch. All up, this was a horrow show, as bad as anything under Eddie Jones last year.

What do do? The first thing I’d do is put Rogers on the bench, as a second half replacement. He is only a 50/50 bet at best whenever he gets near the ball, which is not good enough. Put Bernie back in his proper spot, and bring a real rugby player like Turinui into the centres. Phil Waugh must be in the pack, if only for his leadership. I don’t have enough expertise to know what is wrong with the scrum, but badly wrong it still is, after a whole season trying to repair it. My inclination would be to drop (retire, actually) Cannon for Paul and to lament that we don’t have Adam Frier on tour, and to also put Benn Robinson on.

The last chance to show some overseas form is coming up with the Ireland test, the toughest match of the tour. If the Wallabies don’t stand up this week, a World Cup semi-final berth might be as much as we can hope for in France.

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