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19th July, 2003 The simple fact is the Wallabies technique was poor and they showed no commitment. I did not like seeing the Die Bokke win, but I certainly enjoyed the Rugby they played. The Wallabies continued to sit back and watch their mates get belted in the tackle and not go in and support them. Contrast this to the Boks who had 5 or 6 forwards hitting the breakdown like Exocet missiles, with complete disregard for personal safety and blowing away everything in their path. The Boks also had a venomous intent to smash everything in a Gold jersey that was in front of them when they were defending. Our lineout was dreadful and though Eddie Jones said he was happy with the scrum, I wonder what game he was watching because I thought it was poor. As the “ Poisonous Garden Gnome” Dan Crowley said in his commentary, the Wallabies could not get the right hand side of the scrum up and the ball to Gregan was untidy.De Wit Barry belted the Wallabies mid field out of the game and Russell cut holes through them with his counter attack. The Wallaby backline appeared rattled, aimless and distinctly ordinary throughout the game. I thought the Wallabies would wake up after the 10th time they took the ball into the tackle and lost it to the green jerseyed avalanche. Why did the Wallabies not match them for numbers at the breakdown ? Why sit back for 80 minutes and watch your mates get hammered ? Why not put your body on the line and stick it up the Boks? Perhaps the answers are in the training the Wallabies are doing and as mentioned before the “touch” Rugby that is Super 12.In regards to training Eddie Jones is a real technocrat, which means stats, stats and more stats, computer programs, latest sports science, video sessions ad nauseum, training timed to the minute and I must not forget KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators). Throw them all out Eddie you have 3 months to reach the inner man and create a feeling where it is fix bayonets wait for the whistle and know the bloke next to you is not going to hesitate to go over the top and face certain death. Eddie Jones quick, before it is too late get the Wallabies out of the Resort they are staying in at Coffs Harbour. They are in their comfort zone, soft and complacent they need to be shocked out of this attitude. Go bush for 3 months with the Wallabies, get some of the cloak and dagger boys over from WA to help out. A 100km forced march carrying a lounge with four other blokes, certainly tells you if you can rely on the bloke next to you. Get David Brockhoff to a few sessions his calls of “No Blue Skies” and “Hit them like a crowbar through David Jones front window” certainly get the forwards going.I was very pessimistic in my last article about the chances for the Wallabies in the World Cup. After seeing the Boks last week I have revised this because they were playing far worst than the Wallabies before last weeks game. How they turned it around I don’t know, but they have certainly been a lot harder on their players in terms of distractions. There was no public bloodletting over WRC player agreements and they have made their training camps very Spartan with no mobile phones or wives and girlfriends. Perhaps the Wallabies can look at this.This weekend’s game between the Boks and All Blacks should be very interesting. I don’t think the Boks can play like men possessed for 2 weeks in a row, so I am tipping the Kiwis to pip them by a very low score. It should be a very interesting and I am hoping the Boks really pile into them and soften them up for the Bledisloe Cup game in Sydney the following week. Finally to my message board and the 2 blokes who have been putting all the drivel on it mainly Cpt. Ron Devine of Brisbane and Mr Ofa Gucake of Lautoka, Fiji. Please fellas, Rugby only on my message board, not the crap you have been posting. Oh I forgot to mention, Mal Fraser is still a disgrace for supporting the Ferals at Woomera. Regards |
THROW OUT THE COMPUTERS AND BRING BACK THE BARBED WIRE