Rugby Championship 2023

First topic message reminder :

In RWC years this obviously becomes no more than warm up and preparation stuff for each countries RWC hopes, but fascinating all the same. Eddie's first match in charge of Australia away in SA.

SPRINGBOKS: 15. Willie le Roux 14. Canan Moodie 13. Lukhanyo Am 12. Andre Esterhuizen 11. Kurt-Lee Arendse 10. Manie Libbok 9. Cobus Reinach 8. Duane Vermeulen (c) 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit 6. Marco van Staden 5. Marvin Orie 4. Jean Kleyn 3. Frans Malherbe 2. Bongi Mbonambi 1. Ox Nche.

RESERVES: 16. Joseph Dweba 17. Thomas du Toit 18. Vincent Koch 19. RG Snyman 20. Evan Roos 21. Deon Fourie 22. Grant Williams 23. Damian Willemse.

WALLABIES: 15. Tom Wright 14. Suliasi Vunivalu 13. Len Ikitau 12. Reece Hodge 11. Marika Koroibete 10. Quade Cooper 9. Nic White 8. Rob Valetini 7. Michael Hooper (c) 6. Tom Hooper 5. Nick Frost 4. Will Skelton 3. Allan Alaalatoa 2. Dave Porecki 1. James Slipper (c)/Matt Gibbon.

RESERVES: 16. Jordan Uelese 17. Matt Gibbon/ Blake Schoupp 18. Zane Nonggor 19. Richie Arnold 20. Pete Samu 21. Tate McDermott 22. Carter Gordon 23. Samu Kerevi.

Sunday, July 9, 1.05am AEST, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Four players are in line to make Test debuts while Wallabies co-captain James Slipper has overcome a knee injury to be named for Australia's Rugby Championship opener against South Africa.The Wallabies are looking for a first-ever win in Pretoria on Sunday morning (AEST) with Eddie Jones in charge for his first Test since returning as coach.Tom Hooper, 22, will earn his first cap after being named as blindside flanker while there are three possible debutants on the bench in five-eighth Carter Gordon, lock Richie Arnold and 21-year-old prop Zane Nonggorr, with Taniela Tupou requiring more training minutes after his Achilles injury.Brumbies utility forward Hooper will line up alongside co-captain Michael Hooper (no relation) with No.8 Rob Valetini rounding out the back row.Slipper was in doubt after a training mishap but will make his 128th Test appearance alongside Waratahs hooker David Porecki with Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa at tighthead prop.Nick Frost and France-based Will Skelton are the starting locks.

Nic White will reunite with Quade Cooper in the halves while star inside centre Samu Kerevi will return from a hamstring issue via the bench, leaving Reece Hodge to combine in the midfield with Len Ikitau.

Former NRL star Suliasi Vunivalu will make his first Test start on the right wing, with Marika Koroibete on the left edge and Tom Wright at fullback.

Jones said the Wallabies' preparation for the Loftus Versfeld clash had been first rate.

'As a squad, the players have worked extremely hard since coming together as a group and we've prepared well this week,' he said.

'The 23 players selected have an opportunity to be part of history with a win over South Africa in Pretoria on Saturday night.'

Meanwhile, No. 8 Duane Vermeulen will captain world champion South Africa in its opening test of the Rugby World Cup year against Australia on Saturday and Manie Libbok will make his first start at flyhalf.

Vermeulen stands in for regular captain Siya Kolisi, who is recovering from knee surgery and an injury doubt for the Springboks' World Cup title defense in France that starts in September.

Coach Jacques Nienaber also gave a South Africa test debut to lock Jean Kleyn in the team announced on Tuesday. Kleyn is a South Africa-born former Ireland international who was recently cleared to play for the Springboks.

While Vermeulen leads South Africa in its opening game of a shortened southern hemisphere Rugby Championship, the Springboks will send a separate group of players containing a host of 2019 Rugby World Cup winners to New Zealand to prepare for a test against the All Blacks on July 15.

That group misses the Wallabies game to focus on New Zealand and contains the likes of hooker Malcolm Marx, locks Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager and backline players Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Makazole Mapimpi and Damian de Allende, all World Cup winners.

Kolisi, who had surgery on his right knee in late April and is in a race to be fit for the World Cup, is also with the group that will travel this week to New Zealand, the Springboks said.

'Our plan from the outset was to select a squad that we believe has what it takes to beat Australia while at the same time selecting a group of players that could travel to New Zealand to give us the best possible chance to do well in both matches,' Nienaber said.

Vermeulen captains South Africa for the third time and first since 2019. Libbok will also be the focus of attention given South Africa's injury problems at flyhalf.

Regular No. 10 Handre Pollard is out while stand-in Damian Willemse has only recently recovered from injury and is on the bench against Australia in Pretoria on Saturday.

Like Libbok, flanker Marco van Steden is set to make his first start after having previously appeared for South Africa off the bench.

Prop Ox Nche was named in the team but later sustained a chest injury at training on Tuesday and was a doubt for the game. Steven Kitshoff would remain behind in South Africa as cover instead of traveling with that group of players to New Zealand, the Springboks said.

Was like two different games, the first 30 minutes and the last 50.  The Wallabies really looked promising earlier on, despite gifting the ABs their first try, and had some real chances down on the AB line.  But failure to convert those earlier chances combined with that first yellow seemed to me to turn the game.  

If I had to assess the Wallabies on the recent showings under EJ, I would have to say they look fragile.  Plenty of skill and want-to, but apply pressure long enough and the dam will break (an overused cliché to be sure).  

But here's the rub:  Releasing Eddie Jones, knowing full well he would rejoin the Wallabies, was part of a most cunning plan by the RFU to ensure England can defeat the Wallabies should both get out of the group stage.  And you all think the RFU is entirely without brains....

NZs first try was just terrible all round by Australia, cant see any other top six side conceding a try like that.

Rugby championship form scorecard

NZ A-
Arg C+
SA C/C+
Aus D

That World Cup group with Wales, Australia, Georgia and Fiji is looking very interesting.

Duty281 wrote:That World Cup group with Wales, Australia, Georgia and Fiji is looking very interesting.

I wish Scotland were in that group! Ours just a wee bit tougher . We might be able to get out of that one!

Ultimately, not too much between the Boks and the Pumas. Both sides had their chances and the game was in the balance the entire time. I think the Boks were a touch more saavy but still came down to Argentina missing two kicks, a conversion and a penalty.

Interesting that the Boks and the Pumas were still missing a few players. Both sides a little rotated. Will we see some of the younger guys given opportunities ousting more established names come the world cup? Would be a shame if one of the best names in rugby Jeronimo de la Fuente didn't get one more world cup, one of the most underrated 12s going.

I'm staggered there was no card for the Argie who knocked out the SA 9. The ref said there was nothing else he could have done - well he could have not charged full speed into a kick blocking scenario with no control over his actions.

You can't have players recklessly charging at kickers like that. They need to have enough control to be able to bail out and not completey poleaxe the poor kicker.

Mate, he did actually block the kick so I don't know what else he could have done. He did jump pretty high to go after the kick, too. The officials did look at it and thought nothing in it. The commentators I had didn't have much to say.

What difference does it make that he actually blocked the kick? Again the pont here is he had no control of his actions and barreled at full tilt into a player incredibly recklessly.

Freddie steward got sent off for the same reasoning although for me his was no way as bad as this one!

Social media (ever the sane debating ground) has had plenty people questioning this too.

Watch it again - it was completely reckless

https://twitter.com/SaffasRugby/status/1685308617740976128?t=fR8QNHK-kqk0uO22-9sr-g&s=19

It's something they need to look at. IMO the charge down was reckless. You don't need to be in line with the player to charge-down, just in line with the direction of the kick. Flying into someone's head like that is reckless.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Interesting that the Boks and the Pumas were still missing a few players. Both sides a little rotated. Will we see some of the younger guys given opportunities ousting more established names come the world cup? Would be a shame if one of the best names in rugby Jeronimo de la Fuente didn't get one more world cup, one of the most underrated 12s going.

Arg could do with finding a replacement for Lavanini, probably one of the worst locks in world rugby.

Duty281 wrote:That World Cup group with Wales, Australia, Georgia and Fiji is looking very interesting.

Most would assume Fiji are favourites to top it.

Yeah that charge down is at least a yellow depending on how lenient the ref is wanting to be .

I think the way this has been officiated in the past (same as the NFL, by the way) is if the defender going to block a kick does indeed block the kick then it is game on.  That would be regardless of whether the blocker made contact with the kicker or not.  This is why I didn't think it was a pen.    

To be fair, I'm not sure I agree with that interpretation, but that's a different story.  And in the NFL they teach blocking kicks by coming from the side (loosely 90° to 45° angle to the kicker) to lay out in front of the ball not going straight on.

doctor_grey wrote:I think the way this has been officiated in the past (same as the NFL, by the way) is if the defender going to block a kick does indeed block the kick then it is game on.  That would be regardless of whether the blocker made contact with the kicker or not.  This is why I didn't think it was a pen.    

To be fair, I'm not sure I agree with that interpretation, but that's a different story.  And in the NFL they teach blocking kicks by coming from the side (loosely 90° to 45° angle to the kicker) to lay out in front of the ball not going straight on.

This was changed a few years ago. You can't just charge into players now even if you get the ball. Even hitting a leg is a pen so with this it would be more serious. Law 9 24 I think.

mikey_dragon wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Interesting that the Boks and the Pumas were still missing a few players. Both sides a little rotated. Will we see some of the younger guys given opportunities ousting more established names come the world cup? Would be a shame if one of the best names in rugby Jeronimo de la Fuente didn't get one more world cup, one of the most underrated 12s going.

Arg could do with finding a replacement for Lavanini, probably one of the worst locks in world rugby.

Immensely powerful but a bit dim. Some questions over his work rate but I've heard him described by some good props as one of the best tighthead locks going. Dan Cole said you didn't need to win the hit, the amount of power coming from behind you meant you just had to keep the angle straight and you were good.

He'd probably stroll into the Wales squad at present.

He's the type of player you might make room for if you need his strengths but he's not getting any younger and after this world cup the Pumas will no doubt move on.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:I think the way this has been officiated in the past (same as the NFL, by the way) is if the defender going to block a kick does indeed block the kick then it is game on.  That would be regardless of whether the blocker made contact with the kicker or not.  This is why I didn't think it was a pen.    

To be fair, I'm not sure I agree with that interpretation, but that's a different story.  And in the NFL they teach blocking kicks by coming from the side (loosely 90° to 45° angle to the kicker) to lay out in front of the ball not going straight on.

This was changed a few years ago. You can't just charge into players now even if you get the ball. Even hitting a leg is a pen so with this it would be more serious. Law 9 24 I think.

Very close 9.25 "A player must not intentionally charge or obstruct an opponent who has just kicked the ball."

The intentional bit does allow for a bit of leeway, if they block the ball and then clip the player after I suspect you get away with it. Flying in off the floor at knee height is unlikely to get you much sympathy whether you get the ball or not.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:I think the way this has been officiated in the past (same as the NFL, by the way) is if the defender going to block a kick does indeed block the kick then it is game on.  That would be regardless of whether the blocker made contact with the kicker or not.  This is why I didn't think it was a pen.    

To be fair, I'm not sure I agree with that interpretation, but that's a different story.  And in the NFL they teach blocking kicks by coming from the side (loosely 90° to 45° angle to the kicker) to lay out in front of the ball not going straight on.

This was changed a few years ago. You can't just charge into players now even if you get the ball. Even hitting a leg is a pen so with this it would be more serious. Law 9 24 I think.

If that's the case then I can't understand why the referee would let it go.  There was no question about the contact.

Speaking of referees, big kudos to Wayne Barnes for his handling of the Wallabies-ABs match.  We almost never say something positive about officials but I thought he handled the game extremely well and in particular handled some difficult scoring decisions like, well, a pro (which is exactly what he is).  

formerly known as Sam wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Interesting that the Boks and the Pumas were still missing a few players. Both sides a little rotated. Will we see some of the younger guys given opportunities ousting more established names come the world cup? Would be a shame if one of the best names in rugby Jeronimo de la Fuente didn't get one more world cup, one of the most underrated 12s going.

Arg could do with finding a replacement for Lavanini, probably one of the worst locks in world rugby.

Immensely powerful but a bit dim. Some questions over his work rate but I've heard him described by some good props as one of the best tighthead locks going. Dan Cole said you didn't need to win the hit, the amount of power coming from behind you meant you just had to keep the angle straight and you were good.

He'd probably stroll into the Wales squad at present.

He's the type of player you might make room for if you need his strengths but he's not getting any younger and after this world cup the Pumas will no doubt move on.

Oh there’s a surprise, Leicester fan backs former Leicester player . Apart from being a penalty and card machine, and being the least effective 130kg carrier since Joe Davies, I’m sure he would walk into any team he fancied walking into!

PS Joe Davies isn’t within a sniff of the Wales team so neither would Lavanini be. I am sure some of the regions would want him if he was affordable and available. He wouldn’t be on my ‘shopping list’, his teammate Kremer however…

mikey_dragon wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Interesting that the Boks and the Pumas were still missing a few players. Both sides a little rotated. Will we see some of the younger guys given opportunities ousting more established names come the world cup? Would be a shame if one of the best names in rugby Jeronimo de la Fuente didn't get one more world cup, one of the most underrated 12s going.

Arg could do with finding a replacement for Lavanini, probably one of the worst locks in world rugby.

Immensely powerful but a bit dim. Some questions over his work rate but I've heard him described by some good props as one of the best tighthead locks going. Dan Cole said you didn't need to win the hit, the amount of power coming from behind you meant you just had to keep the angle straight and you were good.

He'd probably stroll into the Wales squad at present.

He's the type of player you might make room for if you need his strengths but he's not getting any younger and after this world cup the Pumas will no doubt move on.

Oh there’s a surprise, Leicester fan backs former Leicester player . Apart from being a penalty and card machine, and being the least effective 130kg carrier since Joe Davies, I’m sure he would walk into any team he fancied walking into!

PS Joe Davies isn’t within a sniff of the Wales team so neither would Lavanini be. I am sure some of the regions would want him if he was affordable and available. He wouldn’t be on my ‘shopping list’, his teammate Kremer however…

Wasn't particularly bothered when he left Leicester. Didn't have the work rate to keep up with the demands of Borthwick. Scrum was the only area that was weakened by him leaving.

He's a fair ball carrier in the tight exchanges. He's an old school tighthead lock and in the modern game that's not ideal.

Calling him the worst locks in world rugby is ridiculous. He's definitely a liability, particularly in international games it seems with two red cards in the last four seasons but in the season just finished he only got a solitary yellow card in 21 games so not as much a liability as people sometimes make out.

You lost your mind about Rowlands adding physicality in to the Welsh side. You'd lose your mind if you had Lavanini, initially at any rate. Frustration would build over time. Then you're left weighing up whether the powerful scrum and maul you get is worth carrying him in the loose.

Duty281 wrote:That World Cup group with Wales, Australia, Georgia and Fiji is looking very interesting.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Australia don’t make it out of 5he group.

westisbest wrote:

Duty281 wrote:That World Cup group with Wales, Australia, Georgia and Fiji is looking very interesting.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Australia don’t make it out of 5he group.

Agree it is possible. However, I think Eddie Jones and the Wallabies will limp out of their pool just to annoy the rest of us who have to listen to him. And if they end up playing England in the quarter finals (assuming England make it out of their pool), the media will go bananas. And we will have to listen to more nonsense.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/rugby/news-2023-springboks-vs-pumas-juan-cruz-mallia-charge-down-fail-on-grant-williams-sanzaar-reaction/0898c6a6-2099-4d2d-a1d9-125b604ce500?fbclid=IwAR1eF3dvIUz3o8Qfh4ZUv8iww8ITsvt0ySFAIFPyy1LgmE55_AZ2Q3DeDxg

Argie has been cited - citing commissioner believed it to be a red card incident. Too right.

Given the new red card rules the ref had an easy way out too - yellow card him and send it for off field review for the TMO to decide if it was a red. Instead it was play on, and the Argies even got a penalty after the incident!

Leicester Fainga’anuku got a yellow for clattering his elbow into Mack Hanson's face on a charge down in the Ireland series last year, though Fainga’anuku did not get the ball. It left Hanson dazed with a gash on his face.

https://www.rugbydump.com/news/all-black-winger-sees-yellow/

If that was a yellow I dont see how the Malia one should be a red. They probably both could have been red cards.

Collapse2005 wrote:Leicester Fainga’anuku got a yellow for clattering his elbow into Mack Hanson's face on a charge down in the Ireland series last year, though Fainga’anuku did not get the ball. It left Hanson dazed with a gash on his face.

https://www.rugbydump.com/news/all-black-winger-sees-yellow/

If that was a yellow I dont see how the Malia one should be a red. They probably both could have been red cards.

That should also have been a red!

westisbest wrote:

Duty281 wrote:That World Cup group with Wales, Australia, Georgia and Fiji is looking very interesting.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Australia don’t make it out of 5he group.

Yep, wouldn't surprise me either. I think any combination of those four teams going through is possible, making it the most open pool in RWC history.

RDW wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:Leicester Fainga’anuku got a yellow for clattering his elbow into Mack Hanson's face on a charge down in the Ireland series last year, though Fainga’anuku did not get the ball. It left Hanson dazed with a gash on his face.

https://www.rugbydump.com/news/all-black-winger-sees-yellow/

If that was a yellow I dont see how the Malia one should be a red. They probably both could have been red cards.

That should also have been a red!

He wasnt cited though. Anyway to be fair the two incidents arent exactly the same and no two incidents are really.

Collapse2005 wrote:

RDW wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:Leicester Fainga’anuku got a yellow for clattering his elbow into Mack Hanson's face on a charge down in the Ireland series last year, though Fainga’anuku did not get the ball. It left Hanson dazed with a gash on his face.

https://www.rugbydump.com/news/all-black-winger-sees-yellow/

If that was a yellow I dont see how the Malia one should be a red. They probably both could have been red cards.

That should also have been a red!

He wasnt cited though. Anyway to be fair the two incidents arent exactly the same and no two incidents are really.

Previously this has been a very grey area. Much like the change to the contact with the head laws it makes sense to start making the criteria around this stricter as some reckless stuff is getting through.

Yeah you are right, its almost ten years since CJ Stander got a red for a very similar collision on Patrick Lambie. Three similar collisions three very different sanctions.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Wasn't particularly bothered when he left Leicester. Didn't have the work rate to keep up with the demands of Borthwick. Scrum was the only area that was weakened by him leaving.

He's a fair ball carrier in the tight exchanges. He's an old school tighthead lock and in the modern game that's not ideal.

Calling him the worst locks in world rugby is ridiculous. He's definitely a liability, particularly in international games it seems with two red cards in the last four seasons but in the season just finished he only got a solitary yellow card in 21 games so not as much a liability as people sometimes make out.

You lost your mind about Rowlands adding physicality in to the Welsh side. You'd lose your mind if you had Lavanini, initially at any rate. Frustration would build over time. Then you're left weighing up whether the powerful scrum and maul you get is worth carrying him in the loose.

I didn't think Tigers would be bothered as they have two good lock forwards with the surname Chessum on their books. Both could be first choice for England over the next decade as they're very promising.

Yeah worst lock in the world is a bit harsh. A lot of people seem to talk him up like he's some enforcer which he is not. I honestly don't see what good he does apart from be another number. I don't remember when he was last carded but he still gives away stupid penalties.

I'm not sure what you are on about with the Rowlands reference, who has quickly become one of the top lock forwards in the NH. So much English hate for the guy since he declared for Wales... Lavanini I would accept as we (Dragons) wouldn't have to play Joe Davies but, there are several other locks I would fancy before him and some of them Welsh but playing outside of Wales; a point you seem to have conveniently skipped over is the several Welsh locks not in the Wales squad who are better than Lavanini.

mikey_dragon wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Wasn't particularly bothered when he left Leicester. Didn't have the work rate to keep up with the demands of Borthwick. Scrum was the only area that was weakened by him leaving.

He's a fair ball carrier in the tight exchanges. He's an old school tighthead lock and in the modern game that's not ideal.

Calling him the worst locks in world rugby is ridiculous. He's definitely a liability, particularly in international games it seems with two red cards in the last four seasons but in the season just finished he only got a solitary yellow card in 21 games so not as much a liability as people sometimes make out.

You lost your mind about Rowlands adding physicality in to the Welsh side. You'd lose your mind if you had Lavanini, initially at any rate. Frustration would build over time. Then you're left weighing up whether the powerful scrum and maul you get is worth carrying him in the loose.

I didn't think Tigers would be bothered as they have two good lock forwards with the surname Chessum on their books. Both could be first choice for England over the next decade as they're very promising.

Yeah worst lock in the world is a bit harsh. A lot of people seem to talk him up like he's some enforcer which he is not. I honestly don't see what good he does apart from be another number. I don't remember when he was last carded but he still gives away stupid penalties.

I'm not sure what you are on about with the Rowlands reference, who has quickly become one of the top lock forwards in the NH. So much English hate for the guy since he declared for Wales... Lavanini I would accept as we (Dragons) wouldn't have to play Joe Davies but, there are several other locks I would fancy before him and some of them Welsh but playing outside of Wales; a point you seem to have conveniently skipped over is the several Welsh locks not in the Wales squad who are better than Lavanini.

Will Rowlands still wouldn't make the England team now.

When Lavanini left Chessum Snr was still a utility forward who hadn't broken through yet. Chessum Jnr still in the depths of the academy. Might be an issue for Tigers to fit all those young talented locks into the squad as Cam Henderson and George Martin are also on the books. Henderson and Martin are in the Scottish and English pre world cup training camps. There's a couple of 6/lock hybrids that have played for England under 20s as well. Be good if we could develop an 8 and a winger mind instead of the constant supplies of lock/6s and scrum halfs. We should hopefully be stocked for some time. If the Dragons are nice maybe we can loan someone over for a bit, Rob Carmichael the 6ft10 lock a year younger than Chessum Jnr maybe.

It's difficult to horde players and keep to the cap, especially as there's at least 2 of those guys who qualify for other national teams?

Rowlands and Lavinini, both decent international locks. Nowt more.

Anyone know if Australia have a semi decent third choice tight head?

With the injuries to AA and Tuipou last weekend it looks like they will be starting the next game, against the AB's this weekend.

Given the haste with which Tuipou was brought back I can't believe that the third choice option can be up to much.

If the Ozzie scrum is annihilated then it makes an almost impossible task, of winning the game, actually impossible.

AAs brother Michael Alaalatoa is a good tight head prop. He plays back up to Tadgh Furlong at Leinster. Id be surprised if they didnt consider him albeit in Australia they seem to be quite super rugby focussed so likely a local player will be considered first. Actually scratch that he plays for Samoa

2 match ban for Mallia.

Lightening start from the Wallabies - 14-0 up after 8 minutes!

Tom wright at 6 looks a great find.  30 odd tackles last week and now a rampaging try this week.

Deserved 17-3 HT lead for the Wallabies who have been absolutely dominant. High accuracy, good discipline and incredibly physical in the carry and contact.

Probably the worst half the ABs have played in a very long time!

Worth saying the ref had given the Wallabies a lot of the 50/50 calls.

Will the Wallabies see it out to the end?

Well not unexpectedly the ABs come back to win 23-20 thanks to a last minute penalty kick.

It's funny how momentum on rugby can shift so quickly - pretty much from the first kick of the 2nd half the ABs completely dominated. Wallabies reverted to their performances of recent weeks of poor accuracy, poor discipline and stupid mistakes. It's worth saying Quade Cooper was pretty terrible after he came on - he's looking past it.

A big, big scare for the ABs though and Eddie Jones will have to work out how to turn that first 40 minutes into an 80 minute performance.

Worth saying Karl Dickson was giving the longest penalty advantages I've ever seen. For the winning penalty the ABs got a scrum penalty on the 10m line and played the ball deep into the Wallabies 22 yet the ref didn't call advantage over. Looked a bit ridiculous him walking back 30m to mark the penalty!

I suppose that's how one snatches defeat from the jaws of victory....

RDW wrote:Well not unexpectedly the ABs come back to win 23-20 thanks to a last minute penalty kick.

It's funny how momentum on rugby can shift so quickly - pretty much from the first kick of the 2nd half the ABs completely dominated. Wallabies reverted to their performances of recent weeks of poor accuracy, poor discipline and stupid mistakes. It's worth saying Quade Cooper was pretty terrible after he came on - he's looking past it.

A big, big scare for the ABs though and Eddie Jones will have to work out how to turn that first 40 minutes into an 80 minute performance.

I think the game changed when the Wallabies were up 17-3 later on in the first half and pounding on the line when the Wallaby 9 tried to pick and go over the line and lost possession as he tried to ground the ball. They were in total control at that point, were applying most of the pressure and just needed to remain patient. It's the same refrain when playing the ABs - don't give away points and don't give them a break. Would have put the Wallabies up by three scores.

RDW wrote:Worth saying Karl Dickson was giving the longest penalty advantages I've ever seen. For the winning penalty the ABs got a scrum penalty on the 10m line and played the ball deep into the Wallabies 22 yet the ref didn't call advantage over. Looked a bit ridiculous him walking back 30m to mark the penalty!

Pretty much par for Dickson. He's always got a dodgy decision or odd call in his back pocket ready to go.

RDW wrote:Worth saying Karl Dickson was giving the longest penalty advantages I've ever seen. For the winning penalty the ABs got a scrum penalty on the 10m line and played the ball deep into the Wallabies 22 yet the ref didn't call advantage over. Looked a bit ridiculous him walking back 30m to mark the penalty!

Didn't think that was particularly long at all, and I'm not a fan of Dickson.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

RDW wrote:Worth saying Karl Dickson was giving the longest penalty advantages I've ever seen. For the winning penalty the ABs got a scrum penalty on the 10m line and played the ball deep into the Wallabies 22 yet the ref didn't call advantage over. Looked a bit ridiculous him walking back 30m to mark the penalty!

Pretty much par for Dickson. He's always got a dodgy decision or odd call in his back pocket ready to go.

To be honest I'm not aware of a ref who doesn't , I think it's just as much of the game as anything.
Which makes these forums fun

Retallick out for 4 to 6 weeks. Named in the squad but a bit doubtful. Shame if he misses out, had a few years of injuries issues but finally looked about back to where he was form wise.