Wallaby v All Blacks: Live Match Thread

[Pal Joey]

First topic message reminder :

1st Match: 2012 Bledisloe Cup - The Rugby Championship
Saturday 18th August, 2012.
Sydney Olympic Stadium, 8:00pm

Wallabies:

15 Kurtley Beale
14 Adam Ashley-Cooper
13 Rob Horne
12 Anthony Fainga'a
11 Digby Ioane
10 Berrick Barnes
9 Will Genia
8 Scott Higginbotham
7 David Pocock (capt)
6 Dave Dennis
5 Nathan Sharpe
4 Sitaleki Timani
3 Sekope Kepu
2 Tatafu Polota Nau
1 Benn Robinson

Reserves:
16 Stephen Moore, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Radike Samo, 20 Michael Hooper, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Drew Mitchell


All Blacks:

15 Israel Dagg
14 Cory Jane
13 Ma'a Nonu
12 Sonny Bill Williams
11 Hosea Gear
10 Dan Carter
9 Aaron Smith
8 Kieran Read
7 Richie McCaw
6 Liam Messam
5 Sam Whitelock
4 Luke Romano
3 Owen Franks
2 Keven Mealamu
1 Tony Woodcock

Reserves:
16 Andrew Hore, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Victor Vito, 19 Brodie Retalick, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Ben Smith

[Morgannwg]

Or why not just have O'Connor at 10 and keep Beale at 15? Beale is best there IMO. Aus have three good fly-halves, Barnes or O'Connor are their best.

[ChequeredJersey]

I'd put JOC on the wing, he's a very different option to Ioane and compliments him and Beale well. If Mitchell gets back to top form, maybe move him to 10. Or 12. It doesn't matter, really. He is a utility back but without losing the brilliance in any one position, which is why I rate him so highly. Wherever Aus have a weakness at any given time, put JOC there.

[formerly known as Sam]

Or why not just have O'Connor at 10 and keep Beale at 15? Beale is best there IMO

I thought so until I saw him play at 10 for the Rebels. He makes just as many line breaks as at 15 and the timing of his passing coupled with his movement ball in hand make him a nightmare to defend against. That was behind the Rebels pack as well, the served him up next to no decent ball and he looked really classy. He might not be the best tactical kicker but since when do Aus go in for that these days?

[disneychilly]

Emack I disagree with you about Smith's pass being the best since Bachop. The best passer of the ball I've ever seen was Ofisa (Junior) Tonu'u. The only thing was the rest of his game was shocking.

With a big midfield and not as much creativity I think Aussie are missing a big trick. They're not going to overpower SBW and Nonu so why not take advantage of frailties in their defensive positioning? Nonu hasn't played 13 in a while and SBW can be caught out. I haven't seen much from Fainga'a's distribution to be worried about him putting Horne on the outside of Nonu.

Am pretty confident NZ can win and win well, especially as Australia don't have the grunt SA and Argentina do to really ruffle out newbies in the pack. Smith will get an ok ride if McCaw cancels out Pocock and enables Read to win the breakdowns for NZ.

McCabe isn't a big loss for Australia. He's a battering ram who wouldn't get far against his opposing midfield unless his pack dominates.

Pocock will shine at the breakdown but McCaw is better at everything else on the park. If he starts to play at 6 with Cane at 7 in future tests then Pocock will have real trouble doing his job unless they pick two fetchers themselves.

[Taylorman]

Sydneys not a good place for us though remember Disney. We seem to make it hard for ourselves there and Oz do fire up considerably for these ones.

But it could be the deciding match of the series. The away wins usually decide the winner.

[Pal Joey]

Very nice day in Sydney today. Spring like temperature, blue skies and barely a breeze. Some rain is expected tomorrow but it should be fine on Saturday night.

I can just imagine the ABs checking in their bags at a hotel in Manly or Coogee and heading down to the beach. I'm praying they get complacent in these superb surroundings but I know that is dream-time talk.

[emack2]

Ireland test 2 was a wake up call for the AllBlacks,like Scotland was for theWallabies.No complacency you have had more time to plot and scheme ,travelling late is an interesting NZ tactic.Both teams have been practicing the rough stuff to use on the other.Win this one and NZ are set fair
for the Bledisloe and the 4Ns .Lose and maybe OZ will win the return in NZ,heads go down,Aus or SA then IRB number one sides.Worse still lose with injuries to key players as in the 2011 3Ns then the rookies will really have to earn there keep.Is Suzie on stand by with the dodgy Pizzas?

[Pal Joey]

ha ha Alan. No, we have Wendy here.

There is a little game going on with the media here. With SBW back in the NRL next year (Roosters) a lot of journos are ready to fire some questions at him.

From what I've heard he's been quite cool about it so far. I'll keep everyone updated.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Has the starting team been announced? Is Beale at 15 and is AAC at 13?

[Morgannwg]

Beale at 15, I think AAC is on the wing. Fainga and Horne are the centre's.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

I know there are injuries but that's a mistake in my mind. I think any backline needs a backline general and AAC is that man for Oz. They often tend to be at OC. Conrad Smith is that man for NZ. Surely Mitchell and Ioane are good enough to be on the wing and AAC can move to OC? I just think that the SBW and Nonu partnership can be exploited and AAC is the man to do that. Australia are missing an opportunity for me in that area.

[Morgannwg]

Yeah you're probably right. AAC is their best centre since Mortlock stepped down, but he is as good anywhere else in the backline. I can't find the article, but here is the team: http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/153845.html

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

I'd love to see

Genia-barnes
Joc-AAC
Ioane-Beale-mitchell

[Full Credit]

Evening gents. Getting a pretty decent case of the nerves here.

[Biltong]

Howzit mate, good luck.

[Full Credit]

Thanks mate, will need a fair dose of luck tonight. Just looking at the AB team sheet it makes for pretty grim reading.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Good luck FC. Let the trans-Tasman rivalry recommence. It's showtime!

[Biltong]

Good luck to you as well Kia, I am hoping for a great game

[kiakahaaotearoa]

cheers mate. Me too. It's what I always want.

[Full Credit]

Cheers Kia, best of luck to you guys too, not that you need it! I'd settle for a repeat of that game with the world record crowd (with a different result this time of course).

[kiakahaaotearoa]

That's not settling. That's reaching for the stars.

[Full Credit]

Yeah, I'm a hard man to please. Conditions look good in Sydney tonight, hopefully we'll see the ball flung around a fair bit.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Good to hear. Fair play to Nathan Sharpe. He doesn't really feature in World XVs but such an underrated player and he's been a warrior for Oz. I've always ha a lot of time for him.

[dallym]

listening to it in China....nothing better than hearing GDNZ

[kiakahaaotearoa]

listening to it in Madrid dally. Which haka do you think they'll go with?

[Full Credit]

Sharpie's a real trooper. I heard the other day that he's the only Wallaby in the current side to have touched the Bledisloe.

[Morgannwg]

Sharpie's a real trooper. I heard the other day that he's the only Wallaby in the current side to have touched the Bledisloe.

I heard it about 5 minutes ago.

[dallym]

listening to it in Madrid dally. Which haka do you think they'll go with?

they ended up with ka mate. i think that's a good idea as it keeps it as the prominent haka.


and now SBW forward passes right on the goalline to give the convicts a great opportunity.....now a penalty

[kiakahaaotearoa]

THat's pretty loose stuff. NZ need to calm down a bit.

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

On a bus wIth wifi but the driver has just gone for a smoke so can't watch it til he starts it up again!!

Fffffuuuuuuuuuuucccccckkkkkkk

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Get the keys and steal the bus. F**k that.

[Morgannwg]

wifi on buses these days? Wow.

That was slick from Nonu, he's everything you said he'd be (so far).

[dallym]

3-3. thats better

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Messam took the wrong option there. It's only Genia. It's not like he's Gregan with extraterrestrial tackling powers.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

picked it like a dirty nose dally. makes me feel calmer

[dallym]

DAGG!!!!! try

[Ozzy3213]

AB's made that try look easy.

[Morgannwg]

That was a great try (understatement).

[ChequeredJersey]

Doing work on a Uni Computer, on which it is impossible to stream live rugby. Really contemplating how quickly I can get to the nearest Walkabout

[Morgannwg]

Aus putting themselves under a lot of pressure. All Blacks doing well to keep them in their 22. Not sure what the Wallabies are doing, nothing like the team we played over a month ago.

[Notch]

Aussies look desperate- struggling to clear the lines and little accuracy! Can't get quick ball and have been pinged to boot.

They need a massive improvement before this slips away...

[kiakahaaotearoa]

That was cartoon stuff. Australia don't want to kick the ball away but I think their decision to run everything is putting them under needless pressure.

[Notch]

Yeah, if you're going to move the ball through the hands on your own tryline the passes better stick.

Better stuff now through Genia.

[Morgannwg]

That Dagg try was probably the game if it goes on like this. Aus probably won't get another chance to score like they just did.

[FerN]

This quick taps for Australia really isn't working for them.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Gotta salute the Wallabies' attacking approach.Turned down 3 points but after the quick tap they looked too slow. Good AB defence.

[kiakahaaotearoa]

Why do I get the feeling if Rolland hasn't blown his whistle in five seconds, he finds a reason to blow it.

[Guest]

Ah, can't believe that. Pretty poor hands that.

Now Beale has the yips.

[Notch]

Robbie Deans better get that superglue out at half-time!

[dallym]

jane scores!!!!

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