RWC Quarter Final - Australia vs South Africa

[S120]

The Boks were really toeing the line of being offside many, many times as their defensive line came up. Gave Cooper no time to work in sometimes.

 

[King Elvis]

Watched the game with a mate who follows rugby. He was just disgusted at Cooper.

Yet they left him in the whole game?

Confidence player - hopefully he's got it out of his system now, they'll review the hell out of the game and hopefully he'll go into next week knowing the Coach backs him, and desperate to prove a point.

Cooper is a match winner, but he's going to cost you games as well.

Thanks to the rest of the side, the game he should have cost us, we managed to win, so hopefully it's all up from here.

Saying that, if he looks like playing that poorly against the Kiwis, I'd drag him at half time.

He really needs to play a great game against the Boks or AB's for me to even consider him in the same class (at test level) as any of the best fly halves in the world. He dominates Super level but at test level he is still a loooooong way off Dan Carter.

Cooper's best is better than anybody, but you'll never see somebody like Carter play like Cooper did yesterday.

The gulf between his best and his worse needs to shrink massively, so a bad day is still an average game, and not a disaster.

He then needs to perform at that level for 5+ years.

Then we can discuss whether he's worthy of being mentioned in the same conversation as Carter.

 

[Powerstufff]

First game of rugby I've ever watched and I loved it. Quite unbelievable result, my hands were shaking from tension at the end as I texted a South African mate. We seemed to defend about a metre from the back-line for about half the game. Watched NZ v Argentina later to try and get a bit more of a handle on the sport, quite enjoyed it too but quite different in character (to state the bleeding obvious).

 

[S120]

Great pick for your first game of rugby to watch. The tension and pressure in it was as extreme as it comes. You rarely see anything like that. Despite only one try being scored it was a cracking game and a cracking contest.

 

[Santana]

That was probably the finest defensive performance from a Wallaby team I've ever seen. Still in disbelief we won.

 

[chargers 09]

The performance by Pocock has to be one of the best WC performances by a openside in history. Our line out, which has for long been one of our strengths was atrocius on sunday, what happened? poor throwing or lack of communication between the throwers and the jumpers?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Went over to Welligton for these two games...and still a little worse for the wear. My thoughts:

1. Pocock.....the one guy who needs to be put in cotton wool forever...the gap between him and our next best player is HUGE!

2. Cooper- i may be alone here but I thought he did okay, sure he made some errors (you won't get a perfect game from him ever), but he controlled it well.

3. Lineouts...WOEFUL! Did Moore win a lineout, i counted 3 that we lost 30m out from their line. You cannot blame Cooper...when he had about 20 seconds of good ball in the match becuase our hooker can't throw!

4. Barnes...added a lot of solidity to the side once on, a lot of you may not realise but his kick had a direct influence on the game, that is what Cooper needs to do, play the percentages a bit more.

5. Changes, I would start Barnes for McCabe, Cooper needs help. I would also consider Higginbotham off the bench, you need X Factor against NZ

6. Music....are we at a concert or a game?

Was a great trip though, plenty of Aussies

 

[LukeParkerno1]

The performance by Pocock has to be one of the best WC performances by a openside in history. Our line out, which has for long been one of our strengths was atrocius on sunday, what happened? poor throwing or lack of communication between the throwers and the jumpers?

Bit of both for the lineouts. Victor Mattfield is the best bloke to disrupt lineouts in the world. However the throwing was horrible. Mind you we went deep twice and won the ball...why not keep doing it, till it fails...rather than throw it to 2 where Matfield eats them for breakfast!

 

[Contra Mundum]

The performance by Pocock has to be one of the best WC performances by a openside in history. Our line out, which has for long been one of our strengths was atrocius on sunday, what happened? poor throwing or lack of communication between the throwers and the jumpers?

Nick Farr Jones said "our line outs are disgusting"

 

[S120]

I think it's a bit of an overstatement. They were shithouse against the best lineout in the world but have been fine against the Boks in previous matches this year.

I wouldn't be too concerned. It hasn't been a worry all that much this year IMO.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

It is a difficult one, at the least the two good lineout teams are gone so that will work in our favour from now on. However Moore's throwing has been poor ever since he was rested (whoever was the dill who decided to rest Moore...).

 

[_shifty_]

It is a difficult one, at the least the two good lineout teams are gone so that will work in our favour from now on. However Moore's throwing has been poor ever since he was rested (whoever was the dill who decided to rest Moore...).

I thought he was either sick or had some concern that they thought was worth keeping him out of the game?
Either way, our lineouts clearly take a massive hit when Vicks comes off