Test Rugby 2014 Rugby Championship

Lions1024

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Jun 30, 2009
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I reckon that's it for me supporting the Wallabies.

Good luck to the ARU. This is the beginning of the end for rugby as a legitimate national sporting code.
 

Maester

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Oct 15, 2014
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I reckon that's it for me supporting the Wallabies.

Good luck to the ARU. This is the beginning of the end for rugby as a legitimate national sporting code.

Geez it isn't that bad. Next year the Reds will undoubtedly be a lot better and average crowds over 30,000. The Waratahs will have a big boost in crowds due to last year's win. Both the Force and Rebels have reason to expect good seasons.

And the Wallabies have a lot of depth at the moment in most positions. The internal culture will improve because it has to. Beale will be gone. I'd guess there will be a new captain.

These things change so fast. After the Wallabies smashed France and the Waratahs won super rugby the sport was on this big high. 3 months later and it's all terrible. Yet after this week from hell the Wallabies almost, and should have beaten the All Blacks. Performing well next season, and especially at the world cup is not out of the question.
 

Lions1024

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Geez it isn't that bad. Next year the Reds will undoubtedly be a lot better and average crowds over 30,000. The Waratahs will have a big boost in crowds due to last year's win. Both the Force and Rebels have reason to expect good seasons.

I'll still support the Waratahs 100% next year, I'll still support UniQLD and Brisbane City aswell. Just won't be supporting the Wallabies.

In terms of the national setup, this is the start of an all-out war between factions within the ARU. As Kearns mentioned, the people who have been spreading the rumours, influencing certain players and leaking to journalists are well known. I suspect the people behind Link will want/get revenge. Cheika is our only hope, but if he walks into the job now, don't expect him to last a year. Link is a far more politically savvy than Cheika and look what happened.

While there's no doubting Link underperformed as national coach, he's done nothing to warrant his sacking. He's the innocent victim here. To think that this all started because Kurtley refused to wear a ******* tshirt...
 
Oct 9, 2001
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In terms of the national setup, this is the start of an all-out war between factions within the ARU. As Kearns mentioned, the people who have been spreading the rumours, influencing certain players and leaking to journalists are well known. I suspect the people behind Link will want/get revenge. Cheika is our only hope, but if he walks into the job now, don't expect him to last a year. Link is a far more politically savvy than Cheika and look what happened.

Yep, if Cheika gets the job the factions will be out for blood and he'll be in the crosshairs rightly or wrongly. Jake White is the safe option as he has a working knowledge of how the ARU works factions wise, has International experience, has worked at Super Rugby level here in Australia and would be able to put in place his gameplan quickly with just 8 games left to the start of the World Cup.

End of the day it doesn't matter who takes Australia to the World Cup, your grouped with England and Wales. Tough ask to get out of the group just got harder
 

Maester

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While there's no doubting Link underperformed as national coach, he's done nothing to warrant his sacking. He's the innocent victim here. To think that this all started because Kurtley refused to wear a ******* tshirt...

Well he hasn't been sacked. And to be fair, if he honestly felt he couldn't get the support of the players then he's better off stepping down.

I reckon Cheika will come in and it'll be the best result. He's familiar with all the players and can just build on what he's done with the Waratahs. I hope he doesn't try to play politics at all. Just goes in, says I'm going to do it my way, and lives or dies by it.
 
Oct 23, 2012
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What a farce - whether McKenzie is a good coach or not, it is disgraceful the team is run by the players and not the coach. I have no idea if it is the Waratahs players leading it because they won a comp but it is pretty ordinary. The sooner a guy like Pocock is fit and back in this team, the better.

We aren't going anywhere in the World Cup, regardless of who is in charge
 
End of the day it doesn't matter who takes Australia to the World Cup, your grouped with England and Wales. Tough ask to get out of the group just got harder

How does getting a better coach make it harder for Australia. Glad the lemon is gone.
 

Lebbo73

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Disappointing for the Tahs but Cheika is the best coach in Australia. Where is that bloke that said Cheika was no chance...get some better sources lol
So the NSW power base has been confirmed. You can forget about our chances at next years WC. Might as well pick the whole Waratahs side so we can be 100% certain who to blame instead of 95% for our instability.
 
So the NSW power base has been confirmed. You can forget about our chances at next years WC. Might as well pick the whole Waratahs side so we can be 100% certain who to blame instead of 95% for our instability.

No the best coach had been confirmed that is Cheika
 
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He made an error but he hasn't done anything since! Any coach is better than Link!

Oh so its OK for him to make an error....nice double standards you have there.

Also it was his SECOND error and a third sees the Australians back looking for another coach for the World Cup....but hey lets rush into this and not get the right person. Its not as if the world isn't laughing at you all already
 
Oh so its OK for him to make an error....nice double standards you have there.

Also it was his SECOND error and a third sees the Australians back looking for another coach for the World Cup....but hey lets rush into this and not get the right person. Its not as if the world isn't laughing at you all already

His first error was years ago, overseas. Not that big a deal really. You get the best coach right now and that is Cheika.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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Squad for the Spring Tour
Name
Team
Age
Caps

Adam Ashley-Cooper
NSW Waratahs
30
100
Ben Alexander
ACT Brumbies
29
69
Sam Carter
ACT Brumbies
25
8
Quade Cooper
Queensland Reds
26
50
Tom English
Melbourne Rebels
23
Uncapped
Saia Fainga’a
Queensland Reds
27
32
Tetera Faulkner
Western Force
26
Uncapped
Israel Folau
NSW Waratahs
25
25
Bernard Foley
NSW Waratahs
25
14
Will Genia
Queensland Reds
26
55
Kyle Godwin
Western Force
22
Uncapped
James Hanson
Queensland Reds
26
5
Scott Higginbotham
Melbourne Rebels
28
31
Matt Hodgson
Western Force
33
9
Michael Hooper (c)
NSW Waratahs
22
38
Rob Horne
NSW Waratahs
25
22
James Horwill
Queensland Reds
29
56
Luke Jones
Melbourne Rebels
23
1
Sekope Kepu
NSW Waratahs
28
48
Tevita Kuridrani
ACT Brumbies
23
17
Christian Leali'ifano
ACT Brumbies
27
14
Josh Mann-Rea
ACT Brumbies
33
2
Ben McCalman
Western Force
26
34
Sean McMahon
Melbourne Rebels
20
Uncapped
Nick Phipps
NSW Waratahs
25
24
Benn Robinson
NSW Waratahs
30
69
Rob Simmons
Queensland Reds
25
46
Will Skelton
NSW Waratahs
22
4
James Slipper
Queensland Reds
25
59
Henry Speight
ACT Brumbies
26
Uncapped
Joe Tomane
ACT Brumbies
23
12
Matt Toomua
ACT Brumbies
24
19
Nic White
ACT Brumbies
23
18
 
Cheika just got presented to the ARU office. Press conference in 10 minutes. Will be taking Tahs and Wallabies in 2015.

Good gives the Tahs 12 months to get a new coach too. Good squad too.
 

Experimental

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May 20, 2012
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Squad for the Spring Tour
Name
Team
Age
Caps

Adam Ashley-Cooper
NSW Waratahs
30
100
Ben Alexander
ACT Brumbies
29
69
Sam Carter
ACT Brumbies
25
8
Quade Cooper
Queensland Reds
26
50
Tom English
Melbourne Rebels
23
Uncapped
Saia Fainga’a
Queensland Reds
27
32
Tetera Faulkner
Western Force
26
Uncapped
Israel Folau
NSW Waratahs
25
25
Bernard Foley
NSW Waratahs
25
14
Will Genia
Queensland Reds
26
55
Kyle Godwin
Western Force
22
Uncapped
James Hanson
Queensland Reds
26
5
Scott Higginbotham
Melbourne Rebels
28
31
Matt Hodgson
Western Force
33
9
Michael Hooper (c)
NSW Waratahs
22
38
Rob Horne
NSW Waratahs
25
22
James Horwill
Queensland Reds
29
56
Luke Jones
Melbourne Rebels
23
1
Sekope Kepu
NSW Waratahs
28
48
Tevita Kuridrani
ACT Brumbies
23
17
Christian Leali'ifano
ACT Brumbies
27
14
Josh Mann-Rea
ACT Brumbies
33
2
Ben McCalman
Western Force
26
34
Sean McMahon
Melbourne Rebels
20
Uncapped
Nick Phipps
NSW Waratahs
25
24
Benn Robinson
NSW Waratahs
30
69
Rob Simmons
Queensland Reds
25
46
Will Skelton
NSW Waratahs
22
4
James Slipper
Queensland Reds
25
59
Henry Speight
ACT Brumbies
26
Uncapped
Joe Tomane
ACT Brumbies
23
12
Matt Toomua
ACT Brumbies
24
19
Nic White
ACT Brumbies
23
18
White needs to gtfo
 

Lebbo73

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Oct 20, 2014
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No the best coach had been confirmed that is Cheika
Are you sticking with this? It is obvious we only made the WC final because the ref gifted us the quarterfinal against Scotland and every side outside of NZ was below par. Now Cheika can't even get us within cooee of NZ on homesoil. Our fundamentals are worse then at any time this century.
I am 43 a d I honestly believe we might never hold up the Bledisloe Cup again in my lifetime. Bring back Ewen!
 
got to get a new coach after this terrible run of losses

No coach regardless of what anyone will say, will beat NZ period. Not as if England are a bad side, they are number 2 in the world, and probably would fancy their chances against NZ on form.

Sometimes we have to be frank, we just don't have the talent.

That said we need to refresh, if I see Moore's name at hooker or Ashley Cooper on the wing I might absolutely lose it. Past it the both of them! Going back to Cooper was just as bad.
 
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