2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations)
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Yep fair comment M4L, I agree there is less talk than usual coming out of their camp, and probably a direct result of the recent Super rugby performances by all the Aussie teams coming on the back of their Wallaby performances against Scotland and Italy.
These first two Tests are going to be very tense which is great and they should be crackers. -
@taniwharugby said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
As good a coach Cheika might be
Is he but?
@mariner4life said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
As usual, i think we'll win, but they won't be pushovers, and i don't expect us to blow them out in the first couple of tests.
They'll be very competitive and combative in the first test.
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The Wallabies seem to play better the longer Cheika has to drill some fitness into them away from their Super teams (don't ask me why... his bloody assistants are their Super coaches). He'll be absolutely flogging them now that their fitness has been put under such scrutiny over there (both Cheika and Moore are in record saying it's not good enough). I think that will make a difference and as @Centreman points out their lock pairing is coming along.
Their midfield is a bit dicey though? Is Kerevi back? Hodge is out of form but maybe Beale will come back firing. We'll see.
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Their entire existence int he public eye is defined by how they perform against us. The All Blacks and the Bledisoe are the only things that matter outside of the World CUp. Everything is defined around "you won't beat the All Blacks if...). Mentally they get up for us in a way they could never do against Scotland (to their own detriment, they aren't good enough to clock off). That will make at least some difference.
I'll be interest to see if they have a new way to play based more around the players they have. They've got some serious issues in some areas though, no amount of fitness, and camp, and "getting up" will hide those.
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I'm curious to know how constantly losing effects the mental state of players? All the wallaby players have lost more than they have won this year and some have hardly tasted victory. Whereas nearly the entire AB's forward pack have rarely lost.
You can see why so many coaches talk about the mental side as you only need to look at the Blues Vs Sunwolves, Japan v SA. You could replay those games in NZ/SA and the results would look a lot different. Same players, same ball yet different results.
Does the Eden Park "Aura" give the players confidence and the ability to not worry so much about losing resulting in improved performance? Australia have lost the ability to consistently beat NZ and perhaps subconsciously this impacts on their play. I'm sure some very well paid psychologists know the answers.
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ABs to put 40+ on the Wallabies. It will be a breakout game for the ABs as they overcome the disappointment of a drawn Lions series.
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@ACT-Crusader said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
ABs to put 40+ on the Wallabies. It will be a breakout game for the ABs as they overcome the disappointment of a drawn Lions series.
Havilii to score a hat trick
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@ACT-Crusader It's only Australia.
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@Unite said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
My tip is we lose the first one, win the second one by a small margin, then the third one in Oct is a coin toss. Based on nothing other than gut feeling.
That's a massive call when you look at the state of Oz rugby. If we are that bad I would be concerned.
I don't think the convicts will be as terrible as their Super teams, but they won't be that good.
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@Crucial said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
@mimic as I don't know what terribly naughty thing you posted in reply to me I will just answer your question to bones.
In an ANZAC XV I wouldn't have any Australians except maybe Folau when Ben Smith goes on holiday.
I quoted the wrong person so I deleted it.. Ignore it
I think the last time we got this comfortable against the Aussies, we got our butts handed to us at the RWC. -
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@mimic said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
@Crucial said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
@mimic as I don't know what terribly naughty thing you posted in reply to me I will just answer your question to bones.
In an ANZAC XV I wouldn't have any Australians except maybe Folau when Ben Smith goes on holiday.
I quoted the wrong person so I deleted it.. Ignore it
I think the last time we got this comfortable against the Aussies, we got our butts handed to us at the RWC.Agree that there is no room whatsoever for arrogance. Any feeling of being 'comfortable' is based solely on both individuals and the team playing well and not making silly errors/red cards etc
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I'd be more worried playing Ireland than Aussie these days. It will take complacency, a card or too, a few dodgy ref calls and a bit of a shocker for us to lose imo.
But these could be famous last words.
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@Billy-Tell said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
I'd be more worried playing Ireland than Aussie these days. It will take complacency, a card or too, a few dodgy ref calls and a bit of a shocker for us to lose imo.
But these could be famous last words.
A card certainly helps.
A bit of a mare at either 9 or 10 evens things up very quickly. Almost every halfback who has played the game is capable of one of those games and Barrett unlike DC can run cold.
The Lions showed the game plan, which with all due respect is hold on and keep it close for the first 65 minutes then get lucky/don't lose it.
Australia are capable of keeping it close for 65 minutes if our execution is off.
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The Lions had a forward pack to match ours. Don't think the Wallabies do.
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@Bones said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
@mimic said in 2017 Bledisloe Cup & Rugby Championship (4 Nations):
@Bones How many Australians would you have in an ANZAC XV?
If I had to pick one....hmmmm....probably Tawera Kerr-Barlow.
I'd probably have the Zimbabwean on the bench - if he was playing.
I haven't paid any attention to their their props, but that would be the most likely place I'd find a spot or two.
Agree on Folau once Ben is gone. Last year, Foley would have been ahead of Sopoaga, but the 'tahs were so awful I'd be doubtful his form warrants it.
