I was mesmerised by how much the posts were wobbling in the wind.
So, one (proper, not Junior World Championship) game down and the Northern Hemisphere are one up. I don’t think we will end up with the win ratio in our favour, but it’s a good start.
Australians worst losers in international sport, followed very closely by the Kiwis, pains to say that about the Kiwis as in everything else they are really cool people.
Wow. Thought it was likely to be a thumping but sounds like Robinson’s tactics were right with that weather forecast.
Will have to try and find highlights online somewhere.
I predict having won a grind out game and aiming high now we will lose to Fiji and Samoa who will be out to thump us.
However it is a fantastic result and I am very proud of the players who battled hard for their victory and hope that my predictions are as good as usual and we go on to win whole boatload of games based on this younger side.
Five new caps! I expect about four of that 15 will play against wales, the scottish team was first choice best available as will be the welsh team on saturday (except for AW Jones and Ian Evans who are marrying each other or something).
AA – open your one eye. what Aus have done is split their players to give the best teams thy can over the two matches. we have done you a favour wearing out the likes of Pocock. I am sure he would love to be called a second 15 player.
The Aus team that plays wales on Saturday will not be the theoretical best team either
Good game last night in pretty awful conditions. Scotland were pretty dogged and bear in mind a lot of that Oz team have been very active in the Super 15 so far this season, hardly a second 15.
I guess you will be able to say the same about the All Blacks this w/e when they front up with their second XV. Post RWV 2011 I reckon we’re seeing a changing of the guard as the old boys start to drop back and the new players come through – thsi years Super 15 has been fantastic. My personal pick the Hurricanes should, by rights, be awful but they have been superb all season.
The weather aside, much of the talk ahead of the clash has revolved around selection, which is understandable considering three of Australia’s five Super Rugby franchises were in action over the past weekend, forcing Wallabies coach Robbie Deans to a field a somewhat experimental side.
so says planet rugby and i never said the first 15 would be playing wales, although it would be fair to say the team being played on a saturday has more emphasis on it would it not?
Apparently the the Australian players said it was the worst conditions they have ever played under. The Scottish players are said to have remarked that it was mild with a gentle wind 😀
Well played the Scots.
They deserved it. Cracking game to watch for the excitement.
The song needs a tweek though – can we play you,can we play you,can we play you every week?but not on a Sunday
Euan was immense.
Is this A-A running scared and getting his excuses in early?
i was full of doom before the game although I knew wales build up was shit I didnt realuse how shit australias was too. Game on it could be close.
Amazing that scotland have beaten aussies twice and sa once in recent timrs and wales cant buy a win v souther hemisphere teams.
*South Africa team: *Zane Kirchner, JP Pietersen, Jean de Villiers (c), Frans Steyn, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger, Marcell Coetzee, Willem Alberts, Pierre Spies.
to play england, seems wrong not to have Matfield and Botha one of, if not the best pairing ever.
Have both, or at least one of them not retired from int rugby? Beast is a dirt track bully, one good test against a broken Vickery, been living on it since. Int props seem to work out fairly quickly how to play him.
Beast is a good player but I think Cole will deal with him. Cole could well develop into one of the best ever. I’d pick Adam over him now but its close and getting closer.
Adam did a number on the Beast and then Bakkies reverted to type the dirty fecker.
*TEAMS*
*Australia: *Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW); Joe Tomane (ACT), Rob Horne (NSW), Pat McCabe (ACT), Digby Ioane (Queensland); Berrick Barnes (NSW), Will Genia (Queensland); Benn Robinson (NSW), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW), Sekope Kepu (NSW), Rob Simmons (Queensland), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland), David Pocock (Western Force, capt), Wycliff Palu (NSW).
*Replacements:* Stephen Moore (ACT), Ben Alexander (ACT), Dave Dennis (NSW), Michael Hooper (ACT), Nic White (ACT), Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland), Mike Harris (Queensland).
*Wales: *Leigh Halfpenny (Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), George North (Scarlets); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Blues), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Sam Warburton (Blues, capt), Toby Faletau (Dragons).
*Replacements:* Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Paul James (Bath), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Blues), James Hook (Perpignan), Ashley Beck (Ospreys).