Owner: Green and Gold Rugby URL:http://greenandgoldrugby.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Sun, 27 May 2007 05:17:24 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A place for all aussie rugby fans to talk, whinge or maybe even one day gloat about anything to do with australian rugby union. Site statistics:Click here
First Wales test - wash up 2007-05-26 10:55:00 Australia 29 : Wales
23orAustralian forwards +29 : Australian backs -23Well, for a match review you can pretty much read my match prediction in the previous post. Not surprisingly, a back-line made of out of position players and devoid of combinations was a error-ridden shmozzle and this Welsh team is not as easy as the press has made out.Negatives from the game:Not one inch of progress in the backs. Only 2 games until tri-nations humiliation if we keep going this way and the whole team seems to have a terminal case of dropsy. Having played a full S14 season, you can't blame 'rustiness'. It was also lucky that Wales didn't get more ball because holes kept opening up in mid-field for them.Positives from the game:The forwards, who scored 3 of the 4 tries. Line-out worked - even managed to pressure theirs - and scrum didn't fold. Big men made good yards. Because of this platform we got to see the old Aussie composure to win it at the death - something we've sorely missed for a few Read more:First
First test 2007 vs Wales 2007-05-25 05:14:00 Right, so first test vs Wales
tomorrow. Really looking forward to seeing the green and gold out on the paddock again, however I've got a mixture of interest and worry about the experimentation still happening with the side - especially in the backs.Some key thoughts about this test:1 - This welsh side is not crapThe five-eighth James Hook (pictured) was probably the best in the six nations this year. They've even been able to leave class players like Michael Owen on the bench. All the media hype about this being a crap welsh team is not good for the wallabies who have proven to believe their own hype far too easily. Also great ammo for welsh psych-up.2 - Aussie back line pick-n-mixSo let's now look at our back-line for this test. Instead of the Gregan-Larkham connection that pulled the Brumbies' arses out of the fire at the end of last season, we've got:at 9 - the Giteau half back experiment. One good game there, hasn't played the spot since tour last year. Jury still out.at 10 Read more:First
We've got the answer 2007-05-30 15:43:00 With the level debate over the Wallaby backline selection growing to a fever pitch, let's stop for a minute to look rationally at how we got to this point, because it actually clearly shows what the selectors must do next.Cast your minds back to the start of Connolly's reign, following the debacle of the 2005 Wallaby tour to Europe. The previous coach, Eddie Jones, had become an embattled, lone figure. Amongst his designated faults was a penchant for picking certain players regardless of attitude and performance. In many peoples eyes the auto-selection of George Gregan as half-back and captain epitomised this policy.Wisely, Knuckles spotted that dethroning Gregan from both Captaincy and team not only sent a big message to the players, but also bought time with Joe Public who had become sick of seeing a lack-lustre Gregan pushing South African referees over the edge with his verbal diarrhoea.So who to play half-back? Sam Cordingly turns up again and starts playing blinders for Queensl Read more:answer
Second test vs Wales - wrap up 2007-06-04 11:48:00 Palu on the rampage. Photo from Rugbyheaven.com.auA tale of two halves. Australia 31 - Wales
0In the interest of sanity I've managed to erase almost all memory of the first half of this test from my mind, making a critique of those 40 minutes pretty difficult. Night-sweat inducing flash backs include a litany of errors and squandered half chances from both sides. I can confirm that Australia finished this abomination six points ahead.The memory fully kicks in at the start of the second half with Gregan taking over the half-back position from Giteau, allowing Australia's best inside centre back to his favoured position. An instant turn around. Gregan's faster and more accurate pass gave Larkham the time to unleash the wider backs and the impressive Palu who never failed to break the gain line.Interestingly, Australia's three tries were scored, if not manufactured, by relative newcomers Ioane, Mitchell and Huxley. All of these trialists and stand-ins showed pace, skill and good tacti Read more:Second
Wallabies vs Fiji - preview 2007-06-07 13:25:00 Well, apart from the usual Fijian rugby generalisations (dangerous loose and wide, hopeless with structure) I've got to admit I have no idea what to expect from the individuals within the team when they play the Wallabies on Saturday in Perth. However, there are a few interesting selections in the Australia side that are worth commenting on.Gregan and Larkham - an interesting starting choice. You might have expected Bernie to be in 5 layers of cotton wool by now and resting that niggly hammy. This selection is more about steering well clear of the banana skin that even struggling against Fiji would represent. It's also fairer on the trial pairing of...Staniforth and Ashley-Cooper. With Giteau the only real backup at 10, there's a real gap behind him at 12. All eyes on Staniforth.And suddenly there's pressure on the 6 million dollar man - Tuquiri: with a crop of promising wingers and Lote becoming an underperforming media side show. Unbelievably he still hasn't signed an ARU contr
Optimism for the Wallabies 2007-06-06 01:41:00 Yes, I believe we can use the words 'optimism' and 'wallabies' in the same sentance. See my article in The Roar Read more:Optimism
Bored journos, or a plot afoot? 2007-06-11 03:41:00 If you want to read a piece of baseless muck-raking journalism at its best (or should that be worst?) have a look at this piece from Peter Jenkins at Sydney's Daily Telegraph:Sacking me 'crazy': ConnollyDEFIANT Test coach John Connolly last night warned that any push to sack him before the World Cup in France would be "crazy". The return of John O'Neill as ARU chief executive will raise the heat on Connolly if the Australians misfire during a Tri-Nations campaign to kick off in South Africa on Saturday night. It's a hoot. The whole article is generated by putting the completely hypothetical supposition to Connolly that IF the Wallabies don't do well in the Tri-Nations he MAY be sacked, because John O'Neil once did something KINDA of similar at Soccer Australia. No scoop, no quote, no inside story, no nothing.I'm no Knuckles fan per se, but it doesn't take a genius to figure that regardless of how well Australia do in this Tri-Nations, replacing him after the tournamen Read more:Bored
Australia vs Fiji - Wash up 2007-06-10 08:26:00 Picture courtesy of Rugby HeavenAustralia
49 - Fijian tackle bags 0As expected, the Wallabies won easily at Perth on Saturday, running in 8 unanswered tries (Tuquiri 2, Staniforth 2, Huxley, Larkham, Norton-Knight, Ashley-Cooper). What was disappointing though was the atypical lack of ambition showed by the Fijian side when they did get their 15% of possession. The ball rarely got past 9 or 10's boot .While the Australian back-line didn't fizz - with the amount of ball they had, the score could have been closer to 80 - there were some positive take-aways. Huxley and Mitchell continued to push their case for selection, both looking sharp. Mitchell's skillful try-making pass to Huxley while he was being shepherded into the corner typified the smart and pacey style of winger he is. A good counter-balance to the Tuquiri battering ram.Another stand-out was Staniforth at inside centre, who showed great pace and sharp handling, thoroughly deserving his two tries. If, or should I say when,
Tri-Nations: South Africa vs Australia - preview 2007-06-13 15:49:00 Now to the real deal. No more gutted out touring sides or 'minnow' nations. The experimentation has stopped and reputations are on the line. So what can we expect this Saturday from the Boks and the Wallabies?Matching up the backlines, the absence of Habana evens out the scales between the two sides, with Australia
fielding their strongest inside backs combination of Gregan, Larkham, Giteau, Mortlock and then Tuquiri on the wing. One thing for certain is that the James and Co. will be in the face of this Australian line-up - especially the new bloods Huxley and Mitchell - aiming to close down any space and force mistakes.For this tactic to work your forwards need to dominate, which is where this match will be won or lost. Looking at the SouthAfrica
pack, it's easy to see how they plan to make this happen with Spies, Smith and Berger in the back-row, which is before you get to the likes of Matfield and Smit in the tight five.The pressure of the whole match therefore comes down on th Read more:Nations
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The return of that Campo flair? 2007-06-13 09:15:00 Love him or hate him, Campo
is still Australia's leading try scorer (64), with almost double those of his nearest rival Chris Latham (33). Looking at the footage in this clip, you can't help but feel nostalgic about the unpredictability that he used to inject into any backline. To many Wallaby rugby fans, David Campese represented what Australian rugby is quintessentially about; excitement and risk. It's what differentiates Union from League.In recent times, under Eddie Jones this mercurial quality was all but stamped out of the Wallaby back three. League imports Tuquiri and Sailor, along with Clyde Rathbone brought size and power at the expense of Campo flair
; the one exception being flashes from Chris Latham.So what's been encouraging over recent test matches has been the blooding of Mitchell, Iaone and Huxley. Are we seeing a return to Campo's rugby guile over brawn? We can only hope.
Tri-Nations Rugby: South Africa vs Australia review 2007-06-16 10:23:00 ALL GUTS BUT NO GLORYSpringboks 22 - Wallabies 19The Wallabies showed today that they are far from being the easy-beats of this years Tri-Nations
, and proved that they have the foundations of a RWC challenging side. However, despite marathon stretches of heroic defence, some key errors and the boot of a gifted 20 year-old stopped them from breaking their 15 year hoodoo at Newlands.I'm not going to give a blow by bow account - for those who didn't see the match, it was one of those hard fought arm wrestles where despite a lack of open play, kept you gripped to the end. SouthAfrica
completely dominated possession and territory for three quarters of the match, playing one out bash and run rugby.When Australia
did get the ball in space they looked far more dangerous, but made mistakes at exactly the wrong times. Australia was ahead until the 73rd minute when Francois Steyn hit the first of two brilliant drop goals to seal the win in the 77th.So what should an Aussie supporter take from Read more:Rugby
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Enough already! Journos & the Wallaby backline 2007-06-15 12:56:00 Photo from ReutersFor the past two weeks the cry from some prominent Australian journalists has been that the Wallabies have "retreated" to an "old guard" back-line combination that has an abysmal away record. These pundits are barking up the wrong tree.First, lets have a look at this combo's overall record, courtesy of one a chief naysayer,Greg Growden at SMH.OverallWon 10, Lost 6.Home: Won 8, Lost 1Away: Won 2, Lost 5Yes away form ain't great (I was pleasantly surprised by the home stats...) but they're about the same as the highly fancied South Africa side.What's important though is to get under the skin of these numbers. To blame this line-up of super talented and experienced backs for all their countries woes is more than harsh. Over this time period, let's look at what this combo has had to work with:Eddie Jones - tried to ignore Giteau and stamp out any ingenuityThe Sailor and Rogers experiments - square pegs in round holesNo front row to speak of - I was at Twickenham that Read more:Enough
What changes for the Wallabies? 2007-06-21 16:19:00 Everyone agrees that the Wallabies showed an impressive level of grit against South Africa last Saturday. So is the team now set, or are there improvements on selection to be made?I believe there are small but important changes
to made: 1) I’m gobsmacked Staniforth wasn’t on the bench for the test in Cape Town. Is he injured? He can cover anything from 11 to 14 and gives us the option of having Giteau at 10. I believe we should actually be giving this set up the odd run-out to a) see how off the pace Larkham is and b) get ready for Larkham’s injury. Ashley-Cooper simply doesn’t give the same options. 2) Chisholm vs Hoiles as first replacement 6. Wrong choice. Keep Chisholm on the bench ’till the end to cover whole back row and second row. Hoiles could have really made a difference on Sat, Chisholm is just tall timber. Otherwise what we’ve got is what we’ve got. Let’s build on from last Saturday, rather than throw the baby out out with the bathwater.
Next Wallaby Coach - The Race is On 2007-06-21 15:51:00 So what prompts the coach of the NSW Waratahs to say to the SMH: “I have read that I am not interested, that I may be or that I may not. If someone asks me to put my hat in the ring, I will. I don’t know about the timing [of an appointment] or what is going on with it. But if someone talks to me and feels I could be up to it, I will put my hand up.” The answer, one can hazard to guess, is that the competition to become the next coach of the Wallabies has stepped up a notch.Click here to read the rest @ The RoarWith respect to ‘Link’ McKenzie, a runner up in the last Wallaby coach competition, this public broadcast announcement reveals a number of interesting points:He would ditch the Waratahs in a heartbeat, even though there is clearly a lot of work to be done there right nowWith John O’Neil’s feet under the desk, McKenzie has reason to believe that discussions are being had with other candidates. It would indeed be one of the first things any CEO would want to sort ou Read more:Coach
Tri-Nations review: South Africa vs New Zealand 2007-06-24 04:35:00 Springboks 21 - All Blacks 26Ominous signs from the boys in black In their come from behind win over the Boks yesterday in Durban, the All Blacks showed some frightening glimpses of their potential, with just a few Achilles heels on display.Nine points behind with 15 minutes to play, New Zealand
raised the pace of the game to a level that the exhausted boks could no longer contain. The penultimate try was the pick of the bunch, with Rodney So'oaiolo producing an explosive 50m kick return from deep in New Zealand
territory that set up a sustained period of phase pressure in the Boks 22. The eventual try came from a mercurial pick and go three metres out by the omnipresent Richie McCaw.The final try, a classic capitalisation on a quick turnover to give Rokocoko a clear run in, was then almost inevitable. SouthAfrica
had nothing left in the tank.That's not to say that this wasn't a strong performance from the Springboks. In the first half, Matfield read the Kiwi lineout as easily a Read more:Nations
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Tri-Nations preview: Australia vs New Zealand 2007-06-27 05:49:00 AFTER a valiant but unsuccessful opening to their Tri-Nations
campaign in South Africa, the Wallabies face a step up in opponent as they take on the premier team in world rugby - the All Blacks. What can we expect from this game and where will the key battles on the field be?To start with, there are two areas of the game that the Wallabies need to be wary of; gifting the AB's ball in open space, and a disintegration of the scrum. The first of these can be avoided by playing a tighter game and getting enough bodies to the ruck, fast. Putting Ashley-Cooper at wing (a pretty puzzling selection with Gerrard in the squad) is at least a signal of this intent. Crucial will be the Australia
n kicking game; over-reliance and inaccuracy in this area will prove catastrophic.Unfortunately the second danger area - the scrum - can't be avoided. Hayman and co. demolished the Springbok front row that Australia just managed to find parity with. I have a bad feeling about this in the pit of my sto Read more:Zealand
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Tri-Nations Review: Australia vs New Zealand 2007-06-30 11:31:00 Mortlock and that pass (photo c/o Rugby Heaven)Wallabies overrun All Blacks (you little beauty)Australia
20 - New Zealand
15 DO they come sweeter than this? As one of the many Aussie rugby fans despairing of our slip from the top table of rugby over the past years, this was a victory out of the top drawer. It showed guts, skill, hints of greatness, and that most important element missing from the Wallabies in the recent past; self-belief.As with many a great Wallaby performance, this wasn't the case for the full 80 minutes; the best word to summarise Australia's first half being 'woefully inaccurate'. Kicks, throws, passes and tackles all went astray at exactly the wrong times. New Zealand
broke the gain line almost at will and it was only the dogged Wallaby hustle in defence that kept the score to 6-15 at the break. Apart from one Larkham stab kick to the in-goal, the Australia backs looked impotent.My notes said: "No kicking game, breakdown poor, re-starts poor, scrum creaking, d Read more:Nations
Tri-Nations Rugby: Australia vs South Africa Preview 2007-07-04 15:59:00 WITH the Springboks bringing only two of the side that played the All Blacks, it's a thankless task for the Wallabies. The only win in the public's eye will be a points land-slide to the Aussies, which will be no mean feat. So what can we expect?First up here's the Bok line up:15 Bevin Fortuin (1)14 Breyton Paulse (62)13 Waylon Murray (1)12 Wynand Olivier (15)11 JP Pietersen (4)10 Derick Hougaard (6)9 Ruan Pienaar (10)8 Bob Skinstad (37) (C)7 Pedrie Wannenburg (18)6 Wikus van Heerden (5)5 Johann Muller (14)4 Johan Ackermann (12)3 Jannie Du Plessis (-)2 Gary Botha (7)1 CJ van der Linde (37) Bench: 16 Bismarck du Plessis ( - )17 Eddie Andrews (21)18 Albert van den Berg (44)19 Read more:Nations
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More mungo madness 2007-07-04 02:08:00 Well I guess we can’t say we didn’t see it coming; the night club fight in South Africa, the phone call prank with Michael O’Connor and now being too drunk to get out of bed and train for a piffling Tri-Nations game. Unfortunately for Australian rugby, the Tuqiri top has been spinning out of control for about a year now, and there are going to be more tears before bedtime. Looking at the big league signings, there seems to be a common thread. The Rogers experiment ended with bitterness all round and Sailor was nothing short of a catastrophe, managing to sink the Waratah’s S14 hopes last year along with his Rugby career.However, the difference with Lote was that on the field he has managed to adapt to Union and become a potent attacking weapon at both state and national level. And yet there seems to be an ominous storm brewing for Tuqiri. Just as his ego, boosted by his $6m pay deal, hits an all time high — as evidenced by the O’Connor prank and his latest sleep-in — onto
Wallaby tries from Bledisloe 1, 2007 2007-07-03 06:37:00 Here's great little compilation of the Australian tries
from the Tri-Nations match against the All Blacks at the MCG.Whilst the hairs stand up on the back of the neck, watch out for a few things:Richie McCaw missing tackles in both triesNathan Sharpe's slick handling, twice, in try 1Those Kiwi faces, in the crowd and on the ground. Magic.Enjoy.
First bledisloe - Wallaby player ratings 2007-07-02 16:00:00 HOW did the Australians individually measure up in the Tri-Nations test against the All Blacks, and what does this mean for selection?Let's start with those whose stock rose on Saturday. Happily for Australia, there were plenty of them.First
up, skipper and man of the match, Beavis Mortlock. Along with others I had been lamenting the demise of one of Australia's toughest runners, and he proved us all wrong with masterclass in how to bust a back-line wide open. What was so encouraging this time was the re-found ability to finish the job off with a timely off-load. 9/10To me, he just shaved two forwards for the man of the match. Nathan Sharpe had a killer game in both defence and attack. Two stand-out moments being his pill to Ashley-Cooper and turn-over tackle on McCaw. George Smith was the other. He was everywhere, all night; scavenging, tackling, running, passing. 8.5/10Also in the forwards, even though he was off the bench, Stephen Hoiles cemented his place in the team, and for me Read more:player
Wallabies versus All Blacks analysis 2007-07-02 07:23:00 It's all in the mindWith Australian hopes sky high after Saturday’s game, the question is; just how much can we read into this victory? Already New Zealanders are putting their spin on it; from Graham Henry ‘the loss we needed to have, it’ll be good for us’. It was after all, a home game for the Wallabies and the All Blacks
were half way through a grueling tour. Surely this is just a one game blip. Or is it?First of all, what will this loss really mean to the All Blacks themselves? Anton Oliver gave a fascinating insight into this with an interview on the day before the game. In it he said ‘they (Australia) are somewhat more mature than other countries in that, if a performance doesn’t go their way, they are able to just flush that, pick themselves up and play the next week. It doesn’t sink them. If New Zealand were to lose a game, the economy goes skyrocketing down. Domestic violence goes up … well, I am not sure that happens. But we possibly take it far more seriousl Read more:versus
Tri-Nations Review: Australia vs South Africa 2nd Test 2007-07-08 15:50:00 Lack-luster comeback does enoughWallabies 25 - Springboks 17THE Wallabies dominated this rugby game. Unfortunately though, for most of the test it was in the wrong way. Except for the 35 minutes around half-time, Australia
did a great job of giving it away.Overall, I don't know what to make of this test . On one hand I almost want to write to the team and ask them for the 25 minutes of my life back that I spent watching the most boring ending of any football match I can remember.Going 8 points up and ringing the changes in the pack from the bench took all rhythm out of the game. The Wallabies seemed to forget how to clear out and protect the ruck, which is the lynch-pin of their continuity game. This was all extremely frustrating, because at this time Australia should have been breaking loose and rack up a few more tries.On the other hand, at no time, even when 17-0 down after 14 minutes, did the Wallabies look like they were going to lose. Even in the first 20 minutes, in which So Read more:Nations
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Tri Nations Wallabies vs Springboks Highlights 2007-07-13 15:47:00 Here are the highlights from last weeks game - Australia vs South Africa at Telstra Stadium in Sydney. Considering some of the lackluster play, 8 minutes is about right. Enjoy. Read more:Nations
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Tri-Nations Wallabies vs Springboks player ratings 2007-07-10 05:19:00 OVERALL it was an error ridden performance by the Australia against South Africa on Saturday, but here's how I rated the performances, and what it means for selection going forward.15. Huxley 5/10 - I keep wanting this guy to have a great game as we can sorely need some of the tactical and line kicking skills he can bring. Unfortunately, I don't think we can wait for him to lose the yips and put on 3 stone. It will be interesting to see how Saint Latho goes against the ABs.14. Ashley-Cooper 8/10 - I've been forced to eat my words about his move to wing. His strength and class has shown through, to a point where I believe Tuqiri is no longer an auto-selection. Exciting times ahead if he continues like this11. Mark Gerrard 7.5/10 - Might seem a bit harsh as he scored one try and set up another with a grubber kick to Giteau. However, there too many other mistakes and as a balance with AA-C or Tuqiri we need more pace, like a Mitchell or Ioane. With his boot could replace Huxley at 15? Read more:Nations
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Tri-Nations review: New Zealand vs South Africa 2007-07-15 14:27:00 All Blacks 33 - Springboks 6Despite the impressive scoreline, the consensus is that this performance still hasn't exorcised the All Black demons encountered in Sydney two weeks ago. Up until the 69th minute the score was still 12-6 to the home side, all points having come from penalties. Read the kiwi press or listen to the AB themselves and you'd believe that it was all down to the New Zealand
ers sabotaging themselves with 26, yes 26, handling errors.Henry said "We played most of the rugby, we looked like scoring most of the tries, I would have thought, and probably got a bit frustrated that we didn't score earlier and that probably led to a wee bit more impatience and lack of discipline early." There you go folks. Everything's A-OK. Anyone believe it?The truth behind the stats is that for 69 minutes this "B" SouthAfrica
n team did exactly what they needed to - put the All Blacks under pressure by tackling their hearts out. I know it doesn't sound like a revolutionary plan, but Read more:Nations
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Boys will be boys, but do they need to be idiots? 2007-07-17 16:46:00 Is Julian Huxley the most unlucky or the most idiotic member of the Wallabies right now? (and that's saying something with LT around) If you didn't know, Julian Huxley is out of Saturday's momentous game, because at a brumbies piss up Gene Fairbanks tackled him, thereby corking his leg.Can you imagine what Knuckles must have said to him? This guy, thanks to the selectors putting a heap of faith into him, was just hanging onto his spot at fullback. Every game Connolly was defending him to the press, asking for more time so that Huxley could develop at the top level, despite the dodgy restarts and lack of running impact.Add to this how lucky Huxley was anyway to have a shot in the first place, with the words best fullback (Latho) and Cameron Shepherd out to injury. Who knows if these guys will be right for the world cup? Knuckles must be thinking this and Huxley had a good shot at getting on the plane to France. Don't like the chances now, especially if new wonder kid Ashley-Cooper Read more:Boys will
Tri-Nations: New Zealand vs Australia, Bledisloe preview 2007-07-17 14:35:00 This weekend effectively sees the grand final of the 2007 tri-nations, with the Wallabies taking on the All Blacks in Auckland. The twists and turns of this year's competition means the default supposition of only a month ago - that the ABs should stroll this one - is no longer a foregone conclusion. So what can we expect on Saturday?I see two scenarios.Scenario 1 - 'Doomsday'The Wallabies haven't won at Eden park since 1978, and Saturday doesn't buck the trend. The Australia
ns yield yet another horrific start to a test, however, this time there's no turnaround. The All Black scrum finally exerts its superiority and the Wallabies simply can't get their hands on the ball. McCaw reigns supreme at the breakdown, milking penalties and turnover ball in dangerous positions.With the pristine ball delivered by the forwards, the AB backline starts to click, to devastating effect, and put away all of the tries they've spilled earlier this season. McCallister shows his ability to beat a Read more:Nations
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Trinations score & stats: New Zealand vs Australia 2007-07-21 04:23:00 All Blacks 26 - Wallabies 12The all blacks picked up the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe cups today with a good second half performance against Australia
.It wasn't all New Zealand
's way though with Australia unlucky to go in at half time 12-9 down, having had the lion share of possession, territory and continuity. They also stole 4 New Zealand
line-outs.Impressive Australian handling in wet conditions meant that the ABs didn't actually have a scrum feed until the second half, at which point their superiority in this set piece paid off.Penalties (and a wobbly Giteau 50m field goal) were traded until the 58th minute when Tony Woodcock was adjudged to have got over for a close range effort on the Australian line. Form then on the Wallabies were never in it, tackling to keep the scoreline respectable.NZ - Tries: Woodcock, Pen goals: Carter 7Aus - Pen goals: Mortlock 3, Drop goals: GiteauAt a sodden Eden Park in Auckland with some Welsh guy as ref.Possession: NZ 47%, Aus 53% Territory: NZ 50%,
Sucked in Boks 2007-07-25 12:26:00 Below is some great news just in - it's like Eddie's become our new secret weapon....THE surprise appearance of former Australian coach Eddie Jones at Springboks training this week may work in the Wallabies' favour, says Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill.South African coach Jake White convinced Jones, a friend, to spend this week with his team in Cape Town and be involved in their World Cup campaign."I found it a bit amusing," O'Neill said. "I am not sure whether Eddie is going to be able to offer any particularly useful insights, and I don't think that in any way it should alarm the Wallabies. It might help them."O'Neill said Jones perhaps hadn't properly thought through his "very curious decision" to, among other things, "advise the Springboks on how to beat the Wallabies"In O'Neill's just-released autobiography, It's Only a Game, he reveals that had he remained ARU chief after the 2003 World Cup, he would have recommended Jones be replaced as Australian coach and c
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