Super Rugby has finished but Sydney sees a lockdown
The French are coming to town and the Aussies are getting ready
Post Tasman-Lockdown-Test squads and the French!
The craziness of the global pandemic has now finally arrived in Sydney. We are now in lockdown for two weeks.
The 3-test series against the French begins in Sydney July 7th. The lockdown ends on the 9th. Will the test series go ahead? New venues in Newcastle and Brisbane are being sought.
Ironically, the French are sending a weakened squad. No players from Toulouse or La Rochelle, the French finalists, are in the squad, including Dupont and Ntamack, arguably the World’s best half-back pairing.
On the plus side the squad is vibrant and full of enthusiasm. Many of the players have transitioned through the successful U 20s squad. So, they will give it a go, as England discovered when they had to go into overtime to beat a French side who had 14 top players unavailable.
The ARU desperately need the money, so cross everything and welcome the French.
By the way, the Tour de France is in progress; the only sporting event in the world where spectators can touch the cyclists!!
Some events are more important than viruses!
My final comment on this is. “Please, start talking about those who get the virus and survive, over 95%. Some peoples are more in danger from falling coconuts."
Post Tasman interest has centred on the Wallaby and All Black squads for the respective test matches against the French and Pacific Island teams.
The Wallaby squad has already been damaged by withdrawals through injury, a mixture of youth and experience, Izaia Perese and Nick White. Both would have started.
The Blacks also have injury issues, but such is the depth of talent, replacements will fall off the production line. Braydon Ennor has succumbed to appendicitis.
Interestingly World cup winners have an average age of 27. The average age of the current All Black squad is 26. By the next world cup in France…well you know the answer.
Given that the Kiwi teams won the Trans-Tasman competition by 23 wins to 2. The tests against the Wallabies will be seen as a formality. I’m not so sure. Australia has young players who carry no baggage! Vigour, passion, intensity, and a very solid set piece program will keep you in the game. If your scrum goes backwards against the All Blacks you will lose!
Selection is crucial. Getting the blend right is vital. The Blacks have issues in midfield and the back row in terms of blend.
With less depth, blend is still the issue for the Wallabies.
Who plays well with whom?
The training field will provide some answers.
The Wallaby coaches have been giving players a gold, silver, bronze rating, privately at the end of each daily session. A player who consistently gets golds will be hard to leave out. There is more to squad coaching than meets the eye because the replacements from the bench must be part of the blend. Have you noticed how replacements are sent on in numbers now? Before it was a single change around the 60-minute mark.
The All Black’s will of course be firm favourites. The indicators on view in the Tasman competition. My top 3, urgency, passing accuracy, re-alignment.
PLEASE don’t kick the ball to them. Aussie teams did it often and badly. Don’t fuel their confidence. Once on the front foot they are hard to hold out.
www.rugbypass.com covers both squad selections and has sensible comment.
The Pacific test program began this weekend with the Maori beating Samoa 35-10. The sides meet again next week before Samoa take on Tonga in a World cup qualifier.
The Maori side is almost an All-Black A team, the Wellington weather contributing to a moderate Maori score. Samoa were also playing their first match since the 2019 World cup.
My earlier suggestion of teams such as Samoa, Fiji, Tonga as well as teams from Japan playing in a newly revised Trans-Tasman competition has some real merit, especially as so many Pacific Islanders live in Australia and New Zealand. Big crowds guaranteed.
Mike Penistone
www.rugbycoachingconsultancy.com
Coaching thought.
“The alignment and spacing of the defensive team is essential. For the set plays, this is quite simple, but the teams who can keep it consistently correct from successive phase plays will keep their line intact.”