Comedy gold from the Walrus
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@act-crusader said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@nepia said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@act-crusader said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
15 Stephen Larkham
As someone with ACT in the name I'm unsure why you would include Larkham in this team? He was a fullback who converted to 10 not the other way around.
As a schoolboy and in ACT club rugby he was a utility back and played in different positions. Got a shot on the wing for the Wallabies as well. He has played some 15,10 and even 12 at national level.
Pffft, we're not talking about schoolboy and bum fuck Canberra club rugby here!
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Point is that whilst Macqueen gets plaudits for moving Larkham to 10, those that had seen him play earlier in his career knew that Bernie had an array of skills that would translate to running the cutter. It was hardly the shock that people make out.
The concerns about his kicking game were pretty laughable given some of the other guys playing 10 in Australia at the time weren’t much better than Larkham.
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@act-crusader said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
Point is that whilst Macqueen gets plaudits for moving Larkham to 10, those that had seen him play earlier in his career knew that Bernie had an array of skills that would translate to running the cutter. It was hardly the shock that people make out.
The concerns about his kicking game were pretty laughable given some of the other guys playing 10 in Australia at the time weren’t much better than Larkham.
I think Nepia's point is that while the other players in that team were decidedly ordinary when played out of position, Larkham was anything but.
Edit: Kahui was actually a good winger, but the point is that Larkham broke through as a 15 and was first selected for the Wallabies in that position.
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@crucial For me, Jeff Wilson was at his best on the Right Wing supporting the break or the kick ahead.
08:35 is IMHO the best try of all time. The South African defence does not much wrong, but Wilson scores untouched. Timing of the pass from Cullen and the execution of the kick from Wilson at pace are both perfect.
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@sparky I agree. That's why I suggested that in @ACT-Crusader s 'Out of position' XV he be put in place of Larkham at 15.
Those decisions in 99 really were crazy but in a way were ahead of their time. We don't blink an eye at interchangeable fullback/wings these days and select many players on their ability to perform in multiple roles.
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@crucial said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
Those decisions in 99 really were crazy but in a way were ahead of their time. We don't blink an eye at interchangeable fullback/wings these days and select many players on their ability to perform in multiple roles.
The Larkham move would have been a lot more interesting if Australia had not been ridiculously blessed with non-first-five goalkickers during his tenure. Burke, Mortlock, Roff, Eales all legitimately held their spot as starters and plenty of utility guys were coming off the bench (Rogers, Flatley, Giteau, Walker). In another era that flaw would have put them in a much more compromising position.
It's hard to even imagine but - if say Carter was every bit the player he was but without the ability to goal kick how different selections and some players careers would have been during his tenure.
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@crucial said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@sparky I agree. That's why I suggested that in @ACT-Crusader s 'Out of position' XV he be put in place of Larkham at 15.
Those decisions in 99 really were crazy but in a way were ahead of their time. We don't blink an eye at interchangeable fullback/wings these days and select many players on their ability to perform in multiple roles.
Hmmm... Wright, Timu, Umaga were all happily lining up at the back or on the wing well before 99....
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@bones said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@crucial said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@sparky I agree. That's why I suggested that in @ACT-Crusader s 'Out of position' XV he be put in place of Larkham at 15.
Those decisions in 99 really were crazy but in a way were ahead of their time. We don't blink an eye at interchangeable fullback/wings these days and select many players on their ability to perform in multiple roles.
Hmmm... Wright, Timu, Umaga were all happily lining up at the back or on the wing well before 99....
Jeff Wilson was the first one that sprung to mind when I read that.
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@bones said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@crucial said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@sparky I agree. That's why I suggested that in @ACT-Crusader s 'Out of position' XV he be put in place of Larkham at 15.
Those decisions in 99 really were crazy but in a way were ahead of their time. We don't blink an eye at interchangeable fullback/wings these days and select many players on their ability to perform in multiple roles.
Hmmm... Wright, Timu, Umaga were all happily lining up at the back or on the wing well before 99....
Osborne as well. Campese is another one.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@act-crusader said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
Point is that whilst Macqueen gets plaudits for moving Larkham to 10, those that had seen him play earlier in his career knew that Bernie had an array of skills that would translate to running the cutter. It was hardly the shock that people make out.
The concerns about his kicking game were pretty laughable given some of the other guys playing 10 in Australia at the time weren’t much better than Larkham.
I think Nepia's point is that while the other players in that team were decidedly ordinary when played out of position, Larkham was anything but.
Edit: Kahui was actually a good winger, but the point is that Larkham broke through as a 15 and was first selected for the Wallabies in that position.
Hey Rangi was an excellent 1st 5, he just got rubbish ball from the halfback...
And FWIW, this wasn’t a ‘played out of position backline’, it was world class players that all played several positions.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@act-crusader said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
Point is that whilst Macqueen gets plaudits for moving Larkham to 10, those that had seen him play earlier in his career knew that Bernie had an array of skills that would translate to running the cutter. It was hardly the shock that people make out.
The concerns about his kicking game were pretty laughable given some of the other guys playing 10 in Australia at the time weren’t much better than Larkham.
I think Nepia's point is that while the other players in that team were decidedly ordinary when played out of position, Larkham was anything but.
Edit: Kahui was actually a good winger, but the point is that Larkham broke through as a 15 and was first selected for the Wallabies in that position.
Hey Rangi was an excellent 1st 5, he just got rubbish ball from the halfback...
And FWIW, this wasn’t a ‘played out of position backline’, it was world class players that all played several positions.
In that case I withdraw my comment - as it looked like a 'played out of position and didn't play that well in that position' team.
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Planet Rugby's TOTY:
Ardie
Bender
Rieko
BBBRAlthough Stuff gets Julian and Rieko muxed ip ...
The Planet Rugby judges invoked a selectorial prerogative in naming two specialist left wings, Savea and Ireland's All Blacks slayer Jacob Stockdale.15-Israel Folau (Australia),
14-Ioane,
13-Jonathan Davies (Wales)
12-Farrell
11-Stockdale
10-Sexton
9-De Klerk
8-Pocock
7-Savea
6-O'Mahony
5-Ryan
4-Retallick
3-Furlong
2-Marx
1-Steven Kitshoff (South Africa) -
So at 15 and 8 you have 2 of the most one dimensional and over rated players on the planet...these things always throw some loopy balls.
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@booboo That list you posted was the public voted one, PR list is:
15-Ben Smith (New Zealand),
14-Rieko Ioane (New Zealand),
13-Semi Radrada (Fiji),
12-Owen Farrell (England),
11-Jacob Stockdale (Ireland),
10-Jonathan Sexton (Ireland),
9-Faf de Klerk,
8-David Pocock (Australia), 7
-Ardie Savea (New Zealand),
6-Peter O'Mahony (Ireland),
5-James Ryan (Ireland),
4-Brodie Retallick (New Zealand),
3-Tadhg Furlong (Ireland),
2-Malcolm Marx (South Africa),
1-Cian Healy (Ireland).I agree that Pocockwomble it utterly ineffective at anything apart from break down turnovers, so really it's just those easy to notice moments that's getting him in the team. Ridiculous lack of actual analysis to put him in there, 90% Read is better but I'd go for a fit Vunipola to bend the line and a nice contrast with Ardie's style. Also Marx? No way, he's not consistent enough. Once again it's his glory open field moments thatt put him there - his line out throwing can be very poor. I'd go for Taylor or Rory Best just cos he's such a warrior.
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@Machpants said in Comedy gold from the Walrus:
@booboo That list you posted was the public voted one, PR list is:
15-Ben Smith (New Zealand),
14-Rieko Ioane (New Zealand),
13-Semi Radrada (Fiji),
12-Owen Farrell (England),
11-Jacob Stockdale (Ireland),
10-Jonathan Sexton (Ireland),
9-Faf de Klerk,
8-David Pocock (Australia), 7
-Ardie Savea (New Zealand),
6-Peter O'Mahony (Ireland),
5-James Ryan (Ireland),
4-Brodie Retallick (New Zealand),
3-Tadhg Furlong (Ireland),
2-Malcolm Marx (South Africa),
1-Cian Healy (Ireland).I agree that Pocockwomble it utterly ineffective at anything apart from break down turnovers, so really it's just those easy to notice moments that's getting him in the team. Ridiculous lack of actual analysis to put him in there, 90% Read is better but I'd go for a fit Vunipola to bend the line and a nice contrast with Ardie's style. Also Marx? No way, he's not consistent enough. Once again it's his glory open field moments thatt put him there - his line out throwing can be very poor. I'd go for Taylor or Rory Best just cos he's such a warrior.
Oops should have noticed Folau at 15 when they'd named Smith ... d'oh
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Once again proving the general public are mentally deficient
Although how the PR "experts" can pick Pocock at 8 is ridiculous. He works his ring piece off, but as an 8 he's quite shit. Imagine if they played him in the only position he is any good at?
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