StunTheMullet says...

Trinats is starting to sound like the South Africans this year by getting the blame the referee in early.

Posted 14:21 09th September 2010

Lebo says...

Euskadi, I disagree with your statement that "for a natural fullback to extend his arsenal to include real speed is easier than a natural winger acquiring the skills of the fullback".

Gordon Tietjens, one of the world Rugby's great coaches, has always preferred coaching players with speed rather than skill. He maintains that one can teach skills, but one can't teach speed.

It's more likely that Dagg is naturally freakishly fast (like Rokocoko) than that he has developed his speed to play on the wing.

But I do agree with your point about Dagg's skill-set being more useful than Rokocoko's.

Posted 11:59 09th September 2010

Euskadi says...

They have named the "Full-Back Three" as I predicted after the first NZ vs SA match.

Perhaps it is because of the desire to give the young guys a start (Dagg) but in my opinion Dagg is in there on form. In my opinion Rocokoko´s form has been nothing more than stable regardless of what Graeme Henry says. So what has happened to the winger? Like many positions on the field today their role has become less and less specialised and although the new rule interpretations are not as reliant on an educated kicking boot there are more gains to be made by employing a fullback on the wing.

The greatest weapon in the traditional wingers arsenal was their speed whether on attack, to take the last pass or covering defense or chasing kicks.

Full backs on the other hand are required to be kick receivers and returners, high quality defenders, quality counter attackers, astute readers of the game and very good kickers be it for distance, accuracy or position. Similar in many respects to what is expected of a 10 which is why there are examples of 10s slotting into fullback and to some extent vice versa.

Like all skills they can be improved but for a natural fullback to extend his arsenal to include real speed is easier than a natural winger acquiring the skills of the fullback. Explosive 40m speed is easily trained into these athletes and is not so much a skill which has to learnt but rather an action that can be improved with hard work.

I think Dagg on the wing will be a sign of things to come, not necessarily Dagg becoming a winger but talented fullbacks being utilised in place of specialist wingers.

The out and out high speed winger is an endangered species.

Although there will always be room for a 120KG 190cm+ specimen capable of 100m in <11 seconds

Posted 11:03 09th September 2010

Trinats says...

Thanks brarugger, However I think our second string side should be too strong for the Kiwi second string side, our second string and minus Cooper just lost to them in Christchurch.

My only concern is the appointment of a saffa ref AGAIN. Last 9 meets against the ABs (9 lost) there has been 8 saffa refs officiating, not that the red cards and sin bins along the way was the refs fault , but one has to wonder if the Pakistani bookies are selecting the refs for AUS V NZ !!!

Posted 08:53 09th September 2010

brazilrugger says...

as much as i hoped for some interesting things to happen, like Aus beating NZ, just for once and to make it a little more exciting, i think even this 2nd stirng side will be too good for them. but i hope i'm wrong. I'm sure trinats does too :)

Posted 07:27 09th September 2010