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3 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) 2 Toumua 1 Fainga'a

Hope you are right Daz, I have little confidence in TT.

Melbourne loves excitement and winners. Ideally both, but they will go for 2013 vintage over 2014 every time. Can't see Rebels ever getting insane crowds but they don't need to, just to win over a decent chunk of the rugby fans in a 5m city from the other teams that are followed.

Should be possible for any two teams to end up playing in the final, but might require one of them to lose in the pools, eg England and Australia. I just hope we aren't the team that exits at pool stage, one of England, Wales, Australia is going to be bitterly disappointed.

BR I think we do have the players to beat 1 and 2. Not consistently, but with frequency. All three sides draw from the Super Rugby comp and we have not 1 but 3 sides that have been grand finalists over the past four years. Moreover our biggest problem has usually been the front row and our...

TBH probably the closest any national team come to the luxury of a horses for courses squad would be SA and in practice I don't think they do either, just some emphasis on some player attributes. Certainly I do not believe we do or the kiwis. The kiwis expect their players to be able to...

What a lot of rhetoric and rubbish. I swear some people kid themselves. Rugby just isn't that complicated. But somehow people here make it so while reducing a coaches game strategy to 'Cheika Ball'. No national team has the luxury of tailoring their team to their strategy. They pick their...

Bit of a dog's breakfast that game. But I loved our physicality. And I am glad we aren't in a pool with Ireland, most teams will struggle to knock them over twice.

3 phipps 2 McCalman 1 Fainga'a Hm the fro

And... Back to the game! I confess I struggle to see us winning but I am hopeful. If the boys have really tuned into the coach (and Grey!) they will make a grand fist of it, that is certain. Looking forward to seeing Luke play, I have been a believer since seeing him at AAMI vs Tahs in 12...

You have to give Hansen credit, he does what he/they think best, tells it how it is, and backs it up on the weekend. With an ability to give media little sound bites to boot. Good on them for ensuring the squad gets tested, it seems to be a lesson they learnt well in RWC2011. Sorry CB but...

On the gameplan, I wonder if Cheika told them they had to play that way no matter what? If so we can't blame the players, and I suggest Cheika needs to ensure the gameplan has some variations because we were bog standard predictable and completely failed to pick apart their flat defense and...

Mainly poor ref management, eg the Phipps comments for example, Phipps should not have had to go there. But also with the team. He needed to take the guys aside and cause for a variation when the Frogs were up so flat and flopping all over us. Also his body language looked off particularly with...

I haven't had (read made) time to watch it again, but having had some time to chew the fat with others and read GGR forum members views here is my take: 1 Hooper had an even worse day than usual in Captaincy terms, even though his kick/tap decisions were good. 2 Folau had a bad day as did...

Retallick for me, he opened my eyes in a Rebels game a couple of years ago, huge ticker and a freakish ability to read play and put himself in the right spot. Now actually outshines Whitelock and it wasn't that long ago Whitelock was IMO world best lock. I respect the patriotism on the board but...

3 Hoope 2 Folau 1 TK

Yeah could have chosen a range of scenarios and opted for a common scenario - up by one or two points and only a minute or so left.

Lots of folks see Jones at 6, but I have to say I love locks with high work rates so for that reason I'd like to see him at lock. I believe we desperately need at least one lock that can get everywhere and I think Jones could be him. That said I bow to your superior experience Lee - and I'd...

My view has always been hold onto the ball in the last minute, but not all agree it seems. Interested to know the forum spli on this contentious play.

Super rugby is one of the toughest day in day out rugby comps in the world and McMahon has done just fine there. It seems to me the biggest leap from that to test matches is mental. He'll do good.