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You've pointed out the negatives of not having your strongest ball runner at #8 to come off the back of the scrum. Another negative is that I'd want your faster more mobile player of the two at #6 to get out faster and defend any blind side move off the back of an opposition scrum. Having...

I don't think you need to change players to play a different style for each match. Professional players have plenty of time to adapt their play to fit particular game plans - it is not like the amateur days when Poiveden or Codey would only have a couple of training sessions with the team before...

Horwill is a vewry good lineout caller as is MMM. I went to a lineout session with Michael Foley in 2008 and he showed video of how MMM had worked out the Welsh lineout at the 2007 RWC - he certainly knew how to read a lineout back then.

p.Tah it sounds great but we all have day jobs so I don't know who could organise such an exciting venture.

Palu is quoted as 1.94 m and 120 kg. Read is quoted as 1.93 m and 116 kg. Not much difference in size. Both big boppers. Read however is much, much more mobile. As a result I think he's an exceptional #8 or #6. With that size and mobility you definitely have much more flexibility between #6...

Measuring every attacking ruck for each team regardless of whether the player was on the field or not or even playing in the game (because i only have totals for the matches and it would be a pain to go back and count the rucks when a player wasn't on the field). Take Smith for example - I've...

Warburton is definitely not your classic #7 - he looks more like a #6 but was managing to play the role of #7 very well. Then along came Justin Tipuric who is a classic #7 and Warburton ended the season at #6 (where he was great). Their combination against England was superb. I think that at...

It depends on what you think is the most important in the game - for me it's controlling that breakdown first. The Wallabies weren't great at it last year and their attack didn't fire averaging only 1 try per match. Is that a coincidence? I think not. If you keep getting slowed down or turned...

You want your most mobile backrower close to the forwards because the numbers around close breakdowns are always greater in tight, hence the importance of your most mobile man getting into those breakdowns early to deny the opposition a chance to win the ground war. If you put your most mobile...

It depends how you measure what you want from your #7. In order to have the balance I talked about I want the #7 to be first to breakdowns to control the ground battle. Despite playing the whole match Hooper was only first to 4% of breakdowns again on Sunday - Robinson was first into 7% of...

Yes on Auelua but would prefer more experience in the starting role so if Paul doesn't get back on the park or does but doesn't hit form I'd prefer Mowen at #8 with Auelau as a bench option competing with Higgers for that spot on the bench. Very harsh on Hooper but if Smith is available surely...

I agree Baron - easier to counter ruck against most backs so good opportunities do arise. If #6 is doing their job properly and is into a wide ruck early they should be in a good position to counter ruck. Yes, playing on the wing is generally too wide - between the centres is a better width.

Just reviewing that first post of mine and thought it worthwhile to point out that although I advocate the #6 being a seagull and doing less work in the tight, their level of work should not be less than the other two backrowers, just that their work is done wider.

When selecting a backrow I believe you've got to get the balance right and my views on the role of each player are: #6 - must be one of your front line lineout jumpers together with your two locks - should be the only wide running forward, call them a seagull if you like but they should be...

TOCC - but who else is there for #13 with form and/or experience? Tevita Kuridrani from the Brumbies? Mitch Inman from the Rebels? Ant Fainga'a from the Reds? Winston Stanley from the Force isn't eligible is he? There are no challengers - hence AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) must be a certainty at this stage.

I just had the same conversation with Timmsy on the Podslam - he also said TPN will start. I can't believe that will happen - it would be a joke given the form Moore is in. But then again, given recent Wallaby selections I might be wrong again.

I reckon you can add AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to that list at #13 - no-one has stood up to challenge him.

Hey guys, thought I'd let you in on some news before the rumours get out there. You may have heard that Phil Mooney is leaving Wests to take up a coaching role with Panasonic Wild Knights - he leaves for Japan in about three weeks so congratulations to him. Having received that news I also...

If you use the "What's New" button you get a list of all posts in each discussion board that you haven't yet seen - you see both the Rugby Discussion and Rugby Matches posts in one convenient spot.

I agree - the stats back up the view that it's the combination of both of them as it was in 2011. In 2012 it was Genia on his own and in 2013 it started as Cooper on his own.