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The problem is that if Jones sent every player who was next cab off the rank to Tonga then gets an injury he has to turn to the third or forth choice. I know it would be good to get some match fitness for these guys before throwing them straight into a test but that isn’t always a workable...

I would have had Lonergan there in front of Uelese. But both his scrum and throwing need work.

Problem is - which of our hookers is test level at both scrummaging and throwing.

Skelton didn’t cause any turnovers against the SA lineout maul, but my recollection is the SA started making a lot more metres in their driving maul when he left the field. I’m struggling to find reliable stats for the weekend but Rugbypass notes he was equal to tackler at half time. It was a...

Yes - to be clear I’m not advocating the importance of scrum or lineout be ignored. Just saying it is overly simplistic to suggest these are the only things that count. In the 80s, maybe.

3. Koriobete 2. Skelton 1. Gordon

A hooker needs to do more than throw and scrummage. The problem, as BH states, is whether anyone is better and there isn’t a lot of evidence there definitely is. Throwing in particular is a real problem across our hookers. Certainly there is none that Uelese is. Apart from his three crocked...

No worries mate. I get it. Rather tired myself. Thanks for your summary of the scrums. I think the problem with your last bit is that saying the lineout wasn’t poor overall except for Uelese’s throws seems a bit like saying the steak was good except that it was tough. Anyway - first game of a...

Coleman & Simmons? :)

From what I’ve seen of him at the Brumbies I think he’s looked good. Very tough game to debut in though.

Our scrum was under pressure all game. Kitshoff wasn’t doing anything you don’t expect at test level. Our lineout got worse as the game progressed, particularly in defence. Our kicking didn’t produce any meaningful positive result for the whole game that I can remember. I agree the kick chase...

It was a pretty poor performance. I’m not surprised of the mood on here. Nor that some are taking aim at their favourite targets and/or giving leave passes to their personal preferences. It has always been this way and always will be. Our set piece, defence, discipline, kicking and ball control...

A player can bat the ball. They can’t do it forward. If you get in a passing channel and deliberately bat the ball towards your own goal line, it is fine. If you do knock it forwards it then becomes relevant whether you were trying to catch it or just knock it down. For the record - I’m not...

Look - it’s a non issue in the scheme of things. You can - it cost the Wallabies a try against Wales a couple of years ago. The rule is you can’t deliberately knock the ball on, not down. I’m quibbling with you on this because the game was horrid and I have nothing else.

Wasn’t that Kane Hames?

You’re backing him to last 3 yrs??? I feel like Eddie has already had a win.

Yeah - even in these days of focus on clicks, that’s a completely misleading headline.

I guess from my position I thought Porecki was more of a consistent 4 out of 10 and his throwing wasn’t as reliable as I hoped, plus I thought his discipline was bit average from my memory. I thought he benefitted from Fainga’a’s horrid form taking the spotlight off him. Others obviously thought...

One of the advantages of T Hooper over Holloway is that he is better over the ball. Whether he can do the job at the lineout remains to be seen but he looks quality to me and keen to see what he can do with his chance.

Wasn’t it Jones who said he is a big fan of giving guys on debut a couple of minutes at the end if possible, rather than 20 minutes. The rationale was to get the debut out of the way with as little risk as possible so that next time it was less of a distraction.