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Couldn't agree more. The tight 5 need to work as a pack more, the reds did in very well and whilst the players on their own were not "world class" when they were working as a pack with genia calling the shots they were pretty much the most effective tight 5 in the competition. The positives...

The reds put in two of their 'worse' performances in those 2 games, and link came out after and said it was a failed tactic playing him at 6 due to the way in which the breakdown was being policed...

Samo or Higginbotham starting with the other on the bench, along with Robinson to make up the 5:2 split. Ideally you'd have elsom on the bench but we know thats not going to happen.

It depends on how the ref interprets the breakdown. It will either work or go horribly wrong like it did for the reds.

I agree with you somewhat, but I think saying "its ok that we lost because we were playing the all blacks and they are really good" is also a bit of a cop out. We don't have the depth they do, but we still have some pretty damn good players, and it is my opinion that Australia are a much better...

I think the captaincy has contributed to elsoms ineffectiveness. Not only from an aggression point of view, but more so the fact that he isn't naturally an 80 minute player, but he has gone to extreme lengths such as dropping weight to make himself into one.

I think its JO'N fault as much as anyones. At the end of the day he is master in command. But as I said before, I thought the set piece was alright, it was the packs work around the field that killed us. We lost the game at contact and the breakdown, but realistically, how any coach could go...

The backrow was shithouse. Needs more Samo...

I think the AB will be 10 points better than us, we are always rusty in the first few tests of the year before we come good.

It may well be, but the fact remains, injecting giteau into the backline fundamentally changes the way the backline functions, and I dont know that you want to be messing around with the balance of a backline by bringing him on with 20 minutes to go in a world cup knockout game. And for that...

Looking at that squad there will be quite a lot of competition for starting spots which is always a good thing.

The thing with gits that someone once said and I thought was most interesting is, see the difference in the how well the rest of the backline plays when cooper is at 10 compared to giteau. All season AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) looked ordinary at the brumbies but as soon as he got in a gold jersey with cooper inside...

And they are going to have to come on at 8 unless they are covering an injury.....

But when you are comparing Hodgson and Timani against Robinson and Samo, there is nothing really to compare. Super rugby is the be all and end all of it apart from the odd test, where the incumbents didnt play particularly well anyway.

It doesn't make you the best, one need look no further than Pocock for evidence of that; but I would argue that good performances in the super rugby competition against the probable opposition does hold you in good stead for higher honors, thats what super rugby is there for - to trial wallaby...

Especially if they go with a 5/2 split. No need what so ever for hodgson if you have Higgers/Samo, McCalman and Robinson in the 22.

Sharpe is obviously being rested. I actually think it's a good idea to leave him at home. But why timani and hodgson made the squad and samo and Beau Robinson didn't is beyond me.

Horwill should be the next wallaby captain, with Pocock and Genia playing the vc role. They will get their time eventually.

Add in Slipper, Samo and a strong showing from the bench. Its possible.

Just make life as hard as you can for who-ever you can. It seems like they have two kicking options, so maybe getting your hooker to line up the full back and you go for the flyhalf might work. But I liked to mix it up a bit and sometimes creep into the middle of the line out mid sequence and...