I dunno. Big Islander guys running at you ARE scary; that's not pejorative!!Not really. This 'issue' came up in another thread and things got ugly.
Then again, anyone 40kg or more heavier than me running at me is scary. Nimbleness helps!
I dunno. Big Islander guys running at you ARE scary; that's not pejorative!!Not really. This 'issue' came up in another thread and things got ugly.
My stab at the team:
Slipper
Moore
Kepu
Horwill
Simmons
Fardy
Gill
Mowen
Genia
To'omua
JOC (James O'Connor)
Leali'ifano
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Folau
Mogg
Sio, Alexander, Fainga'a, Hooper, MMM, White, Cooper, Kuridrani
From:
Iain Payten
1. James Slipper
2. Stephen Moore
3. Ben Alexander
4. Rob Simmons
5. James Horwill ©
6. Hugh McMeniman
7. Michael Hooper
8. Ben Mowen
9. Will Genia
10. Matt To'omua*
11. James O’Connor
12. Christian Lealiifano
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Israel Folau
15. Jesse Mogg
Res: Saia Fainga'a, Scott Sio, Sekope Kepu, Scott Fardy, Liam Gill, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani.
I'm guessing that's why Hooper has been retained. He's the only regular threat with the ball amongst the pack.
I'm keen to see MMM but am a bit worried about him at 6 and whether he has the pace to excel in that position at test level still.
Messam is far more mobile and could potentially cause us problems there.
anyone 40kgs heavier than me wouldnt be able to run........I dunno. Big Islander guys running at you ARE scary; that's not pejorative!!
Then again, anyone 40kg or more heavier than me running at me is scary. Nimbleness helps!
I'm pretty pumped for this match.I think we're in with a pretty good chance. Blind optimism maybe, but I reckon this could be our year
Emuarse, you're talking through that part of your anatomy mentioned in your nom de plume. I invite you to take the trouble to go back over past posts and you'll see that I have always been a Quade supporter, even in the dark days of toxic environments. I have also acknowledged that he has improved his defensive efforts especially in this year's Super comp, with particular mention of his effort to stop Rene Ranger at about the same time that JOC (James O'Connor) was totally monstered by that same player. But, there is no way that anyone can say that Quade's defence is any more than adequate at test level, nor was it in the same class as Matt To'omua's.
I would like to point out that my post was about JOC (James O'Connor) never playing 10, it was not anti-Quade. I resent the claim of bigotry and think that you have done yourself a very large disservice by making it.
Those guys are carriers Nick, but I've never seen any of them really threaten the line.
Kind of. I'm not sure we have anyone in the squad that can solve the problem, but we will certainly miss Palu and Higgers in this regard.
When have you ever seen MMM, Simmons, Horwill or Mowen break the line?
.
Steve Hansen isn't bothered by Ewen McKenzie's mind games.In the lead up to this weekend's opening Rugby Championship encounter between the All Blacks and Australia in Sydney, new Wallabies' coach McKenzie has tried to keep everybody guessing by not giving a clear indication on who his five-eighth will be.Many thought when he replaced Robbie Deans as head coach of Australia he would reprise his Queensland Reds' connection with Kiwi-born pivot Quade Cooper but it appears Brumbies first-five Matt To'omua is shaping as the likely candidate. Waratahs 23-year-old Bernard Foley is also in the Australian squad.If McKenzie's foxing was intended to put Hansen off his game, it hasn't worked.This morning Hansen named his side for Saturday's encounter at ANZ Stadium and was asked if McKenzie's secrecy had been mentally challenging."I actually think the better question would be, is he mentally challenged that he doesn't know which five-eighth he wants to pick?'' Hansen said."He's in a difficult situation isn't he? Because I'm imagining when Robbie Deans wasn't picking Quade Cooper he was probably saying `I'll pick you Quade, I'll pick you' and our information is telling us he's going to pick the other bloke [To'omua]. Now, there's two reasons why he wouldn't want to tell them. One: He's not sure himself. Or, two: He doesn't think they can cope with the pressure of being out there in public too early. So he's not affecting us. It doesn't bother me a hoot who they play.''