Aus vs NZ - 1st Test Sydney 17Aug2013
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nomis
Herbert Moran (7)
Yeah, strange! Must just be those who read Rugby Heaven?
jollyswagman
Ron Walden (29)
Not sure how interesting this tid-bit of information is but less than half of the team weren't in the side that went down to the darkness in the semi at the RWC in 2011. Interesting couple of years it has been since then and nice to see some relatively new names getting a start.
Fair amount of change, but I think we're definitely going to see Higginbotham, Pocock, Cooper, TPN playing for the Wallabies again and quite likely to see Horne, McCalman and A Fainga'a in the future.
Aside from the emergence of new players, I don't think there has been a massive turnover in that time or anything close to a cleanout by Link.
It is what it is
John Solomon (38)
Gee we've lost some good forwards from that 2011 team in Vickerman, Pocock and Elsom, but our centres look infinitely better now in place of McCabe & Fainga'a.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Is now official.
Quote by Link:
“When we picked the team we didn’t spend one minute looking at how many Test caps a player had or the number of debutants. It was picked on performance over a sustained period of time and on how we want to play the game,” McKenzie said.
“The fact that five guys haven’t played a Test before isn’t a concern. Everyone has to start from somewhere and we definitely haven’t picked them on one game. Rather, they are starting their Test careers off the back of consistently strong performances at a provincial level.
“The reality is that whether it’s in Super Rugby or the Test arena, all our guys have a lot of familiarity with who we are playing against. I see that as a positive as we aren’t playing anyone we don’t already know a lot about.
“If you keep the contest in that space you will find that we’ve had success in all the head-to-head individual battles at some point and under different circumstances.
“So, if our guys do well against their individual opponent, then I think we’ve got a gameplan and a game style where we will be able to express ourselves and put the team in a good position to win.”
.
Tex
Greg Davis (50)
No I think he's been pretty good with his selections. Sure, he doesn't have a full stable of blokes knocking down the door for selection, but he's resisted the option of a full scale clean out and has stamped his brand on the team responsibly.
Having watched some of the young fellas in the cricket team struggle for consistency (e.g. Kawaja), I hope that the debutants all have storming games, and if they don't they're afforded some leniency to get up to speed and perform.
scaraby
Ron Walden (29)
never should have doubted the powers of GAGR intelligence....did the secret dosier self destruct after 5 seconds????
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
See Liam Messam out for All Blacks, done his hammy!
Geez if that th Wallaby team, Link must be going to tell us he was just joking on TV a few weeks back when he said Cooper was the best 10 in Aus!! Mind you I do agree with his selection of To'omua, just slightly amused now he got the coaching gig he may actually agree that Deans was right about Cooper!! I assume he thinks that Cooper might come on later if they need to throw ball around a bit more??
Geez if that th Wallaby team, Link must be going to tell us he was just joking on TV a few weeks back when he said Cooper was the best 10 in Aus!! Mind you I do agree with his selection of To'omua, just slightly amused now he got the coaching gig he may actually agree that Deans was right about Cooper
!! I assume he thinks that Cooper might come on later if they need to throw ball around a bit more??
something
Jim Clark (26)
Because their game plans compliment each other by being so different. makes it hard to defend.
Also, quade can cover 10,12,15 so he could be used as a utility if link chooses
So... I got all 23 players right but mixed up three starters.
I'm going to let Link know that I'm available as an assistant selector.
lewisr
Bill McLean (32)
I think there are heaps of possibilities. He noted in that presser that alot of the backs in the 15 are utilities like AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and JOC (James O'Connor) who can play anywhere in the backline bar 10 pretty much. Folau can play wing or fullback. Mogg can play wing or fullback. Kuridrani can play wing or 13. So I don't really think he's short of options. Even To'omua and Quade have played 12 before.
Maybe its more of an attempt to:
a) have a back up to Matt if they find he can't break open the All Blacks Defence
b) Just genuinely mess with people and put Quade on at the the 30 minute mark after the initial storm has been weathered and let him loose.
I think under Deans we had so many Utility backs and people playing out of position that it has lulled us into the idea that we always need utilities on the bench as well. If they're in the starting side it probably doesnt matter, does it?
Vanuatu Chiefs
Sydney Middleton (9)
In the run on side facing the Wallabies this Saturday are 9 members of the All Blacks' semi-final RWC 2011 starting team plus Mealamu & B. Franks on the bench.
Ignoto
Peter Sullivan (51)
Because things like this happen
Quades there to cover 10 and 12, possibly 15. Kuridrani is there to cover 13 and wing.
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