Australia A - Back on the Cards

[LeCheese]

Quade's a bit of a prima donna then... This way he's taken his chance of appearing at the RWC from ~35% to 0.

Can probably say the same about his chances of another Wallabies appearance, period

 

[KOB1987]

...there's a very large chance we call up an extra fly half.

Based on the fly halves in this squad it would seem there is a very large chance that person is Foley. Also, no one is mentioning Hodge as being a notable omission.

 

[Braveheart81]

That’s how I feel about Quade…

I think he's got every right to opt out at this point.

He has been treated pretty poorly. He doesn't have to hang around and eat a shit sandwich for a few weeks to prove something to people.

 

[Braveheart81]

Can probably say the same about his chances of another Wallabies appearance, period

I think it's pretty clear from this that he's done.

 

[SouthernX]

Or he could suck it up and join his fellow countrymen in Aus A…

See plenty of other players putting their hand up and not having a dummy spit

 

[Dctarget]

History suggests that at least a couple of these players will ultimately be part of the RWC squad.

Hmm maybe but they were super rusty against the Scottish and need all the warm up they can get. If they don't put out their best against us, then they goto into a game against NZ with top players having only played 1 maybe 2 (against Fiji this week) games of rugby in months.

Then again, if you take the belief it's immaterial whether they beat NZ, come top or 2nd, play Ireland or South Africa, impossible to predict. Then they can certainly play themselves into form across the tournament.

 

[Braveheart81]

Of the most controversial players left out of the final squad being Hooper, Cooper, Ikitau and Holloway (players in every squad this year who then didn't get selected), none of them are on this tour.

 

[Highlander35]

Putting aside everything else I'm really impressed and happy with Josh Canham's progression.

From the sounds of it he was really made by that Hurricanes game in Super Round. He got a lot of belief and backing from the senior boys in the rebels team and by the coaching staff and he decided that he belongs: which his raw rugby skills definitely reflect.

Still needs a lot of polish around learning when to push that newfound aggression/arseholery to avoid turning into a Swinton, but on the right track. Lots of pressure on him now without Philip and Hosea at the rebels too: probably his last sincere opportunity to be a junior and not a leader for a little while.

 

[Braveheart81]

Hmm maybe but they were super rusty against the Scottish and need all the warm up they can get. If they don't put out their best against us, then they goto into a game against NZ with top players having only played 1 maybe 2 (against Fiji this week) games of rugby in months.

Then again, if you take the belief it's immaterial whether they beat NZ, come top or 2nd, play Ireland or South Africa, impossible to predict. Then they can certainly play themselves into form across the tournament.

I agree. It's a difficult choice either way.

I'd imagine it would be soul destroying for France if they lost another key player on the eve of the tournament though. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

 

[Dctarget]

Or he could suck it up and join his fellow countrymen in Aus A…

I partially agree with you but taking a 4 cap, 22 year old fly half as the sole 10 is an almighty fuck you that Samu, Holloway etc haven't received. Cooper could've been in that 33 squad easily without Eddie's plans being derailed. Seems rather targeted, no?

 

[Dctarget]

Geoff Parling has done rather well with Hosea & Canham. Rebels have no excuse next season, 14 players in the two squads, over a quarter of the domestic based players.

 

[Linerunner2023]

Neville, Holloway, hooper, Wilson Cooper, hodge all injured or chosen not to play
Still a strong squad

 

[SouthernX]

Of the most controversial players left out of the final squad being Hooper, Cooper, Ikitau and Holloway...

Hooper, Holloway and Ikitau all have injury clouds surrounding them…

I’d say Cooper is the odd man out in this selection snub/non selection.

 

[Dctarget]

Christy has Holloway turning down Aus A to spend time with family.

 

[Derpus]

Maybe poor old Hoops actually is just injured. Calves are pretty notorious for old dogs, aren't they.

 

[Derpus]

Quade has been fucked around a load in his career huh. Granted he's also fucked around a fair bit himself.

 

[Slim 293]

This squad is for the warm up game against Portugal prior to the RWC (in just eleven days), so it's no surprise that Hooper and Ikitau are not included...

 

[Dctarget]

Thought Quade was Mr. Zen and could take anything in his stride. Maybe Manly longboarders are even more zen than Quadey. How can you not like Hooper:

While Hooper did not feature in an Australia A team named on Tuesday, he has not given up the ghost on appearing at the tournament, according to Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh.

“I’ve spoken to Michael. He’s pretty pragmatic and positive about the fact that he’ll keep training hard and if he gets the opportunity somewhere along the line that someone gets injured he’ll be ready to go, and that pretty much sums up his career in my view – just that positivity he’s gone into everything with,” Waugh told The Roar Rugby Podcast.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

If this squad doesn’t put 75 on Portugal I’ll be disappointed.

 

[Wilson]

The scoreline might make for an interesting comparison given the second 15 from the world cup squad will play them a couple of weeks later