Australia v Italy, Suncorp Stadium, 24th June 2017 @ 3:00pm

[Brumby Runner]

you have a different impression as to where the Wobs are at the moment than I do it appear.

I expect Aus to be ranked 4th or even 5th by the end of the Rugby championship, we aren't that good at the moment as our Super rugby efforts demonstrate

FP I think 4th would have been an attainable goal had we beaten the Scots as we should have. By the end of the RC with losses to ABs x 3, SA probably x 2 and maybe even one to the Argies as our team is far from settled atm and will be further thrown into disarray by the ABs and Saffas, we will probably be overtaken by both the Scots and SA, placing us more likely at 6 in the rankings. I do not see that as being satisfactory nor is it in any way a good outcome for the team or the coaches.

 

[No4918]

I never said Hooper should be a 12

No one seriously says Hooper should be 12 do they?

 

[Braveheart81]

No one seriously says Hooper should be 12 do they?

Just some of the peanuts on the front page of the website/The Roar/Facebook etc.

It's because he's "not a 7" because his entire game doesn't focus around pilfering at the breakdown.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I never said Hooper should play 12..

DHP at wing is already playing a player out of position

Imagine larkham never moved from fullback

I didn't mean to imply that you did. I was extrapolating the comment about shifting Folau to a more general discussion of moving players out of position. It seems to be a widely held belief by some fans and unfortunately by some coaches that the best players should be shifted around to fill gaps rather than bringing the next best specialist into the team.

 

[Braveheart81]

It seems to be a widely held belief by some fans and unfortunately by some coaches that the best players should be shifted around to fill gaps rather than bringing the next best specialist into the team.

It should happen less at Wallaby level because there are more options but very understandable at Super Rugby level. You want to fit your best players into your side to optimise the team you are putting on the park.

At Wallaby level it still makes sense to a degree. Getting more of our best players on the park invariably gives us a better overall team.

Pocock played number 8 at a time when we had no great options. McCalman would have probably played there if we had opted to keep Pocock at 7.

Pocock played some of the best games we've had from a number 8 in quite a number of years.

Some people say that the All Blacks never do it which is a myth. Israel Dagg is playing on the wing tonight, Ardie Savea played number 8 last week etc.

 

[wamberal]

I didn't mean to imply that you did. I was extrapolating the comment about shifting Folau to a more general discussion of moving players out of position. It seems to be a widely held belief by some fans and unfortunately by some coaches that the best players should be shifted around to fill gaps rather than bringing the next best specialist into the team.

Horses for courses, innit? I doubt that there is a "widely held belief" amongst coaches along the lines you asserted.


The only "widely held belief" amongst coaches would be that they will get sacked sooner or later. And usually they are right.

 

[tragic]

I'l say what I've been saying all year.

Folau should be on the wing and either Hunt or DHP at fullback..

Yes Folau is a talented athlete, a great player yes, but I don't think he is a great fullback, i think his ability at fullback is a hindrance to the team, his passing game isn't great so he doesn't link up well on kick returns, his own kicking game is average and limited in variety, his strength is his running game and aerial skills but that leaves him quite predictable in what he will do from a kick return.

Put him on the wing and he can still do everything he does well..

I think you're right about Folau to wing. His lack of a kicking option gives too much predictability.
I'd like to see hodge at 15. His boot would be useful, he's safe under the high ball, and he played a lot of his early rugby there. Put Folau on one wing with some gas on the other.
Kerevi or kuridrani are both solid options at 13 although I'd like to see them together in the midfield again down the track.
Our biggest issues remain 9 and 10, and we won't arrest our ranking slide till we have some solid options there. I'd be using this game to try something different with foley on the bench if it doesn't work.
I couldn't care less who plays 4-8. There is so little difference between all the options at the moment I cant be bothered wasting the time justifying my selections. I would still have higgers there though.

 

[TOCC]

I didn't mean to imply that you did. I was extrapolating the comment about shifting Folau to a more general discussion of moving players out of position. It seems to be a widely held belief by some fans and unfortunately by some coaches that the best players should be shifted around to fill gaps rather than bringing the next best specialist into the team.

I think Folau playing fullback is already a case of one of the best players been shifted to fill a gap rather bringing a specialist into the team/position.

2 years ago he was the best Australian fullback, there weren't many alternatives available at the time, but now, as supported with stats posted earlier this year, Hunt and DHP have both played better from fullback in their respective Super Rugby teams, and IMO both have a skillset more conducive with what a traditional 15 needs(I.e kicking and passing).

Edit: and Folaus running game is more conducive too winge, that is he would make a better winger then DHP and Hunt due to the strength of his running game and aerial skills.

 

[cyclopath]

Read my further posts, I'm not simply dismissing them..

They were missing their best 3 players to the B&I Lions and have a handful out with injury, even if the were at full strength it's an away match in Australia at the end of a season and played in conditions which are historically suited to Australian Rugby, not that which suits Scotland(I.e Newcastle 2012).

Fair enough.

 

[TSR]

I've always though Folau's best spot at test level was wing. But the gap between him and our next best fullback has historically been far bigger than the gap between humans our next best winger. It isn't at the moment.

 

[fatprop]

I thought it was a possibility as well, but less of a possibility after watching Folau and DHP catch high balls on Saturday, there was only one that you could feel confident in the outcome.

But with whoever is the 15, there job would be made far easier if a few of the other backs extracted a digit and gave him a set of options instead of him having to run 15m forward to find support

 

[cyclopath]

I thought it was a possibility as well, but less of a possibility after watching Folau and DHP catch high balls on Saturday, there was only one that you could feel confident in the outcome.

But with whoever is the 15, there job would be made far easier if a few of the other backs extracted a digit and gave him a set of options instead of him having to run 15m forward to find support

This! Big difference between us and the ABs in particular in this regard - the work others do to improve the options for their team-mates is at another level.

 

[Upthenuts]

interesting fiji beat the scots and italians, this might be closer than expected

 

[No4918]

Crowd about 15,000.

Rubbish start.

 

[TOCC]

bloody hell... amateur errors...

Thats the second pass that Foley has thrown that's gone to ground, 100% strike rate so far

 

[TOCC]

Italy showing Australia how you deal keep rush defence honest, simple grubber down the line

 

[TOCC]

pathetic

 

[Slim 293]

Horne knocks it on with his first touch.......

And it looks like Italy might have a try here.

 

[No4918]

This should be a try.

 

[TOCC]

that's a try, and so it should be