Australia v New Zealand - Sydney 16 Aug

[Hugh Jarse]

Always pays to read the small print.

Intro to Lawyering 101.

Our Carter deserves a start. The @Mr Doug connections will be as nervous as a long tailed opossom at a rocking chair convention.

 

[lewisr]

Anyone else for phipps at 9? Or am I alone? He has looked sublime the past few games and is playing the best footy of his career.

Although I do realise white gives us that kicking option that you often need at test level...

Would like McCabe at 11, he is an awesome crash ball and has brought a lot more to his skill set since the days of Deans' unlucky sacrificial lamb all world cup. Would love to see him smash Savea as well.

 

[cyclopath]

Anyone else for phipps at 9? Or am I alone? He has looked sublime the past few games and is playing the best footy of his career.

Although I do realise white gives us that kicking option that you often need at test level.

Would like McCabe at 11, he is an awesome crash ball and has brought a lot more to his skill set since the days of Deans' unlucky sacrificial lamb all world cup. Would love to see him smash Savea as well.

As I posted earlier somewhere, I don't have a problem with White or Phipps, as they both bring strengths to the game with some points of difference. The more orthodox White / kicking skills might go slightly better at the front end to Phipps / speed of play at the end. But it's a marginal thing, I reckon.

 

[Tomikin]

As I posted earlier somewhere, I don't have a problem with White or Phipps, as they both bring strengths to the game with some points of difference. The more orthodox White / kicking skills might go slightly better at the front end to Phipps / speed of play at the end. But it's a marginal thing, I reckon.

I don't think towards the end of the season the form of one has been better then the other, and so stay the course. If the form drops in the first test you may swap them.

I expect Phipps and Beale to start at 9 and 10/12 at sometime during the RC, either through injury, form or a rest.

 

[Pfitzy]

Phipps + Beale against the Saffers or Argies would be interesting. Lot of pace on the ball there.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Think it again comes down to what's best for the team. Nic's kicking game, so long as it's kept under some wraps, is best suited to the earlier parts of a game while bringing both Nick and Kurtley on together at about 60 minutes would frighten the life out of most oppositions.

Have to say I'd prefer Horne to start on the wing in place of McCabe. Rob has had more recent and successful game time on the wing and deserves the spot. Pat to come on for Matt To'omua if needed late in the game. Can't really see KB (Kurtley Beale) coming on at 12. Link says he is a 10 and he will replace Foley if he comes on.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Slade called in to cover Carter so presumably Beaugan comes into the 23. Still no word about Crockett, nor how bad Moody's concussion is but with Woody defo gone losing Crockett as well means Ben Frank's pretty much has to start, given Toomaga-Allen's also out for the season & Afeaki's still not over his concussion.

EDIT: thinking further about what happens if both Crockett & Moody are ruled out, that seems to leave Macintosh as the only remaining capped LHP in NZ. Scary stuff. Seem to recall posting prior to the England series that FR depth was shaping as our Achilles heel for RWC 2015 & have seen nothing since to make me change that view & we're running out've time to find & develop the next gen of props & hookers to the level that's gonna be required.

Not sure how much depth is required waiopehu. We have three test ready loose heads in Woody, Crockett and B. Franks and then on the tightwad side we have two very young (for props that is) fellas in O. Franks and Big Charlie.

I'm less concerned about hooker that many others seem to be. Coles is what we are building around. Kev is the fallback option and then we have Ged Robinson as an option and then 2-3 young guys that have been in the environment.

 

[Braveheart81]

Pat to come on for Matt To'omua if needed late in the game. Can't really see KB (Kurtley Beale) coming on at 12. Link says he is a 10 and he will replace Foley if he comes on.

Beale replaced To'omua at 12 in at least one of the French tests. From memory I think it was two of them.

 

[qwerty51]

Moore and TPN going down is really disappointing because it was going to be an area where we would really have the edge over NZ. Now it's probably even.

 

[ACT Crusader]

On Phipps v White, you'd have to think that Phipps defensive game would be very attractive to Link in starting a test match. His tackling and cover defence has been superb this year.

I think in the latter half of the Super season Phipps was the more steadier of the two. Huge turnaround from Phipps who was erratic just a year or two ago.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Moore and TPN going down is really disappointing because it was going to be an area where we would really have the edge over NZ. Now it's probably even.

What's the area qwerty?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Not sure how much depth is required waiopehu. We have three test ready loose heads in Woody, Crockett and B. Franks and then on the tightwad side we have two very young (for props that is) fellas in O. Franks and Big Charlie.

I'm less concerned about hooker that many others seem to be. Coles is what we are building around. Kev is the fallback option and then we have Ged Robinson as an option and then 2-3 young guys that have been in the environment.

Problem being that Woodcock is to undergo shoulder surgery & we've no idea whether that will extend or end his career; Crockett still hasn't been cleared for Bled1 & is a penalty magnet esp if (when) we get a ref who loves to blow scrum penalties; and Frank's while very good around the park isn't the best LHP in purely scrummaging terms. We're a bit thin on that side is all I'm saying.

THP is as you say less of a worry but I don't share your confidence about hooker. We'll be wanting 3 fully fit & good to go come RWC & right now I don't think we have them. Let's say what's just happened to Aussie happens to us, Coles suffers a season-ender then Kev gets sidelined for 4-6 weeks, who's our reserve hooker(s) then?

I don't subscribe to the " AB are too old" bullshit that gets trotted out on an annual basis, but jeez I'm starting to see some similarities between 2015 & 1991 & we all know how that worked out for us.

 

[KOB1987]

I participate in this forum to discuss and to learn. I, like everyone else here, from time to time will provide an opinion on a team selection issue pertinent to the prevailing discussion. I am under no illusion that what my opinion is and what ends up happening will necessarily be the same thing.

In this instance my argument is that Kurtley Beale should be considered for the vacant wing spot for next weekend's test (and I believe from a longer term perspective as well). Scrolling through the responses from yesterday the arguments against seem to be 1) he isn't as big as Kuridrani, and 2) he is a poor defender at 12 for the Waratahs. The only credible argument came from Hawko, but it was in the affirmitave and was conveniently brushed aside.

I am not immovable. For example, prior to the first French test I was advocating for Higginbotham to be picked at 6 over Fardy. I played in the back row at a representative level back in the days of left and right flankers..I just chased the ball around the park, pilfered, tackled, gave the odd cheap shot, etc, and viewed Higgers as a player that did that, without giving too much consideration to the technical aspects. There were responses from insolent dickheads giving me a hard time and there were constructive responses from others which made me look at the role of the 6 from a different perspective such as the defensive aspects, the balance in the back row, etc..by the time we got to the first test I was a Fardy fan and it wasn't the insolent dickheads that converted me..

At the end of the day I don't care who gets picked on the wing, I will respect the decision and not argue it..I will get behind the Wallabies 100% in their quest to bring back the Bledisloe. If you don't agree with my opinion on KB (Kurtley Beale) that's fine, I don't care if I am wrong. But if you are going to use my quotes at least make sure they are in context.

Case closed

 

[FrankLind]

Anyone else for phipps at 9? Or am I alone? He has looked sublime the past few games and is playing the best footy of his career.

Although I do realise white gives us that kicking option that you often need at test level.

Would like McCabe at 11, he is an awesome crash ball and has brought a lot more to his skill set since the days of Deans' unlucky sacrificial lamb all world cup. Would love to see him smash Savea as well.

If he is at 11, he won't be marking Savea.
It'll either be Ben Smith, Charles Piutau or Corey Jane (all much easier to smash than Savea)

 

[Marcelo]

Pat McCabe at 11??? Interesting but I'm not sure..

 

[Braveheart81]

Everyone is talking about Savea, but it's Ben Smith that has skinned the Wallabies repeatedly in the last year or two.

 

[Marcelo]

Everyone is talking about Savea, but it's Ben Smith that has skinned the Wallabies repeatedly in the last year or two.

Yeah but Kiwis should be concerned about Folau, he's a deadly weapon and this year will be accompanied by a better team

 

[KOB1987]

just be worried about the darkness in general

 

[KOB1987]

Pat McCabe at 11??? Interesting but I'm not sure..

I'm not entirely convinced he is going to start there..as Braveheart mentioned yesterday it would be odd for Link to declare his hand at the first training run and 6 days before the team is to be announced..the training session was nothing more than an exhibition of drills and a semi-opposed hit out.

It's getting a lot of airtime this morning and I wouldn't be surprised if that is actually the desired effect..we will probably see a different backline on show at Penrith today..it's all designed to confuse.

 

[Braveheart81]

It certainly could be the case but I doubt it would align with previous camps where the team is effectively declared on day one.

I guess we'll get a better idea today.