Australia v New Zealand - Sydney 16 Aug
- Thread starter Scrubber2050
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Bairdy
Peter Fenwicke (45)
KB (Kurtley Beale) seemed fine playing first receiver often this year for the Tahs and for the Wallabies in 2012. Rarely crabbed in fact. Would rather he play 10 for the Wallabies but it ain't the end of the world if he plays at 12.
Am worried about his defence in the 10-12 channel, especially with huge centres and wingers like Nonu/Savea, De Villiers/Da Allende/Serfontein etc. running those hard lines.
* Never thought I'd name Horne and McCabe as potential Wallabies wingers, but Horne's form demands it, as does McCabe's. Pat's improvement has been exponential this year.
** Personally I liked how Weeks was coming along and would have liked him in the squad as well as on the bench.
Am worried about his defence in the 10-12 channel, especially with huge centres and wingers like Nonu/Savea, De Villiers/Da Allende/Serfontein etc. running those hard lines.
* Never thought I'd name Horne and McCabe as potential Wallabies wingers, but Horne's form demands it, as does McCabe's. Pat's improvement has been exponential this year.
** Personally I liked how Weeks was coming along and would have liked him in the squad as well as on the bench.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Personally, I would be a little surprised if we don't see Dagg at 15 and Smith on wing, and more than happy with that. I think Dagg has played bloody well at 15 over last few weeks, as has Smith over season, difference maybe that Smith plays well on wing, and Dagg has a pretty handy boot for clearing the ball. But whatever Shag and co select think I will be relaxed with, they tend to know what players suit their game plan.
As for Wallabies, cannot see anyone but Foley in 10 shirt, and think that would be case if Quade was fit, I said last year and he has proved this year he is best 10 in Aust by a mile!!
As for Wallabies, cannot see anyone but Foley in 10 shirt, and think that would be case if Quade was fit, I said last year and he has proved this year he is best 10 in Aust by a mile!!
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
That's the team bairdy I reckon except I'm naming Beale on the wing in place of McCabe
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Qantas pilot Captain Vaughan Robinson and Brendon Bradley had the honour of flying the Bledisloe Cup to Sydney.
Look after it well, guys, we'll be wanting it back........
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...gby-treasure-and-hearty-head-off-to-Australia
Crockett's fitness or otherwise will be known in the next coupla days, once that's sorted we can establish our starting & reserves FR's, the rest pretty much takes care of itself IMO: 15 Dagg, 14 B Smith, reserve outside back Piutau if he's 100%, Jane if he's not. Feel sorry for Beaugan who will likely miss out unless Carter's "corked thigh" turns out to be something more (history of groin & hip issues, anyone?).
Look after it well, guys, we'll be wanting it back........
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...gby-treasure-and-hearty-head-off-to-Australia
Crockett's fitness or otherwise will be known in the next coupla days, once that's sorted we can establish our starting & reserves FR's, the rest pretty much takes care of itself IMO: 15 Dagg, 14 B Smith, reserve outside back Piutau if he's 100%, Jane if he's not. Feel sorry for Beaugan who will likely miss out unless Carter's "corked thigh" turns out to be something more (history of groin & hip issues, anyone?).
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
One way trip ??????
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Didn't really notice Dagg in the game but then I was at the ground so hard to pick up on details. But with Smith at blindside wing you effectively get two fullbacks anyway. We'd be mad to kick to the buggers!
And some of the long balls that Foley and Beale have been delivering are up to anything Quade can do.
To'omua will be 12 though, and while I love Kurtley's play on attack, on defence... ugh...
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Save the trash talk for Game 3, if youse make it that far..............
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Buddy, when we win games 1 and 2, game 3 will be a dead rubber
hammertimethere
Trevor Allan (34)
What to do with Kurtley beale?
He's one of the best players in Australia and one of our greatest attacking weapons but there is no obvious place to fit him in. Good problem to have but I do wish there was an obvious solution.
For now it seems like he is going to need to bide his time and make impact off the bench, and when he gets his opportunity at 10 he must nail it. I do think he has more potential upside than Foley if he has trained himself out of the lateral running and learned to square up.
He's one of the best players in Australia and one of our greatest attacking weapons but there is no obvious place to fit him in. Good problem to have but I do wish there was an obvious solution.
For now it seems like he is going to need to bide his time and make impact off the bench, and when he gets his opportunity at 10 he must nail it. I do think he has more potential upside than Foley if he has trained himself out of the lateral running and learned to square up.
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
But when Cooper is fit and firing KB (Kurtley Beale) will just be a second fiddle 10. IMO. So he's either going to be second best fullback behind Falou, or potentially second best 10. Cooper has proven to be one of the best distributors in the game there is and so I highly doubt KB (Kurtley Beale) will come close to Coopers skills with ball in hand.
KB (Kurtley Beale) for the wing.
It's going to be tough going for Cooper to get back into the Wallabies 23 this year unless there are injuries and/or the team is struggling.
Coming back from a long injury layoff to try and get past two guys who are in sensational form.
Will be interesting to see if there are any selection surprises today.
The areas where there is prospect for selection surprises in my opinion are:
Locks: I think it will be Simmons and Carter with Horwill on the bench, but Skelton could slot in there somewhere.
Halfback: Phipps is a realistic chance to get the starting spot over White. His form has been superb.
10/12: It's going to be two of Foley, To'omua and Beale. Beale's form has been brilliant and is hard to resist. I expect Foley and To'omua will just retain their positions though.
13: If there wasn't such a shortage of wingers, I think AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would be one of the first names written into the team in the 13 jersey. He's our most experienced player and he's never played better. Lack of options will probably mean Kuridrani stays at 13 with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) 14.
11: A real toss up between Horne, Tomane and McCabe. I'm tipping Horne to get the nod in the first test.
Interestingly, the Paul Cully article today is calling for Beale and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in the centres saying that it is very difficult to ignore how great a centre pairing they've been this year. Foley might play 10 for the Tahs, but Beale really runs the show in attack. He was responsible for almost all of the Tahs attack in the final including the two passes to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to put him in for the tries. His long ball to put Foley into space early in the game (the break which led to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s try) was something special.
Coming back from a long injury layoff to try and get past two guys who are in sensational form.
Will be interesting to see if there are any selection surprises today.
The areas where there is prospect for selection surprises in my opinion are:
Locks: I think it will be Simmons and Carter with Horwill on the bench, but Skelton could slot in there somewhere.
Halfback: Phipps is a realistic chance to get the starting spot over White. His form has been superb.
10/12: It's going to be two of Foley, To'omua and Beale. Beale's form has been brilliant and is hard to resist. I expect Foley and To'omua will just retain their positions though.
13: If there wasn't such a shortage of wingers, I think AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would be one of the first names written into the team in the 13 jersey. He's our most experienced player and he's never played better. Lack of options will probably mean Kuridrani stays at 13 with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) 14.
11: A real toss up between Horne, Tomane and McCabe. I'm tipping Horne to get the nod in the first test.
Interestingly, the Paul Cully article today is calling for Beale and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in the centres saying that it is very difficult to ignore how great a centre pairing they've been this year. Foley might play 10 for the Tahs, but Beale really runs the show in attack. He was responsible for almost all of the Tahs attack in the final including the two passes to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to put him in for the tries. His long ball to put Foley into space early in the game (the break which led to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s try) was something special.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
KB (Kurtley Beale) just has a couple of blokes ahead of him, being Cooper and Folau
KB (Kurtley Beale) is a very talented player but is finding it difficult to nail down a run-on spot in the Wqllabies. I still think he will get the shits with that and flip to mungoland. That would be a shame. His tackling in league would be shown up fairly quickly.
Would hate to see the bloke leave Australian rugby. Its players like KB (Kurtley Beale) that are giving us depth.
KB (Kurtley Beale) is a very talented player but is finding it difficult to nail down a run-on spot in the Wqllabies. I still think he will get the shits with that and flip to mungoland. That would be a shame. His tackling in league would be shown up fairly quickly.
Would hate to see the bloke leave Australian rugby. Its players like KB (Kurtley Beale) that are giving us depth.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Sorry, but how can anyone talk of Cooper being ahead of anything when he had a fairly quiet year, and is now out with injury?
He's not even in frame right now, and if it was anyone else, QLDers would be saying they have to work their way back in via the NRC and see if an injury happens.
Meanwhile we've got a Bledisloe to win, and Beale will be part of that.
He's not even in frame right now, and if it was anyone else, QLDers would be saying they have to work their way back in via the NRC and see if an injury happens.
Meanwhile we've got a Bledisloe to win, and Beale will be part of that.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Brumby Jack
Steve Williams (59)
Laurie Weeks called into the squad as injury cover for Scott Sio who injured his ankle and was on crutches last night.
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
KB (Kurtley Beale) gave away far too many easy meters both by being dominated in the tackle and making simple errors in his defensive reads against the Crusaders for me to be comfortable with him at 12.
While I highly admire the edge on Beale's sickle right now, I think To'omua's hammer is more suited to the 12 jersey the way things are shaping up right now.
At least we've got a relatively settled squad to work with and the kind of selection headaches you want to be having.
I'd be cautious to start KB (Kurtley Beale) on the wing, though. I think it may have been the Brumbies or Sharks earlier in the year who deliberately targeted Beale when he was isolated out on the wing and it played a fairly large role in the 'Tahs losing that match.
It may be on the end of the line but it's also one of the easiest positions on the field to get isolated in a 1-on-1 situation from and Savea/Jane/Piutau/etc would just be too much for Beale in that scenario, I reckon.
He's in such good form now that it's hard to keep him on the bench (even if it is an optimal place for him within this squad) but I can't see him starting anywhere other than 10 and I seriously doubt that will happen.
While I highly admire the edge on Beale's sickle right now, I think To'omua's hammer is more suited to the 12 jersey the way things are shaping up right now.
At least we've got a relatively settled squad to work with and the kind of selection headaches you want to be having.
I'd be cautious to start KB (Kurtley Beale) on the wing, though. I think it may have been the Brumbies or Sharks earlier in the year who deliberately targeted Beale when he was isolated out on the wing and it played a fairly large role in the 'Tahs losing that match.
It may be on the end of the line but it's also one of the easiest positions on the field to get isolated in a 1-on-1 situation from and Savea/Jane/Piutau/etc would just be too much for Beale in that scenario, I reckon.
He's in such good form now that it's hard to keep him on the bench (even if it is an optimal place for him within this squad) but I can't see him starting anywhere other than 10 and I seriously doubt that will happen.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
This is the thoughts of a forward on what the jessica's should look like.
- AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) plays 13. This is non-negotiable. I don't really care who we pick on the wings out of the available guys. One of the most important positions in the back line and he is our best player there. Simple. Kuridrani may be the heir apparent but building to the RWC, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is who we want there.
- So wings Tomane, Horne, McCabe or what about Mogg?
- Beale's not a 10 but his form at 12 has been stunning, although having Test centre pairings running at him from the 1 and 2 ranked team in the world is different to what he's had to deal with at S15 level. To'omua has proven his mettle there and should stay.
- I would probably be leaning toward Phipps over White but don't like either. Let's be honest, I don't like any half-backs. Is there a way we can play the game without them at all?
- Fly half is Foley.
- Folau is fullback
- Bench is covered by Beale and whichever short angry player we don't start and if we want an extra back on the bench, probably someone like Horne or McCabe or even Kuridrani but I don't really know how versatile he is.
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