Australia v New Zealand - Sydney 16 Aug

[Train Without a Station]

Id be intrigued to know how one would measure how much a player has "slowed ball down" in a ruck. How can you be certain it's them, not the tackler not rolling away which has had impact?

In that case you've also just left the team a defender short.

A 7 should be running around on the wing also. It's his job to be the main support to the backline.

Some will disagree but my biggest criticism of Pocock's play is he is involved far too often where our tight forwards should be instead, and not often enough where a tight forward will be ineffective.

Gill over Hooper? Yeah right. Gill looks pretty good when he picks up credit for steals by Turner and illegal clean outs by Skelton due to his own error.

 

[Pete King]

My tip is Pocock will have fuck all impact on the outcome of the 2014 Rugby Championship. Hooper on the other hand will. Lets focus on the here and now. Next thing we will start debating the merits of which Wallabies to bring back if and when genetic cloning becomes the norm in the future



...actually can I start a new thread 'Which Australian Rugby Players Deserve Reincarnation In Vitro Experimentation'..ain't gonna happen...so back to whats really going to have an effect on the outcome of this Saturday's game....GREEN & GOLD BLOODY DEVIL DOGS ripping into those AB's!

Go you Wallabies!

post of the thread

 

[Pete King]

It wasn't bagging, I was comparing Pocock to Hooper. I did say he was a brilliant and effective player didn't I?

I can dislike the way a player plays the game, but I can also think that Hooper will play well can't I.

I think Hooper will make a line break or two, make his tackles and secure lots of ball - he will play well.

However, he won't put outrageous amounts of pressure on the All Blacks ruck.

You suggested that what he does well arent core duties of a 7 and that he would be neglecting these so hard on the other hand to say he is a brillant player??? anyway Im not keen to debate Hooper against pocock or any other past wallaby 7s in a Aus v Nz 2014 thread

 

[scaraby]

here we go again....just for the record can someone tell me how many MOMs and awards Hooper has had over the last two years...I dont get the debate and now Gills back in it as well?.....just prove them wrong AGAIN Hoops...go the Wobs..

 

[biggsy]

My 1st thoughts were Beale had been picked to keep him from leaving rugby.
The folks above should let Ewen do his job. He has been doing a good job so far.
This 1st test for wallabies needs a win and it now purely lies on Beale and links forced choice from the powers above to pick him.

I was confident going Into this game with the working wallabies 9,10,12 back line against the French.
Not so much now,

Beale is good but not that good at 10, and it's been proven over the years. And if he was dynamic play maker he would be cheika's first choice at 10 over foley.
Would rather see beale as the wallabies best impact player, which he will be by the end of the rugby championship.
Foley will the back to the starting side next game.

 

[qwerty51]

You obviously don't think highly of Ewen if you think he bows to pressure from above.

 

[Lindommer]

Gentlemen, gentlemen, how 'bout we make this thread (A v NZ, Sydney 16/8) a Pocock-free zone. And Moore, TPN, Horwill, Gill, Genia, Cooper, Speight et al. They're not in Saturday's 23, they're not part of the match. Their respective, and relative, merits can be discussed elsewhere.

Good, that's settled. Now let's rabbit on about those who will be making an appearance on Saturday.

 

[Scoey]

anyway Im not keen to debate Hooper against pocock or any other past wallaby 7s in a Aus v Nz 2014 thread

You were actually the one that reignited this. The thread had moved on from this two days ago, then you quote my post, miss (read: ignore) the point of it and selectively quote one line in it to back up your 'rubbish' claim. But apparently you aren't 'keen' to debate it? Then don't!

 

[Pete King]

You were actually the one that reignited this. The thread had moved on from this two days ago, then you quote my post, miss (read: ignore) the point of it and selectively quote one line in it to back up your 'rubbish' claim. But apparently you aren't 'keen' to debate it? Then don't!

Just reading from where I left the thread. I never debated who was a superior player just stated that you should have stuck with your original sentence that it was futile to compare before going on and stating the ex player was better/ more respected by blacks and box did u miss (read: ignore) that? I went on to mention what I think of the performances of hooper (you know the guy playing on the weekend) without mentioning the ex. and go back and read my reply I quoted your whole post.

 

[Tip]

Personally, I'm really excited to see how our tight 5 go this weekend.

Slipper & Kepu are no slouches at scrumtime, and neither is Charles. I think we gain more consistency around the park with Charles. He's a better lineout exponent than TPN and has been consistently excellent for the Force this year.
Kepu had Crockett's measure throughout the Super Rugby final, and was unlucky that Joubert was ignorant to Crocketts incessant boring in. I want to see Kepu angry and slammin' c**ts 'ala Richard Hibbard EOYT 2013.

Slipper rarely has trouble playing on his preferred loosehead side. I rate him as one of the best loose-head props in the world. He has THE highest workrate (effective involvements too) I have seen of an Aussie prop in my lifetime. He's no slouch at scrumtime either.

Simmons runs a flawless lineout, and Carter works his ass off. If Simmons has a penalty & brain-explosion free game, then our chances increase ten-fold. We can't afford to piggyback-the-Blacks into our territory full stop >> . <<

Nathan Charles is the feel-good story of the week. A man with CF making his starting debut against the All Blacks - it's down right inspirational.

I'm also hoping for some classic rush-in-yo-face defence. I think line-speed has been something the Wallabies have ignored for far too long. Too often we sit and wait and gift easy metres to the opposition. It's the classic ol' cliché of the best offence is a good defense.

 

[Quick Hands]

Geez some people are tough markers. How much more does Michael Hooper have to prove? 1st player picked in my book.

 

[KOB1987]

I actually think Charles has been the best Aussie hooker in the Super XV this year..I know Bled is a big step up but I'm tipping him for a blinder

 

[KOB1987]

and yeah, what's the deal with laying into Hooper???

Far out..

 

[Mr Doug]

I can feel the tension being emitted from this thread on my laptop, (from both sides), which is great, knowing that the All Blacks will run on thinking that they may be "about to lose this one"!

 

[brumsfan]

Hooper can play any openside role, we have seen that in his stats, Double the turnovers won of any test 7 in the world last year, also the most tackles of any test forward. These are facts and can't be disputed by opinions.
What I find fascinating is that in the northern hemisphere NZ and SA they think he is a machine at the breakdown and constantly write about it. Here in Australia people only focus on his running and seem to ignore the rest.
However if I was a coach I would want to capitalise on his unique skills and direct the tight 5 to do the heavy lifting freeing hooper up to run riot. Too many people have such a narrow view of positions and roles. Hooper is redefining what is possible for a 7.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Farking hell, umpteen pages of purely academic discussion about a bloke who may never play test footy again, versus a guy who keeps getting better and better. WTF people!

What's even worse is this notion that Link might have picked KB (Kurtley Beale) at 10 because of a possible NRL situation. FFS, you can't be serious that the man would even think like that.

 

[scaraby]

good to see the true believers are back lads ...lets f,,k this debate about our captain off and focus on Crocketts inability to pack straight Cruden's inability to think straight and Richie's inability to play the straight man with the refs....just a side bar anyone watch Marto's attempt to get the Wobs tactics out of Matty T. on Rugby HQ....f..k me Marto put a black shirt on and go and collect your money mate....thought Kafe was going to clock him.

 

[Oldschool]

I see the forecast is for rain on Saturday night. This is likely to throw more emphasis on the set piece and the kicking game from the halves. Might not be the running game we are expecting.

 

[scaraby]

I see the forecast is for rain on Saturday night. This is likely to throw more emphasis on the set piece and the kicking game from the halves. Might not be the running game we are expecting.

keep hoping OS .... dry track so far and weather forecasting here has been a bit like trying to plan a picnic in Auckland.

 

[Tomikin]

Geez some people are tough markers. How much more does Michael Hooper have to prove? 1st player picked in my book.

Yep for sure but his in a position where everyone who wears that jersey were are superstars.