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Australia v NZ. Bledisloe Cup Series 2024. Sep 21, Sep 28

Australia vs NZ. Bledisloe Cup Series 2024 Sep 21, Sep 28

  • not watching this

    Votes: 8 14.8%
  • call it off

    Votes: 6 11.1%
  • cripple fight

    Votes: 4 7.4%
  • Soup Rugby shits and giggles 52-44 scenario

    Votes: 5 9.3%
  • NZ 2-0

    Votes: 15 27.8%
  • 1-1

    Votes: 11 20.4%
  • Aus 2-0

    Votes: 8 14.8%
  • Would somebody PLEASE hold me?

    Votes: 7 13.0%
  • Mummy! I said hold me!

    Votes: 7 13.0%
  • "Mr Cyclo! Stop holding mummy! Mr Cyclo is the bad man, mummy!"

    Votes: 11 20.4%

  • Total voters
    54

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
A bit of analysis over at Rugbypass...


TLDR version:

- Koroibete no good
- Wingers too slow, which is having an affect on our defensive patterns and attack
- We need Corey Toole
 

Dismal Pillock

Michael Lynagh (62)
All Blacks:

Sam Cane  
TJ Perenara 
Beauden Barrett
Anton Lienert-Brown[
 David Havili
tenor.gif
 

Tomikin

David Codey (61)
He had a better game than some others where I think he's been very average in defence. He did a pretty decent job on Clark who barrels into whoever is there.

it's just a bit flat and one dimensional for me. We need to throw caution to the wind if we want to win I think when we don't match up player to player with our opposition.
6 miss tackles..
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
A bit of analysis over at Rugbypass...


TLDR version:

- Koroibete no good
- Wingers too slow, which is having an affect on our defensive patterns and attack
- We need Corey Toole
Yeah I don't really get how Pietsch has ended up ahead of Toole. I don't mind him - but Toole was far better than him over the last couple of Super Rugby seasons and is super way fast.
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Good team, and probably the right moves after last week. I still have doubts over Pietsch's finishing and would've preferred Toole to start, but we were going to take a proper look at him sooner or later and this is probably the game for it. Happy to see Gleeson go around again after he performed much better than I was expecting last weekend, though he was still pretty uneven (far from alone in that). It'll be interesting to see where Leota/Liam Wright figure into Schmidt's thinking on the EOYT.

Big game for Frost who has had a couple of poor weeks in a row. That said I think all our locks are probably going to be looking over their shoulders with Skelton/Arnold and possibly others likely call ups for the EOYT.
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Good team, and probably the right moves after last week. I still have doubts over Pietsch's finishing and would've preferred Toole to start, but we were going to take a proper look at him sooner or later and this is probably the game for it. Happy to see Gleeson go around again after he performed much better than I was expecting last weekend, though he was still pretty uneven (far from alone in that). It'll be interesting to see where Leota/Liam Wright figure into Schmidt's thinking on the EOYT.

Big game for Frost who has had a couple of poor weeks in a row. That said I think all our locks are probably going to be looking over their shoulders with Skelton/Arnold and possibly others likely call ups for the EOYT.
Frost has been pretty underwhelming. You occasionally see his athleticism but he gets folded so easily by other big bodies. If we were still in the Dean Mumm/Simmons era he'd be getting slaughtered.
 

rugbyAU

Bob Davidson (42)
Big game for Frost who has had a couple of poor weeks in a row. That said I think all our locks are probably going to be looking over their shoulders with Skelton/Arnold and possibly others likely call ups for the EOYT.
This time hopefully Rory not Richie

Matt Phillip would be good
 

BDA

Jim Lenehan (48)
Good team, and probably the right moves after last week. I still have doubts over Pietsch's finishing and would've preferred Toole to start, but we were going to take a proper look at him sooner or later and this is probably the game for it. Happy to see Gleeson go around again after he performed much better than I was expecting last weekend, though he was still pretty uneven (far from alone in that). It'll be interesting to see where Leota/Liam Wright figure into Schmidt's thinking on the EOYT.

I might be getting a bit off topic from this weekend's game but it'll be quite fascinating to see what happens with Liam Wright once he's back in the squad. Schmidt appeared to have him as one of the main pillars of his starting 15 but with Wilson taking the captaincy, Wright might find himself out of the 23. Then again if Schmid plans to bring Skelton into the starting side, I could see Wright starting at 6 with Wilson on the bench.
 

Rugby Head

Ted Thorn (20)
I might be getting a bit off topic from this weekend's game but it'll be quite fascinating to see what happens with Liam Wright once he's back in the squad. Schmidt appeared to have him as one of the main pillars of his starting 15 but with Wilson taking the captaincy, Wright might find himself out of the 23. Then again if Schmid plans to bring Skelton into the starting side, I could see Wright starting at 6 with Wilson on the bench.
Agreed, really finds himself in an interesting position after a poorly timed setback. Would love to see a combination of Williams starting with Skelton or LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) starting/ bench.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Nick Frost has at least 10cm on both Williams and Salakaia-Loto. Unfortunately can't teach that. Probably why he keeps getting picked.
 

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
Schmidt appeared to have him as one of the main pillars of his starting 15 but with Wilson taking the captaincy, Wright might find himself out of the 23.
I don't know if he was that locked in. Schmidt's comments weren't exactly overwhelming

That means the Wallabies will have a seventh captain lead them into battle in the space of just 10 Tests. The role could still be passed onto other players with Schmidt explaining that this isn’t necessarily a long-term decision.

“At the moment everything’s pretty short-term, including our preparation. We’ve had four trainings really,” Schmidt explained.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Liam, but the same with all the others in the leadership group and the players in general. They’ve been a super group to work with.

Harry Wilson has been much more reliable at the front of the lineout than most would have expected. There's no doubt Wright is better there, but it isn't nearly as big a gap as it used to be
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
This time hopefully Rory not Richie

Matt Phillip would be good
As far as locks go I think it will be just one called in, with that being Skelton unless there is some blocker, then Richie is probably next. I don't think we'll be looking at any players out of Japan though, so no Rory Arnold or Matt Phillip.
 

LeCheese

Greg Davis (50)
I don't know if he was that locked in. Schmidt's comments weren't exactly overwhelming



Harry Wilson has been much more reliable at the front of the lineout than most would have expected. There's no doubt Wright is better there, but it isn't nearly as big a gap as it used to be
It's surprised me, and it's still early days, but I think Wilson's actually doing as good a job of captaincy, if not better, than Wright - and I hold Wright in very, very high regard.

It's been great to see him make the step, both in his game and the shouldered responsibility
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
Nick Frost has at least 10cm on both Williams and Salakaia-Loto. Unfortunately can't teach that. Probably why he keeps getting picked.
I would have the 200cm Swain over Frost due to Frost going missing. He needs a serious talking to about his future if he continues to underperform.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Schmidt on Toole:

Asked whether Toole was nearing a maiden Test callup, Schmidt said the Brumbies flyer continued to impress with his speed but that he still needed to work on a couple of other areas of his game to be ready for international XVs rugby.

"In Australia he is, certainly speed times there a couple of guys on the stats that I have seen that are a bit quicker, but he'd be right up there," Schmidt told reporters in Wellington.

"Today the quickest guy at training was Darby Lancaster, he's another very quick young man and we're just trying to build the depth with those two guys [and it's] really exciting.

"Darby has had an opportunity, Corey was at the Olympics and I thought they did a super job there, I thought they were so close to getting a medal.

"Corey's opportunity will come. I had a great meeting with Corey yesterday and talking through his game, he's got a few priorities that he's working on. It's a matter of 'when' as long as he keeps tracking as he does - [but] he's quick, yeah."

While he was one of the fastest players in Super Rugby Pacific, Toole is also one of the lightest, which may explain why Schmidt and his fellow Wallabies coach don't feel he is ready for the physicality of Test rugby.

"Some of those small guys like [Kurt-Lee] Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe are incredibly powerful and quick and experienced," Schmidt referenced in discussing Toole.

"Corey really hasn't had that much experience, he's come from the sevens program, he's had a season with the Brumbies and he's still learning the XVs game, even positionally.

"We're trying to fast-track him, as I say he is very fast, and so that track hopefully will get eaten up quite quickly."
 

Tazzmania

Bob Loudon (25)
This time hopefully Rory not Richie

Matt Phillip would be good
What about Darcy Swain at 2m and 113kg, the forgotten man.

Hopefully, the Western Force tour to South Africa, with a few games next week and the week after give him an opportunity to stake a potential claim and reminder that he is still around. ( Note: The first two games will be televised on Stan)

Stillmissit I think our posts crossed in the stratasphere but thinking alike
 
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