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

[Wilson]

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

I think guys like Swain, Blyth and Smith will be making up the Australia A squad but I can't see them pushing into the main squad until those games have been played. It's just the wild cards in non-Australian based player, who I think will only be added to the top squad if they're a genuine chance of making the wallabies 23, that the guys who are playing this weekend are competing with for spots.

 

[Tomikin]

Last game Toole played was against the Blues where he had a bit of a 'mare. Wonder if that counts against him. Made 2 out of 8 tackles against an All Blacks back 3.

Like Kellaway missing 6 last weekend, but we will see how it goes, I suspect they just think his got a bit more he needs to work on before he can start. At one point also it was said he was sick

 

[KiwiM]

Like Kellaway missing 6 last weekend, but we will see how it goes, I suspect they just think his got a bit more he needs to work on before he can start. At one point also it was said he was sick

See a few posts up for an explanation from Schmidt

 

[Proud Pig]

The problem with selecting Swain is he has a two-cent head. Yes, he brins a level of physicality that or pack has been severely lacking but it is too often not well directed physicality. You bring him into the team and you know the opposition are going to try to bait him and he will bite. We have seen that time and time again. We are simply not good enough to be playing large patches of the game a player down. Therefore, avoiding the more volatile individuals is an important consideration.
I personally would start with LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) over Frost as we need some intelligent physicality in the starting line-up.
Our current forward selections are all very passive which is just not working.

 

[Derpus]

Like Kellaway missing 6 last weekend, but we will see how it goes, I suspect they just think his got a bit more he needs to work on before he can start. At one point also it was said he was sick

I think for outside backs tackle stats can be misleading. How many of them are last ditch tackle attempts or failed covering tackles after a line break?

 

[Strewthcobber]

I think for outside backs tackle stats can be misleading. How many of them are last ditch tackle attempts or failed covering tackles after a line break?

Someone has to mark Caleb Clarke. Sometimes slowing him down enough for help to arrive is as good as can be expected

 

[Tazzmania]

The problem with selecting Swain is he has a two-cent head. Yes, he brins a level of physicality that or pack has been severely lacking but it is too often not well directed physicality. You bring him into the team and you know the opposition are going to try to bait him and he will bite. We have seen that time and time again. We are simply not good enough to be playing large patches of the game a player down. Therefore, avoiding the more volatile individuals is an important consideration.
I personally would start with LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) over Frost as we need some intelligent physicality in the starting line-up.
Our current forward selections are all very passive which is just not working.

Darcy appears to have tempered his style as evidenced by being made captain at times for the Brumbies this year.

No yellow or red in 2024.
2 yellow in 2023.
Last red 02/07/2022 v England nearly 27 months ago

 

[Tomikin]

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

Should have been selected in front of Frost on this year's form,took the job from him at the Brumbies and was playing well.

 

[Tomikin]

I think for outside backs tackle stats can be misleading. How many of them are last ditch tackle attempts or failed covering tackles after a line break?

Possibly but using tackle states to say he isn't make the team as he missed 6 verses the Blues in a Semi, when our current winger has missed 6 just last doesn't really fly. But above Schmidt spoken about Toole..

He'll get his chance eventually..

 

[Brumby Runner]

The problem with selecting Swain is he has a two-cent head. Yes, he brins a level of physicality that or pack has been severely lacking but it is too often not well directed physicality. You bring him into the team and you know the opposition are going to try to bait him and he will bite. We have seen that time and time again. We are simply not good enough to be playing large patches of the game a player down. Therefore, avoiding the more volatile individuals is an important consideration.
I personally would start with LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) over Frost as we need some intelligent physicality in the starting line-up.
Our current forward selections are all very passive which is just not working.

You know Darcy personally? Is he such a handicap to a team? Played 14 matches in Super Rugby 2024, and not a single card of any colour. You don't suppose he might ahve learnt to keep the anger/aggression controlled after his hit on Taupea?

On the current second row, it seems to me that LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is competing with Williams for the TH Lock spot. One starts and the other comes off the bench. It doesn't look like Joe sees them starting together. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)'s value off the bench last game was obvious. Seems Joe is happy to keep it that way for the present.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think for outside backs tackle stats can be misleading. How many of them are last ditch tackle attempts or failed covering tackles after a line break?

Some, maybe all or most, of AK (Andrew Kellaway)'s missed tackles were one on one in the backline. His missed tackle on at least one occasion led to the linebreak that ended in a try to the ABs. He has been pretty woeful in defence all year long, even when ke played 15 for the Rebels.

 

[BDA]

Swain seems like the type of player that might, hopefully, come into his own in his early 30s when he is a bit more measured, a bit wiser. Blokes that are hot heads tend to lose a bit of that when they leave their 20s. Guys like quade and JOC (James O'Connor) come to mind

 

[A mutterer]

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

He's still a liability his soup form showed this.

 

[Tomikin]

He's still a liability his soup form showed this.

All his super form showed was that he was one of the top locks in Oz, out playing the current Wallaby lock.

And with that take,means you didn't actually watch him at all.

 

[Joe Blow]

Agree, but I don't think Flook offers the required versatility for #23 given he can really only play OC to a test standard, when they're fit Daungunu and Petaia would fit that role better

I would have like to have seen Toole but Flook has a very good turn of pace. I would put him at faster than both Daugunu and Pietsch, maybe MK as well. He does give us more options and is defensively very sound.

 

[Joe Blow]

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

Give him time. He has a complete skill set and a good ticker. His physicality will grow. He has the potential to be the best since Eales.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

Really liked what Gleeson brought off the bench last week, hopefully he backs that up this week as he has the potential to be devastating in that role.

Otherwise would like to see Leota take that role when fit.

 

[fatprop]

The game could be a moral victory or a blow out, I have no idea which Wobs will turn up

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Darcy appears to have tempered his style as evidenced by being made captain at times for the Brumbies this year.

No yellow or red in 2024.
2 yellow in 2023.
Last red 02/07/2022 v England nearly 27 months ago

Great to see. He has a rep unfortunately as did a guy like Swinton. Swain will be back if he strings together good showings for the Force next year.

One thing Schmidt seems big on with this side is discipline and not piggy backing teams.

I like the Idea of a Williams - Skelton pairing and when Skelton gasses on comes LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) to maintain the size in the middle.

Keep hearing about waiting for the penny to drop with Frost and I just don't know if the mongrel is there. He's a 6 that's too tall in my eyes.

Canham, Swain, Williams, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Skelton are the Second Rowers we should run with.

 

[stillmissit]

come into his own in his early 30s

Give me a break!~So an aggressive player cannot improve until the end of his career? What planet are you on?