Australia v Scotland, 3:00pm 17 June Sydney Football Stadium

[TSR]

Pick Hunt, Beale and Folau in the starting side. Put them in whatever jerseys you want and just get them all to play their natural games. Their games complement each other perfectly and none of them spend their whole time playing the position associated with the number on their back. The only change might be Beale spends less time in attack as the first receiver - I don't see that as an issue if it means he is getting good ball running off Hunt & Foley.

 

[cyclopath]

Cheika wants to see how high up the rankings you r opponent can be before you need a properly balanced backrow.
Could someone tell Hooper that taping up his thighs does not make him a line out "jumper"?

Who would you pick as a balanced back row? That's available. Honest question.

 

[dru]

Who would you pick as a balanced back row? That's available. Honest question.

Personally i'd run with Fardy and Higgers.

 

[cyclopath]

Personally i'd run with Fardy and Higgers.

2 man back row doesn't seem balanced.

 

[dru]

2 man back row doesn't seem balanced.

There is a permanent fixture at 7.

 

[cyclopath]

There is a permanent fixture at 7.

Well, you're no fun.
However, given that the poster to whom I directed the question really doesn't seem to like the permanent fixture, I was curious as to whom he would pick. I'll wait.

 

[dru]

6/2 leaves you pretty prone if you have an injury in the backline.

Probably right on the locks. I'm not as concerned though with an i jury in the backline, Hooper just steps back. He's no Radike Samu but it would work.

 

[Braveheart81]

 

[Joe Blow]

Interesting. Most of the predicted changes did not come to pass. Sio off the bench is a better idea as he has been out for a while.
Back row still looks a bit light on, no more so than ours of recent years but still not what it could be. Timani must not be commanding a spot?
Nabuli is an interesting selection. Not sure what to make of that. He certainly brings a lot of attacking fire power and will keep the Scots busy if he is given some space.
Look for Hunt and Hanigan to have a bigger impact from the start as they will be more comfortable.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Is that Abdel Benazzi in the background too?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm a bit surprised with that side. I would have had Arnold and Timani in the pack for sure. The backs I don't really have an issue with though.

 

[Hawko]

In fact, there is almost universal agreement on what the team should be.

Well, here's some disagreement:

• The Scots represent a real challenge. We must select our biggest and best team or we will get resoundingly beaten.
• Robertson is not better than Smith and Smith should start.
• Supposedly Sio is fit and therefore he should be at 17. If he wasn't coming back from injury he would be starting.
• Latu should be 16 not Moore based on Super performance.
• I would start Kepu against the Scots for his scrummaging experience and put AAA on the bench. At this stage though they are reasonably close.
• I would have started Arnold for his power vs Carter's workrate. Carter can come on at 50.
• Hanigan should not be at 6 for this game - he is still too lightweight and gets knocked backwards at the collision. Timani should start and be told to go nuts for the first half and see what's left. I would use Hardwick as the backrow supersub.
• I would use the next two games to trial switching Folau and DHP. If it works smoothly then it can be kept for the Bledisloes, if not we can revert to the Fiji formation. Folau would play the roving Campese game minus the passes behind the tryline.
• I agree with the rest of Cheik's starting team.

 

[KOB1987]

Note that I put that up before the team announcement when most of the universal agreement was about what the team should be, and that was pretty much all the things you outline.

 

[fatprop]

Interesting. Most of the predicted changes did not come to pass. Sio off the bench is a better idea as he has been out for a while.
Back row still looks a bit light on, no more so than ours of recent years but still not what it could be. Timani must not be commanding a spot?
Nabuli is an interesting selection. Not sure what to make of that. He certainly brings a lot of attacking fire power and will keep the Scots busy if he is given some space.
Look for Hunt and Hanigan to have a bigger impact from the start as they will be more comfortable.

What else does he need to do, I thought he was bloody good

 

[fatprop]

I'm a bit surprised with that side. I would have had Arnold and Timani in the pack for sure. The backs I don't really have an issue with though.

Timani of 2016 or the 2017 version? Because he hasn't been exactly brilliant this season

I think Arnold is there at the moment to add punch for the final 30 minutes, it isn't a bad option

 

[Braveheart81]

My take on Carter starting is that Cheika knows he can play 80 minutes so if Coleman doesn't look like he's going to last the 80, Carter can stay on.

Arnold isn't really an 80 minute player so if Coleman and Arnold start it pretty much requires Coleman to play 80 minutes and could result in him being stuffed in the last 20.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Timani of 2016 or the 2017 version? Because he hasn't been exactly brilliant this season

I think Arnold is there at the moment to add punch for the final 30 minutes, it isn't a bad option

IIRC Timani wasn't in the best of form for the Rebels last year either, but when called into the Wallabies team, playing in his correct spot, he tended to shine. He has mostly been out of position, or out of the team, at the Rebels again this year, so I'd be confident he would show a substantial improvement in form if he again made the national team.

 

[Joe Blow]

What else does he need to do, I thought he was bloody good

He was good but I think he was just a little lost at times. His defense was excellent as was his work at the breakdown. I just mean that both of them will be better for the first run and will have had a week to digest the pace of the game.

 

[KOB1987]

IIRC Timani wasn't in the best of form for the Rebels last year either, but when called into the Wallabies team, playing in his correct spot, he tended to shine. He has mostly been out of position, or out of the team, at the Rebels again this year, so I'd be confident he would show a substantial improvement in form if he again made the national team.

That's the thing though, he's not out of position playing in the row at the Rebels. He's out of position at 8 or 6 for the Wallabies. I think Cheika puts a lot of emphasis on training performances leading up to games.

My take on Carter starting is that Cheika knows he can play 80 minutes so if Coleman doesn't look like he's going to last the 80, Carter can stay on.

Arnold isn't really an 80 minute player so if Coleman and Arnold start it pretty much requires Coleman to play 80 minutes and could result in him being stuffed in the last 20.

Agreed.

 

[Braveheart81]

16. Stephen Moore (118 Tests)
17. Scott Sio (30 Tests)
18. Sekope Kepu (78 Tests)
19. Rory Arnold (10 Tests)
20. Richard Hardwick (1 Test)
21. Joe Powell (1 Test)
22. Quade Cooper (68 Tests)
23. Reece Hodge (11 Tests)

Scott Sio is healthy again and joins the bench in place of Toby Smith.