Bledisloe 1 - Wallabies vs All Blacks, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, 8:05pm

[cyclopath]

On Kuridrani he has played roughly every wallaby and brumby minute available in the last year. I think it's fair to give him a run since he's had a rare break from high level rugby. I also agree with the comments that it's not like he's had many bad performances just not many dominant ones either.

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I think Kuridrani most of all is down on confidence. He has not been bad, but he has not been hitting the line at pace, making the breaks and half-breaks he did before. I noticed in the Tests he was propping before contact a fair bit, rather than accelerating onto the inside or outside shoulder of the opposition. When he was put into that nice hole in the 3rd Test (?) he almost looked surprised and unfortunately it came to nothing. I don't think it would take much to get it back. Experience counts against the ABs so I don't really have any issue with Tevita getting the nod over Samu. He's probably defensively better too.
Talk of Kerevi at 12 is interesting, as he may well have the skill set to be a bit like Nonu down the track, but Cheika has been quite adamant that he sees him as a 13 right now, so it doesn't seem likely that transition will start anytime soon. Kerevi might make an irresistible case with a big 2017 at the Reds playing 12. Unless Cheika is just bullshitting us, which is not impossible. Lot of 13s in this squad with those two, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Folau.

 

[tragic]

every year we keep the bledisloe, I find your guys increasing in Good blokeyness

We're just trying to make you feel sorry for us.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

errr what?

do you watch the Force?

I like the guy and my point was as KOB inferred.
I rarely watch the force for all sorts of reasons.
I am more concerned that this is the depth of Aussie blind side talent as seen by Cheika than that McCalman got the nod.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I think it's a weakness we can manage.
.

if only we had a few more weaknesses we could manage

 

[galumay]

I think Kuridrani most of all is down on confidence. He has not been bad, but he has not been hitting the line at pace, making the breaks and half-breaks he did before.

Exactly, you could see it in hes Super Rugby as well, out of form due to a lack of confidence sums it up for me. For that reason I see the sense in persisting with him, if the selectors and coach show their confidence in him, hopefully it will be infectious and he can return to his best form.

If he can bring his A game and start working with Izzy, then it will cause defences plenty of problems.

 

[Ignoto]

Jesus, with the amount of discussion going on about Kervei or Tevita you'd think we'll win or lose the game by a selection that could go either way.

I honestly thought there'd be more shit going down about Genia getting picked after what seemingly feels like his first game of Rugby since the world cup final? Granted Phipps has some failings, but I'd bet even Will is surprised at his starting spot.

 

[Viking]

I got no issues with McCalman over Fardy or Kuridrani over Kerevi. I'm surprised by the amount of backlash.

I thought there'd be more uproar about Giteau's selection over To'omua.

 

[wamberal]

every year we keep the bledisloe, I find your guys increasing in Good blokeyness

What about the Sevens. We are good gals, too.

 

[Twoilms]

I got no issues with McCalman over Fardy or Kuridrani over Kerevi. I'm surprised by the amount of backlash.

I thought there'd be more uproar about Giteau's selection over To'omua.

It did kind of feel like the tide in the third England test turned when To'omua came off. Underused and now unavailable for the wallabies, bit of a shame.

 

[Slim 293]

It did kind of feel like the tide in the third England test turned when To'omua came off. Underused and now unavailable for the wallabies, bit of a shame.

He's on the bench.........

 

[TOCC]

I think we can mitigate the damage pretty well at lineout time.

I remember the run-in to the England series and everyone predicted our lineout would be annihilated. The Poms had 4 top jumpers and we had 2.

Ultimately our lineout survived OK. We didn't get super clean ball, but won 80-90% of our lineouts, and stole more of the Poms throws over the series than they did ours.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't a strength, but I think it's a weakness we can manage.
.

Like a scrum which is back peddling, there is a difference between good ball and scrappy ball from a lineout. Wallabies during the England series often had their own ball disrupted, which laid a poor attacking platform for the backs.

Similarly throwing the ball to 2 is safer ball but is the least preferred option for backline attack, it means the half back has to stand closer to the sideline which also brings the 5/8 closer to the lineout, it also means someone like Pocock at the rear of the lineout is closer to the 5/8 and gives him less room to work. Throwing to the rear of the lineout gives the 5/8 more time and space and is the best option to attack from.. Wallabies used the 2 ball quite often during the England Test series.

50% of test tries during the RWC were scored from line-outs, in my opinion the Wallabies lineout is an understated weakness.

 

[TOCC]

I'm sure the Wallabies will win plenty of their ball, but I don't expect it to be clean attacking ball for the backs, most likely they will have a forward runner in the backline to hit it up and try and capitalise in the next phase.

 

[Braveheart81]

Nathan Harris has been withdrawn with a knee injury.

Codie Taylor will start and Dane Coles comes onto the bench.

 

[Groucho]

Sad to see that we are taking on the Ab's with 7 forwards and an all rounder in Hooper playing too much time in the backs. Chiek talks a good game about finishers and then delivers no game breakers. Hooper and Quade off the bench for me.

Hooper out and Quade in, in one move, en passant. I see what you did there!

 

[Groucho]

We're just trying to make you feel sorry for us.

I think he's pointing out that good blokeyness is inversely proportional to Bledisloes won.

 

[KOB1987]

Nathan Harris has been withdrawn with a knee injury.

Codie Taylor will start and Dane Coles comes onto the bench.

So they've assessed that a busted Dane Coles is a better option than the 3rd 4th string hooker?

 

[Twoilms]

He's on the bench...

soon to be unavailable*

 

[Braveheart81]

So they've assessed that a busted Dane Coles is a better option than the 3rd 4th string hooker?

Dane Coles had apparently travelled with the side this week so he could continue receiving treatment from the medical staff.

I guess it's either pick him with an injury or fly someone else over this evening who hasn't trained with the side at all.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I have said pretty much the same thing regarding Kuridrani and Kerevi. I don't think Kuridrani has been in bad form but Kerevi has been in outstanding form. I don't really see it as hyperbole. I think it is quite fair to say that Kuridrani is not playing close to his outstanding best.

I think Kerevi is a good option in the future for the Wallabies at 12 but I don't think it is likely to happen a lot at this stage. His playmaking ability is still well down on where it needs to be to do a good job of it at test level. The comparisons to Nonu are good but it gets forgotten that Nonu had a lot of test experience before he started being played at 12 for the All Blacks and even longer before he became outstanding at it.

The Wallabies need a 12 who can and does stand in as first receiver to increase the options available. Until Kerevi can do that regularly I don't think we'll see him at 12 for the Wallabies a whole lot. I think he will get more opportunities early in his test career at 13.

But BH, assuming both Giteau and To'omua are unavailable for the EOYT and next year's mid-year tests, and Lealiifano is out due illness, who else is there who can feasibly fill the 12 spot after the RC? Maybe Hodge, but I think that's a bigger gamble than Kerevi. IMO Kerevi needs to come into the 12 spot during the RC and be given the chance, with Quade at 10 if necessary, to show that he can handle it at this level. There is so little time left and so few options.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I like the guy and my point was as KOB inferred.
I rarely watch the force for all sorts of reasons.
I am more concerned that this is the depth of Aussie blind side talent as seen by Cheika than that McCalman got the nod.

I'm with you IS> The Force have a far more effective No 6 themselves in Cottrell imo.