Bledisloe 2 at Eden Park 18/10/20

[Derpus]

Surely DR goes hammer and tongs at the AB lineout this time. Only three targets, one of them a rookie lock.

 

[aeneas]

You don't often carry an open side on the bench. With Sam Cane guaranteed at 7 and Savea ahead in the pecking order - can't see him being picked.

All of which is fair enough, though he was better than either of them this season......

 

[Penguin]

Will be interesting to see how Wilson's game changes, if it all, with an 8 on his back. Hope he's practiced a bit at the back of a scrum.

He's been practicing at the back of the scrum all season with distinction. Least of our worries.

 

[Tex]

Yeah I reckon Wilson will go well. He mixed up the heavy hits with the Kieren Read touchline running with distinction

 

[Sully]

 

[Adam84]

Watch again. In his short time on the field he had more than double the tackles of FF (Folau Fainga'a)(no misses, FF (Folau Fainga'a) had 2), a breakdown turnover and about a dozen good clean outs. In fact he was the third highest tackle maker for the Wallabies behind only Hooper and Samu with no misses. He also carried the ball forward effectively a few times. He did get a knock to head near our goal line towards the end and was slow to move for two phases, but then he was back in the line looking for work.
For sure he needs to work on his fitness but he looks in much better shape than the other two hookers and is younger.

He wasn’t the only wallaby making tackles, taking hit ups and hitting the breakdown, yet he was the one on the ground slow to get up.

I have never placed emphasis in how someone looks to assess their fitness. Some players look a million dollars, doesn’t mean they have good cardio.

 

[Braveheart81]

He wasn’t the only wallaby making tackles and hitting the breakdown, yet he was the one on the ground slow to get up.

It will be interesting to see if we can pinpoint when/how it started.

It's very hard to believe that he was simply so gassed he couldn't get up properly and he wasn't actually winded/injured/had a head knock.

 

[Joe Blow]

He wasn’t the only wallaby making tackles, taking hit ups and hitting the breakdown, yet he was the one on the ground slow to get up.

I have never placed emphasis in how someone looks to assess their fitness. Some players look a million dollars, doesn’t mean they have good cardio.

Looks? No mate, just judging by their play of late.
FF (Folau Fainga'a) doesn’t look like hes anywhere fit enough at the moment if last weeks game is anything to go by. BPA has looked pretty good in SRAU and he now gets his chance.
Either Rennie fancies Uelese as a finisher or he may not be fit enough either in his eyes.

 

[Adam84]

Looks? No mate, just judging by their play of late.
FF (Folau Fainga'a) doesn’t look like hes anywhere fit enough at the moment if last weeks game is anything to go by. BPA has looked pretty good in SRAU and he now gets his chance.
Either Rennie fancies Uelese as a finisher or he may not be fit enough either in his eyes.

I don’t have any issues with FF (Folau Fainga'a) fitness, just his line out throwing last week.

 

[Brumby Runner]

That’s good to hear, but if by ‘more of the same’ you mean selections that disagree with your own opinion then you had better strap in.

Nah. Not many would, disagree that Rennie put out a strong, fairly balanced team in Bledisloe 1 and got a result. Few would have made as many changes as he has for this game and it's a risky approach. Win and he will start to be regarded a genius. Draw or lose in a close one and he'll be a visionary bringing more players up to standard. Lose large and it will look like more of the same from recent years. Let the results speak for themselves.

I sincerely hope that we're the winner at the end of game.

 

[Purce]

Looking at the bench, I think they will be budgeting Wilson to play near 80

This has me worried. While he managed big super rugby minutes this year well he was completely off his feet in the last 5 he was on the field. Understandable as he has an engine which just pushes him. Speed and physicality must have got to him by the end there. I think Rennie will have a plan for him coming off if he is toast. Last thing you want is a young rook making a miss or spilling the ball towards the end of a game. Dents their confidence and then sharks start circling. Could always see LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) shifted to 8, Ned to Lock and Wright to 6. Or just Ned to 8

 

[Derpus]

View attachment 11890

Blast from the past that one.

 

[Highkicks]

Nah. Not many would, disagree that Rennie put out a strong, fairly balanced team in Bledisloe 1 and got a result. Few would have made as many changes as he has for this game and it's a risky approach. Win and he will start to be regarded a genius. Draw or lose in a close one and he'll be a visionary bringing more players up to standard. Lose large and it will look like more of the same from recent years. Let the results speak for themselves.

I sincerely hope that we're the winner at the end of game.

It's only 2 changes to the starting team, to address a fairly poor showing in the lineout. Doesn't strike me as unreasonable at all, regardless of the result. The selections are an obvious solution to one of the weakest aspects from last weeks game with minimal downside, pending BPA's throwing.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Top reason for the Wallabies to win is to make Alan Jones less relevant

 

[zer0]

Conditions looking to be a good deal better than Wellington. The current map for 4pm Sunday:

 

[PhilClinton]

I don't get all the shock and distress over the changes. The team and Rennie made it pretty clear from straight after the whistle they should have won that game. They were disappointed in the draw and I believe have said it was only 60% towards where they want to be.

Any team performing at 60% of their capacity (of what their standards are) will cop changes.

 

[Adam84]

This has me worried. While he managed big super rugby minutes this year well he was completely off his feet in the last 5 he was on the field. Understandable as he has an engine which just pushes him. Speed and physicality must have got to him by the end there. I think Rennie will have a plan for him coming off if he is toast. Last thing you want is a young rook making a miss or spilling the ball towards the end of a game. Dents their confidence and then sharks start circling. Could always see LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) shifted to 8, Ned to Lock and Wright to 6. Or just Ned to 8

Wright has been training at 8 as well

 

[wamberal]

Wright has been training at 8 as well

Positional niceties do not apply as strictly in the final stages.

 

[Joe Blow]

Wilson, Wright, Hanigan and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) can all manage at 8.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Just looking at the AB bench I'm really struggling to see what DMac's role can possibly be other than backup 5/8 should Mo'unga break down and/ or be shagged from clocking up multiple running kilometres alternating between 10 & 15 at a point in the game where Beaugan is similarly shagged from clocking up multiple runnng kilometres alternating between 15 & 10. If only there were a backup actual 10 available.......