Bledisloe 2 - Wallabies vs All Blacks, Wellington, 27 August 2016

[Scrubber2050]

McCalman is just one example.

What frustrates the shit out of me is that this game was huge for the Wallabies.

They have been training as a group for about 3 weeks, some longer.

If you cannot play to your absolute maximum for all the right reasons, then fuck off and give another passionate bloke the shot.

Irrespective of winning, I want to see real 100% effort.

 

[RugbyReg]

I expect bugger all changes to be honest.

15 Folau
14 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
13 Kuridrani
12 Kerevi
11 DHP / Mitchell
10 Foley
9 Genia

8 Pocock
7 Hooper
6 Fardy
5 Coleman
4 Douglas
3 Kepu
2 Moore
1 Slipper

16 TPN
17 Sio
18 Ala'alatoa
19 Mumm
20 McMahon
21 Phipps
22 Cooper
23 Hodge

 

[Viking]

I expect bugger all changes to be honest.

There are many small changes Cheika can make that won't have a huge effect on the team structure / tactics etc. You'd expect these are easy decisions to make:
Dropping Simmons, Fardy for McCalman, dropping Kuridrani, Sio for Slipper etc, I think we will see at least a few of these changes.

Then there's some BIG decisions that I feel should be made. But they are big calls that will have a big effect on the make-up of the team.

Dropping the Pooper
Dropping the Captain
Dropping Foley for Cooper

Unlikely to see all the above happen but I think Cheika will do at least one of the above.

 

[tragic]

I expect bugger all changes to be honest

To the score-line as well by the looks of it..

 

[ACT Crusader]

I would tweak it a little and just change the 4 that were in last weeks 23.

6. Fardy
7. Pocock
8. McCalman
Hooper on the bench.

This of course will require Cheika to admit that the Hooper and Pocock starting combo can't beat the ABs and will beg the question on why he's persisted with it so long.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Chek won't admit that so expect Hooper and Poey to go around again

6 Fardy (deserves another crack after performance of McCalman)
7 Hooper
8 Pocock

 

[Scrubber2050]

I expect bugger all changes to be honest.

15 Folau
14 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
13 Kuridrani
12 Kerevi
11 DHP / Mitchell
10 Foley
9 Genia

8 Pocock
7 Hooper
6 Fardy
5 Coleman
4 Douglas
3 Kepu
2 Moore
1 Slipper

16 TPN
17 Kepu
18 Ala'alatoa
19 Mumm
20 McMahon
21 Phipps
22 Cooper
23 Hodge

Kepu's going to have a tough night Reg

It's a big ask - 3 and 17

 

[Braveheart81]

I would tweak it a little and just change the 4 that were in last weeks 23.

6. Fardy
7. Pocock
8. McCalman
Hooper on the bench.

This of course will require Cheika to admit that the Hooper and Pocock starting combo can't beat the ABs and will beg the question on why he's persisted with it so long.

I'm not sure what it has to do with admitting it was wrong. We beat the All Blacks once with that trio (and lost to them twice).

In terms of persisting with it for so long, Pocock and Hooper have started a total of 7 tests together by my count. We won the first four of those.

Whether or not playing Hooper and Pocock in the starting XV has run its course it's a combination that did help produce a rare win against the All Blacks and the two are consistently amongst our best players.

Hooper could drop back to the bench this week but I tend to think McCalman is more likely to lose his starting spot.

 

[Quick Hands]

I find it kind of amazing that one bad game and a lot of the blame is being pointed at the players returning from Europe as well as agreeing with a Spiro Zavos article.

Giteau got injured which did not help but AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) had a solid game and we are well and truly struggling for viable wing options right now and his versatility was valuable after three backline injuries.

I am sure when the 3-2-1 votes are added up, Genia will be the GAGR MOTM. When people are criticising the selection of the European players he gets conveniently left out because clearly we do need him.

There are certainly young players within this squad that deserve to play tests during the Rugby Championship and I'm sure they will but some of the suggestions about picking a whole bunch of players who've played a handful of Super Rugby games and have barely cemented a place in a Super Rugby matchday 23 because they might be a star by 2019 seems fraught with danger to me.

If we go back a few years on the forum, half the players touted as the next great Wallabies aren't even close to the mark now and that is sure to be the case again. It is notoriously hard to pick who will really take that step up to the next level a few years out.

I was very careful NOT to blame the players returning from Europe or even to question their ability. It's the principle that is wrong, not the talents of the individuals.

 

[tragic]

There are many small changes Cheika can make that won't have a huge effect on the team structure / tactics etc. You'd expect these are easy decisions to make:
Dropping Simmons, Fardy for McCalman, dropping Kuridrani, Sio for Slipper etc, I think we will see at least a few of these changes.

Then there's some BIG decisions that I feel should be made. But they are big calls that will have a big effect on the make-up of the team.

Dropping the Pooper
Dropping the Captain
Dropping Foley for Cooper

Unlikely to see all the above happen but I think Cheika will do at least one of the above.

In order of preference
1.
3.
2.
Moore has been average but TPN has traditionally been a worse thrower and doesn't add that much atm - except maybe in scrummaging. If Cheiks is reluctant to ring in mass changes, addressing the pooper and foley carry the greatest bang for our buck..

 

[KOB1987]

Interesting that Moore hasn't been wheeled out for any pressers yet this week, so maybe that's an ominous sign. So far I've seen them from Simmons, Hooper and Pocock (he said he loved playing alongside both McCalman and Hooper). Also a large photo of Samu Kerevi in action at training on Wallabies media. Plus Cheika has come out in defence of the European contingent.

Make what you want of all that, I'm just killing time!

 

[zer0]

Apparently the Accountant will not be starting in Wellington. Hype is building that Ioane will start on the wing, but I'd have thought that McKenzie would be the better like-for-like replacement. Either way, it seems as though there will be at least one young exciting back debuting of Saturday.

 

[biggsy]

Look, once grey sorts out that defence as its a easy fix for the week and Chieka gets his mind fuck game on with some golf clubs and stick figure drawings. The rest of the issues like scrums, lineouts, passing , catching and kicking the Fucken ball into touch will all come together easy.
All Blacks are in all sorts of rugby trouble this weekend after there last performance.

 

[emuarse]

I was surprised by Fardy being dropped because while his form was down, it wasn't as much as several other players who were retained....

McCalman has a good workrate, but has often been ineffectual for the Wobs....

I think Fardy's impact around the ground, and reliability in the lineout is too important to leave out.

it might have been Cheika 's way of saying, "you're not giving it your all, ... you're not indispensable"

 

[daz]

Basically the same team and coaching staff that got us to the RWC16 final, now dishes up that tripe last weekend, right after a series loss to the Poms. It's not like they forgot how to play, or how to adhere to a decent game-plan in the last 9 months or so.

The difference seemed to be all between the ears. Having said that, I hope Mick Byrne likes a challenge.

And just BTW, while I had no problem with the Euro-Wallabies coming in for the RWC last year, in the first year of a new RWC cycle I would really like to see the Euro lads stay in France and get some next-gen kids blooded ASAP.

If they go out with little more than a whimper this weekend, it will be a huge mountain to climb to avoid a wooden spoon in the RC, and Gawd help us in the EOYT.

No light at the end of the tunnel right now.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Chek has to cop a bit of stick along with the players

 

[Braveheart81]

Chek has to cop a bit of stick along with the players

From Rugby.com.au
“Any of the criticism about our game and how we play is fully warranted 100 per cent, there's no issue around that,” he said.
“I thought Will Genia was one of the players who did stand up in that game - Giteau played for about a minute or two so that's a convenient thing for people to say and look for a reason (why we lost).
“The reality is that the Australian team didn't play well that day and since I've been here, win or loss, we've always been pretty true to our identity and that's the first time I don't think that we have and we've got to make that right.”
“It’s probably the biggest (challenge),” he said.
“It's a big stage and it's a big challenge for us.
“The criticism from the performance is very warranted, no doubt about that and when there's a lot of that talk in your head you start to get weighed down by it.
“They're feeling pretty terrible about it so we've got to get them back up into a situation where that's driving them to do something better this weekend.
“I know a lot of people think the same result's going to happen and we understand that but it's up to us to prove otherwise.”
Cheika has spoken throughout his tenure of his team’s identity and the Wallabies mentor felt a move away from that was the most disappointing element of last week’s defeat, but backed them to return to that this weekend.
“It hasn't gone, this year, how we wanted it to but we're not going to go and cry with our thumb in our mouth back to Mummy,” he said.
“We're going to fight and get ourselves sorted out.
“That may be enough, it may not be, but that's what we're definitely going to do this weekend.”

 

[Viking]

In order of preference
1.
3.
2.
Moore has been average but TPN has traditionally been a worse thrower and doesn't add that much atm - except maybe in scrummaging. If Cheiks is reluctant to ring in mass changes, addressing the pooper and foley carry the greatest bang for our buck..

I'd drop Moore first.

it might have been Cheika 's way of saying, "you're not giving it your all, . you're not indispensable"

Which is what he should be doing next game with Moore. I think it will send a clear message through the whole squad no-one is safe for consistent poor performances, not even the Captain.

 

[Quick Hands]

Chek has to cop a bit of stick along with the players

To his credit he put his hand up straight after the match and took responsibility.

 

[FrankLind]

Apparently the Accountant will not be starting in Wellington. Hype is building that Ioane will start on the wing, but I'd have thought that McKenzie would be the better like-for-like replacement. Either way, it seems as though there will be at least one young exciting back debuting of Saturday.

Source??