Bledisloe II @ Eden Park
- Thread starter Dctarget
- Start date
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
1. Sio
2. Latu
3. Alan
4. Rodda
5. Rory
6. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
7. Hoops
8. Naisarani
9. White
10. CLL
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi
13. JOC (James O'Connor)
14. Hodge
15. Beale
16. FF (Folau Fainga'a)
17. Slipper
18. TT
19. Coleman
20. Pocock
21. Genia
22. To'omua
23. Banks
2. Latu
3. Alan
4. Rodda
5. Rory
6. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
7. Hoops
8. Naisarani
9. White
10. CLL
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi
13. JOC (James O'Connor)
14. Hodge
15. Beale
16. FF (Folau Fainga'a)
17. Slipper
18. TT
19. Coleman
20. Pocock
21. Genia
22. To'omua
23. Banks
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
All Blacks will be smarting from the absolute hiding in Perth, will they come back breathing fire or is their patchy form more alarming than initially thought?
Wallabies have served up some absolute drivel recently, so Perth could just be a freak flash in the pan. But against tier 1 opposition NZ in their past 5 games:
- beaten England by one point
- lost to Ireland
- beaten Argentina by four points
- drawn with South Africa
- spanked by Australia
Then again, Australia haven't won at Eden Park for 33 years...
NZ still absolute favourites and deservedly so.
Predictions: Hansen will stop playing silly buggers cos if he's the first coach to lose the Bledisloe in 17 years he'll be exiled faster than you can say: "The Pitcairns are quite nice at this time of year"
- He'll stop the Kiwi Pooper, probably bench Cane and start whatever blindside they find at the airport.
- Mo'unga experiment over, bench him, BB revert to flyhalf and BFA goes back to fullback instead of doing absolutely fuck all on the wing.
- ABs to actually remember how to lay a hit on.
For the Wallabies, I pray Cheika doesn't fuck with the team too much, drop in Pocock on the bench if fit. Happy to see White start again.
Wallabies have served up some absolute drivel recently, so Perth could just be a freak flash in the pan. But against tier 1 opposition NZ in their past 5 games:
- beaten England by one point
- lost to Ireland
- beaten Argentina by four points
- drawn with South Africa
- spanked by Australia
Then again, Australia haven't won at Eden Park for 33 years...
NZ still absolute favourites and deservedly so.
Predictions: Hansen will stop playing silly buggers cos if he's the first coach to lose the Bledisloe in 17 years he'll be exiled faster than you can say: "The Pitcairns are quite nice at this time of year"
- He'll stop the Kiwi Pooper, probably bench Cane and start whatever blindside they find at the airport.
- Mo'unga experiment over, bench him, BB revert to flyhalf and BFA goes back to fullback instead of doing absolutely fuck all on the wing.
- ABs to actually remember how to lay a hit on.
For the Wallabies, I pray Cheika doesn't fuck with the team too much, drop in Pocock on the bench if fit. Happy to see White start again.
Strewthcobber
Simon Poidevin (60)
I reckon it will be a Genia/Foley halves pairing
I would have certainly agreed prior to the first Bledisloe but I think (and hope) Cheika will stick with this team. I think he'll understand the importance of having the best crack possible at winning the Bledisloe.
BDA
Jim Lenehan (48)
Yeh Hansen's got some tough decisions to make this week.
Surely he has to go back to playing Barrett at 10? He seemingly ended up playing there anyway.
Is Ryan Crotty fit? If so, they surely must play him. Do they recall Sonny Bill?
Having lost Retallik and now possibly Scott Barrett, it's likely Australia will, for once, have the edge in the second row. In fact, taking into account the players on the bench, you'd expect the Wallabies to have the advantage in the tight five.
Of course that won't necessarily mean much because the All Blacks' game plan against us appears to be to spread it wide at every opportunity. To be fair that seems to have worked pretty damn well over the last few years. I think the All Blacks will look to put Australia away early. Given that they seem to play their best rugby there, it’s not out of the question that they have a comfortable lead after 20 minutes and then just wait for us to overplay our hand, as we inevitably do when we try to chase a game. If I was the Wallabies I’d play a tight game, lots of attacking up the guts and then kicking to the corners and contesting the lineout. If the game’s close with 30 minutes to go, I think the doubt might start to creep in a bit with the Blacks and our bench players might just give us the edge to get over the line.
I do think having Pocock on the bench could be crucial. His ability to get around the field and contest the breakdown usually causes the all blacks to curb their movement of the ball a little bit to ensure that their runners aren’t isolated.
Surely he has to go back to playing Barrett at 10? He seemingly ended up playing there anyway.
Is Ryan Crotty fit? If so, they surely must play him. Do they recall Sonny Bill?
Having lost Retallik and now possibly Scott Barrett, it's likely Australia will, for once, have the edge in the second row. In fact, taking into account the players on the bench, you'd expect the Wallabies to have the advantage in the tight five.
Of course that won't necessarily mean much because the All Blacks' game plan against us appears to be to spread it wide at every opportunity. To be fair that seems to have worked pretty damn well over the last few years. I think the All Blacks will look to put Australia away early. Given that they seem to play their best rugby there, it’s not out of the question that they have a comfortable lead after 20 minutes and then just wait for us to overplay our hand, as we inevitably do when we try to chase a game. If I was the Wallabies I’d play a tight game, lots of attacking up the guts and then kicking to the corners and contesting the lineout. If the game’s close with 30 minutes to go, I think the doubt might start to creep in a bit with the Blacks and our bench players might just give us the edge to get over the line.
I do think having Pocock on the bench could be crucial. His ability to get around the field and contest the breakdown usually causes the all blacks to curb their movement of the ball a little bit to ensure that their runners aren’t isolated.
BDA
Jim Lenehan (48)
No chance. Only an idiot would change the 9/10 after handing the All Blacks their biggest ever defeat.
Strewthcobber
Simon Poidevin (60)
I think this is 100% likely but I also think that plan has to and will change after the win in Perth.
I also think that if our forwards play like that again, it doesn't really matter whether we have Lilo or Foley playing 10. That was certainly a much more involved game from Lilo compared to the Pumas game but both have been on the back of strong forward performances. I thought Foley was good against South Africa behind a beaten pack.
It goes both ways for Cheika. I think he could comfortably say that he doesn't know what his best combination is at 9 and 10 but he could also be pretty satisfied that White and Lilo are playing well enough that he can leave them there for now without worrying that he is missing out on something substantially better.
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
I wouldn't mind seeing Coleman brought on earlier or even started. Tough against both locks as they have been amazing, but Coleman showed glimpses of his best in his cameo and needs game time. If we had Rodda, Arnold and Coleman all fit and firing for the RWC, that'd be a very envious position.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I definitely wouldn't start Coleman..........
He's earned a reprieve with his performance off the bench, and I would play him there again, but our current starting locks are building a nice combination and we need to keep that momentum going.
Also, our lineout is functioning for the first time in about five years - and to add to that we're putting pressure on the opposition by having two accomplished jumpers in Rodda and Arnold.
He's earned a reprieve with his performance off the bench, and I would play him there again, but our current starting locks are building a nice combination and we need to keep that momentum going.
Also, our lineout is functioning for the first time in about five years - and to add to that we're putting pressure on the opposition by having two accomplished jumpers in Rodda and Arnold.
TSR
Andrew Slack (58)
Fuck that. He could get hurt crossing the road.
This is the first time for a long time I can remember going out on a Sunday and turning up at work on Monday and non-rugby followers talking about how good the Wallabies were. We need to play 100% to win and deal with any fallout come what may.
Let the kid play.
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
No rotations this week, go for broke and try to win. If they don't, so be it, but one of the two most significant trophies the Wallabies play for are on the line. Go out there and try to wrest it back from the Kiwis. Imagine the momentum that creates going into the RWC. If there are injured blokes, fair enough replace them, but it seemed most emerged unscathed.
Tex
Greg Davis (50)
I don't expect us to win...but...
Can you imagine the confidence we'd take into Japan with a reclaimed Bledisloe in the dusty trophy cabinet behind us? Deadset if we can scrape over the line by a single solitary point, RA should spend the 2020 marketing budget and send the Cup on a national tour to every registered school and club in the land.
Sure, Bill is the biggest prize in the game, but the Bledisloe Cup is where the romance of the sport lies in this country. Win the Bledisloe at all costs.
Can you imagine the confidence we'd take into Japan with a reclaimed Bledisloe in the dusty trophy cabinet behind us? Deadset if we can scrape over the line by a single solitary point, RA should spend the 2020 marketing budget and send the Cup on a national tour to every registered school and club in the land.
Sure, Bill is the biggest prize in the game, but the Bledisloe Cup is where the romance of the sport lies in this country. Win the Bledisloe at all costs.