EOYT 2014

[emuarse]

Depends on who we beat, if we get up over both England and Wales then we're well set for the RWC, if we lose to one or both then things are more troubling.

Everyone has forgotten how Ireland very nearly tossed the AB's last year, like the Wallabies in the last game.
That's where the hurdle lies.This will not be an easy tour, with Wales ans England also both salvertating to have a crack at us.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Jeez - Gilly was going to be the next best thing a few years ago.

Michael Hooper got the jump after the Poey injury, played the house down, won the Eales Medal in 2013 (and favourite in 2014), won a Super 15 Title, Captained the Tahs (thru injury), Won Matthew Burke Award, named Captain of the Wallabies

Reckon the lad has done pretty well

 

[hammertimethere]

Gill has that potential, just hasn't too date been realised. Hopefully one day it is

 

[boyo]

Hand of Gill.

Hand of God?

 

[Brumby Runner]

I'd run the two teams as opposed sessions for the first two weeks. With this team being the likely (?) test team for Wales:

15 Israel Folau
14 Henry Speight
13 Tevita Kuridrani
12 Christian Leali'ifano
11 Adam Ashley-Cooper
10 Bernard Foley
9 Nick Phipps
8 Ben McCalman
7 Michael Hooper (c)
6 Scott Higginbotham
5 Sam Carter
4 Rob Simmons
3 Sekope Kepu
2 Saia Fainga’a

1 James Slipper

So I'd run against them (and the baabaas) this:

15 Tom English
14 Joe Tomane
13 Kyle Godwin
12 Matt To'omua
11 Rob Horne
10 Quade Cooper
9 Will Genia
8 Sean McMahon
7 Matt Hodgson
6 Luke Jones
5 James Horwill
4 Will Skelton
3 Ben Alexander
2 James Hanson

1 Benn Robinson

with Faulkner, Mann-Rea and White on the bench.

I don't think this will happen, but it's what I would do!

Like it! I still have a problem that either Slipper or Kepu will have to be on the bench and that means potentially he (whomever it is) will have to be in all five game day squads. Maybe another LH (Toby Smith or Sio if he is fit in time) need to be jetted over.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Nick white still is

Big call. Both Genia and White have been guilty of poor execution with box kicks, but I am hoping that under Cheika we will have seen the last of that blight on the game, whether or not Nic is playing at the time.

 

[No4918]

Best to wait until the Bledisloe Cup or World Cup next year then...

All eyes are on the Wallabies. New coach and an english press that smells blood and will be looking at every chance to make us hurt. The more damage they can do before a RWC the happier they will be. Perhaps waiting for the Bledisloe next year after things have cooled down or a RWC where there are too many stories to focus on the Wallabies many failures. Great idea.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

Everyone has forgotten how Ireland very nearly tossed the AB's last year, like the Wallabies in the last game.
That's where the hurdle lies.This will not be an easy tour, with Wales ans England also both salvertating to have a crack at us.

That was a good result for them however I thought they were very poor against us in November last year.

 

[KAOPointman]

Two EOYT things I want MOST straight up is...

1. Quade cooper back at 10 (check he's still smokin hot/everyone needs to get used to his gameplay)

2. Get Skelton blooded NOW (he has the ability to be Epic) especially against teams that haven't played against him. (He'd be a HUGE/focus worry for them)

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

Yeah, Cheika has his ways alright.
.

His way of motivating is the most in your face you're going to get. Everything from standard finding quotes of the opposition downplaying the team to shouting and screaming. But hell it works. He instills the most basic and important quality of any successful team - attitude.

As a Leinster fan i'll never forget how our pack went from top 5 worst in the Celtic league to perhaps the best in Europe in the space of a few seasons under him. I expect even better results in the Aussie team given your resources.

 

[badabing59]

This will not be an easy tour, with Wales ans England also both salvertating to have a crack at us.

And we all know how dangerous they are when they are salvertating!

 

[Biffo]

And we all know how dangerous they are when they are salvertating!

please tell us of your experience of being salvertated.
while it is, clearly, dangerous there may be circumstances when it is safe, even enjoyable.
what might those circumstances be?

 

[Tomikin]

JUst want to put this out their for GNGR to get behind.. https://www.mycause.com.au/page/84255/thefrosgonnago

The fros gonna go.. But like always Speight stays classy. Im hoping he becomes the most devastating winger in the world

 

[BDA]

Cant say I'm not a little bit concerned about Cheika giving favouritism to his Tah players on the EOYT and for the WC next year. I think Cooper is our best 5/8 but I doubt we'll see much of him with Cheika in-charge.

On the bigger picture, I'm very concerned that the likes of Dave Dennis, Patty Ryan, Betham, etc will find their way into the world cup squad ahead of better options. Also I wouldn't put it past Cheika to choose Beale as our starting 12 (provided he is around).

How Cheika uses Cooper on tour will be a big indicator for me. I think Foley has done a great job this season, and Im not necessarily saying that he should make way for Cooper, but in Cooper Cheika has a player with a unique skill set that IMHO is best able to exploit our strengths as a team. Our strength on tour, and at the WC next year, will be our outside backs. Kuridrani, Folau, Speight, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (and next year JOC (James O'Connor)). Cooper's long passing game is unmatched in world rugby. His ability to hit guys out wide with one pass gives us the ability to give our strike weapons as much time and space as possible to work their magic. Will Cheika recognise that opportunity and use the next 5 matches to develop that game, or will he stick with the tried and tested players.

 

[Viking]

Cant say I'm not a little bit concerned about Cheika giving favouritism to his Tah players on the EOYT and for the WC next year. I think Cooper is our best 5/8 but I doubt we'll see much of him with Cheika in-charge.

On the bigger picture, I'm very concerned that the likes of Dave Dennis, Patty Ryan, Betham, etc will find their way into the world cup squad ahead of better options. Also I wouldn't put it past Cheika to choose Beale as our starting 12 (provided he is around).

How Cheika uses Cooper on tour will be a big indicator for me. I think Foley has done a great job this season, and Im not necessarily saying that he should make way for Cooper, but in Cooper Cheika has a player with a unique skill set that IMHO is best able to exploit our strengths as a team. Our strength on tour, and at the WC next year, will be our outside backs. Kuridrani, Folau, Speight, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (and next year JOC (James O'Connor)). Cooper's long passing game is unmatched in world rugby. His ability to hit guys out wide with one pass gives us the ability to give our strike weapons as much time and space as possible to work their magic. Will Cheika recognise that opportunity and use the next 5 matches to develop that game, or will he stick with the tried and tested players.

Mate, lots of assumptions. There is no indication yet he will favour the Tahs. We all thought McKenzie would inject Cooper straight away but he actually started To'omua ahead of him to begin with.

If he does end up starting Beale at 12 then I think its a clear indication he shouldn't be coach.

But I don't see that happening, we need to be confident in his professionalism. I actually think Cooper will fit right into Cheika's game-plan, so I'm confident Cooper will get his chance.

There is also talk of a Technical Adviser coming on board, Eddie Jones name was thrown out their, who would help heavily with selections next year.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Eddie Jones. Something, something, something, who would help heavily with selections next year.

No, no, no! Please no.

 

[Braveheart81]

Cheika consistently talks of wanting players with dynamic skill sets (let's not use the x factor word; although Cheika has used that too).

He valued Beale's passing game greatly at the Tahs so I think it's only natural that he'd also be interested in Cooper's.

Cooper seems like exactly the sort of player Cheika would want due to his skill set.

If anything, Cheika has picked on form at the Tahs all season (although there weren't a lot of changes due to lack of injuries).

I highly doubt we'll see a bunch of Waratahs players who shouldn't be in the Wallabies squad making it to the RWC.

 

[Viking]

Cheika consistently talks of wanting players with dynamic skill sets (let's not use the x factor word; although Cheika has used that too).

He valued Beale's passing game greatly at the Tahs so I think it's only natural that he'd also be interested in Cooper's.

Cooper seems like exactly the sort of player Cheika would want due to his skill set.

If anything, Cheika has picked on form at the Tahs all season (although there weren't a lot of changes due to lack of injuries).

I highly doubt we'll see a bunch of Waratahs players who shouldn't be in the Wallabies squad making it to the RWC.

I agree with this. All this talk around Skelton, and I'm pretty sure Cheika used him primarily from the bench unless he was rotating or covering for injuries.

 

[Train Without a Station]

BH I don't think how Cheika has picked at the Tahs is completely relevant. He's favorites if he has any would be those players picked. They became his favorites on form which is fair enough. He came in clean so had none prior.

But suddenly if he keeps sticking by these same favorites despite form showing otherwise, it may be a different story.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm not too concerned about Cheika being biased towards the Tahs. If he has any common sense (and indications are that he has) he'd be focused on picking a team to win every test match and given that he doesn't have a lot of time to get his best team settled before the RWC, I think he'll throw any provincial bias out the window.

Really there isn't a lot that needs to change in our match day 23 as most of the positions are fairly settled now, injury permitting. It's now a case of building on the skills, fitness and playing structures.

There are some valuable guys to come back in, like Moore, TPN, Pocock, Palu et al and they will only help strengthen the squad. You'd think that Cheika would pick them if they are available.