Ireland v Australia

[Pfitzy]

Ireland openside Chris Henry will miss the game after suffering temporary blockage of small blood vessel in the brain.

Fuck! Nasty.


Anyway, I think this point has merit:

Congrats. For the record I'm a big fan of the Irish side and would love to see them win the world cup. I just think they are a better opponent for us than the English are (who we traditionally struggle against).

Sure, we've lost to Ireland, sometimes badly. But on these tours we usually struggle with England the most, and the French whenever they turn up.

Could our handling be that bad again this week? You'd hope heads will roll if so. I'll bet Cheika has watched the same video library Schmidt has, and it'll come down to which one anticipates the other's move better.

Probably going in Ireland's favour is settled combinations more than anything. If we tinker with our team too much, we risk upsetting any gains we've made in the last two weeks.

I would definitely be looking for more Quade, and maybe the point made earlier about putting him at 12 has legs too.

 

[I like to watch]

Disagree about Quade at 12.
ATM we have Lilo,To'omua,KB (Kurtley Beale) ,Godwin & Horne options at 12.
That's enough options, and some are yet to get a real opportunity yet.
Play him at 10 or don't play him.
I think his wider passing game would have put much more pressure on the Frogs last week.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Whether QC (Quade Cooper) is at 10 or 12, the team certainly needs him somewhere. He would have some pretty good blokes outside him.

 

[fatprop]

Disagree about Quade at 12.
ATM we have Lilo,To'omua,KB (Kurtley Beale) ,Godwin & Horne options at 12.
That's enough options, and some are yet to get a real opportunity yet.
Play him at 10 or don't play him.
I think his wider passing game would have put much more pressure on the Frogs last week.

Lilo - hasn't done enough
To'omua - hasn't shown any attacking nouse
KB (Kurtley Beale) - I simply don't want him in the side before the end of the next S15 comp, and then only if he blitzes it
Godwin - not the time to start an untried unit
Horne - a defensive, crash balling option only

"If" we want to ramp up the attacking threat, I see Cooper at 12 (well swapping with Foley) as a reasonable option

 

[I like to watch]

Where are you going to hide QC (Quade Cooper) or KB (Kurtley Beale) in D?
They are already hiding Foley.
Hiding places in Test Footy are harder to find in the Test arena,than Soup.
When is the time to test a rookie?
That is exactly what should happen this tour.
It's a year and a full season before RWC.
I don't think you are applying the same standard to Foley as you are to the two Brumby players.he puts very few runners into holes.

 

[Lindommer]

Must start: Jones, Phipps/Cooper, Speight. If these players/combinations aren't tested soon we could be in the shit come RWC2015.

I might be a harsh marker but Tomane doesn't look like an instinctive rugby player to me. He shines at Super level, he's not looking too flash at test level. The opportunity's there for him as we're a bit short on speedy wingers, lift your game and grab it with both hands, Joe.

 

[BabyBlueElephant]

Is there any general hope among Aussie fans that JO'C will come good next year and be a good boy in the S15?

 

[fatprop]

Where are you going to hide QC (Quade Cooper) or KB (Kurtley Beale) in D?
They are already hiding Foley.
Hiding places in Test Footy are harder to find in the Test arena,than Soup.
When is the time to test a rookie?
That is exactly what should happen this tour.
It's a year and a full season before RWC.
I don't think you are applying the same standard to Foley as you are to the two Brumby players.he puts very few runners into holes.

Well I did start this hypothetical with a massive "if"

Where to hide Cooper? Blind Side wing/second 15 - same as KB (Kurtley Beale) was for the Tahs.

Foley? Same as the Tahs, off defensive lineout, he stood as hooker with Hooper defending at 10, off scrum, he defended at 10

Hiding places in Test Footy are harder to find in the Test arena,than Soup.

Agreed, but Foley is no worse a defender than Larkham, he bends his back goes low, and sometimes gets brushed off

When is the time to test a rookie?
That is exactly what should happen this tour.

This tour wasn't made for Rookies, there was no Scotland game, we have 4 proper test matches

I don't think you are applying the same standard to Foley as you are to the two Brumby players.he puts very few runners into holes.

He never has, that isn't his go, so he isn't that "Larkham/Cooper" clone that we seem to think all 10s should be. He plays flat, attacks the line, chucks good balls at the line, plants defenders and works his arse off while giving good ball to his outsides, his "play" made KB (Kurtley Beale) look so good.

 

[Joe Blow]

Lilo - hasn't done enough
To'omua - hasn't shown any attacking nouse
KB (Kurtley Beale) - I simply don't want him in the side before the end of the next S15 comp, and then only if he blitzes it
Godwin - not the time to start an untried unit
Horne - a defensive, crash balling option only

"If" we want to ramp up the attacking threat, I see Cooper at 12 (well swapping with Foley) as a reasonable option

Too small for a 10-12 these days.
I would select QC (Quade Cooper) at 10 with To'omua at 12 and Foley on the bench.
Foley-Cooper will attract a lot of attention down that channel

 

[Joe Blow]

To'omua has shown plenty of attacking nous along with some serious defensive ability. Add to that a pretty good kicking game.
We cannot have a backline full of only attack minded players. Like a decent forward pack it must have balance.
To'omua in-between Cooper and TK just makes sense.

 

[BDA]

I think its time to roll the dice and also bring in some fresh legs. Our players looked a bit tired against the French. It's been a long season, particularly with the whole Beale which was mentally draining. Our players desperately need an off season.

I'd go with this side on the weekend.

1. Slipper
2. Fainga'a
3. Kepu
4. Simmons
5. Carter
6. Jones
7. Hooper
8. McCalman
9. Phipps
10. Cooper
11. Tomane
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. Speight
15. Folau

Would be tempted to rest the front row and Folau but no great back ups on tour. I'd play Beale at 15 if he wasn't such a shit bloke

 

[BDA]

Is there any general hope among Aussie fans that JO'C will come good next year and be a good boy in the S15?

I'd be surprised if OConnor wasn't in the starting 23 come the RWC

 

[Tomikin]

Is there any general hope among Aussie fans that JO'C will come good next year and be a good boy in the S15?

Not really, I think we mostly hope that our back 3 will be Speight, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Izzy.

JOC (James O'Connor) is a bit of a dark horse at the moment, he probably needed the spell away to get the intense focus off him.

EDIT: As above, in the 23, but maybe not the 15. Time will tell he could have an amazing S15 and get the gig

 

[Wilson]

Is there any general hope among Aussie fans that JO'C will come good next year and be a good boy in the S15?

Yeah, plenty of hope in qld. It really does come down to conduct, his form is excellent and he offers good utility so there shouldn't be any barrier in terms of ability.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Time to rest some and give others a go:​

1. Slipper​

2. Faainga​

3. Kepu​

4. Horwill​

5. Simmons​

6. Jones​

7. Hooper​

8. McCalman​

9. Genia​

10. Cooper​

11. Tomane​

12. To'omua​

13. Kuridrani​

14. Speight​

15. Folau​

​

16. Hansen​

17. Robinson​

18. Alexander​

19. Carter​

20. Hodgson​

21. White​

22. Godwin​

23. Foley (or BEALE: If Cheika is going to selected him)​

I'd start Horne on the wing against England as he hasn't had a start.​

Agree with most of this. No Skelton - already a plus. Don't know if I'd start Simmons and Horwill together again. One on the bench and Carter to start if fit. Great backline. Would be terrific to see Quade and Matt rekindle their combination. Maybe Faulkner on the bench in place of either Robbo or Benny A. And Lealiifano in place of Foley on the bench. There you have it.

But don't expect to see the Wallabies come away with an easy win. The Irish have now overtaken us in the world rankings and rightly so. They are the best currently in the NH. And don't take any notice of Bardon rabbiting on about their injuries. He's just trying to win them underdog status.

 

[Brumby Runner]

1. Slipper
2. Fainga'a
3. Kepu
4. Simmons
5. Horwill
6. Higganbotham
7. Hooper
8. MacCalman
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ashley-Cooper
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. Speight
15. Folau

16. Hanson
17. Robinson
18. Faulkner
19 Jones
20. Hodgson
21. Phipps
22. Foley
23. Horne

Cyclopath must be suffering apoplexy by now. Here's another poster putting Higgers in the team when he's already on his way back to Aus.

 

[No4918]

Is there any general hope among Aussie fans that JO'C will come good next year and be a good boy in the S15?

Cheika doesn't play politics so it won't matter if he is a good boy. The Reds will tear his contract up first.

 

[No4918]

1. Slipper
2. FTS
3. Kepu
4. Horwill
5. Simmons
6. Jones
7. Hooper
8. McCalman
9. Phipps
10. Cooper
11. Speight
12. To'omua
13. TK
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Folau

Res: Hanson, Robinson, Faulkner, Carter, Hodgson, Genia, Foley, Horne

I am not against the idea of QC (Quade Cooper) at 12 and think Cheika could run with it. But I would prefer to see him given a shot at 10 first. No secret I think he is better than Foley there and it is his best spot.

 

[Lindommer]

Genia's had two tests on tour and hasn't stood out, give White some time against Ireland and put the better of the two on the bench next week.

 

[Brumby Runner]

At the Tahs, Foley was covered in defence by Horne. I haven't watched it closely enough in the past 2 games, but maybe that dynamic (with whoever is playing wing at the relevant times) is all askew? I know Horne has been there some of this time, but I'd be interested if Foley is playing positionally in defence the same as he did at the Tahs or not. I'd have to watch a replay to see. The whole defensive system looks more Tahs 2013, than Tahs 2014, unfortunately, with not everyone trusting and knowing it yet. Kuridrani is looking OK, but the defensive structure the Tahs used relies on the whole team getting it down, not individuals. It looks like aspects are getting picked up, but others are not. It's a worry. There have been some awful mis-reads at times.

The whole manner in which the wingers are being played is utterly confusing and no doubt leads to some of the defensive problems atm. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Tomane were swapped around on numerous occasions in the French test. It looks like Cheika wants AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to receive the kickoffs, and as they were generally to our left side, we saw AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) on the left wing and Tomane on the right many times. Then of course they had to revert to their nominal positions at some time during general play. Add to that, that Foley defended on the right wing most of the time and I'm surprised that the defense out wide wasn't a whole lot worse that it was. Even so, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) missed so many tackles on both sides of the ground that I have to think it was the constant changing from side to side that contributed. If this is Cheika's/Gray's defensive pattern then it needs to be discarded immediately. Just a stuff up and will never work.

The solution? Foley should not be our first choice No 10 until he learns to tackle sufficiently to defend in the 10 channel. Forget moving AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to the other side to take the Kickoff. He is good at that but so is Tomane or Speight whomever fills the other wing spot. Invariably, whenever Tomane or Speight take a kickoff, they make good metres with the ball before being tackled. Stabilise the defensive line by no more chopping and changing the wingers and No 10.