Our starting XV needs to step up
Hopefully:
Hooper plays as a more conventional OSF.
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You mean play more like the guy on the bench - the one that's been touted as one of the best OSF in the world but can't crack the wallabies starting lineup??
You can ignore the stats all you want and i agree they dont paint the full picture but they do provide us with an objective basis to start from. And i think some stats do paint a full picture. Mumms involvement stats paint a very clear picture of someone who has a small work rate. His advantage line stats show he has little impact. His defensive stats demonstrate hes a poor defender. What part of those stats dont paint the full picture? The reasons for starting foley are "consistency" "combination with phipps" "cool headed" "goalkicking". All of those things are erroneous when Foley makes more errors then Quade, Measureably creates less opportunities then Quade, his goalkicking isnt measurably better, and his combination with Phipps has failed multiple times.which part of those stats dont paint the full picture? Is foley a better Playmaker then Quade despite a lot less try and linebteak assists? Is he a better defender despite missing more tackles and making less? I think Foley is a wonderful Runner, our best support player, a decent distributor and defender and what isnt measurable is his effort, toughness, and all those other personality traits. But there isnt any objective proof anyone can provide that make him a better option then Quade overall. If there is i would love to see it and will happily admit i was wrong. I am nota foley hater, i just see the facts which demonstrate Quade is better.Come off it. It has been widely acknowledged both this site and beyond that Poey's been largely ineffective in 2016 and I think in terms of form Hooper's shown a lot more this season. Not only that, but Pocock's been out for ~4 weeks with a broken hand and was touch and go until this morning as to whether he'd be fit.
So yeah, coming off the bench isn't the worst option.
As for my opinions on the wider team - I'm happy to see Timani playing more of a traditional 8 role as I think the teams been lacking a bit of physicality in both offensive and defensive contact.
I'd be even happier to see Mumm fade into obscurity, but yet again hes been selected. I can kind of understand it as I don't think hes been as bad as people point him out to be, or as stats (E.g. missed tackles) infer that he has been. That being said, he's still been shite and I don't understand how his competitive advantage (the lineout) can get you selected for a national team.
Just imagine him standing next to Kaino. What an absolute embarrassment. I've seen more imposing players in the Betoota Dolphins u13 Bs.
Unfortunately, I don't see Fardy as a huge upgrade based on current form and given they're both thereabouts on lineout ability I really can't blame Cheika for selecting him. I just hope another Aussie 6 puts their hand up in Super Rugby next year (Higgers please fulfil your potential). Either that or Cheika should gamble on a rookie 6 thats shown a bit of something in the NRC this year. Figg or Dempsey would be my pick, with the former playing some absolutely unreal rugby throughout the tournament. Surely whatever Mumm can do he can do better.
I'm indifferent between Foley and Cooper at 10. I think Quade obviously offers more in terms of mixing up the point of attack and in terms of general team structure but I think Foley offers a bit more consistency and a bit more starch in defense (don't quote the stats I've seen them I don't think they reflect the entire story yadda yadda yadda). If Foley doesn't perform then theres no reason to not start Quade in the next game. Now or never Bernard.
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I reiterate that I think Cheika is undoubtedly the best man for the job out of those who want it.
Doesn't mean I always agree or understand his selections.
Trying to justify or Rationalise the odd selections is just making it worse, guys.
Everyone?The thing is I don't think there really are any odd selections. Sure, you can make a strong case to pick Cooper over Foley. But it's not like he's chucked DHP in there or something, Foley played has played pretty much all of his super rugby there and was there for what could be regarded as a reasonably successful RWC Cup campaign. The jury is out and I'm reserving any criticism until after the game, it's the performance that I care about, not the selections.
As for the rest of the side, everyone is playing in their proper positions. In fact if you can nominate a suitable contender for 6 (in the meantime you have to bracket Mumm & Fardy), and you bracket Foley/Cooper , Hooper/Pocock and Speight/Naivalu then there's very little 'odd' about it at all. It's very close to the consensus side that everyone has been crying out for.
I see it differently:Cooper was playing better all round at test level than he ever had.
Foley is out of sorts.
Hodge has never played a test at 12.
So let's blood him at 12 outside the second best 10 at a ground at which we have our worst record.
Sink or swim for Hodge.
The only possible defence is Cooper does not go well at Eden Park...but if that's the criteria he should have made 21 changes.
I think a very strong arguement could be made that Beale and Giteau brought the best out of Foley. And are you forgetting How good the Cooper/To'omua combo was, or how good Anthony Fainga'a looked outside Quade despite his huge limitations. You really are pretty far off the mark on that one.I see it differently:
Hodge is the future and therefore needs as much support as you can give to a player debuting at 12.
There has never been a player thrive at 12 outside Cooper, he is too unpredictable.
Foley brought out the best in KB (Kurtley Beale) and was good with Giteau (our last two #12s that were any good).
Also we have seen Folau at his best when Foley is on the paddock.
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Cooler head?
Fuck me. It never ceases to amaze me how much people will just eat something up as a fact if the media say it enough.
Foley has unfortunately had very poor decision making and execution under pressure in 2016. What concerns me most is that when he makes a bad error (everybody makes them from time to time so he's no Robinson Crusoe) he seems to make the same error again in very quick succession.
Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but from my memory Foley has given more opposition tries directly of his kicks or passes than he has wallaby tries this test season.
I just don't know where that translates into a "cooler head". Perhaps compared to Donald Trump.
Everyone?
Phil Kearns has mocked Eden Park and those who live in its surrounding suburbs in a video sure to enrage Kiwis ahead of Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup match.
The former Wallabies captain cannot comprehend how Australia has not managed to beat the All Blacks at this venue in 30 years, saying in a Fox Sports promotional video he could find no logical explanation.
“Eden Park is not the highest socio-economic area of Auckland,” Kearns says.
“And underline that by adding that there’s absolutely nothing special about this place.
“It’s no Garden of Eden, it’s not like you’re walking into Kings Park, Durban, or into Twickenham, no imposing structure or seating or aura — absoluetly nothing to write home about.”
Kearns, a long-time Kiwi agitator, will be commentating on the match in Auckland for Fox Sports on Saturday and can expect a few barbs.
But he proudly reveals that each time he has to travel to New Zealand for work, he catches the latest possible flight there and the first flight back home to spend as little time in the country as possible.
The Wallabies will not only be out to snap their 30-year losing streak to New Zealand at Eden Park, but they will also be looking to end the All Blacks’ hopes of a record-breaking 18th consecutive Test win.