RWC 2015 Semi Final 2 - Australia v Argentina Twickenham, Monday 19 October, 2:45 AEDT

[jollyswagman]

....Quite a lot of them are American Football abbreviations. Safety, Strong Safety, and Running Back.

The PM and H don't fit with that though. Playmaker seems to make sense for PM though.

Those are the only 5 shirts I've seen. Not sure if there are others.

AHHHH.....that thought has crossed my mind as well as I can make sense of a couple of those abbreviations as they apply to american football. Here was I wondering if PM stood for PU$$YMAGNET this whole time

 

[Marcelo]

Crap..

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/r...o-unlikely-for-semifinal-20151021-gkf8iq.html

Argentina has the same problem with Creevy (the captain) and Fernandez Lobbe (former captain). They aren't training too. I think at least one of them will be fit for the semis. I prefer Pocock

 

[pjm]

?

The scrum has arguably been stronger once the bench comes on. The question mark is probably over Smith but he is there for his technique and they'll keep Slipper on for as long as possible.

Only because our bench is better than their bench. Slipper isn't better than their starting THP.

 

[KOB1987]

Only because our bench is better than their bench. Slipper isn't better than their starting THP.

I'm not sure about that. I'd agree that Sio + Slipper > Slipper + Smith, but I don't think there's a lot between Slipper and Sio.

 

[Sword of Justice]

Only because our bench is better than their bench. Slipper isn't better than their starting THP.

The difference between Sio and Slipper at the moment is strength in the shoulder. That didn't help Sio on the weekend when he was out-experienced and hence out-played in the dark arts. Slipper IMO is of approximately equal scrum ability right now (injured) and against Argentina his extra knowledge will count for a lot.

Don't worry about the starting scrum mate, if we get toweled there's nothing any Australian props will have been able to do it.

 

[pjm]

The difference between Sio and Slipper at the moment is strength in the shoulder. That didn't help Sio on the weekend when he was out-experienced and hence out-played in the dark arts. Slipper IMO is of approximately equal scrum ability right now (injured) and against Argentina his extra knowledge will count for a lot.

Don't worry about the starting scrum mate, if we get toweled there's nothing any Australian props will have been able to do it.

Slipper has a weak core and regularly gets his lower back popped up. Once that happens he loses all leg drive himself and has his upper body angled down towards the ground. Watch for it on the weekend.

 

[Braveheart81]

Slipper has a weak core and regularly gets his lower back popped up.

*citation needed*

 

[Omar Comin']

I'm not too worried about our scrum. The Argentine scrum has been solid in this tournament but at times it's been put under pressure by both Georgia and Ireland. Our scrum is good, it'll be solid.

Though I do note that Juan Figallo has been called back into Argentina's squad (he missed out originally due to injury). Maybe he will be brought into the 23 for this match. He's a strong scrummager at tighthead so if Sio is missing then they might get the edge once the benchies are all on and it's Figallo vs Smith.

 

[Braveheart81]

I'd be surprised if Smith is at all weak off the bench at LHP.

He's struggled a little playing THP so far but that isn't his preferred position. At LHP he should be absolutely solid.

 

[Omar Comin']

I'd be surprised if Smith is at all weak off the bench at LHP.

He's struggled a little playing THP so far but that isn't his preferred position. At LHP he should be absolutely solid.

Yeah, but Figallo is world class (he was named tighthead prop of the tournament in 2011 and that was when he was 23). He'd be lacking match fitness though so might not be so strong at the moment.

 

[BDA]

Not that I'm overly confident of winning this game, but those injuries are concerning me a bit for the final more than this week. I think it's possible for us to get past Argentina without Pocock/Sio/Folau, but I can't see us beating NZ without them. I'd feel much more comfortable if they got some game time this weekend.

 

[Bairdy]

Getting worried about the breakdown and scrum. If Figallo and Herrera are both picked at tighthead, Slipper and Smith are going to be in for a long night.

Creevy and Pocock are key men for the fortunes of either team, and both are under an injury cloud.

 

[EatSleepDrinkRuck]

They have attacked most teams and I like that because it means the scrum will be a proper contest.

I keep screaming at my FoxtelGo because all the condensed replays show like 1/3rd of all the scrums. They didn't even show all the scrums for the England game!

*sarcsasm* Sweet, show me 13 phases of crash ball without a single meter gained resulting in a penalty, why would I want to see a powerful dominant scrum crushing an old splintering chariot. *end sarcastic rant*

 

[Mr Doug]

Clearly these players weren't participants or trying to participate.

I agree they shouldn't have been there but it also happens every now and again.

I think it is a bit of a beat up over nothing. At worst Scotland should be told to keep their reserves off the pitch when the play is anywhere in the vicinity.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

My original comment was to show that there was an incident in the match that could offset the Scots cry of "foul", over that final penalty.
My Jarse's comment above shows that action has been taken in the past when more than 15 players were on the field.
A fine for the Scots sounds good to me, HJ.

Oh, and for The_Brown_Hornet, who is worried as to why this is being discussed on this thread, it is because the video clip that I referred to (showing the incident), was posted here!

 

[Pedrolicus]

I wouldn't be too worried about that herald article. Last week Folau and Pocock didn't train at all. Sure they might not make it but they're improving and if they even bothered to put them through fitness tests last week they'll be closer to passing this week.

 

[Mr Doug]

Crap..

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/r...o-unlikely-for-semifinal-20151021-gkf8iq.html

Some great "no-tries' there, oztimmay. How about the guy with the "lawnmower"!!

 

[pjm]

I'd be surprised if Smith is at all weak off the bench at LHP.

He's struggled a little playing THP so far but that isn't his preferred position. At LHP he should be absolutely solid.

*citation needed*

 

[Braveheart81]

Mr Jarse's comment above shows that action has been taken in the past when more than 15 players were on the field.
A fine for the Scots sounds good to me, HJ.

Except that was 16 active players on the field at a time.

This is substantially different because the players were not attempting to participate in the game, did not get in the way of the play and the issue has received no mention apart from here from what I've seen.


You seem to be the only person that thinks it is an issue.

 

[Braveheart81]

*citation needed*

Well, you can review the actual games where he played at THP against the USA and Uruguay and compare that to his results against test tight head props playing LHP for the Rebels all year in Super Rugby.

Compare that with your comment that Slipper has poor core strength.

 

[Jagman]

This is the team that soundly defeated Argentina earlier this year:
1. James Slipper
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Greg Holmes
4. Will Skelton
5. Rob Simmons
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Ben McCalman
9. Nick Phipps
10. Bernard Foley
11. Joe Tomane
12. Matt To'omua
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (vc)
15. Israel Folau
Reserves
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau
17. Scott Sio
18. Sekope Kepu
19. Dean Mumm
20. Michael Hooper (vc)
21. Nic White
22. Quade Cooper
23. Kurtley Beale
Interesting that we started with our bench props and I think it's the only game where we dropped Hooper from the starting team.