RWC: Pool C - Wallabies v Fiji - Monday 18 Sep 2am AEST

[dru]

I wonder what matches people have been watching to think we can cope without Skelton.

He turns our scrum and defensive maul into the world class..

I can't accept that Skelton single-handedly turns the quality of our scrum. Tupou may have something to do with it. That said, his previous reputation for being a scrum pot-plant is history and he justifies his scrum position behind the THP. He's been fabulous.

I think Skelton's maul-wrecking skills are sublime - but he has not been consistently applying them.

He definitely has strengths in these things, but the improvement of the team with Skelton or an alternative is not, I think, a game-breaking issue against Fiji.

OTOH loosing a starting XV player of significance, let alone the captain, well it's got to have an impact on consistency. We should be able to cope without Skleton, though much less so against the top 4. We will see in a few hours.

 

[swingpass]

Qwerty, i definitely think he is very, very important, which is why he can't be risked at this time and be missing for the 1/4 and 1/2's, if he doesn't play and we lose to both Fiji and Wales then we do not deserve to be in the playoffs. i think we have adequate second row replacements, Tupou on the other hand, not really replaceable like for like.

 

[Joe Blow]

Yeh as much as Skelton is a good player, I don’t think he’s the reason we win or lose this game. So if the blokes calf is so dodgy he’s been given until kickoff to prove fitness, don’t bother risking it.

There has been a lot of correlation between calf injury and Achilles problems in recent years across many sports. Not worth the risk for someone his size.

When we have beaten Fiji recently it has been without Skelton. I don’t feel his absence will be a big difference, particularly in the second half. Philip also has plenty to prove and will provide the hard edge.

 

[Joe Blow]

Slipper needs to fire up and put a rocket up these boys if and when needed. Skelton certainly seems to do that.

 

[rugbyAU]

I mean Aus A even beat Fiji last year by 15 in the pacific

 

[wamberal99]

I wonder what matches people have been watching to think we can cope without Skelton.

He turns our scrum and defensive maul into the world class..

Fiji have got a strong lineout.

 

[Confucius Say]

Big call to say Semi is average.
Hes only moved across to make room for Tuisova who is certainly not a slump.

Average 12. Doesn’t play that position normally.

 

[Confucius Say]

I mean Aus A even beat Fiji last year by 15 in the pacific

Full Match Replay - Fiji v Australia A - Pacific Nations Cup 2022

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[Confucius Say]

McReight, Donaldson and Gleeson in that team. Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) on the bench.

 

[molman]

I mean Aus A even beat Fiji last year by 15 in the pacific

Pretty sure there were a fair few of their international players missing from that Fiji team.

 

[Stagnation]

Fiji have got a strong lineout.

their set piece has really come together. Without tupou and skelton and slipper at tighthead our scrum is fucked

 

[emuarse]

I mean Aus A even beat Fiji last year by 15 in the pacific

But Fiji would also have had a number of their star players absent in Europe or Japan.

 

[Wallabies]

their set piece has really come together. Without tupou and skelton and slipper at tighthead our scrum is

their set piece has really come together. Without tupou and skelton and slipper at tighthead our scrum is fucked

youre acting as though slipper and nick frost don’t know how to scrum? They’re also top tier scrummers who have played at international level?

 

[hammertimethere]

Our scrum without Tupou will be less of a weapon for us, but with Arnold, Frost, Hooper, Valetini and Phillip on the bench we fucking better have a massive go at disrupting their lineout. Stop their favourite attacking platform at the source. I have many horrible memories of England, NZ and SA doing this to us. 4+ lineout steals in a big test match has a massive impact on the result.

 

[rugbyAU]

But Fiji would also have had a number of their star players absent in Europe or Japan.

And all of ours were playing England & some injured

 

[rugbyAU]

Anyone going to watch live?

 

[griffins]

Hopefully we see a change in tactics missing 2 of our key power players. Fiji will really fancy themselves.

 

[John S]

Anyone going to watch live?

Planning to.

 

[swingpass]

fortunately its a 5.30 kick off for me, surprisingly just after the alarm goes off

 

[Dctarget]

fortunately its a 5.30 kick off for me, surprisingly just after the alarm goes off

Where the flip are you Swing, some burns conference in Hawaii?