RWC QF 4 AUS v SCO (Twickenham) 19th Oct 0200 AEDT

[Marcelo]

This was the starting XV against Scotland in Newcastle 3 years ago:

15 Morahan
14 Tomane
13 A. Fainga'a
12 Harris
11 Ioane
10 Barnes
9 Genia
1 Slipper
2 Moore
3 Palmer
4 Timani
5 Sharpe
6 Dennis
7 Pocock
8 Higginbotham

You can't compare Morahan at 15 with Folau or the couple "Harris- Fainga'a" with "Giteau-Kuridrani" or "To'omua-Kuridrani". Or Barnes at 10 with the current form of Foley. Or the old Wallaby scrum with the new scrum run by Super Mario Ledesma.

Different players, different performances, differents coaches, different stories.

 

[Highlander35]

Depends what you mean by on the decline. Are we in a worse place than we were 20 years ago. Undoubtedly.

But there's been a lot of progress since the death of the borders, we've been slowly but surely dragging ourselves out of the pit of amateur organisation, management and development. Glasgow has won the Pro12, Solomons is improving Edinburgh, there's quality coaching staff at the top level, and the regional academys are finally up and funded.

If we can retain Cotter and the coaching staff, effectively utilise the new Academy's, and keep a good core in Scotland, we'll be fine for 2019, hopefully looking to reintroduce a 3rd professional side in 2020, and have "caught up" in the professional stakes to our contemporaries, primarily in the Pro12, but in Europe and the World too.

We've got a maybe 1 in 25 chance of winning here at best. Our performance should hopefully improve, we never match up well on the Pacific teams when they play quick AND physical. There's not a lot to exploit in the Australian team, but we've got some good dynamic runners and some good physical ability. If guys like Denton, Strauss, the Grays and Scott can create space with some gain line in tight and offloading for Hogg, Seymour, Bennett and Russell to run, we should be able to either score, or get in scoring range for Laidlaw.

My assessment hasn't changed though. Wobblies should put on the better part of a half century against us (35-45 points), but we'll nab a try or two early in the second half to make it 24-15, before the better bench steamrolls over the top of us.

 

[Bring Back The Ruck]

I think that's an optimistic view but that's better than a pessimistic one!
Academy's are great but where are they going to play after them? The premiership is very poor at the moment and it's not a ground for developing young players
Our set ups are getting better but sadly not at the same rate of other clubs and nations
I was lucky enough to get to see Gloucester last year and see their management team in action - they have about 30 staff coaching analysing looking after things that edinburgh have less than 10 doing
Glasgow have certainly been doing well but I don't think they have helped scottish rugby at ground level apart from Ayr and hawks

 

[BDA]

I don't know why people are even mentioning the Newcastle game. It was the perfect storm (no pun intended) that led to our loss. The weather made playing rugby virtually impossible. Our backs barely saw the ball. Mozza got hypothermia from standing at fullback the whole game with no involvement.

The conditions forced both teams to play ten man rugby at a time when our scrum wasn't that great.

 

[Blue]

Scotland will attack the ruck and disrupt ball all day long, making life hell for the halfback. They know they don't have the backline to compete, but they know how to play trench warfare.

It's going to be an ugly match, no two ways about it. It's going to require the forwards to step up as Scotland will be competing at every breakdown.

Wallabies would be remiss to take the match lightly, it's going to be a physical match for the forwards.



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This.

Only chance the Scots have is turning the thing into an Uebershitefest.

No constructive game plan is going to give them any chance because they can't outperform the Wobs in any facet of play.

Gonna get ugly in them hills.

 

[Viking]

I don't know why people are even mentioning the Newcastle game. It was the perfect storm (no pun intended) that led to our loss. The weather made playing rugby virtually impossible. Our backs barely saw the ball. Mozza got hypothermia from standing at fullback the whole game with no involvement.

The conditions forced both teams to play ten man rugby at a time when our scrum wasn't that great.

We also lost in perfect weather recently too. You know when Git's missed that conversion!

 

[Slim 293]

I don't know why people are even mentioning the Newcastle game. It was the perfect storm (no pun intended) that led to our loss. The weather made playing rugby virtually impossible. Our backs barely saw the ball. Mozza got hypothermia from standing at fullback the whole game with no involvement.

The conditions forced both teams to play ten man rugby at a time when our scrum wasn't that great.

The Wobs actually scrummaged strongly for the first 65-70 mins of that game...........

Our bench frontrow let us down.

 

[A mutterer]

I know we've come and said no resting for QF, but I sense a couple of early subs if we play both.

 

[jollyswagman]

I know we've come and said no resting for QF, but I sense a couple of early subs if we play both.

We could do worse than starting Beale, To'omua & McMahon and keep Pocock, Folau & Gits on the bench. All three starters are good for 80 minutes and only bring the other three in case of emergency.

 

[WOOLI]

The side that played Uruguay would easily beat the Scots.

Keep the A-side for Ireland and the final

 

[Braveheart81]

The side that played Uruguay would easily beat the Scots.

Keep the A-side for Ireland and the final

That assumes that Cheika and co. are entirely happy where the team is at and doesn't think there is any improvement to be gained by the team playing another game.

He'll be selecting the best side he has available to him as he should be.

 

[The Snout]

For me it's cut and dried.

Play the best time, no time for rotation now. But leave Pocock and Izzy out if not 100%.

Chek has made a big deal about being a squad, so we should have the confidence of Beale and McMahon to cover Po and Iz .

 

[qwerty51]

If Pocock is out, we'll 100% go with McCalman and not McMahon with Hooper.

 

[Joeleee]

If Pocock is out, we'll 100% go with McCalman and not McMahon with Hooper.

Yep, neither Hooper nor McMahon have much (any?) experience at 8 in internationals.

 

[Pedrolicus]

Had this sent to me. Seems apt to help sharpen the focus!
View attachment 7035

Is this what you're talking about?

Lessons were learned.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Yep, neither Hooper nor McMahon have much (any?) experience at 8 in internationals.

Neither did Pocock.

 

[Pedrolicus]

I am fairly convinced Folau will start. In my experience ankle injuries don't get worse for being used. If he was likely to be rested it should have been against Wales. If it's getting better which it seems to be, then he will play.
Cheika has plainly shown that he wants him on the field.

 

[Tahtrajic]

I am fairly convinced Folau will start. In my experience ankle injuries don't get worse for being used. If he was likely to be rested it should have been against Wales. If it's getting better which it seems to be, then he will play.
Cheika has plainly shown that he wants him on the field.

Yes most ankle injuries can be managed. But after watching the game again Izzy did not commit to going up for the ball a couple of times. So I would say he is not confident about it. I'd like to see him rested. Because if I noticed it I'm sure people like Hanson have seen it.

 

[Pedrolicus]

Yes most ankle injuries can be managed. But after watching the game again Izzy did not commit to going up for the ball a couple of times. So I would say he is not confident about it. I'd like to see him rested. Because if I noticed it I'm sure people like Hanson have seen it.

Yeah but a week is a long time, once the pain subsides the confidence will return.

 

[Joeleee]

Neither did Pocock.

No, but we weren't making the switch in the QF of a rugby world cup. He was trained there for a significant amount of time and played minutes during the rugby championship there in order to try it out. I'm pretty sure (not 100%) that he has played a decent amount of minutes there at Super level as well.