South Africa tour (and squad)

[Ruggo]

I like your team disco but I would swap Simmons and Mumm, drop Burgess for the 5:2 split and add Higgers.

 

[DPK]

4 September 2010 17:00 SAST
South Africa v Australia Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Totally winnable.

 

[disco]

I like your team disco but I would swap Simmons and Mumm, drop Burgess for the 5:2 split and add Higgers.

I was actually thinking that (Simmons/Mumm & Higgers/Burgo) but didn't think Mumm was all that bad last night & also though that Higgers was very similar to McCalman anyway.

If we had a forward like Polota-nau or Palu to add into the mix I would definitely go 5-2.

 

[Scotty]

I understand Genia was in doubt all week with his wounded knee. It looked like he played on one leg last night.

It is astonishing that Burgess didn't get on in that case.

 

[Viking]

Ma'afu should be dropped. I think he will struggle under pressure. His decision making also sucks. I also think our locks are really struggling compared to other international teams. Mumm has got to go. One player that should definitly go is Brown.

1.Robinson - needs more game time so he can find his old form
2.Fainga'a/Moore - its a hard one, Moore doesnt seem 100% yet but he adds more muscle n strength. Fainga seems to get more involved tho. TPN hurry up.
3.Slipper - deserves a shot, Ma'afu hasnt done much.
4. Simmonds - gotta try something new in the locks department, hope he can step up.
5.Sharpe - need him for line-outs, got no-one else
6.Elsom - higgers isnt good enough in the tight yet.
7.Pocock - need i say anything
8.Hodgson - has experience with 8, work-horse, brown sucks, I recon he'd be better at the back of the scrum then elsom.
9.Genia - poor last game, but still better then burgess.
10. Cooper - Our whole creativity comes from him. should be 1st choice flyhalf from now on.
11. Drew Mitchell - looked decent enough against the ABs
12.Fainga'a - i bet he'll run off coops better then gits
13.AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - Is chambers fit yet, would rather him at fullback but go no-one else.
14. Turner - he'll get the job done
15. Shepherd - experienced fullback, can be our goalkicker, fitness is worry tho.

16 Moore
17 Maafu
18 Mumm
19. Higgenbothem - needs fitness
20. Burgess - good impact player, offers something different to genia. If only he could pass good,
21. Giteau - offers more then barnes, he hasnt played 9 enough to be considered appropriate cover.
22. JOC (James O'Connor) - faster then beale, and a better tackler IMO. Last game vs boks he was dumping second rowers n tackling props front on.

Is hynes fit? if he is he should be in. Same with Chambers.

 

[Scotty]

Disco,

Holmes at tighthead? Normally a loosehead, and didn't play all that well in the S14 anyway.

Our scrum has looked better everytime Slipper has come on. Maybe it is time he started.

 

[DPK]

A test 8 must be able to clear the ball from the scrum even under pressure. He is incapable of breaking any tackle. His defence is very average. A test 8 must be able to make metres with ball in hand and he is a very poor carrier of the ball rarely breaking the gainline and often tackled behind it.

In the last two tests he has done two psoitive things of note, 1 a turnover after the ABs broke up the centre. One he got about 5 metres over the gain line.

He is improving. A lot of people are calling for him to be dropped under the assumption that his replacement will automatically be successful, which is not a guarantee.

He's not a Palu clone, but neither is Matty Hodgson.

 

[Scotty]

My side:

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper
4. Sharpe
5. Simmons
6. Elsom
7. Pocock
8. Hodgson
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Mitchell
12. Fa'ainga
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Shepherd
15. Beale

16. Fa'ainga
17. Ma'afu
18. Mumm
19. Higginbotham
20. Brown
21. Giteau
22. O'Connor

If we are going to keep playing this up tempo game then IMO a 5/2 bench split would serve us better. How many times are our back reserves used? Whereas I think we used every forward sub on the weekend, and most got a good amount of time. I'm giving Brown a shot to make an impact off the bench, although it may even be good to keep him starting but only go for 40, with Hodgson or Higgers coming on at that point. Giteau can cover 9/10/12 and J'OC 11/14/15. Obviously 13 is harder so Fa'ainga would have to push out there.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Ma'afu should be dropped. I think he will struggle under pressure. His decision making also sucks. I also think our locks are really struggling compared to other international teams. Mumm has got to go. One player that should definitly go is Brown.

8.Hodgson - has experience with 8, work-horse, brown sucks, I recon he'd be better at the back of the scrum then elsom.

I dunno about that. I have a sneaky feeling that Rocky would make a good eight. He's famous for those hard charging runs and that's in the top three lines of an eights job description. Could be worth a punt I think, especially with Cliffy not back any time soon.

 

[Ruggo]

I was actually thinking that (Simmons/Mumm & Higgers/Burgo) but didn't think Mumm was all that bad last night & also though that Higgers was very similar to McCalman anyway.

If we had a forward like Polota-nau or Palu to add into the mix I would definitely go 5-2.

Cheers disco.

I went for Mumm on the bench more for the versitility aspect being able to sub a lock or flanker. I like the 5:2 split to keep the pace and intensity of the game right up for the full 80 (at altitude).

 

[Sydney Wallabies]

Wallabies v Springboks Sat 28 August Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Kickoff at 1:00am (AEST)

GO THE WALLABIES!!!!!

 

[Scotty]

I dunno about that. I have a sneaky feeling that Rocky would make a good eight. He's famous for those hard charging runs out in the centres and that's in the top three lines of an eights job description. Could be worth a punt I think, especially with Cliffy not back any time soon.

Fixed.

 

[#1 Tah]

Wallabies are losing because there are too many Queenslanders in the team. thats my conclusion.

 

[RugbyReg]

expand on your theory #1 tah.

How are we losing because of that?

 

[disco]

Scotty,
Holmes was playing 3 this year when Weekes was out although he used to play 1 (loosehead) when Blake was at the Reds.

 

[disco]

Wallabies are losing because there are too many Queenslanders in the team. thats my conclusion.

Not enough in the backline.

 

[Thin Thighs]

Two constants of Australian Rugby:

NSW v Qld interstate oneupmanship
Sydney Rugby Politics

I'm not sure that these are positive for the game.

 

[DPK]

If we're going to resort to arguments like that, why not bite the obvious one; we're losing because we are coached by a fucking New Zealander.

 

[Scotty]

Scotty,
Holmes was playing 3 this year when Weekes was out although he used to play 1 (loosehead) when Blake was at the Reds.

And 1 for the Wallabies.

He wasn't very good at 3 or 1 this year. Certainly not enough of a standout to demand wallaby selection. Weeks should get a shot before him and Slipper before the both of them.

 

[Scotty]

I wouldn't mind seeing a Tahs forward pack with the Reds backline and Elsom, Sharpe, Pocock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) thrown in for good measure.

Problem is out of that team, we have 6 injured:

1. Robinson
2. TPN *
3. Baxter *
4. Sharpe
5. Douglas
6. Elsom
7. Pocock
8. Palu *
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane *
12. Fa'ainga
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Davies *
15. Hynes *