Spring Tour Improvements

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I also feel that we've taken a couple of big strides forward on this tour. You don't play shit rugby and win four on the trot. The signs started to emerge in the Italy game that the shackles were coming off in the running rugby department and the full impact was felt against Ireland, where I think we played some of our best footy in several years.

The Wales game (at times) was even a level above that. The pace, intensity and skill level during the middle 40 minutes of the game was outstanding. If we can consistently play like that then I feel like the AB's and Saffers have something to worry about. If a couple of those last passes had stuck we could have been 20 points up going into the last quarter of the game and well out of sight.

It's also great to contemplate who could come back into the match day 23 from the injury/suspension list:

To'omua
Pocock
Higgers
Kuridrani
Beale

 

[suckerforred]

Read here and in a couple of other threads that people are looking for Skelton as the next best thing at lock. I don't doubt that he has talent but from what I have seen of him he strikes me as being a little like Timani - a big brute that doesn't know how to use his size. I would dearly like to see both of them improve in their attacking & smashing the line before they get put in a Wallabies jersey. Hopefully they will prove me wrong.

 

[Braveheart81]

Read here and in a couple of other threads that people are looking for Skelton as the next best thing at lock. I don't doubt that he has talent but from what I have seen of him he strikes me as being a little like Timani - a big brute that doesn't know how to use his size. I would dearly like to see both of them improve in their attacking & smashing the line before they get put in a Wallabies jersey. Hopefully they will prove me wrong.

If there's one thing Skelton did do well in Super Rugby last year it was to use his size effectively.

His reach to disrupt mauls was amazing, he was strong in contact and consistently made good offloads and he put on some bone crunching tackles.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Skelton looks very promising and if he can kick on next year it creates some serious competition at lock. I'd like to see him step up and really dominate the collision in super rugby in 2014.

 

[terry j]

I thought To'omua and Simmons were marked improvers

To'omua looked the business at 12, he showed both strength and guile; and I think found his position in test rugby.

Simmons has finally looked like a proper test lock, there was a signs at the back end of the rugby championship, but he showed consistency in November

awwhh man, can we do something about your avatar?

 

[JSRF10]

Read here and in a couple of other threads that people are looking for Skelton as the next best thing at lock. I don't doubt that he has talent but from what I have seen of him he strikes me as being a little like Timani - a big brute that doesn't know how to use his size. I would dearly like to see both of them improve in their attacking & smashing the line before they get put in a Wallabies jersey. Hopefully they will prove me wrong.

Skeltons cameo against the Reds was one of the best 25 minutes of lock play in the Super 15. Big tackles, big runs, superb offloads, good clear outs, it had almost everything you'd want. If he can bring his fitness up a notch there is no doubt in my mind he'll play a big part in the Wallaby set up in the coming years.

 

[suckerforred]

If there's one thing Skelton did do well in Super Rugby last year it was to use his size effectively.

His reach to disrupt mauls was amazing, he was strong in contact and consistently made good offloads and he put on some bone crunching tackles.

Braveheart I take your points on board, but I still believe that there are to many times when he goes into the contact and then stops running whereas if he kept pumping his legs he would be able to make serious ground & take even more defenders out of play. I suppose my poorly made point is that I would like to see how he performs in a full Super season before we start penciling him into the Wallabies side.

 

[Iluvmyfooty]

have to agree with sucker. Skelton is big and powerful however at international level there are many big and powerful forwards. He has to improve his fitness and mobility and show that he can put it on for at least the majority of a tough 80 minute game and not just a cameo 25 minutes

 

[Dave Beat]

To the statistician.
How many tries have we scored in the last 4 months?
How many tries did we score in the preceeding 12 months?

 

[wamberal]

Skelton is still a kid. Although so is Etzebeth.

 

[scaraby]

have to agree with sucker. Skelton is big and powerful however at international level there are many big and powerful forwards. He has to improve his fitness and mobility and show that he can put it on for at least the majority of a tough 80 minute game and not just a cameo 25 minutes

There are many big and powerful forwards but not skelton big..the kid is already massive and will only get wider. Watch the Lions game from last year I'm pretty sure Cheiks gave him a full 80ms...he was devastating.....He will go very close this year.

 

[RugbyReg]

To the statistician.
How many tries have we scored in the last 4 months?
How many tries did we score in the preceeding 12 months?

32 tries since the start of the RC. 19 tries in season 2012 plus lions tests.

 

[fatprop]

There are many big and powerful forwards but not skelton big..the kid is already massive and will only get wider. Watch the Lions game from last year I'm pretty sure Cheiks gave him a full 80ms.he was devastating...He will go very close this year.

It is worth remembering that Skelton is only in his first fully professional pre season now. He came into the Tahs training squad through a academy opposed training run vs the tahs

 

[Train Without a Station]

We played 1 more test in 2013 didn't we?

 

[RugbyReg]

We played 1 more test in 2013 didn't we?

if you are talking about the try scoring stats then the 34 tries were scored in 12 tests.

The 19 tries referenced were scored in 18 tests.

 

[I like to watch]

32 tries since the start of the RC. 19 tries in season 2012 plus lions tests.

Izzy has made a huge difference hasn't he?

 

[scaraby]

It is worth remembering that Skelton is only in his first fully professional pre season now. He came into the Tahs training squad through a academy opposed training run vs the tahs

I'd be interested in your thoughts on him. I rarely get this feeling on players and the last time i did was Folau. I can't put my finger on what it was last year.....maybe "the tackle"

 

[Train Without a Station]

Well, that's an even greater increase in try scoring potency than I had expected.

Sure the Lions series would likely drag the try scoring rate down due to the quality of the opposition, but when you've included the 3 test series against weakened NH opposition from 2012 there is ample opportunity to make up for it.

Imagine what that 34 could increase to after a 3 test series against a French line up which would likely be at around 80% strength?

 

[fatprop]

I'd be interested in your thoughts on him. I rarely get this feeling on players and the last time i did was Folau. I can't put my finger on what it was last year...maybe "the tackle"

I think he is very, very raw. Bloody big and athletic, but needs to learn the rugby forward short cuts/decision making before we will see him really do well.

 

[scaraby]

Good summary my initial thoughts were that he lacked the aggression of a Fardy and the ability to know when to impose and when not to which has always been a problem with Timani. I think his learning curve over 12 months has been extraordinary. Sexton would agree.