Team against the Sweaties

[Spook]

I'd select:

1. Fat Cat (best loose head in the world)
2. TPN
3. Alexander
4. Horwill
5. Mumm (deserves a go)
6. Elsom
7. Pocock
8. Palu
9. Genia
10. Gits
11. Ioane
12. JOC (James O'Connor)
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Hynes
15. Mitchell

I've gone for AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13. He needs to be running the ball more in traffic where he's a threat. Ioane is a great winger and we should keep him there for the moment. Been impressed with Smoo. He's more consistent these days and I think he'd go ok at 15.

TPN, Mumm, and JOC (James O'Connor) all deserve a run. Cooper has done well but can have a rest. Should Dunning have a run at 3?

 

[Blue]

A decision needs to be made if Ioane is the long terms answer at 13. If he is, then he needs game time there and moving him defeats the purpose.

 

[mark_s]

I think you have to keep the same backline for the Scots if thats the planned backline for the Welsh.

Would be great to see Mumm have a go otherwise no other changes to the starting team, but hopefully Deans uses the reserves heavily.

 

[Inconceivable]

I'd like to see Deans select the same team as for Ireland. Chisholm & Horwill need the practice, as do Cooper & Ioane.

I'm also hoping he'll send them out with the goal of delivering a focused thrashing. For some reason we tend to play down to the lower-ranked teams, whereas the All Blacks annihilate them. That's part of our lazy mindset that we need to eradicate and there's no reason we can't aim to start against Scotland.

 

[louie]

i'd keep the same team we had on sunday. Cooper needs as much game time as possible. As with Diggers

 

[Lindommer]

Be nice if Dingo did the 10/12 fandango and see how Cooper goes with a lot more first phase ball in hand. But I'd love to see how Giteau goes with a bit more space and time, all the time.

Fullback looks to be a major problem. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has proved many times before last Sunday his kicking's not good enough at test level, and Turner is an equally poor kicker. This really is inexcusable from a country with the best oval ball kickers going around. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) deserves the opportunities to nail down one starting spot, and for me it's 13. I'd move Ioane to the wing and put Mitchell at the back. JOC (James O'Connor) should practise his orange-cutting skills, permanently. Next year's a watershed for Cam Shepherd, grab the opportunity with both hands son.

I hope Dingo gives all the reserve bench a good run. It's one thing he doesn't seem to've done well in his time with the Wobblies. After Palu's carding you'd think he'd give most of the reserve forwards a run in the second half as the incumbents tired. Dingo was a frugal user of his bench at the Crusaders but one could argue he hasn't learned after Henry effectively won the match in Brisbane last year through a better use of the AB reserves.

 

[Spook]

I think Deans erred in not bringing off Pocock and Chisolm with 10-15 mins to. Pocock was buggered after 70 minutes.

 

[Ash]

Mumm is definately worth a try to see how it affects the lineout.

Agree with Blue about Ioane. I think Ioane is still best as a winger at this stage, but we are hamstrung by lack of a fullback with Mitchell being the only other real option. The only move I'd do is swap Cooper and Gits (like Lindommer) so that Gits is covering the 12 channel, which should solve some problems.

If Ioane's shoulder is not 100% - and it really looks like it's not - then I'd even contemplate resting him.

When will we find a proper, fit fullback?

 

[Spook]

Ash, why not Mitchell again? I know he's flakey at times but he does read the game well.

 

[Viking]

Id change a few things, Mumm to start, QC (Quade Cooper) to 10. Mitchell to fullback. Agree he is more consistant now and I think he would go pretty well at fullback. Plus AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s running might be more utilised if he's on the wing (rather him at 13, but I heard somewhere he likes playing wing and like mentioned b4 should give digger the rest of the tour to settle, if he cant then AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to 13)

 

[Ash]

Ash, why not Mitchell again? I know he's flakey at times but he does read the game well.

His kicking is little better than AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s really, and his defence is worse as he tends to go high and clutch at chests, and yeah, well, he's flakey. Though, he is a more natural fullback though, yeah, and runs the ball more which I like. I remember last year how much better we looked in the EOYT when we had Mitchell at fullback.

I meant that Mitchell is the only other option at fullback, BTW - not that he shouldn't be considered at all. Just so long as J'OC isn't selected there again.

 

[fatprop]

Mitchell has been steadily improving, a few years ago he was being thrown around like a rag doll