The Wallabies Thread

[Braveheart81]

Yeah so I wonder at 8 or 6?

Leaving Hanigan out could leave Hooper & McMahon playing right/left with Timani up the middle

You lose lineout and gain dynamism

McMahon is a reasonable option in the lineout. Certainly not as good as Hanigan but significantly better in other aspects of play.

I would be tempted to go with it.

We need as much physicality against the All Blacks as possible.

 

[hammertimethere]

Higgers > Hanigan right now by a fair way

 

[fatprop]

Hardwick was one of our better players in June. Korzyk is untested and rarely commands a starting spot at the reds. We have a decent starting back 3 forwards with absolutely nothing behind it.
The second row selections are overturned again as well.
The backs look very solid but they cannot do much without a decent platform.

losing faith...

Was he? I was at the Scotland match, he didn't appear to be one the better players in that match

On the second rowers, the starters appear set, the bench option appears undecided

 

[dru]

Hardwick was one of our better players in June. Korzyk is untested and rarely commands a starting spot at the reds. We have a decent starting back 3 forwards with absolutely nothing behind it.
The second row selections are overturned again as well.
The backs look very solid but they cannot do much without a decent platform.

losing faith...

Korczyk was injured, out for some time, and took a while to get back into form. Reds were heavy with loose options. I really like the guy and am chuffed for his opportunity. But yep, it says something about our depth that he has bustled into the top 6 backrowers in Aus in 2017.

 

[hammertimethere]

And don't fucking get me started on Higgers > Korzcyk and Dempsey

 

[Braveheart81]

And don't fucking get me started on Higgers > Korzcyk and Dempsey

They're most clearly not like for like selections. I don't think anyone is expecting Korczyk or Dempsey to make the 23 at any point and they are young up and coming players and Higginbotham is almost 31 and has signed to play in Japan over the offseason.

 

[fatprop]

Higgers > Hanigan right now by a fair way

At playing the way cheika wants his team to play or being Higgers?

 

[Sauron]

At playing the way cheika wants his team to play or being Higgers?

Such cutting insight.

Higgers plays a similar game to Hanigan, only Cheika refuses to use him in this capacity and forces him to play 8 rather than 6. Nobody suggesting Higgers should be in over Hanigan is saying that Higgers should play 8.

 

[Braveheart81]

From the squad, my team for the first Bledisloe would be:

Sio
TPN
Ala'alatoa
Coleman
Arnold
McMahon
Hooper
Timani
Genia
Foley
Speight
Beale
Kuridrani
DHP
Folau

Moore, Robertson, Kepu, Rodda, Hanigan, Phipps, Hodge, Kerevi

I think good coverage for the 13 jersey is important and I don't think Hodge works there at this stage due to his defensive reads.

Hodge covers wing and 10/12 (although Beale would move to 10 if required).

 

[KOB1987]

But sometimes those guys have to pull off the suit....

Ahh yes, but JMR wasn't even in the squad at the beginning and I suspect that if we lose one of the 4 back rowers from the intended 23 Scott Fardy will also be getting a phone call.

 

[MarkJ]

Hasn't Fardy been given an early release by the ARU? So I assume he can't be called back in

 

[The Snout]

Our backs are fine.

Our forwards need to drink a couple of cement milkshakes and they'll be fine too.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think he will have a role at 8 again, as the attacking structure posters above have talked about that Cheika uses. , I see him playing there ruling around the ruck, with a 6 who is a lineout option and the 7 & 6 planted wider to support the ball being moved wider.

That structure is not unreasonable if we want to play with any width, and I for one prefer them playing with width as we will never win against any of the decent sides playing kick and clap or charging up the middle. But with a bit of structured width, second line attacks and pods of pigs working hard, it can work




I don't think it is a great choice, , it is one of the many weak slots in the side. But I also don't see many units who will play the role Cheika wants substantially better. There are others who do other things really well, but not to slot into what Cheika has in mind

FP, either you are Cheika posting under a pseudonym or you have some magical power to read what goes on in Cheilka's mind. I do grant you have some evidence to support your claims, but I have grave doubts that anything with logic attached to it goes on in Cheika's mind these days - you know what I mean?

 

[Brumby Runner]

Cheika said Timani wasn't fit enough, once he was he was selected

IIRC Timani (and the squad as a whole) was selected before any of them had the benefit of Cheika's fitness regime. Surely, you wouldn't be suggesting that a Super Rugby franchise, least of all the Rebels, had their players up to Cheika's fitness standards?

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think the likely starting side is ok with the exception of the backrow. But I have no confidence at all in the coaching of the side or the game plan utilising essentially two open side flankers and three underperforming lineout jumpers which has failed for most of the past two years.

 

[Braveheart81]

IIRC Timani (and the squad as a whole) was selected before any of them had the benefit of Cheika's fitness regime. Surely, you wouldn't be suggesting that a Super Rugby franchise, least of all the Rebels, had their players up to Cheika's fitness standards?

Cheika specifically made comments about Timani's fitness at the start of the June series that it wasn't there yet.

He then selected him for the last test in the series because his fitness presumably improved after a few weeks in camp.

 

[Sully]

Our backs are fine.

Our forwards need to drink a couple of cement milkshakes and they'll be fine too.

In what universe are our backs fine?

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk

 

[Micheal]

To be honest I find the non-selection of Higgenbotham quite confusing.

Cheika has said that he learnt last year that you really need 3 proper jumpers in the test side, and that compromises can't be made around that. For me, that implies that he'll have either a jumping 6 (Hanigan) or a jumping 8 (McMahon)

Either way I'm concerned about the lineout, and even more concerned about Hanigan being in the 23 at all. He's simply not up to it.

Further, given Cheika's system of having the big bodied 8 in centre field, with your 6 and your 7 on either flank, surely Hooper and Higgenbotham are your ideal players for such roles?

Either way, I'm pretty happy with the squad overall. I'd like to see Naivalu, Ainsley, Latu and Hunt brought back in when fit.

I'd like to see this as the 23:

Sio, Moore, Ala'alatoa
Arnold, Coleman
McMahon, Hooper, Timani
Genia, Foley
Beale, Rona (or Meakes)
DHP, Folau, Speight (or Hodge)

Res:

Kepu, TPN, Robertson
Douglas (last shot at redemption), Dempsey / Hanigan (wouldn't pick either if I could choose the squad but they're all we got)
Phipps, Kerevi, Hodge / Meakes

 

[Braveheart81]

In what universe are our backs fine?

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk

Maybe less not fine would have been better.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's not a terrible situation but certainly disappointing that we are missing Hunt, Naivalu and Ainsley through injury.

I think there's a strong chance all three would be in our best 23.