Tri Nations Game 3 New Zealand v Australia - Saturday 6 August 2011 - 3N2011

[Joe Blow]

We need some serious grunt to take on the likes of the ABs and England up front.
Deans is looking for it. You couldn't fault him for that.
You would have to think that Sharpie will be in the RWC squad and would be a very good candidate to be "mid week"captain.

 

[Joe Blow]

ABs side named

New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw(c) 6 Jerome Kaino , 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Wyatt Crockett.

Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Samuel Whitelock, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Colin Slade, 22 Sonny Bill Williams.

 

[Athilnaur]

Can't fault the cartels method, for the longer picture, but I reckon that lineup could implode for them for this game. Mils, Sivi, to a lesser degree mealamu, and the Ali/thorn combo. All players who have been great, but Long in the tooth and many of them little to no game time. We can but hope Read is rusty, but you'd be silly to put money on it. While we are at it hope Gear is rusty too, but something tells me he will do a Jane. Sivi in kick receipt with a slower Mils will be interesting.

Here's hoping we can run them round to cut their percentages.

 

[No4918]

We need some serious grunt to take on the likes of the ABs and England up front.
Deans is looking for it. You couldn't fault him for that.
You would have to think that Sharpie will be in the RWC squad and would be a very good candidate to be "mid week"captain.

Is there any midweek games this year? Don't see the point of making him captain in them anyway. There is nothing to be learnt for the selectors by it.

Cowan dropped altogether is a surprise. Jane can also consider himself unlucky not to be in the 22. Not sure Gear is an improvement over he or Guildford but its good to see him back. Thorn, Meealamu, Read and Kaino add real power in the forwards though. If our forwards can find a way to nullify there's I think our backs can win this.

 

[Riptide]

ABs side named

New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw(c) 6 Jerome Kaino , 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Wyatt Crockett.

Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Samuel Whitelock, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Colin Slade, 22 Sonny Bill Williams.

Expect to see Woodcock (if fit), Cowen at 9, Sivi on LW, Jane or Toeva (if fit) on right and it's interesting that Henry is persisting with Williams at 5 who has been consistently poor at re-starts and ineffective in the tight where he has little impact at the contact area. It's a big game for Gear. He lit it up on the November tour, was injured in a poorly performing Hurricanes outfit and now must perform on his first game back or risk being cut from the squad.

Toeava, Woodcock and Dagg are all lining up this weekend in the ITM. Richard Kahui and Boric have yet to recover from injury.

That's extraordinary depth.

 

[Ruggo]

For the first time in a long time, the Wallaby pack is showing positive signs of being well balanced. There are no logical reasons to change it at current but every reason to keep building from it. Against the Bokke it looked like one unit where in the past we have had 8 individuals. While the unit keeps performing as a unit, players are going to struggle to break in. Tamani over Sharpe is the real controversy for me but it must have something to do with efforts on the training paddock and happenings in camp that we do not have the good oil on. Slipper is another player that might have trouble breaking into the pack and might be spending time on the pine even when fully fit due to this.

Should the coaches take the resting players option over the building combination option, I would not be opposed to seeing Sharpe and Vickerman travel to Durban while Horwill and Simmons stay home.

 

[mark_s]

Has anyone posted the Aus team yet, 2ky this ran through the Wobbily starting team (no changes from the bok game) but didn't run through the reserves. Can't find it on the net yet.

 

[RedsHappy]

I always like to see The New York Times covering Australian rugby:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/sports/rugby/04iht-RUGBY04.html?_r=1

 

[DPK]

All four are blessed with pace, sublime handling and footballing skills, as well as a supreme confidence in their ability to, as Beale put it this week, “tear any team apart.”

I like this quote.

The forwards will need to break the back of their opposition, then let slip the backs to deliver the coup de grâce.

 

[RedsHappy]

For the first time in a long time, the Wallaby pack is showing positive signs of being well balanced. .... Should the coaches take the resting players option over the building combination option, I would not be opposed to seeing Sharpe and Vickerman travel to Durban while Horwill and Simmons stay home.

Really Ruggo? Aren't we desperate to try and win the 3N? Or does nothing matter now but the potential of a RWC win?

 

[TSR]

I'm a bit late with this post, but I am big fan of Simmons - have no problems with him being our starting lock with Horwill. Works hard in the grind. He is supposed to be pretty unflappable too (always a bonus for a big test match).

 

[Athilnaur]

Has anyone posted the Aus team yet, 2ky this ran through the Wobbily starting team (no changes from the bok game) but didn't run through the reserves. Can't find it on the net yet.

Wallabies team: 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. James O'Connor, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12. Pat McCabe, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. Quade Cooper, 9. Will Genia, 8. Ben McCalman, 7. David Pocock, 6. Rocky Elsom (Capt), 5. James Horwill, 4. Rob Simmons, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Sekope Kepu. Reserves: 16. Saia Fainga'a, 17. Pekahou Cowan, 18. Dan Vickerman, 19. Scott Higginbotham, 20. Luke Burgess, 21. Anthony Fainga'a, 22. Lachie Turner

 

[Ruggo]

I am feeling a real vibe through the community about the Wallabies. People who don't normally care for Rugby are talking Wallabies. There is much more talk in the media also. This is happening even though the NRL and AFL are entering the home run into the finals. Whether by design or by coincidence, the one team concept is hitting the mark.

I hope our boys can get up and continue this momentum in the community.

 

[Ruggo]

Really Ruggo? Aren't we desperate to try and win the 3N? Or does nothing matter now but the potential of a RWC win?

Yes really. Are you trying to put words into my mouth? I am getting that impression as you have left out the guts of my post which actually adds context to it. I made no mention of prioritising one form of silverware for another and am clueless as to where you have come up with that.

 

[Athilnaur]

Yup, also reckon there's a sense that after years of waiting and frustration, instead of seeing a series of players who may or may not deliver, we are seeing our team, as a team, and it's a pretty damn exciting one.

We can win on sat, but you know what, First and foremost I want to see a great Wallabies team play like a team, who for 81 minutes give it absolutely everything.

 

[mark_s]

I'll just be happy if we win the last 20 mins. This is a very good AB team we are up against and they will know that a victory on Sat secures the bled for 2011 and takes the pressure of the rest of the games until RWC rolls in.

 

[Slim 293]

Wallabies team: 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. James O'Connor, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12. Pat McCabe, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. Quade Cooper, 9. Will Genia, 8. Ben McCalman, 7. David Pocock, 6. Rocky Elsom (Capt), 5. James Horwill, 4. Rob Simmons, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Sekope Kepu. Reserves: 16. Saia Fainga'a, 17. Pekahou Cowan, 18. Dan Vickerman, 19. Scott Higginbotham, 20. Luke Burgess, 21. Anthony Fainga'a, 22. Lachie Turner

No issues for me, aside from Cowan...

Still can't believe that he's in the squad... and in the 22!

 

[RedsHappy]

Yes really. Are you trying to put words into my mouth? I am getting that impression as you have left out the guts of my post which actually adds context to it. I made no mention of prioritising one form of silverware for another and am clueless as to where you have come up with that.

Simply: it just seemed to me that the idea of leaving Simmons and Horwill at home and 'resting' for the potentially crucial SA match (crucial to a 3N win, that is) and relying upon Sharpe and Vickerman there was potentially very high risk against what will be a better SA team playing in front of a rabid home crowd. So, it appeared to me that you were effectively, in this suggestion, preferencing a RWC plan over a 3N plan. That's all.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Simply: it just seemed to me that the idea of leaving Simmons and Horwill at home and 'resting' for the potentially crucial SA match (crucial to a 3N win, that is) and relying upon Sharpe and Vickerman there was potentially very high risk against what will be a better SA team playing in front of a rabid home crowd. So, it appeared to me that you were effectively, in this suggestion, preferencing a RWC plan over a 3N plan. That's all.

Clutching the straws if you actually believe fielding a locking combination of Sharpe and Vickerman is a very high risk and effectively throwing a game. We’ve fielded a lot worse first string combinations over the last few years.

 

[Slim 293]

Also, you make it sound like Sharpe is a lesser player to Simmons... which is...