Wales v Australia, Monday 18 November 3:10am AEDT

[Sully]

Maybe. But with this and Uru coming in out of nowhere, I hope they aren't taking Wales too lightly. We need to win this game and despite the loss last week Wales looked improved from what they dished up earlier this year

Uru out of no where? He's in the squad.

 

[drewprint]

Williams looked very ginger when he came off last match. Maybe just managing a niggle? If fit I’d have shifted him to #6.

 

[Derpus]

Yeah I like the Uru pick myself. His skillset definitely complements Skelton's and he's had a solid few years with the Reds and Aus A.

 

[Tomthumb]

Uru out of no where? He's in the squad.

He's started zero of the 10 tests so far this year and only been in the 23 once. So yeah I'd say him starting after barely being sighted all year is out of nowhere

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Can be a case of still testing blokes out who are on the periphery and if not up to Wales then we don't see them again. Schmidt has been doing it all year. I'd say the likes of Blyth, Naser & Stewart has been given a chance earlier and marked for now.

 

[Tomikin]

Do you reckon McReight will get the captain's armband this week?

Just a guess, unless they Start AAA then he will and bring Thor of the bench, which usually ends up happening with every coach eventually. AAA was the better THP verse England.

 

[PhilClinton]

Latest Christy mail, which has been uncharacteristically unreliable of late, has these changes:
- Williams drops out for Skelton (surely not)
- Uru to replace Wilson
- Alaalaatoa to start and captain
- Jorgensen replacing Pietsch
- Kerevi replacing Sua'ali'i with him going to the bench

This seems to line up with the Sam Bruce article on ESPN posted this morning.

 

[Spamnoodle]

He's started zero of the 10 tests so far this year and only been in the 23 once. So yeah I'd say him starting after barely being sighted all year is out of nowhere

Everyone has to start somewhere. He was awesome in Red all year, deserves his shot.

 

[Wilson]

This seems to line up with the Sam Bruce article on ESPN posted this morning.

Worth noting Bruce also has Tupou out of the side entirely, not just pushed to the bench, which makes sense if he has been carrying a knee injury:

Mystery also surrounds prop Taniela Tupou, with the powerhouse front-rower set to miss the Principality Stadium showdown. Tupou was one of the few, perhaps the only, Wallaby not to shine in London last week, with suggestions he may still be suffering from the knee knock he suffered in Bledisloe II.

Suaalii benched as Schmidt freshens Wallabies

A week after he made the stunning call to throw Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i in at the deep end of Test rugby, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has again surprised with his matchday 23 for Sunday night's clash with Wales.

www.espn.com.au

 

[Tomthumb]

Everyone has to start somewhere. He was awesome in Red all year, deserves his shot.

I hope you're right. Just hope we aren't just making changes thinking Wales will be easy beats

 

[Wilson]

I hope you're right. Just hope we aren't just making changes thinking Wales will be easy beats

It's a forced change with the starting player out with concussion. It was always down to an out of position Williams, an in position Uru coming off minimal exposure in gold, or Gleeson who doesn't offer the cover at lineout or with respect to workrate. It's hardly looks like we're doing it because we think Wales are easy beats.

 

[upthereds#!]

Christy has used hte word 'could' so many times it cannot be taken as 'has these changes'.

"Wilson a no.8 is out, and Uru could replace him. Skelton will start and Williams may make way"

In no way does this mean that Uru is being leaked to be a starter, or that Williams is dropped completely and in fact not himself moved to 6.



Had he written, " itseems that this will happen", or "insiders say this", or "the main team looks like they are training as such", then yes maybe it's a scoop. But he has only used 'could'.

 

[Tomthumb]

It's a forced change with the starting player out with concussion. It was always down to an out of position Williams, an in position Uru coming off minimal exposure in gold, or Gleeson who doesn't offer the cover at lineout or with respect to workrate. It's hardly looks like we're doing it because we think Wales are easy beats.

Fair enough, although Australia A might have a better 6 than the Wallabies this weekend which is a bit funny

It's more the dropping of JAS in order to just give Kerevi a run to see if he has anything left that makes me feel like they think Wales are easy beats

 

[Strewthcobber]

It's more the dropping of JAS in order to just give Kerevi a run to see if he has anything left that makes me feel like they think Wales are easy beats

7 days ago this would have been the conservative, respectful decision

 

[Brumby Runner]

Good thing about having Sua'ali'i on the bench is that if Kerevi is bombing it we can drag him and revert to the centre combo from the England match. Not a bad backup option to have.

The issue is that we should start with the combination from last week with Kerevi on the bench, rather than break up a winning combination in the hope a star from years ago can regain a bit of his long lost mojo.

 

[Tomthumb]

7 days ago this would have been the conservative, respectful decision

Not in my book

 

[Brumby Runner]

This is pretty much what I would have done.
Williams would not dropped he would be rested/rotated getting ready for the Scott's and Ireland. We don't know what his physical fitness and recovery is like and out of all the second rowers he might need a bit of a rest more than the others.

Tupou is struggling and Alaalaatoa is a good captain and his scrummaging is just about back to its best.

Uru is a proper blindside who plays second row so is the best option there.

Jorgo is a proper winger so is the best option there.

Kerevi needs to play to see what he can provide to the team these days. Sua'ali'i is still there to cover wing and centre.

All well and good, but we will be without our best restart players both receiving and chasing our own kick off. We might be struggling to gain possession in this game.

 

[Derpus]

All well and good, but we will be without our best restart players both receiving and chasing our own kick off. We might be struggling to gain possession in this game.

Yeah that is a good point. We certainly dont win that game against England with Williams and JAS restart work.

 

[Ignoto]

Fair enough, although Australia A might have a better 6 than the Wallabies this weekend which is a bit funny

We've seen what the Ned Hanigan from the Brumbies can do at the Wallabies level already.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

The Red glasses are strong on a lot of members in here.