Wallabies 2019 Thread

[Slim 293]

It's going to be a tight race.........

TPN - By some margin the most experienced, and if he gets back to how he was playing last year would easily be the best hooker in the squad, but has been fairly poor since returning from overseas

Uelese - Looked great when fit, but will be coming off a long term injury

Fainga'a - Gradually built up momentum throughout the Super Rugby season and finished off as the best performing hooker. Hasn't been great for the Wobs so far, but that seems to be typical for our first year test frontrowers.

BPA - Started the season strongly, but fell behind the others. Like Fainga'a its his first year and could bounce back.

Latu - The wildcard. He has a extra few years of experience on the above three, but his form wildly fluctuates, he's prone to serious brainsnaps, and is not always reliable at the lineout......... which I'd be more forgiving of if he was as green as the others.

If they're all playing at their best I would take TPN, Uelese and Fainga'a...........

 

[ShtinaTina]

I'd reassess TPN's form after a few rounds of Premiership, he came in cold from time off into Wallabies Camp & then was flown around the world 2 times. I'm surprised his head wasn't actually spinning by the time he got to Brisbane.

 

[Wilson]

Really hope they give him a break for the EOYT, we need him as fresh as possible next year and to get as much experience into Latu/Folau/BPA as possible

 

[ShtinaTina]

Really hope they give him a break for the EOYT, we need him as fresh as possible next year and to get as much experience into Latu/Folau/BPA as possible

By "break" you mean he's playing week in & week out at Tigers until May? - - - sure thing

 

[Derpus]

By "break" you mean he's playing week in & week out at Tigers until May? - - - sure thing

Yeah but not compounding that with Test duties. Premiership is not as taxing as Test rugby.

 

[Wilson]

Yeah not as taxing as test match rugby, and gives the others a chance to get some experience.

 

[TSR]

It’s a balancing act. Managing his work load between now and the WC will be important.

But if they don’t pick him in the squad is Leicester under any obligation to release him to train with the Wallaby squad? I imagine that his advice to the likes of Fainga'a, Paenga Amosa & Tupou most be like liquid gold. Not to mention his leadership and experience across the wider squad. That in itself would seem to me to be almost as valuable as his form on the field.

 

[ShtinaTina]

I don't think Tigers are under any obligation to release him if he's not in the squad under regulation 9

 

[barbarian]

At his best, Latu is a margin ahead of our other hookers. The second half of the third Irish test was the best performance by an Australian hooker in a long time.

The issue with him is the gap between his best and worst. The brain fades, the penalties, the indiscipline at the breakdown. If he irons that stuff out then the 2 jersey is his, but we've been saying that for three years now. I'm not sure you can carry him.

I like Fainga'a, and with another season of Super Rugby under his belt he could get a more permanent grasp on the jersey. He's still very green, but that will change.

TPN looks like he won't quite make it to the World Cup, though maybe he could be a super-sub option.

Nonetheless the jersey is still up for grabs and no option would surprise me.
..

 

[RoffsChoice]

I have faith that Uelese can come back. His physical skills were definitely a part of his rise to Wallaby gold, but his technical skill and the mental side of his game are what really got him there. Watching him play at test level, you rarely saw him miss a tackle, throw incorrectly, hit a breakdown when he wasn't needed, or find himself out of position in defence.

As it stands, Fainga'a is a trap. We've seen him intermittently get his lineouts and scrummaging to work, and, when he does get those right, then you can see him as a Wallaby hooker for the next decade. However, he has only done that for about three weeks since he became a professional player in 2016. I want him to get those things right, and he’s shown that he can, but I also think we can’t consider him until he puts in a full season of proper technique.

 

[Rebels3]

Any chance of Michael Alaatoa been in contention for the WC?

He has just missed out on the 51 man ABs squad (please quote me if i am wrong, only had a quick look). A squad i think already has a couple of injuries to ABs props, so they are effectively saying hes not in the top 4/5 on either side of the scrum.

Might lead to him wanting to come back, well hopefully, or is he just injured and not available for selection?

 

[RoffsChoice]

Any chance of Michael Alaatoa been in contention for the WC?

Prop Mike Ala'alatoa re-signs with Crusaders until 2020, ending hopes of an Australian return.

Source: https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...n/news-story/b0d652a65bc562ec76b281382a34ad0e

I know Super Rugby contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on, but still unlikely.

 

[wamberal]

He must have an inkling that he has a chance of higher honours.

 

[fatprop]

It's going to be a tight race...

TPN - By some margin the most experienced, and if he gets back to how he was playing last year would easily be the best hooker in the squad, but has been fairly poor since returning from overseas

Uelese - Looked great when fit, but will be coming off a long term injury

Fainga'a - Gradually built up momentum throughout the Super Rugby season and finished off as the best performing hooker. Hasn't been great for the Wobs so far, but that seems to be typical for our first year test frontrowers.

BPA - Started the season strongly, but fell behind the others. Like Fainga'a its his first year and could bounce back.

Latu - The wildcard. He has a extra few years of experience on the above three, but his form wildly fluctuates, he's prone to serious brainsnaps, and is not always reliable at the lineout... which I'd be more forgiving of if he was as green as the others.

If they're all playing at their best I would take TPN, Uelese and Fainga'a.....

Earlier this year I thought Fitzpatrick would be an option because he does the hooker stuff well. Then he didn't.

Too many of the list above struggle to throw accurately, we need a unit who can hit his jumpers

 

[Rebels3]

Uelese isn't the greatest thrower either. Only transition to hooker a couple of years ago from a ball carrying backrower. Absolute beast in the scrum and offers a lot going forward with the ball, but another hooker that has struggled at line out. Still very young so could easily turn into a strength

 

[fatprop]

Uelese isn't the greatest thrower either. Only transition to hooker a couple of years ago from a ball carrying backrower. Absolute beast in the scrum and offers a lot going forward with the ball, but another hooker that has struggled at line out. Still very young so could easily turn into a strength

If they all aren't out every day between now and February practising under serious physical stress they are idiots.

 

[Rebels3]

If they all aren't out every day between now and February practising under serious physical stress they are idiots.

It can't be coincidence either that they all struggle, obviously a fundamental issue we have in our coaching methods to keep producing them.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Every one of them has come good in lineout throwing after an extended period of training, only to regress later on. There’s a real chance that this is because they reducing their training when they start getting it right; this thought process is entirely backwards. They need to practice until they never get it wrong, not stop as soon as they get one right.

 

[Derpus]

Any chance of Michael Alaatoa been in contention for the WC?

He has just missed out on the 51 man ABs squad (please quote me if i am wrong, only had a quick look). A squad i think already has a couple of injuries to ABs props, so they are effectively saying hes not in the top 4/5 on either side of the scrum.

Might lead to him wanting to come back, well hopefully, or is he just injured and not available for selection?

He wouldnt make the Wallabies, but that's assuming they are all fit.

Prop is essentially the only position across the board where we aren't gagging for more depth. Well prop and 7.

 

[fatprop]

Every one of them has come good in lineout throwing after an extended period of training, only to regress later on. There’s a real chance that this is because they reducing their training when they start getting it right; this thought process is entirely backwards. They need to practice until they never get it wrong, not stop as soon as they get one right.

I firmly think it technique failing under pressure, the tempo and pressure of test match rugby must drag that heart rate right up. Then a hooker has to do a zen like drop of that HR and hit his mark.

Again and again