Wallabies 2019 Thread

[Braveheart81]

Here's where I see the squad currently:

Props: Sio, Slipper, Ala'alatoa, Tupou, Kepu
Hookers: Fainga'a, Latu, TPN
Locks: Rodda, Arnold, Coleman, Simmons
Backrow: Hooper, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Naisarani, Jones, Pocock
Halfback: White, Genia, Powell
Fly half: Leali'ifano, Foley
Centres: Kerevi, JOC (James O'Connor), Kuridrani, To'omua,
Back three: Beale, Koroibete, Hodge, Banks

There is space for one more player out of Petaia, DHP and another backrower. The only change I would suggest is the potential to drop To'omua, use Foley on the bench and then pick another backrower and back three player.

 

[qwerty51]

Taking 3 halfbacks is useless imo. It’s such an non attritional position and the 3rd barely gets used. England have only named 2.

I’m adding Petaia and Samu. Maybe Robertson so the two starting props can completely miss the games against Uruguay and Georgia.

 

[Braveheart81]

Taking 3 halfbacks is useless imo. It’s such an non attritional position and the 3rd barely gets used. England have only named 2.

I’m adding Petaia and Samu. Maybe Robertson so the two starting props can completely miss the games against Uruguay and Georgia.

England are suggesting that George Ford is the emergency third halfback. The question for the Wallabies is whether they can take that punt and earmark Foley or someone else for that potential role or whether they definitely need a third.

I reckon it will be tempting given it will be tough making that final selection and having an extra player elsewhere might be a bigger benefit.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Here's where I see the squad currently:

Props: Sio, Slipper, Ala'alatoa, Tupou, Kepu
Hookers: Fainga'a, Latu, TPN
Locks: Rodda, Arnold, Coleman, Simmons
Backrow: Hooper, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Naisarani, Jones, Pocock
Halfback: White, Genia, Powell
Fly half: Leali'ifano, Foley
Centres: Kerevi, JOC (James O'Connor), Kuridrani, To'omua,
Back three: Beale, Koroibete, Hodge, Banks

There is space for one more player out of Petaia, DHP and another backrower. The only change I would suggest is the potential to drop To'omua, use Foley on the bench and then pick another backrower and back three player.

Foley on the bench is a disaster based on the fact that he literally can only play 10. Pretty clear that Cheik is not interested in doing this. If he is not on the bench this weekend, I would suspect he is pretty far out of it.

I dont even know why we need to take him. If he is there as a contingency, ie as the back up 10 in case of injury, why not just wait until injury? We are able to bring players in in case of injury.

To'omua can play the games against Uruguay etc, and Christian can come off if we are going ok against Fiji. We will want him to start agaist Wales and all the other big games, and To'omua will be the bencg player as he has equal abilities at 10 or 12 which is very handy.

 

[Bobby Sands]

England are suggesting that George Ford is the emergency third halfback. The question for the Wallabies is whether they can take that punt and earmark Foley or someone else for that potential role or whether they definitely need a third.

I reckon it will be tempting given it will be tough making that final selection and having an extra player elsewhere might be a bigger benefit.

Qwerty is quite right, it makes far more sense to have a make-shift third 9. If an injury occurs bring in Joey Powell.

People seem to think that we can't make changes to the 30 man squad, or that it is finite in nature. If we get injuries (we will) we have to work out whether to hold them or fold them, in which case we get a fresh player and the injured player leaves the tournament squad.

 

[Braveheart81]

Foley on the bench is a disaster based on the fact that he literally can only play 10. Pretty clear that Cheik is not interested in doing this. If he is not on the bench this weekend, I would suspect he is pretty far out of it.

I dont even know why we need to take him. If he is there as a contingency, ie as the back up 10 in case of injury, why not just wait until injury? We are able to bring players in in case of injury.

To'omua can play the games against Uruguay etc, and Christian can come off if we are going ok against Fiji. We will want him to start agaist Wales and all the other big games, and To'omua will be the bencg player as he has equal abilities at 10 or 12 which is very handy.

The rationale that Foley will be in the squad is that he is a clearly the best option to start at 10 in the event that Leali'ifano can't. There is also the point that Leali'ifano has been replaced in both tests he's played so that replacement has come on at 10. I think To'omua is a significant step down at 10. The point of having another option in the squad is twofold. Firstly it means that if the first choice suffers a minor injury, you don't have to replace them and secondly, if there is an injury late in the week or in the warm up you have the replacement available (any squad replacement can't play for 48 hours).

I think To'omua is a much better 12 than 10. The question of who covers who if you are picking Foley on the bench is definitely worth considering.

From the recent bench To'omua covers 10 and 12, Kerevi covers 13 and Banks covers 14/15. Hodge obviously could also be moved around.

If you replaced To'omua with Foley, Foley covers 10, and either Hodge or Foley covers 12. Foley has started 7 tests at 12 so it is not like the position is unknown to him.

To'omua was good against the All Blacks but was poor off the bench against both South Africa and Argentina. I don't think he is locked in as part of our best 23.

 

[Slim 293]

Qwerty is quite right, it makes far more sense to have a make-shift third 9. If an injury occurs bring in Joey Powell.

People seem to think that we can't make changes to the 30 man squad, or that it is finite in nature. If we get injuries (we will) we have to work out whether to hold them or fold them, in which case we get a fresh player and the injured player leaves the tournament squad.

It made sense last time due to the schedule in our pool to only take two hookers and halfbacks...........

I think that this time around we'll definitely have three hookers, and it will be ideal to have three halfbacks for the matches against Uruguay and Georgia.

We can make changes to the 31 man squad, but once a player leaves they can't return........ so the issue is with short term injured players and whether to send them home or not........ and players outside of the 31 man squad can't train with the squad.

And unlike last time we don't have a Giteau this time that can act as halfback cover.

 

[Uh huh]

Some of Foley's better performances off the bench for the Wallabies early in his international career were in the outside backs. He's not a world class flyhalf, but has shown himself to be a tremendously versatile player; in fact if we were to select only two scrumhalves in the squad and needed short term emergency bench cover, he'd be the first I'd pick from the current crop of backs. His support play is excellent and his pass would be good enough in a pinch.

 

[Bobby Sands]

It made sense last time due to the schedule in our pool to only take two hookers and halfbacks.....

I think that this time around we'll definitely have three hookers, and it will be ideal to have three halfbacks for the matches against Uruguay and Georgia.

We can make changes to the 31 man squad, but once a player leaves they can't return.... so the issue is with short term injured players and whether to send them home or not.... and players outside of the 31 man squad can't train with the squad.

And unlike last time we don't have a Giteau this time that can act as halfback cover.

Giteau was obviously the best, but I see no reason why the back up 9 can’t play big minutes and then use a JOC (James O'Connor) as a break glass option.

Three hookers I agree with.

 

[Brumby Runner]

He's naming a team to play Samoa in our last game before the RWC.

If the 2015 game against the USA is anything to go by you would expect the majority of the starting team to be the back half of our RWC squad. There will probably be a couple of players involved who aren't in the RWC squad.

OK. My misunderstanding.

 

[Slim 293]

Giteau was obviously the best, but I see no reason why the back up 9 can’t play big minutes and then use a JOC (James O'Connor) as a break glass option.

Three hookers I agree with.

With the two games against Uruguay and Georgia it would be ideal to have Powell play the bulk of those games, with minimal minutes from Genia and White.

I think there's enough flexibility in the backline that BH named that we probably only need one more in there to cover us.

 

[Brumbieman]

Such a shame Rory Arnold is moving overseas after this season, he is coming into his own this year.

Well, he's been trampling oppo packs since 2015, but was never given the gametime over Simmons/Mumm etc etc so decided to make some coin while he has some time left.

Cheik didn't seem to think he was worth it.

 

[Braveheart81]

Well, he's been trampling oppo packs since 2015, but was never given the gametime over Simmons/Mumm etc etc so decided to make some coin while he has some time left.

Cheik didn't seem to think he was worth it.

He also lost form and had injuries and suspensions at crucial times.

His consistent form this season is well and truly better than it has been in the past. You could look through all his previous tests and I doubt you would find one that matches how well he has played in the three tests this season.

 

['Tattsy'TaylorFan1]

I reckon To'omua is much better than Foley. Some of To'omua's carries have been fantastic. The flat attack which sees 9 and 10 carry the ball and not allow the blitz defence has been awesome to watch, doesn't suit Foley at 10, Lealiifano and To'omua are the two 10s for me. Even a DHP at 10 would be ok as he likes to carry, packs a punch and doesn't have a pop gun boot either.

 

[Tex]

I reckon To'omua is a better crash ball option and he's a clearly superior tackler, but he's not my preference as a starting or replacement 10 in any other area.

 

[Braveheart81]

I reckon To'omua is much better than Foley. Some of To'omua's carries have been fantastic. The flat attack which sees 9 and 10 carry the ball and not allow the blitz defence has been awesome to watch, doesn't suit Foley at 10, Lealiifano and To'omua are the two 10s for me. Even a DHP at 10 would be ok as he likes to carry, packs a punch and doesn't have a pop gun boot either.

Foley is fine playing flat. It's all predicated on the forward pack though. No one can play flat to the line successfully if the forwards aren't winning the contact zone.

DHP at 10 is just a bizarre suggestion.

 

[cyclopath]

Foley is fine playing flat. It's all predicated on the forward pack though. No one can play flat to the line successfully if the forwards aren't winning the contact zone.

DHP at 10 is just a bizarre suggestion.

Yeah, 'cos that would be where you move him to regain some confidence after his recent game.........

 

[cyclopath]

Well, he's been trampling oppo packs since 2015, but was never given the gametime over Simmons/Mumm etc etc so decided to make some coin while he has some time left.

Cheik didn't seem to think he was worth it.

Not at Test level he hasn't (consistently). In superb form now. You're trying to re-write history to suggest he was playing like this for 4 years. Not even at Super level all the time. Glad to see him at the next level now.

 

[Brumby Runner]

BH and Cyclo, I agree that Rory is playing at a higher level now, but I would also say (and I accept we will probably never agree on this) that he was playing better and had better form than a couple of the others who were used more frequently by Cheika over the past 3 - 4 years. I'd even go as far as saying that Richie could have been as good had he been given opportunities.

 

[Up the Guts]

Not at Test level he hasn't (consistently). In superb form now. You're trying to re-write history to suggest he was playing like this for 4 years. Not even at Super level all the time. Glad to see him at the next level now.

This is true for most of the players. I’ve seen a lot of “how much better are we with a selection panel” comments but we’ve been lucky this year that AAA, Fainga'a, Arnold, Kerevi, CLL, White, and Koroibete are all in career best form (with AAA, Arnold, and Kerevi all world class) or have returned to form after injury/illness (CLL) alongside Naisarani becoming eligible. That’s half a team coming good.