Wallabies 2021

[TSR]

I thought the Japan game suggested that it was primarily Kerevi making him look so good. He even joined in on the intercept party.

He was still better than our other options but Kerevi was the game changer.

I think that’s selling Quade short.

He was fantastic in the domestic tests. So to was Kerevi and having Koroibete out there was a big plus too.

But Quade was very good in his own right and I don’t think it’s fair on him to just attribute that to other players.

He did definitely drop back a bit v Japan.

 

[Froggy]

Quade has always been an extraordinarily talented footballer, without doubt imo the best Australian 10 since Larkham, and possibly even more talented than him, you may even go back to Ella to see a more naturally talented 10.. However, he had a couple of major flaws which he seems to have had to wait until his 30's to deal with. Poor defence, and when he did tackle it was that leap up which saw him collect numerous cards of all colours for high tackles, a tendency to have a complete brain explosion under pressure, and also an inclination to overplay his hand. I don't think his raw talent was ever in question, it was just that his negatives could too often cost you a match.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Quade has always been an extraordinarily talented footballer, without doubt imo the best Australian 10 since Larkham, and possibly even more talented than him, you may even go back to Ella to see a more naturally talented 10.. However, he had a couple of major flaws which he seems to have had to wait until his 30's to deal with. Poor defence, and when he did tackle it was that leap up which saw him collect numerous cards of all colours for high tackles, a tendency to have a complete brain explosion under pressure, and also an inclination to overplay his hand. I don't think his raw talent was ever in question, it was just that his negatives could too often cost you a match.

Yeh foley was ahead of Quade for those reasons and most like me remembered those flaws and were initially skeptical of his return as the answer at 10 but he seems to have addressed those flaws and yeh if available would be my first pick for 10. Just the same as if and when Noah addresses his weaker parts of his game I would happily support him as first pick for 10.

 

[Ignoto]

it was just that his negatives could too often cost you a match.

Honestly, it's not like Foley's limitations didn't cost us matches. His pop-gun clearing kicks where we never got out of our own half or even 22 placed an incredible amount of self pressure on the team.

 

[Derpus]

Honestly, it's not like Foley's limitations didn't cost us matches. His pop-gun clearing kicks where we never got out of our own half or even 22 placed an incredible amount of self pressure on the team.

Neither of them were Dan Carter.

 

[swingpass]

Neither of them were Dan Carter.

yeah but even Dan Carter wasn't Dan Carter on some days !

 

[Joe Blow]

Quade is now the best version of himself. He looks in excellent nick and is playing very well. Let’s not forget he had already played 70 tests before being recently recalled and is now playing a better brand of footy than at any time during those previous games for the Wallabies.
I dont see a problem. Let’s work out who the next two back ups are.
I suspect Reece Hodge will be one of them and one of the young blokes will be the other.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Honestly, it's not like Foley's limitations didn't cost us matches. His pop-gun clearing kicks where we never got out of our own half or even 22 placed an incredible amount of self pressure on the team.

Agree but was best we had vs Quade’s limitations at that time.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Quade is now the best version of himself. He looks in excellent nick and is playing very well. Let’s not forget he had already played 70 tests before being recently recalled and is now playing a better brand of footy than at any time during those previous games for the Wallabies.
I dont see a problem. Let’s work out who the next two back ups are.
I suspect Reece Hodge will be one of them and one of the young blokes will be the other.

Reece hodge as back up? I assume you mean on the bench as surely if Cooper not available JOC (James O'Connor) or Noah would be the starter 10.

 

[Derpus]

Quade is now the best version of himself. He looks in excellent nick and is playing very well. Let’s not forget he had already played 70 tests before being recently recalled and is now playing a better brand of footy than at any time during those previous games for the Wallabies.
I dont see a problem. Let’s work out who the next two back ups are.
I suspect Reece Hodge will be one of them and one of the young blokes will be the other.

I liked his game more pre knee injury. That running threat was phenomenal. I recently watched some highlights of his from back in the day and you forget just how much of his brilliant attacking play actually came off the back of his running game.

 

[Braveheart81]

I liked his game more pre knee injury. That running threat was phenomenal. I recently watched some highlights of his from back in the day and you forget just how much of his brilliant attacking play actually came off the back of his running game.

You got much more of the bad then as well.

The big improvement in his game this time around was avoiding the rocks vs diamonds performances he used to have and realising that he just needed to do his job like all the other guys on the field.

If he'd had the decision making and maturity he has now when he had the ball running and agility of his early 20s he would have been amazing. Add in solid tackling/defence and he'd be one of the greats.

 

[Joe Blow]

Reece hodge as back up? I assume you mean on the bench as surely if Cooper not available JOC (James O'Connor) or Noah would be the starter 10.

In a RWC squad I am thinking there will be QC (Quade Cooper), one of the young blokes coming through and then Hodge. JOC (James O'Connor) might also be there in the squad meaning we will have many options.

 

[Joe Blow]

I liked his game more pre knee injury. That running threat was phenomenal. I recently watched some highlights of his from back in the day and you forget just how much of his brilliant attacking play actually came off the back of his running game.

I think you are forgetting his lack of defence and hot headed decision making. He has been one of our best defenders recently and his ability to under play his hand putting others in space along with his controlled kicking game is test match gold.

 

[TSR]

Quade is now the best version of himself. He looks in excellent nick and is playing very well. Let’s not forget he had already played 70 tests before being recently recalled and is now playing a better brand of footy than at any time during those previous games for the Wallabies.
I dont see a problem. Let’s work out who the next two back ups are.
I suspect Reece Hodge will be one of them and one of the young blokes will be the other.

No sure on Hodge, but otherwise agree with all that.

I think the really great thing about the re-emergence of Quade (& I still hold hopes for JOC (James O'Connor)) is that it takes a lot of pressure off what appears to be the best young crop of 10s we’ve had for a long time. Not all of them will kick on and there will be winners and losers at the selection table, but at least they can have a year or two (or maybe 3) to develop and mature into, hopefully, too flight 10s instead of being asked to play like a seasoned pro too early. If one of them is good enough the get to the front of the pecking order in a shorter time frame, more power to them.

 

[Lightblue]

In a RWC squad I am thinking there will be QC (Quade Cooper), one of the young blokes coming through and then Hodge. JOC (James O'Connor) might also be there in the squad meaning we will have many options.

Hodge is not a 10 and I don’t think JOC (James O'Connor) is either ... stop gaps... hopefully one of the young 10’s has a great Super rugby season and demands the back up spot...

 

[liquor box]

You got much more of the bad then as well.

The big improvement in his game this time around was avoiding the rocks vs diamonds performances he used to have and realising that he just needed to do his job like all the other guys on the field.

If he'd had the decision making and maturity he has now when he had the ball running and agility of his early 20s he would have been amazing. Add in solid tackling/defence and he'd be one of the greats.

I think the knee injury helped to mature him, he realised that his talent had limits and he had to use his brain a bit more rather than relying on his evasive skills.

I think his lack of defence has been blown out a bit, he was terrible, don't get me wrong but there were others who had similar issues on a stats basis but never suffered the scrutiny that other players got because they were not so polarising. For a while he had a great ability to rip the ball from opponents, I think he relied on this rather than tackling which is what made him go high into the tackle, I believe he is an avid NFL fan and maybe he was trying to emulate ripping the ball at point of contact rather than completing a tackle.

Was his knee injury before or after McCaw headbutted it?

 

[Braveheart81]

I think his lack of defence has been blown out a bit, he was terrible, don't get me wrong but there were others who had similar issues on a stats basis but never suffered the scrutiny that other players got because they were not so polarising.

I'm purely talking about to be considered in that really top echelon of great 10s. E.g. Dan Carter.

Someone like Johnny Sexton wouldn't be anywhere near where he is in terms of how his career is perceived if he wasn't a fantastic defender. It lifts him above players that are significantly better than him with ball in hand.

 

[ForceFan]

Comprehensive interview with Ollie Hoskins after getting his first Wallaby cap.
Some good insights into where he was at when he left the Western Force at the end of the 2016 Super Rugby season.
Has always been a top bloke who always had the goal of playing the best rugby that he could.

 

[Wilson]

Tucked away in this article about the tahs home venues this year is the fact that the John Eales medal ceremony is set for February 6 (now as a virtual event thanks to covid):

But the pandemic continues to challenge professional sport, with Rugby Australia on Wednesday cancelling its John Eales Medal awards ceremony scheduled for February 6 and the in-person launch of the new Super Rugby Pacific competition the next day. Both will pivot to virtual events.

 

[Adam84]

Unsurprising really, imagine if all the wallabies and nominees for awards attending went down with covid a week out from Super Rugby kicking off.