Wallabies 2021

[KOB1987]

Someone that's great under the high ball with good kick returns should be enough we will have game breakers on the wings.

Specially as Marika is the first name picked in the back 3 and we build around that.

I think a back 3 of Koroibete, Wright and Petaia has a pretty good balance long term, and if France send a second string side as is mooted it would be a good opportunity to develop it, with Hodge as the 23 for now and an eye on Vunivalu

 

[James GC]

I think a back 3 of Koroibete, Wright and Petaia has a pretty good balance long term, and if France send a second string side as is mooted it would be a good opportunity to develop it, with Hodge as the 23 for now and an eye on Vunivalu

Do we know how serious Hodge injury is? Looked bad into his planted leg.
I like that back three with Wright being my choice for FB

 

[Up the Guts]

Vunivalu should be nowhere except the wing. Wright will be the tenured 15 going forward. Not only will he win a one on one nine times out of ten he is probably the best in the comp at setting up a guy outside him. Wright + Koroibete and one of Daugunu, Petaia, and Vunivalu would be the deadliest back three we’ve had in recent memory. Hodge can attend the game in a suit.

 

[Zero_Cool]

If you want Jordie playing 15, then Rennie needs to have a quite word with Brad and get him into 15 for the Reds at least against the Force. I feel like you can't throw Jordie into 15 for the Wallabies -- maybe give him a crack against Argentina or something, but you really can't just throw him in at 15 and expect everything to be fine.

 

[Drew]

To me Wright at 15 is our best bet looking forward, he reads the play well and usually takes the best option, he can kick, ball play, score a try, seems chatty, so communication shouldn’t be an issue. But he should prove himself at Super Rugby level in that position and Banks is fb at the brumbies at present. Petaia is a bit too rocks and diamonds at the moment, he’s a freak athlete but he overplays his hand. I’m sure that’ll change in time.

 

[Froggy]

The big question over Wright/Petaia/Vunivalu or anyone else at 15 who isn't currently playing there is positional play. 15 Is somewhere where positional awareness, is crucial, not saying none of these fellows have it, but what is the top level at which they've played 15? Also decision making, when to run, kick high, kick long etc. For this reason, my choice currently is the less spectacular but more reliable Banks.
Having said that, Wright is definitely in my side, but at this stage on the wing with Korobeite

 

[RugbyReg]

If you want Jordie playing 15, then Rennie needs to have a quite word with Brad and get him into 15 for the Reds at least against the Force. I feel like you can't throw Jordie into 15 for the Wallabies -- maybe give him a crack against Argentina or something, but you really can't just throw him in at 15 and expect everything to be fine.

Worth having a watch of the Reds post Brumbies press conference....

 

[RugbyReg]

Banks ran 172m last night. An amazing feat. We should probably keep him in mind. Though I do like Hodge at 15.

Again, sometimes it’s the interpretation of the stats that’s key. He obviously had, what?, 70m with the intercept? But outside of that the Reds kicking tactics were largely kick it straight down the middle of the field to Banks and back their defensive line. So Banks had 10-15m of free space to run pretty regularly. The very first Reds kick of the game gave Banks close to 20m of free space to run.

So yeah he ran for more then 170m but with only 1 beat defender and 1 clean break, he was contained pretty well.

 

[Sully]

I've got Banks running for 78 metres.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Vunivalu should be nowhere except the wing. Wright will be the tenured 15 going forward. Not only will he win a one on one nine times out of ten he is probably the best in the comp at setting up a guy outside him. Wright + Koroibete and one of Daugunu, Petaia, and Vunivalu would be the deadliest back three we’ve had in recent memory. Hodge can attend the game in a suit.

If Koroibete is on one wing, as most suppose, then it will be imperative for the other winger to have excellent kicking skills and the ability to play the second fullback role. IMO that is not Daugunu or (yet to be proven) Vunivalu. In those circumstances Petaia should walk into the other wing spot.

But having said that, I am not a fan of Wright at fullback. He doesn't play there with the Brumbies, and possibly never will with Hansen behind Banks, and as far as I know hasn't played there at professional level ever. Why would the Wallaby coach want to play an unknown in a pivotal position?

 

[cyclopath]

I've got Banks running for 78 metres.

Ah, rugby stats. Where guesswork has a lower standard deviation.

 

[Zero_Cool]

Worth having a watch of the Reds post Brumbies press conference..

I actually had, and that was why I said quite word. I do think he's probably got the skills to play 15, but regardless of if they have the tools or not you'd prefer their first time playing that position to not be in a test match... Maybe get him back to Club carving up for Wests at 15 next week and the week after. But he's gotta be comfortable with the position before playing him in it against SA or the AB's.

If he turns out to be a 15 then he could be Izzy 2.0 just without the religious zealotry.

 

[Drew]

I guess the group is wallabies 2021 and yes Petaia and Wright won’t play fb this year, probably impact off the bench and wing will be their roles. But both of them given the opportunity have the ability to be world class 15s, which none of our current crop are.

 

[cyclopath]

If Koroibete is on one wing, as most suppose, then it will be imperative for the other winger to have excellent kicking skills and the ability to play the second fullback role. IMO that is not Daugunu or (yet to be proven) Vunivalu. In those circumstances Petaia should walk into the other wing spot.

But having said that, I am not a fan of Wright at fullback. He doesn't play there with the Brumbies, and possibly never will with Hansen behind Banks, and as far as I know hasn't played there at professional level ever. Why would the Wallaby coach want to play an unknown in a pivotal position?

I'm not sure it's that pivotal most of the time these days, where many teams, provincial and International, have back 3s with often 2 players that can cover several skill-sets. While I think there is (so far) little evidence that Vunivalu would be a 15, I think Wright and Petaia both have the skills that could, with development play very well in both 15 or wing, and easily accommodate a pure winger like Koroibete (or Vunivalu). So too Banks, really. Whether they play with 15 on their back, or 11 or 14, probably is window dressing to a degree.
What you don't want is the situation with a player like Folau playing with a winger who can kick a bit and another who is just a winger. Even if you do use the common tactic of many teams dropping the 10 back a lot of the time.

 

[Derpus]

I actually had, and that was why I said quite word. I do think he's probably got the skills to play 15, but regardless of if they have the tools or not you'd prefer their first time playing that position to not be in a test match. Maybe get him back to Club carving up for Wests at 15 next week and the week after. But he's gotta be comfortable with the position before playing him in it against SA or the AB's.

If he turns out to be a 15 then he could be Izzy 2.0 just without the religious zealotry.

Do we want Izzy 2.0? A player with a slightly more rounded skillset at fullback would be nice.

 

[Up the Guts]

If Koroibete is on one wing, as most suppose, then it will be imperative for the other winger to have excellent kicking skills and the ability to play the second fullback role. IMO that is not Daugunu or (yet to be proven) Vunivalu. In those circumstances Petaia should walk into the other wing spot.

But having said that, I am not a fan of Wright at fullback. He doesn't play there with the Brumbies, and possibly never will with Hansen behind Banks, and as far as I know hasn't played there at professional level ever. Why would the Wallaby coach want to play an unknown in a pivotal position?

He’ll just go to another side if he can’t get ahead of Banks or Hansen. I’m not saying we’ll necessarily see Wright there first test this year but Rennie whacked in Paisami at 12 last year without priors and it was a sensational move, he also played Hodge at 10 and it semi worked. There’s precedence for Rennie shaking up the rule book. Also, wing to fullback is hardly the biggest jump.

 

[tragic]

Worth having a watch of the Reds post Brumbies press conference..

Can’t find a link. What was said?

 

[Derpus]

Can’t find a link. What was said?

Petaia would go well wherever

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Petaia would go well wherever

13, wing and fullback to be specific

 

[formerflanker]

Do we want Izzy 2.0? A player with a slightly more rounded skillset at fullback would be nice.

You're not keen on selecting a try scoring machine?