He the bloke in the Red Headgear that just does not stop all game?I'd love to have seen Tom Hooper in the squad if he didn't get injured at the end of super rugby. Would answer a lot of the issues we are having at 6.
Pretty well on the money but I can only guess that you didn’t watch much of the As games? McReight was everywhere and was a step above everyone else on the paddock in both games. He was bullying rather than being bullied. He’s getting stronger and carry’s the ball often and well.
Hooper is Hooper and he has earned a little breathing space if he has an off game or two, which is very rare for him. He will need to bounce back in the RC. Looked a bit tired or distracted? I’m sure he will show his true worth in the next game.
It is going to be almost impossible to leave McReight out of the RWC squad.
Yep. Seems to be something about red headgear and Australian backrowers. If I remember correctly he absolutely battered the Kiwi forwards before he got injured. Definitely one for the future.He the bloke in the Red Headgear that just does not stop all game?
Animal
Rae Rae
Could also be he came back from 10 weeks of injury and 2 weeks of a newborn baby... maybe just a little off his game.I'm hoping Sio can continue his fitness levels and work rate and skills he showed at the end of the Super Rugby comp, at the Force or whereever he goes. Bell is a star in the making but post-RWC23 for me. The second test showed some issues with the very physical game put on by England. Slipper to start and Sio on the bench against stronger opposition while Bell gets his chances to develop against sides like Italy, Scotland and Pacific Nations.
I don't think Porecki has made the No 2 jersey his own. Again I think he struggles against the physical sides. If Fainga'a can convince us of his throwing prowess at the Force, then he has much more impact in open play and at maul time.
Over the ball skills probably are lacking but that is an area of the game that has changed dramatically in recent years. Sides get penalised more often than they win possession through pilfering. The better option seems to be to win the ruck contest by pushing over the ball. If the Wallabies want to add strength and power across the pack they could do worse than play Pete Samu at 7 with Hooper off the bench where he could carve up later in the game.
Tupou was the most disappointing player across the series. I reckon, though, once he leaves what looks like a poor environment at the Reds and comes under the tutelage of Nick Stiles (if the reports turn out to be correct) he will show real improvement on his form this series. He needs to regain his love of the game otherwise we might lose him altogether.
To perhaps head off some of the ignorant, wise cracking comments likely to come from this, neither Sio nor Fainga'a are Brumbies. They are very good players in the mix for selection and I reckon a change of scenery in another franchise could bring them right back into starting contention for the Wallabies. Just as I think Tupou will come good again somewhere else but at the Reds.
I'm hoping Sio can continue his fitness levels and work rate and skills he showed at the end of the Super Rugby comp, at the Force or whereever he goes. Bell is a star in the making but post-RWC23 for me. The second test showed some issues with the very physical game put on by England. Slipper to start and Sio on the bench against stronger opposition while Bell gets his chances to develop against sides like Italy, Scotland and Pacific Nations.
Nothing ignorant or wisecracking about that lolTo perhaps head off some of the ignorant, wise cracking comments likely to come from this, neither Sio nor Fainga'a are Brumbies.
Yeah and I’d say he was rushed back too soon even with that. If AAA didn’t get injured then Tupou plays many less minutes. If we had another backup THP then Tupou probably wouldn’t have played this series at all and aimed for Argentina instead.Could also be he came back from 10 weeks of injury and 2 weeks of a newborn baby... maybe just a little off his game.
Bell is a freak, I’m happy for them to push him for more time/experience this year because he is the kind of player we need in the starting team at the RWCHuh? Bell was easily our best prop in the second test and had an excellent game.
It was only when he had to retake the field after Sio's injury that he had a couple of issues.
He is slightly taller and was the same weight 3 years ago. He still has a little growing to do.Yeah McReight has a huge future but if we're looking for more impact at 7 than Hooper... McReight ain't it. He's probably smaller.
“If Petaia can only stay healthy - and long enough as well - so we can see his talents..”………. that is the big question…can he?I agree with all of this...
If Petaia can only stay healthy - and long enough as well - so we can see his talents..
He just might be the X-factor we need for next years RWC
I got to say I find the positivity baffling around Rennie. I wouldn't give him higher than 4/10 right now. Firstly, we cannot use injuries as an excuse, everyone is dealing with them except Ireland and South Africa. England lost Tom Curry in the first half of the first Test, Itoje in the 2nd Test and Underhill didn't play the 3rd. That's arguably their three best players and not even counting the quality left at home either.
Rennie is now 1-5 v England, Wales and Scotland. Not good. Last year he went 0-3 against NZ despite going 1-2-1 in 2020. Zero improvement. He's drawn twice to Argentina already. Yes, we beat the Springboks 2-0 and that was very impressive but an outliner now. He's 2.5 years into the job, that's equivalent of Cheika's reign after 2016. There's no way we would have the same positivity if this were Cheika. I'd argue he had a better record and accomplished more in 2014-2016 than Rennis has so far.
Our attack is pathetic, we're doing the same dumb shit under Cheika (look at our run metres compared to England). We're not tactically better, we don't know how to play proper pressure Test rugby and can't break down defences after sustained pressure. Rennie won't be sacked before the RWC but I don't think he's the saviour by any means. A false dawn.
We missed our only shot at goal in that period though and we didn't turn down any shots at goal.
Our opportunities were more to score tries and we couldn't execute.
I would argue that our biggest issue currently is discipline. We still give away far too many dumb penalties in almost every test. There were a lot of key moments in that test where we lost momentum or gifted points on the back of discipline.
Our discipline was fine on the weekend, 10 penalties v 11.
forward pack is missing pilferers. Our 2, 6 & 8 aren’t particularly strong across the ball, compared to other internationals we’re seriously losing out there.