Wallabies 2023

[Rebel man]

The World Cup draw is a joke and is done far too early

 

[Joe Blow]

There is a temporary stay of execution while the team disappears to South America. Once it comes to RSA and the darkness (with 3/4 games at home), the dilemma - which everyone saw the second the rule was announced - rears its ugly head.

If they're deadset on keeping it at 3 picks, it's Cooper or Arnold and that's the end of the discussion.

Kerevi and Koroibete should be playing every test for the Wallabies for as long as their form warrants.

If Rugby Australia go down a different path I'll join you in deathriding them because it will show how far their lack of reality-based decision making really stretches.

A team deliberately not picking its best players - you couldn't script it.

I’m not sure we can progress with Noah at 10. Hopefully Quade is fit and gets a run in Argentina and we will see his worth, Koroibete is a gun but if it turns out we are a much better side with QC (Quade Cooper) at 10 then they will need to look at him or Arnold.
Or of course they could increase the number to 5, which would make more sense. Or they could allow the players who have played 70 tests to be available no matter what and then choose 3 others who do not qualify that way. RA sure likes to tie their own hands behind their back!

We have very good players who can play at lock and on the wing, some injured or unavailable but now returning. We have very limited options at 10.

 

[wamberal]

I’m not sure we can progress with Noah at 10.

We have very good players who can play at lock and on the wing, some injured or unavailable but now returning. We have very limited options at 10.

There has never been a champion team without a champion 10.

 

[Marce]

world rankings don't matter right now. they will matter a gain in 2025/2026 when the pools are set for 2027 world cup.

There are things that money can't buy. Respect, reputation, passion.

Ireland has won a Bledisloe Cup last weekend, something that the Australian rugby community is waiting for 20 years and you ask me that??

I wonder if the better perfomances of Aussie teams against Kiwis in Super Rugby were cause Aussies are getting stronger or the Kiwis are losing power

 

[Marce]

There has never been a champion team without a champion 10.

All Blacks 2011, Piri Wepu was the kicker in some games and Stephen Donald in the grand finald lol

 

[dru]

Lot of chat around Kerevi to 7's being a personal choice not a Wallaby management issue. This is the post that is pertinent for me:

Kerevi is released to play the f*cking Sevens that nobody cares. If they release Koroibete too, it would be the foolest decision ever made and Wallabies deserve drop to the #10 in World Rugby rankings to play in the Pool of death in 2027 Australia RWC

Kerevi to 7's is done. That should not stop active management of the squad to dampen any nascent enthusiasm for anyone to follow him. Koroibete needs to be told, "stop thinking about it and get your head back into the Wallabies. You need to find a way to make up for the missing Kerevi, bloke is leaving you with a task and we need you need to step up. Again."

The ranking scores are in no way irrelevant to the management of the Wallabies. Plenty are putting Rennie at a pass mark across the English series. It just isn't true. We have not treaded water. We have slipped down the ranking points to be easily within strike of Scotland and then a group of others. Right now there needs to be no experimentation. No sabbaticals. Best 23 fine tuned for what is considered to be the best game plan. No one protected from injury or any other gentleness. Top team sharpened to the best we have to offer. Right now.

This is close to knock out rugby.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I agree, love Lolesio in a well structured Brumbies at super 15 level. But at test level you just need so much more. We need some-one who can create something, create some space, or threaten the line, ideally all of those. He's a solid player but I feel will always just be an average option.
His goalkicking has been pretty damn handy though.

I agree. Can't think of time where he has had a line break or put someone through a hole at test level. Bit of a distributor that has a great place kicking boot. Only 22 years old though so it would unfair of me to say it's time to look elsewhere.

Marcus Smith is still riding the hype train that has followed him since he was playing for England U16s. He runs cross field and gives the big Goose Step but with a calm and settled defensive line won't go anywhere but push his team over the sideline.

Rae Rae

 

[Viking]

All Blacks 2011, Piri Wepu was the kicker in some games and Stephen Donald in the grand finald lol

Yeah if your comparing Donald to Carter he looks average, but compare him to Noah and he looks more like a champion. I'd take Donald over Noah especially if its the RWC 2011 Final version where he played brilliantly.

 

[Marce]

Yesterday I dreamed with Koroibete playing at 12 and being the best centre in the world. If Semi Radradra could change from the wing to the centre why Koroibete couldn't do it? The guy is the best player in the backline at the moment.

You have plenty options at the wing but not many at 12. He can learn the position, he's gifted. He played League for years then switched to Union and quickly became a weapon here despite being playing in a loser team at Super Rugby and in a inconsistent Wallabies team. He didn't play in the best version of Cheika's Wallabies and he was outstanding all these years.

He has the size that Paisami doesn't, he has the speed, he's a good defender and now he's kicking so the only issue would be his passing game. Won't be the first inside centre who doesn't pass the ball. Nonu started his test carrer at the wing and then changed to the centre, Tana Umaga too.

 

[Viking]

I wonder if hindsight has changed many peoples minds about robbie deans.
he used to get lambasted on here and elsewhere for saying the team needed to play what's in front of them. but that's exactly what they are trying to do now and people seem on board with it versus cheika ball of doing the same thing every time regardless of the defensive set up etc.
i think robbie was an excellent coach. i think he had poor cattle in some key positions though.

I have heard he was an assistant coach in razor's application for the ABs and may join up again if foster goes (seems inevitable as if he stays short term they will suffer a couple of losses in the rugby championship)

world rankings don't matter right now. they will matter a gain in 2025/2026 when the pools are set for 2027 world cup.

It certainly has changed my mind regarding Deans. Well Cheika did that more-so then anyone. A consistent ranking of 2/3 seems like a dream now.

 

[Viking]

Yesterday I dreamed with Koroibete playing at 12 and being the best centre in the world. If Semi Radradra could change from the wing to the centre why Koroibete couldn't do it? The guy is the best player in the backline at the moment.

You have plenty options at the wing but not many at 12. He can learn the position, he's gifted. He played League for years then switched to Union and quickly became a weapon here despite being playing in a loser team at Super Rugby and in a inconsistent Wallabies team. He didn't play in the best version of Cheika's Wallabies and he was outstanding all these years.

He has the size that Paisami doesn't, he has the speed, he's a good defender and now he's kicking so the only issue would be his passing game. Won't be the first inside centre who doesn't pass the ball. Nonu started his test carrer at the wing and then changed to the centre, Tana Umaga too.

His passing is non-existentant and I fear with no experience would get caught out in defense too often. Why on earth would you switch arguably the best winger in the world to centre where he would be average for at least 2-3 years while he learns the position and then is too old and retires.

As good as Koro is, his vision isn't always the greatest. Nonu and Tana were very smart footballers with well-rounded skillsets. Koro is primarily a beast and a workhorse which is better suited to the wing.

 

[Derpus]

So how many players based overseas should be allowed?

Said it before but it shouldn't be limited - the criteria should just be a minimum number of years contracted to Super Rugby teams, because that's really what we are trying to protect.

Say six years of service in Super Rugby or a current Super Rugby contract to be eligible.

Then the coach can decide how many/who he wants and decide what balance is best in terms of cohesion verse raw ability.

 

[Braveheart81]

His passing is non-existentant

 

[Braveheart81]

On the discipline point, much of that is made from pressure. When your defending fast front foot ball or defending on the line so often your bound to either let in tries or make penalties. I feel if we are more accurate at the breakdown, more capable at slowing opposition ball, stronger in the contact zone, or just more able to absorb pressure we will naturally make less penalties.

But then again we do have players headbutting and diving into rucks too.

Giving away penalties under pressure is fine. It's part of the game.

They're not the ones I have an issue with. All the ones I highlighted were errors in decision making that shouldn't happen at this level anywhere near as frequently as they do for the Wallabies.

 

[Joe Blow]

Quade and KB (Kurtley Beale) have both earned the right to be picked from anywhere. Not sure if KB (Kurtley Beale) is still in the picture but both of these blokes should not be included in any cap of OS players. Ditto for any players with more than 50 caps that go OS.

 

[qwerty51]

The worst part is that it's completely arbitrary; 2, 3, 4, 5 players - this makes no tangible difference to the (understandable) fear of a massive off-shore exodus. As opposed to going "open slather" which I can see the argument against.

How do you know? Every addition of one more player overseas could cause a player to sign overseas instead of remain in Aus.

Especially if they consider themselves a certain Wallabies starter.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Said it before but it shouldn't be limited - the criteria should just be a minimum number of years contracted to Super Rugby teams, because that's really what we are trying to protect.

Say six years of service in Super Rugby or a current Super Rugby contract to be eligible.

Then the coach can decide how many/who he wants and decide what balance is best in terms of cohesion verse raw ability.

Big fan of this method. A hard number on Caps is potentially going to restrict some players because they might be injured quite a bit but when fit you want them in the team. Petaia for example debuted for the Reds in 2018 but has only played 43 games since then.

I hope he stays in Aus but if he was to go overseas I'd hate to lose the ability to pick him if we had a cap number of 70 for instance.

Rae Rae

 

[Marce]

His passing is non-existentant and I fear with no experience would get caught out in defense too often. Why on earth would you switch arguably the best winger in the world to centre where he would be average for at least 2-3 years while he learns the position and then is too old and retires.

As good as Koro is, his vision isn't always the greatest. Nonu and Tana were very smart footballers with well-rounded skillsets. Koro is primarily a beast and a workhorse which is better suited to the wing.

Pat McCabe played at 12 against Springboks world champions in a WC quarter final so...

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Pat McCabe played at 12 against Springboks world champions in a WC quarter final so...

And I think it took 10 years off his life.

Rae Rae

 

[gel]

10th.

We haven't done brilliantly against Scotland and Wales recently either.

We are probably 10th in truth.

Are we at a point where a win against any of the top 10 teams is an outlier? I can't be fucked figuring out what our win percentage against the top ten teams is since the last world cup but I can't imagine it's awesome other than against the springboks.

I wonder how RUPA feel knowing they are just fucking the game completely.