Wallabies 2023

[Lightblue]

Ben O’Donnell firming for a spot.

Are you Tim Horan?

 

[TSR]

Are you Tim Horan?

Dan McKellar

 

[Drew]

Heaven forbid EJ (Eddie Jones) calls Bobby V Valetini

 

[Lightblue]

Heaven forbid EJ (Eddie Jones) (Eddie Jones) calls Bobby B Valetini

Or he suspect he may call him ‘Romeo’ …..ie Valentine!

 

[dru]

Or he suspect he may call him ‘Romeo’ …..ie Valentine!

It's coming. Wait for it.

 

[Rebel man]

The more that Carter Gordon shines the less likely it is that we will see Foley and Quade. How many of us have been watching Japanese rugby? By all reports Foley is flying. At a higher level of comp than Quade - if Quade was playing.

Still I suspect we'll see either Quade or Foley, likely one of them. Or alternatively JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) steps up.

I can't see Lolesio taking a slot over Carter.

Finally, like others I see the value of Hodge at 22 and stand-in 10 on the lessor pool games.

No way Foley plays over Quade

 

[Rebel man]

Gleeson doesn't give you a lineout option though, just a 2nd bobby v

2 is a serious prob for us

Porecki, gets dominated
Jordy & FF (Folau Fainga'a) (Folau Fainga'a) cant throw
BPA serious knee inj

It can’t be that hard to throw. To me if you’re a test player and you can’t throw you just don’t work hard enough on your craft

 

[Marce]

Ben O’Donnell firming for a spot.

For 2 tries???? C'mon!!! If I have to pick another Brumbies winger I'd pick Muirhead every day. He has been consistent at Super Rugby level for years

 

[upthereds#!]

Ben O’Donnell firming for a spot.

Yeh forget Toole!

 

[TSR]

For 2 tries???? C'mon!!! If I have to pick another Brumbies winger I'd pick Muirhead every day. He has been consistent at Super Rugby level for years

Hey got 3 - plus the one that was disallowed was probably the best of the lot.

But I was joking.

 

[Members Section]

It can’t be that hard to throw. To me if you’re a test player and you can’t throw you just don’t work hard enough on your craft

Yet both continually stuff it up

 

[dru]

No way Foley plays over Quade

Foley (possibly) plays if Quade doesn't make it or can't show form. Or doesn't if Quade doesn't have form but JOC (James O'Connor) does.

 

[Rebel man]

Yet both continually stuff it up

Obviously they don’t put enough time into it.

 

[stillmissit]

I have never watched him (or any brumby) closely until last night and Rory Scott could be the 7 we need. His work rate was very high and tackles extremely well. Over the ball? Didn't see much of it but we see little of it anyway.
Don't think Gleeson will make a 7, as some here are suggesting but this guy could be the right balance of speed, size and ability.

 

[stillmissit]

Foley (possibly) plays if Quade doesn't make it or can't show form. Or doesn't if Quade doesn't have form but JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) does.

question...Does rugby reward conservative selections or does taking a few chances reward more?

I ask as most of the comments here are claiming that the choices for RWC players are only amongst the established and experienced.

 

[dru]

question...Does rugby reward conservative selections or does taking a few chances reward more?

I ask as most of the comments here are claiming that the choices for RWC players are only amongst the established and experienced.

Clearly not. EJ (Eddie Jones) will take a view on how he wants to play then reward creativity or conservatism based on that. Might even alter his thinking on the skills he sees. He has openly stated he will reward the uncapped where he sees value.

 

[TSR]

question...Does rugby reward conservative selections or does taking a few chances reward more?

I ask as most of the comments here are claiming that the choices for RWC players are only amongst the established and experienced.

I don’t think it’s an absolute Stillmiissit.

I think we saw in the tour that sometimes taking a punt can pay dividends with Mark Nawaqanitwase. At the same time, it is no guarantee. Guys like Fa’amausili, Donaldson & Uelese have been given a shot but haven’t really kicked on. Hopefully Fa’amausili at least is in the process of turning that around and time is still on Donaldson’s side. I believe statistics still show that winning teams have an average age of 25-27 and have an average experience of 40+ tests. But I concede I don’t have the exact source for that, but I believe the last time I read it it was an analysis of the historic World Cup winning teams.

Ideally you would have a high performing team with the ability to introduce guys off the bench. We haven’t had a winning team, but I do think both the Lonergan’s have shown benefits from this approach. Some guys need more time and patience ti develop - Koroibete, Petaia and Wright all probably fall into that bucket. Even Valetini - for a short while there were a lot of people calling for him to be dropped, but Rennie persisted and he has repaid the faith. Maintaining the Australia A program would also be a very good thing IMO.

I think the other big question from last year is just how much did injuries impact our results last year. What would our W/L ratio looked like if we had Bell, Tupou, Rodda, Cooper, Koriobete consistently available and also all of the other guys who missed games along the way.

For what it’s worth your man Carter Gordon has won me over and I hope he is included. Other than that I am happy for them to include a couple of other guys where form dictates. But I think the reality is that most of the squad will be experienced.

 

[Brumby Runner]

TSR the issue seems to be that at test level they are mostly experienced at losing.

That can't be attributed to all of the experienced players though. Over the years we hjave usually had a strong and more than adequate scrum and lineout. We have also had the occasional match winner (Koroibete, Kerevi types) who can put sting into our attack. It is areas like the breakdown and game management where we have been behind the best. Our breakdown work has been looking better at Super level this year with the likes of Neville, Frost, Holloway, Gleeson, Gamble, McReight and Wilkin. But our No 10s are still behind some of the opposition in their game management with Carter Gordon being the sole 10 showing that, at least at Super level, he has the full range of skills required.

I think the opportunity is there now for a changing of the guard at both Nos 7 and 10, and hopefully EJ (Eddie Jones) can see that too.

 

[stillmissit]

TSR the issue seems to be that at test level they are mostly experienced at losing.

That can't be attributed to all of the experienced players though. Over the years we hjave usually had a strong and more than adequate scrum and lineout. We have also had the occasional match winner (Koroibete, Kerevi types) who can put sting into our attack. It is areas like the breakdown and game management where we have been behind the best. Our breakdown work has been looking better at Super level this year with the likes of Neville, Frost, Holloway, Gleeson, Gamble, McReight and Wilkin. But our No 10s are still behind some of the opposition in their game management with Carter Gordon being the sole 10 showing that, at least at Super level, he has the full range of skills required.

I think the opportunity is there now for a changing of the guard at both Nos 7 and 10, and hopefully EJ (Eddie Jones) (Eddie Jones) can see that too.

BR, agree with both of the highlighted parts of your reply. Will EJ (Eddie Jones) have the cajones to pull the trigger on Hooper and put him on the bench for the RWC? There will be a fair amount of resistance to that call yet, you and I agree Hooper must be replaced as starting 7, the big question is by whom?
My view is: Samu plays too open, Gleeson hasn't the skill set yet, McRight has shown little this year so who is the obvious incumbent?

 

[stillmissit]

I don’t think it’s an absolute Stillmiissit.

I think we saw in the tour that sometimes taking a punt can pay dividends with Mark Nawaqanitwase. At the same time, it is no guarantee. Guys like Fa’amausili, Donaldson & Uelese have been given a shot but haven’t really kicked on. Hopefully Fa’amausili at least is in the process of turning that around and time is still on Donaldson’s side. I believe statistics still show that winning teams have an average age of 25-27 and have an average experience of 40+ tests. But I concede I don’t have the exact source for that, but I believe the last time I read it it was an analysis of the historic World Cup winning teams.

Ideally you would have a high performing team with the ability to introduce guys off the bench. We haven’t had a winning team, but I do think both the Lonergan’s have shown benefits from this approach. Some guys need more time and patience ti develop - Koroibete, Petaia and Wright all probably fall into that bucket. Even Valetini - for a short while there were a lot of people calling for him to be dropped, but Rennie persisted and he has repaid the faith. Maintaining the Australia A program would also be a very good thing IMO.

I think the other big question from last year is just how much did injuries impact our results last year. What would our W/L ratio looked like if we had Bell, Tupou, Rodda, Cooper, Koriobete consistently available and also all of the other guys who missed games along the way.

For what it’s worth your man Carter Gordon has won me over and I hope he is included. Other than that I am happy for them to include a couple of other guys where form dictates. But I think the reality is that most of the squad will be experienced.

I think it is one of the things I liked about Rennie was his bringing in (? forced to) uncapped players and giving them a chance. The pity was that most of them didn't make the step up or didn't have confidence in themselves.
Note on confidence, I believe confidence must be founded on competence and that is the issue, we are not building serious competence by skills training and playing enough to turn skills training into auto reflex ability.