Wallabies 2023

The Ghost of Raelene · Jul 31, 2023

Tom Lambert brought into the squad.

Hasn’t he had a rapid rise. Showed some good moments early in Super Rugby when Bell got hurt. Slowed towards the back end of the year but it’s next man up now.

Sorry if I stuff up between the 1,3 but Eddie mustn’t care about Pone too much? Haven’t heard anything about him for a while.

eastman · Jul 31, 2023

PhilClinton said:
Sorry mate, which role within the Wallabies organisation do you hold? That’s a very definitive statement so I assume you’re well informed.

I can tell you he was well liked by the playing group- take that as you want.

eastman · Jul 31, 2023

Tomthumb said:
Speaking of living off reputation, when did Rennie last win anything?

More recently than Eddie did..

The Ghost of Raelene · Jul 31, 2023

I don't think anybody dislikes Dave Rennie and cheered when he was sacked like Eddie the first time. Seems like a genuine guy and I think he is a decent coach.

We were losing games to Italy though. Coaches leaving, Injuries all over the place and public interest at an all time low. They needed to do something hard & fast with 2025 & 2027 in mind.

KOB1987 · Jul 31, 2023

eastman said:
More recently than Eddie did..

That’s actually not true. Eddies last wins were against Wales and Italy earlier this year. Rennies last wins were against Wales and Scotland late last year.

eastman · Jul 31, 2023

The Ghost of Raelene said:
I don't think anybody dislikes Dave Rennie and cheered when he was sacked like Eddie the first time. Seems like a genuine guy and I think he is a decent coach.

We were losing games to Italy though. Coaches leaving, Injuries all over the place and public interest at an all time low. They needed to do something hard & fast with 2025 & 2027 in mind.

We lost to Italy using a second string team!! We were also beating South Africa and Argentina, and legitimately pushing NZ.

Wilson · Jul 31, 2023

The Ghost of Raelene said:
Tom Lambert brought into the squad.

Hasn’t he had a rapid rise. Showed some good moments early in Super Rugby when Bell got hurt. Slowed towards the back end of the year but it’s next man up now.

Sorry if I stuff up between the 1,3 but Eddie mustn’t care about Pone too much? Haven’t heard anything about him for a while.

Pone was already in the squad and will either step onto the Bench with Slipper starting at tight head or into starting tight head with Nonggorr on the bench. Most likely the first given Lambert is loose head and will offer cover behind Bell and Schoupp if Slipper moves across.

eastman · Jul 31, 2023

KOB1987 said:
That’s actually not true. Eddies last wins were against Wales and Italy earlier this year. Rennies last wins were against Wales and Scotland late last year.

Ha I thought I could have been in trouble there- regardless the team has only regressed since Eddie can on board.

The Ghost of Raelene · Jul 31, 2023

Wilson said:
Pone was already in the squad and will either step onto the Bench with Slipper starting at tight head or into starting tight head with Nonggorr on the bench. Most likely the first given Lambert is loose head and will offer cover behind Bell and Schoupp if Slipper moves across.

Thank you.

We're going to have Props like Pone, Zane, Lambert, Schoup potentially at the WC who might have a combined 80 mins of footy in them by the 1st game. This week then the Warm up game v France.

I hope we get the mins in them because I wouldn't be against Bell only getting a half. We saw what he can do and he's good to go. Don't risk him because we are no chance if he's not in the pack. Same with Slipper. He's starting to look pretty weathered and we need him badly for leadership as well.

KOB1987 · Jul 31, 2023

eastman said:
Ha I thought I could have been in trouble there- regardless the team has only regressed since Eddie can on board.

I think it’s fair to say the jury is out, but I’m happy to wait till after the World Cup before making that statement. The team is no doubt still adapting to a different plan, which is quite clear when Tom Hooper is the #7, and he is also still unsure about who the best options are in some positions. As I said before I think they should have let Rennie run out his tenure, but RA had to pounce when they did to get Eddie. All this ‘could have, would have’ stuff is pure speculation, the thing that is clear is that the Wallabies have regressed big time in the last decade, and it’s not entirely the fault of any coach along the way.

Tomthumb · Jul 31, 2023

eastman said:
More recently than Eddie did..

Eddie won the 6 nations in 2020. Rennie hasn’t won anything since 2013

Tomthumb · Jul 31, 2023

eastman said:
We lost to Italy using a second string team!! We were also beating South Africa and Argentina, and legitimately pushing NZ.

We lost 48-17 to Argentina last year

we also lost 40-14 to NZ last year

The Ghost of Raelene · Jul 31, 2023

eastman said:
We lost to Italy using a second string team!! We were also beating South Africa and Argentina, and legitimately pushing NZ.

They ran out as the Wallabies and lost a Test Match to Italy. I don't really care if we call them 2nd string. His card was marked

They also lost in TRC 2022 to Argentina 44/17, South Africa 24/8, NZ 39/37 & 40/14

We finished with a 2 win 4 loss record and point differential of -52

Braveheart81 · Jul 31, 2023

My issue with appointing Eddie Jones this year is that he was largely on a hiding to nothing for the RWC and we're seeing that play out now. We paid a lot of money to get rid of Rennie with a year to go in his contract and we've surely made Eddie Jones' job more difficult over the next cycle heading towards the Lions series and 2027 RWC.

Now maybe something miraculous happens and we string together a few good performances and make the semi-finals but that doesn't seem overly likely at this stage. Does limping to a quarter final appearance do enough to make the landscape for 2024 stable enough that the pressure isn't on Jones immediately? In my view we've burned all the goodwill that Eddie Jones would have had coming in for no gain.

dru · Jul 31, 2023

Braveheart81 said:
... no gain.

About the only thing I can see right now is that RA could have lost EJ (Eddie Jones) and preferred to lock him in. But hammer-nail-head regarding the late coach change on the run to the RWC.

Braveheart81 · Jul 31, 2023

dru said:
About the only thing I can see right now is that Rugby Australia could have lost EJ (Eddie Jones) (Eddie Jones) and preferred to lock him in. But hammer-nail-head regarding the late coach change on the run to the RWC.

This to me seems unlikely. They could have offered him the job for 2024 knowing that Rennie was off contract and I can't see how Jones wouldn't have jumped at that chance.

The other compounding factor we have in appointing Jones for 2023 is that he is stuck with a small talent pool for assistant coaches given it's an out of cycle hire.

That problem was effectively locked in already though given the exodus of assistants from Rennie.

Tomthumb · Jul 31, 2023

Braveheart81 said:
My issue with appointing Eddie Jones this year is that he was largely on a hiding to nothing for the RWC and we're seeing that play out now. We paid a lot of money to get rid of Rennie with a year to go in his contract and we've surely made Eddie Jones' job more difficult over the next cycle heading towards the Lions series and 2027 RWC.

Now maybe something miraculous happens and we string together a few good performances and make the semi-finals but that doesn't seem overly likely at this stage. Does limping to a quarter final appearance do enough to make the landscape for 2024 stable enough that the pressure isn't on Jones immediately? In my view we've burned all the goodwill that Eddie Jones would have had coming in for no gain.

This is all fair enough, but if there is one thing Eddie has proven it's that he knows how to get his teams up for World cup games

Braveheart81 · Jul 31, 2023

Tomthumb said:
This is all fair enough, but if there is one thing Eddie has proven it's that he knows how to get his teams up for World cup games

Has he ever started a coaching role in the year of the world cup with a team that by all objective measures is struggling relative to expectations?

Tomikin · Jul 31, 2023

Braveheart81 said:
This to me seems unlikely. They could have offered him the job for 2024 knowing that Rennie was off contract and I can't see how Jones wouldn't have jumped at that chance.

The other compounding factor we have in appointing Jones for 2023 is that he is stuck with a small talent pool for assistant coaches given it's an out of cycle hire.

That problem was effectively locked in already though given the exodus of assistants from Rennie.

I think he made a mistake not keeping on Fisher, and was hurt bad by McKellar leaving. But his what we got, and his been entertaining, and I can say for 30 mins we were playing a game where we were smashing at the All Blacks.

No one really thought we would beat them. I even said fuck me when I saw their team sheet.

We roll on, we don't have to play that well to get to the semi's and from there its anyone game

Tomthumb · Jul 31, 2023

Braveheart81 said:
Has he ever started a coaching role in the year of the world cup with a team that by all objective measures is struggling relative to expectations?

No he hasn't, it's a unique situation for sure

But I still have more confidence in him in a tournament setting that I would have had Rennie

Wallabies 2023

Simon Poidevin (60)

John Solomon (38)

John Solomon (38)

Simon Poidevin (60)

John Eales (66)

John Solomon (38)

Phil Kearns (64)

John Solomon (38)

Simon Poidevin (60)

John Eales (66)

Chilla Wilson (44)

Chilla Wilson (44)

Simon Poidevin (60)

Will Genia (78)

David Wilson (68)

Will Genia (78)

Chilla Wilson (44)

Will Genia (78)

David Codey (61)

Chilla Wilson (44)