Wallabies 2023

[Namerican]

If I'm Eddie Jones (and sadly I'm not) and only have 4 games to work with (sidenote: why don't they play a few more tests in July-August to build up combinations? Even if playing against sub-par opposition?) I'm pretty much picking my team/strategy and the only way it is changing drastically is from injury or someone playing themselves out of the lineup.

The only exception to this would be ensuring that players not in the first XV or 23 get some playing time to familiarize themselves with the gameplan, which you'd expect maybe against Argentina.

I think he makes up his mind on who the starting 15/23 should be and it's then that guy's job to lose. Same goes for the locks. It's been a clear problem on previous tours when guys like Arnold/Skeleton come in cold so all featuring players need as much game time as possible.

 

[SouthernX]

Wonder if we get a probables versus possibles game. Wallabies squad versus fringe wallabies members.

think Cheika did it at Leichhardt Oval in 2019 and it was a pretty good pre RWC hit out for the wallabies wider squad.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Wonder if we get a probables versus possibles game. Wallabies squad versus fringe wallabies members.

think Cheika did it at Leichhardt Oval in 2019 and it was a pretty good pre RWC hit out for the wallabies wider squad.

Not a bad idea really. Especially for guys from teams that won’t play Super Rugby finals. I remember Chieka doing that. Deans also did it at St Ignatius in 2009 I think.

 

[dru]

Wonder if we get a probables versus possibles game. Wallabies squad versus fringe wallabies members.

think Cheika did it at Leichhardt Oval in 2019 and it was a pretty good pre RWC hit out for the wallabies wider squad.

That game was a lot of fun. From recollection, Three "quarters". Return of To'omua. Slipper swaping from LH to THP, then saying no to hooker.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

So you continue to say. Some examples if you will? And the no arms tackle and ball throw against the Canes don't count because they were not picked up and had no detrimental affect on the game.

It's every game BR.

2 parts mercurial/1 part how the arse did he roger that up.

 

[Brumby Runner]

If I'm Eddie Jones (and sadly I'm not) and only have 4 games to work with (sidenote: why don't they play a few more tests in July-August to build up combinations? Even if playing against sub-par opposition?) I'm pretty much picking my team/strategy and the only way it is changing drastically is from injury or someone playing themselves out of the lineup.

The only exception to this would be ensuring that players not in the first XV or 23 get some playing time to familiarize themselves with the gameplan, which you'd expect maybe against Argentina.

I think he makes up his mind on who the starting 15/23 should be and it's then that guy's job to lose. Same goes for the locks. It's been a clear problem on previous tours when guys like Arnold/Skeleton come in cold so all featuring players need as much game time as possible.

I agree that that is how Eddie has to manage his XV and XXIII. But there are whispers about that Aus A could be playing Tonga. If it happens, it should be three matches played on the off-weekends for the Wallabies through TRC. Those games should feature the rest of the players under consideration for the Cup and the best performers in the spots he is unsure about get the call up.

The way I see it at present, the starting XV, depending on fitness, will look something like:

Slipper/Bell, Porecki/Lonergan, Ala'alatoa
Frost, Skelton
Holloway, Valetini, Wright (my preference - maybe Hooper)

White, Cooper
Koroibete, Kerevi, Ikitau, Petaia
Wright

Bench : Lonergan/Porecki, Bell/Slipper, Tupou, Neville, Samu, Lonergan/McDermott, Gordon, Kellaway

The playing spots missing, and the options, are probably :

Hooker x 1, Fainga'a, Uelese, Mafi, Pollard, BPA
LHP x 1, Gibbon, Robertson, Schoupp, Sio
THP x 1, Faumasili, HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Van Nek, Nongorr
Lock x 1, Hosea, Swain, Hanigan, Arnold
No 6/7/8 x 2, Wilson, Naisarani, Leota, McReight, Gleeson, Hooper
No 9 x 1, McDermott/Lonergan, J Gordon
No 10/12 x 1, Lolesio, Foley, Hodge
No 12/13 x 1, Hodge, Perese, Foketi
No 11/14/15 x1, Naiwaqanitawase, Pietsch, Toole, Hodge

Ten of the possibles to be added to give a 34 man squad.

There are plenty of class players in that list to put together a strong Aus A side. I hope the Tonga tour does come off.

 

[Rugbyman2023]

I agree that that is how Eddie has to manage his XV and XXIII. But there are whispers about that Aus A could be playing Tonga. If it happens, it should be three matches played on the off-weekends for the Wallabies through TRC. Those games should feature the rest of the players under consideration for the Cup and the best performers in the spots he is unsure about get the call up.

The way I see it at present, the starting XV, depending on fitness, will look something like:

Slipper/Bell, Porecki/Lonergan, Ala'alatoa
Frost, Skelton
Holloway, Valetini, Wright (my preference - maybe Hooper)

White, Cooper
Koroibete, Kerevi, Ikitau, Petaia
Wright

Bench : Lonergan/Porecki, Bell/Slipper, Tupou, Neville, Samu, Lonergan/McDermott, Gordon, Kellaway

The playing spots missing, and the options, are probably :

Hooker x 1, Fainga'a, Uelese, Mafi, Pollard, BPA
LHP x 1, Gibbon, Robertson, Schoupp, Sio
THP x 1, Faumasili, HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Van Nek, Nongorr
Lock x 1, Hosea, Swain, Hanigan, Arnold
No 6/7/8 x 2, Wilson, Naisarani, Leota, McReight, Gleeson, Hooper
No 9 x 1, McDermott/Lonergan, J Gordon
No 10/12 x 1, Lolesio, Foley, Hodge
No 12/13 x 1, Hodge, Perese, Foketi
No 11/14/15 x1, Naiwaqanitawase, Pietsch, Toole, Hodge

Ten of the possibles to be added to give a 34 man squad.

There are plenty of class players in that list to put together a strong Aus A side. I hope the Tonga tour does come off.

The aus a games is a must and should be on every year! Only had to see the development with players last season, and guys like Gleeson and marky N coming from no where to the end of year Europe tour
It will get game time for guys not in the 23 in the rugby champs, allow players coming back from injury to get game time and also assist with selections for the World Cup

they should either be scheduled like above, play in the Oceania champs with tonga, Samoa and Fiji or v nz 15 and Japan

the squad you have for the aus a team is crazy good with most of them wallabies as well
Not to Menton
The 3rd best 23 with these guys not even making the top 2 sides
1. Hoopert / ellouff
2. Latu / Asiata
3. Talakai / holz
4. Phillip / hooper
5. Rodda / Jones / smith
6. Swinton / uru / kemeny
7. Hardwick / wilken
8. Gamble
9. Fines lewawia (excuse spelling)
10. O Conner / donnell
11. Vunuvalu / daugunu
12. Paisami / henry / Stewart
13. Flook
14. Mu
15. Campbell / Jorgensen

the depth is aus rugby is actually pretty good
Jones just needs an injury free list, and the final make up of the squad

 

[fatprop]

Agreed, but we can work around that. Wright at fullback isn't the silliest idea on that basis. The bloke can pass, it's just his option taking that's questionable at times.

We currently use 9 & 10 (it is why McDermott may have issues with the current structure)

White\Gordon\Lonergan direct the pigs

Cooper et al sit behind and wait for opportunities working behind the pigs pod as he hits the edge

 

[RebelYell]

Reckon another big game tonight from Liam Wright would put him in the mix.

 

[Derpus]

The aus a games is a must and should be on every year! Only had to see the development with players last season, and guys like Gleeson and marky N coming from no where to the end of year Europe tour
It will get game time for guys not in the 23 in the rugby champs, allow players coming back from injury to get game time and also assist with selections for the World Cup

they should either be scheduled like above, play in the Oceania champs with tonga, Samoa and Fiji or v nz 15 and Japan

the squad you have for the aus a team is crazy good with most of them wallabies as well
Not to Menton
The 3rd best 23 with these guys not even making the top 2 sides
1. Hoopert / ellouff
2. Latu / Asiata
3. Talakai / holz
4. Phillip / hooper
5. Rodda / Jones / smith
6. Swinton / uru / kemeny
7. Hardwick / wilken
8. Gamble
9. Fines lewawia (excuse spelling)
10. O Conner / donnell
11. Vunuvalu / daugunu
12. Paisami / henry / Stewart
13. Flook
14. Mu
15. Campbell / Jorgensen

the depth is aus rugby is actually pretty good
Jones just needs an injury free list, and the final make up of the squad

I dunno - you'd only want a handful of those guys rocking up in a gold jersey at the moment.

 

[Marce]

If I were Bernard Foley I'd train as hell. He has big chances to got a call. QC (Quade Cooper) only has 5 games to prepare himself, any minor issue and he's going straight to the RWC

Seems stupid.

All 3 teams could have played in a mini round robin tournament hosted in Japan, rather than playing the same team twice.

There's not an available Tier 2 nation yo play against?

 

[KOB1987]

If I were Bernard Foley I'd train as hell. He has big chances to got a call. QC (Quade Cooper) (Quade Cooper) only has 5 games to prepare himself, any minor issue and he's going straight to the RWC


There's not an available Tier 2 nation yo play against?

Yes and given the lack of teams available to play against, I have a revenue generating idea - hopefully V’landys (the horse racing guy) and Hamish are reading.

Australia A aka RWC Wallabies ‘possibles’ v the mungoes in a game of union. For safety reasons the tight 5 and their reserves in the Mungoes team are the ‘next best’ from the super franchises, but the rest of the players are from the NRL. After the October long weekend obviously, would surely get bums on seats.

 

[The Red Baron]

Yes and given the lack of teams available to play against, I have a revenue generating idea - hopefully V’landys (the horse racing guy) (the horse racing guy) and Hamish are reading.

Australia A aka RWC Wallabies ‘possibles’ v the mungoes in a game of union. For safety reasons the tight 5 and their reserves in the Mungoes team are the ‘next best’ from the super franchises, but the rest of the players are from the NRL. After the October long weekend obviously, would surely get bums on seats.

Didn't the poms try something similar a few years ago?

 

[qwerty51]

Reds v Tahs only emphasised 6. Holloway 7. Gleeson 8. Valetini for me.

Get amongst it.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Reds v Tahs only emphasised 6. Holloway 7. Gleeson 8. Valetini for me.

Get amongst it.

Out of interest Qwerty, do you know how many lineouts Gleeson took, if any? If he's not a genuine lineout option, we can't have that backrow with Skelton in the Row.

 

[qwerty51]

I don't think he took one but that's with the Tahs playing Seu in the backrow so he's a distant 4th option. He's definitely tall enough to be a suitable 3rd option I'd say when you have 2 excellent firsts in Frost and Holloway.

 

[cyclopath]

I don't watch much NH rugby, but does Skelton really take NO line outs? Or is this just a regurgitated statement that gets presented as fact? Can someone who actually watches NH rugby give an educated answer?

 

[qwerty51]

He got lifted in the game before the last one, I didn't see his most recent one but they definitely have lifted him and he won the ball. There's obviously an element of surprise with him jumping too. They've thrown to him at the front not jumping as well.

 

[Derpus]

I don't watch much NH rugby, but does Skelton really take NO line outs? Or is this just a regurgitated statement that gets presented as fact? Can someone who actually watches NH rugby give an educated answer?

From what ive read and the little I've seen he takes more than he did when he was playing here but certainly isnt a primary target.

I think it works well in France because they tend to rely on their backrow to receive more regularly anyway.

 

[qwerty51]

They also had 1.96cm 145kg Uini Atonio lifting him at the front. Not sure our props could do that.