Wallabies 2023

[John S]

Dan Palmer couldn't play anything but 9 - have you seen him lately?

Definitely not his old forward size.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Is my memory correct that when Kellaway was first picked a lot of us were scratching our heads as he hadn’t really been anything other than solid at Super level?

Nah, he was excellent for the Rebels in 2020 before Covid cancelled the Super Rugby season, and then he took off to Japan for a bit before returning for Super Rugby TT in 2021...

And he had proven himself an excellent finisher in his U20s days. Just a matter of time for it to come together at the higher levels.

 

[cyclopath]

Hypothetical: Tupou knocked himself out on the weekend and not Tate. He's now out for 12 days. Next game is Fiji, we only have healthy tighthead (assuming Pone and Slipper are still out). Do you drop Tupou or Pone permanently from the squad? Do you try and say Kemeny cut himself making avocado toast and needs to be replaced?

If you cut yourself making avocado toast you need ending, not just replacing. FFS you only need a spoon.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

If you cut yourself making avocado toast you need ending, not just replacing. FFS you only need a spoon.

Grapefruit spoons have serrated edges.

Very dangerous in the wrong hands.

Cyclo, please be more sympathetic to the worlds of spoons in future.

 

[cyclopath]

Grapefruit spoons have serrated edges.

Very dangerous in the wrong hands.

Cyclo, please be more sympathetic to the worlds of spoons in future.

Sure that's not a breadfruit spoon from Byron's personal Pitcairns ornamental set?

 

[Rob42]

Amazing how many are now on the Donaldson train. Super Rugby threads must be talking about another bloke.

Can’t talk him down for being positionally correct and kicking well. Maybe less pressure of not having to run an attack like the Tahs helped him but I’m going to wait before saying we have our guys as I reckon Jorgenson could have scored all those points as well.

I'm happy to say Donaldson changed my mind. In Super, I thought he didn't offer much of an attacking threat, and he rarely seemed to win a kicking duel. His kicking in general play was way better on the weekend, I'd love to see some stats on his kicking length last weekend versus Super.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

As much as I rate the potential of the bloke you have to wonder what the point of having a guy who is fit for 40 minutes of rugby a year is.

I think it has been understated how big of a loss Tom Robertson was. Another bloke who can play both sides would be very handy

 

[Braveheart81]

I'm not sure the rules around dropping player who came into the world cup injured and are yet to play, but I think in that situation they'd look at Slipper as a fill in tighthead and hope to hell that he and Nonggorr could hold up the scrum until Pone/Tupou were fit again.

New Zealand just did it with Emoni Narawa. He had an injury from before the RWC and they've now dropped him from the squad and replaced him with Ethan Blackadder because Sam Cane is still struggling with injury.

M.Hooper for example should have been identified as a world quality midfielder in the making and encouraged to change positions early to 13 - this would've increased his career longevity by at least 3 years and he wouldn't have sustained so many head knocks in such a physically intensive position, it's an indictment on the state of Australia's high performance systems post the Nuicifora period that they have not produced dominant 7's on both sides of the ball since George Smith and Nuicifora coached Pocock 2010-11.

This is a headscratcher even from you.

He's fourth on the list of most capped Wallabies and has captained the Wallabies more than any other player.

He was nominated twice for World Rugby player of the year and has won the John Eales Medal four times which is the most by any player.

And you're suggesting that someone should have got him to change position when he was younger?

 

[Wilson]

New Zealand just did it with Emoni Narawa. He had an injury from before the RWC and they've now dropped him from the squad and replaced him with Ethan Blackadder because Sam Cane is still struggling with injury.

Yeah, saw that just after I posted. Looks like it's fair game which is fair enough, less controversial rulings if they don't have to make them.

 

[Joe Blow]

Any news on Slipper and Pone?

 

[rugbyAU]

Any news on Slipper and Pone?

Slipper should be back this week, Pone apparently more likely next week but making good progress

 

[emuarse]

You can only play what’s in front of you. The disappointing aspect of the weekends game was that we did not turn a 21-3 scorline into a 40 or 50-6 scoreline. We are going to need to find that edge and to maintain intensity for the full 80. These are the games to practice it.

Taking into consideration the playing conditions (over 30 degrees), the significent lead, and a long tournament where players need to preserve their stamina where possible, I think the Wallabies deliberately took their foot off the accelerator.
A commentator remarked how the forwards would have lost up to 5 kilograms playing.

 

[KevinO]

And you're suggesting that someone should have got him to change position when he was younger?

I think he would have been the best hooker in Wallabies history if a coach had identified him to play 2. While his record as a individual player are impressive, the Wallabies should have had Pocock playing his best position for half of those caps, and not trying him at 6 or 8.

 

[sterlingmortlocksgloves]

You’d be silly not to captain Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) in your RWC fantasy sides this weekend. Expecting a hat trick against the not so flying Fijians.

Yours truly,
His Royal Gloveness Sterling

 

[Braveheart81]

I think he would have been the best hooker in Wallabies history if a coach had identified him to play 2. While his record as a individual player are impressive, the Wallabies should have had Pocock playing his best position for half of those caps, and not trying him at 6 or 8.

Sorry but this is completely isane.

Someone should have foreseen that we were going to have two of our modern greats playing the same position at the same time and made one of them switch to a different position they may have been far worse at?

 

[KevinO]

Sorry but this is completely isane.

Someone should have foreseen that we were going to have two of our modern greats playing the same position at the same time and made one of them switch to a different position they may have been far worse at?

You don't think he would have been a good hooker? I think he would have been the perfect hooker if developed there early enough, his the same height as Dane Coles, John Smith, Rory Best etc.

Yes I agree you couldn't predict having two greats in the same position. But he never really had the height of a backrower. Most 7s have been 6'2 in the last decade

 

[cyclopath]

You don't think he would have been a good hooker? I think he would have been the perfect hooker if developed there early enough, his the same height as Dane Coles, John Smith, Rory Best etc.

Yes I agree you couldn't predict having two greats in the same position. But he never really had the height of a backrower. Most 7s have been 6'2 in the last decade

It's not really relevant to the Wallabies in 2023 though. But, since you brought it up, Pocock is about 2cm taller.

 

[Derpus]

Id have swapped Pocock. Malcolm Marx seems a very similar build and skill set.

 

[Joe Blow]

Pocock would have been a beast at 2 if he switched early enough

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

This is something that should be done more often in general. Would of been a hard sell for Pocock with how dominate he was at 7.

Phil Waugh is another this should have been done with. We had better Hookers at the time tbf.