Wallabies 2024

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Our locks at home suck. Frost is good, Holloway is good for super. Salakai-Loto is undersized if he's paired with Frost. Rodda is injured. Swain is dumb. Neville is a wet lettuce leaf. Canham a rookie. I'd pick Skelton and Staniforth.

Frost is good when paired with more of a brute type.

Skelton, Frost would be my pick. Holloway at 6 with his jumping especially on Defence. If not starting Holloway can be useful on the bench with his ability to cover 4,5,6,8 Kemeny started the year like a beast but being injured then heading overseas probably means he’ll be skipped.

Don’t play two 8s. Make them work to win the spot. It’s how we’ll build depth and performance through pressure.

 

[rugbyAU]

1 - Bell
2 - Faesslar
3 - AAA
4 - Holloway
5 - Frost/LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
6 - Valetini
7 - McReight
8 - Wilson

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think Uru would be a great bench player; his form at lock this season has been very good but off then bench he can cover either Lock/No.6/No.8 if required due to injuries etc.

Uru since the Barbarians games last year has put in some of the most notable N0 7 stints of Aussie players. He won't displace McReight at the Reds, but it is another feather in his cap as far as the Wallabies bench is concerned.

 

[Linerunner2023]

Valetini 1st picked and could play 6 or 8 depending who fits best in the back row
6 - hooper/ leota/ Holloway if Valetini not there
7 - mcreight / t hooper for the big back row - is Gamble a Smokey chance to be added to the squad for back up 7? Quite open for 2nd 7 with Wright, Reimer and kemeny all options (kemeny might not be favoured leaving this year
8. Valetini / Wilson / Gleeson

number 20 is also a big one with Samu gone you need an impact player who can also cover multiple positions
Maybe Uru, wright, Gleeson, t hooper or Leota options - Leota and hooper give you row coverage as well

I’d go with the Wilson atm but if you want the real back row hooper at 6 with Valetini 8
Valetini
Mcreight
Wilson
Still waiting for Tom hooper to really come up as a big player, and was hoping for more from Gleeson this year

 

[Brumby Runner]

1 - Bell
2 - Faesslar
3 - AAA
4 - Holloway
5 - Frost/LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
6 - Valetini
7 - McReight
8 - Wilson

1 Bell
2 Faessler
3 AAA
4 Holloway
5 Frost
6 Hooper
7 McReight
8 Valetini

Three legitimate lineout jumpers; Holloway and Frost good for maul disruption; a genuine fetcher who is also outstanding in defence and support play; the most destructive ball runner in the country. Otherwise, assuming no injuries.

Bench :

16 Lonergan
17 Slipper
18 Tupou
19 Uru/Hanigan
20 Wright

 

[Strewthcobber]

Looks like Bell will miss all of Super Rugby and at least some of the June tests due to the foot injury.

Lonergan is out for months now too right?

Any news yet on a return date for AAA?

 

[TSR]

I think we’re fine at lock. By all means pick Skelton if he is available (although I thought it was already confirmed he wasn’t) but there is otherwise enough quality amongst the Aussie based locks. Sure, none of them are Retallick or Etzebeth but none of the other OS guys are either (maybe Hockings - I haven’t seen him recently).

Prop, hooker, 10, 12 & 15 bigger issues. Although Uelese is actually starting to play like the player he had the potential to become.

 

[Hogie]

Unless there is a tweek or withdrawal of gateau law requirement I expect that both Hockings and Lucas will be close to being able to represent Japan and everything considered likely to switch allegiances. I am sure the coach will welcome with open arms...I fear that Hosea could also follow...

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Bell the back-rower? Wallaby says prop could make radical positional switch if toe doesn’t get better

Star prop Angus Bell won’t feature for the Waratahs again this season, but could he play elsewhere in the forward pack down the track? A teammate says yes.

www.smh.com.au

"Waratahs and Wallabies forward Jed Holloway, who believes Bell has the physical prowess to become a “world-class” back-rower if a recurring toe injury prevents him from scrummaging properly in the future."

"former Wallabies back-rower Stephen Hoiles has questioned whether a positional change could be on the cards for the rising star of Australian rugby if he can’t perform front-row duties. I heard a bit of talk that they have to go and have a look at how they fix this toe long-term,” Hoiles said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts program. “He puts a lot of pressure on the injury he has got [from] scrummaging. Is there a thought process that he might not be able to play prop? He’s good enough to play other positions. That is something that is going to need to be considered now."

"There have been no discussions with Bell about a position switch. I know how much he loves scrums, so he’d probably be the first one to tell you to stick it somewhere.

 

[Dctarget]

Don't know about his lineout jumping and pilfering.

 

[SouthernX]

Holloway koolaid

in what world does one think Angus bell would be world class backrower

 

[Braveheart81]

Holloway koolaid

in what world does one think Angus bell would be world class backrower

In a world where Stephen Hoiles has raised it as an option on a TV show and then a journo has asked Jed Holloway about it during a media appearance.

What's he going to do? Say "no chance, if he can't recover from this injury to stay at prop he'll probably have to retire."

 

[Highlander35]

Holloway koolaid

in what world does one think Angus bell would be world class backrower

I've got little doubt he could be a very capable backrower. But I don't think his carrying game would be seen as awesome as it is from 6-8 as it does from the front, and there goes that offers him up as a point of difference, putting him "in the mix" with guys like Wilson instead of being head and shoulders above a player like Gibbon.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Bell is fantastic in the loose, but would he have the motor to play in the back row? He could develop it, but it would require some serious aerobic work I would think.

 

[Wilson]

I feel like Bell would be better taking a year or two off, strengthening his feet (and taking the time to settle into his body, given he's still quite young), then he would be spending a year a or two transitioning into a back row position where his ceiling won't be as high. He's only 23 right now and already achieved a lot, even if he didn't play again until 2026 he'd still be well ahead of most props that age and on track for the world cup. Would miss the lions tour though.

 

[Derpus]

He needs to play in a team where he isn't the only viable option, probably.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Bell is fantastic in the loose, but would he have the motor to play in the back row? He could develop it, but it would require some serious aerobic work I would think.

I only posted it originally as it's a fun idea but I don't see it as realistic.

As for your question I say he could without doubt. Take the Front Row duties off him which are taxing and I think he'd be fine. He already holds a pretty good work rate now. He was wanted by League sides while at school because of his carries and their Front Rowers are far more like Rugby Backrowers.

I hope they take their time with the injury and have a goal of a 5-6 games leading into the Lions series. Pat Cummins the bloke and reap the rewards later.

 

[John S]

I feel like Bell would be better taking a year or two off, strengthening his feet (and taking the time to settle into his body, given he's still quite young), then he would be spending a year a or two transitioning into a back row position where his ceiling won't be as high. He's only 23 right now and already achieved a lot, even if he didn't play again until 2026 he'd still be well ahead of most props that age and on track for the world cup. Would miss the lions tour though.

The guys on the Inside Line podcast were suggesting once his foot is healed, he might be a candidate for Mike Cron to be working with - given how he got the Kiwi front rows to stop scrumming on their toes - shifting weight back on the foot.

 

[drewprint]

How did Bell actually re-injure his foot on the weekend? Was it during a scrum or in general play? I missed it at the time.

 

[stillmissit]

I think I've figured it out.

4 - LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
5 - Holloway
6 - Hooper
7 - Hanigan
8 - Uru

Highlander is this a hope /plan to kill any chance of competing in bledisloe. Hooper, holloway or URU are poss for 6 but who knows it has been an issue for a long time. I liked Holloway when he first played but thought he fell off in later matches at 6. Neither the 4 nr 5 of your picks will play in the row this year - subject to a fair few injuries.