Wallabies 2024

[Joe Blow]

You can only select from those available. They have given their reasons why Skelton was not considered. Uru has presumably been selected in place of Wright or Cale as someone who can play 6,7,8 and 5 as a bonus. We need to have at least one specialist 7 in the squad. Two is better.
Who would you suggest at 10 instead of those three players Marce?
Schmidt can only select from the pool available, which might not be the deepest at this time. However, it’s not terrible either. These players will get better and step up as they gain more experience by playing test footy, as it ever was.

 

[nathan]

Back 3 of Koro, Kellaway (FB) and Toole?

 

[Marce]

They have given their reasons why Skelton was not considered.

Who are they? Where can I read that?

Uru has presumably been selected in place of Wright or Cale as someone who can play 6,7,8 and 5 as a bonus.

I like Uru, actually I picked him as my starter number 8 or at least a bench man

Who would you suggest at 10 instead of those three players Marce?

I picked Lynagh as my starter 10 so I think he's going to improve with more experience at test level

 

[Joe Blow]

Who are they? Where can I read that?

I like Uru, actually I picked him as my starter number 8 or at least a bench man


I picked Lynagh as my starter 10 so I think he's going to improve with more experience at test level

I cannot find the article but it was the same one suggesting that there will be 3 squads selected for this RC. One for each pair of matches and also suggesting Skelton will be available for the tour to Argentina..
I’m also an Uru fan. I would slot him in the 23 next week.
I like Lynagh too and he is our best bet long term. Ease him in gradually off the bench. Boy, those Boks will really be trying to get to him. It may open up opportunities elsewhere. He needs to be protected by our forwards as much as is possible.

 

[Strewthcobber]

There's no a top class fly half or first five eight. Lynagh, Donaldson and Lolesio aren't test level yet but at least Lynagh Junior can kick to the posts

Lynagh has the weakest goal kicking success rate of the three players mentioned by a fair distance

 

[A mutterer]

I cannot find the article but it was the same one suggesting that there will be 3 squads selected for this RC. One for each pair of matches and also suggesting Skelton will be available for the tour to Argentina..
I’m also an Uru fan. I would slot him in the 23 next week.
I like Lynagh too and he is our best bet long term. Ease him in gradually off the bench. Boy, those Boks will really be trying to get to him. It may open up opportunities elsewhere. He needs to be protected by our forwards as much as is possible.

I'm glad Uru is in, his form back of the season deserved it. Most of the picks make sense, particularly as Schmidt needs to develop a squad that isn't completely dependent on some drop ins to be competitive. Adding Skelton for the pumas will also give a better measure of how competitive we will be with some of our OS guys in terms of climbing the ranks in November.

This will be a baptism by fire for the younger players, bigger bodies battle hardened after some cracking matches between #1 & #2. Suspect Schmidt is now also looking for whose ready mentally to step up.

 

[Strewthcobber]

A reddit poster has said Cale has recently been in hospital with an infected cut, hence he his being rested for the SA games.

Anyone else heard this?

 

[griffins]

Personally not sold on the argument that Uru has any sort of physical presence, I think he has been poor against the physical Kiwi sides and is likely to be exposed at test level. I like the idea of him on paper though and would love for him to fulfil this apparent potential, he is definitely very influential when he plays well.

 

[Wilson]

Lynagh has the weakest goal kicking success rate of the three players mentioned by a fair distance

It's pretty close between him and Donaldson in terms of percentages, but they also never tell anything like the full story.

The success of the Reds maul this year meant they were much less likely to kick for goal then the Brumbies or the Force (most kickers are more accurate for penalties given they are generally chosen when they're likely to kick them) and the Reds also scored more tries on the corner based off of that successful maul (I don't have stats on this, it's admittedly more of a feeling). So Lynagh only had 4 shots at penalty (kicked 3) where as Donaldson had 16 (kicked 11) and Lolesio 15 (kicked 14). From watching his strike he's clearly a technically proficient kicker and vary really misses kicks he should get or shanks the ball. It's times like this I miss goalkickers.co.za who rated kickers based on the difficulty of the shots, not just the percentage kicked.

I'm not calling for him to start though, I think his time should be managed and he should be eased into international rugby.

 

[KOB1987]

A reddit poster has said Cale has recently been in hospital with an infected cut, hence he his being rested for the SA games.

Anyone else heard this?

He could be but he's not listed as one of the unavailable players so it's possibly also a coincidence.

 

[Ignoto]

Bell is our best LHP when healthy and showed how good he was soon after returning from injury last year. Whether or not he goes straight into the 23 is uncertain but if he's healthy again, I'd select him.

Healthy or match fit though?

I think there are valid reasons to include Bell in the training squad, but he should also be trying to get some minutes through club land.

By including Bell in the named squad, it drops a fit player like Hodgman out which is detrimental to the Wallabies preparation and Bell's return especially who we're about to play.

Bell "rushing" back seems to be a constant theme and one might think he would be better off taking a more cautious approach, especially given there is no need to. I would much prefer to have a fit and firing Bell against the Argies and EOYT than the Springboks.

By naming Bell in a 23, there is not an insignificant risk that he could play 60+ minutes even from the bench (i.e. whoever starts gets injured or a HIA).

 

[cyclopath]

The only controversial calls:

1- Bell cause we don't know how fit he's right now. At his prime he's the best LHP in OZ
2- Uru at 8
3- Toole over Koroibete and Toole has been the in form Aussie winger in Super Rugby this year and he deserves a chance and I want to see what he can do at this level

For me Rory Arnold and Skelton are still the best Aussie locks
McReight is out so both Reimer and Tizzano we don't know what can do at this level

There's no a top class fly half or first five eight. Lynagh, Donaldson and Lolesio aren't test level yet but at least Lynagh Junior can kick to the posts

Most of the calls are the safe options I don't see the Dismall Pillock team. Maybe you would have pick Tim Horan, John Eales and Michael Lynagh

Not sure why you quoted my post, given that yours has absolutely nothing to do with mine.

 

[Braveheart81]

Healthy or match fit though?

He clearly can't be match fit because he hasn't played. That said he's probably got the biggest motor out of any of our props by some distance.

I'm not a doctor but I'm guessing that the mechanism of his injury is such that once he's cleared fit to return there's not really any benefit in terms of the injury to ease him back in etc. Anyway, those are my thoughts based on the selection decisions.

It pretty clearly points to Hodgman being considered to be behind Slipper and Kailea though.

 

[SouthernX]

Personally not sold on the argument that Uru has any sort of physical presence, I think he has been poor against the physical Kiwi sides and is likely to be exposed at test level. I like the idea of him on paper though and would love for him to fulfil this apparent potential, he is definitely very influential when he plays well.

depends the positional lense you view him from.

for a second rower, yes he might not have the physical presence but what he lacks he makes up for it in running ability in open play. He has great off loading ability… I can see his speed and agility catching South Africa off guard esp should he make the 23 & coming off the bench as a boostly injection.

 

[Linerunner2023]

Bell is the best LHP in Aus he will be fine and be a big inclusion
He will most likely come off the bench so only play 30-40 min anyway

 

[PhilClinton]

depends the positional lense you view him from.

for a second rower, yes he might not have the physical presence but what he lacks he makes up for it in running ability in open play. He has great off loading ability… I can see his speed and agility catching South Africa off guard esp should he make the 23 & coming off the bench as a boostly injection.

I actually thought he would be better used against NZ.

South Africa are a big side but also quite mobile for their size. I think against SA we will be looking to put our biggest bodies on the park and I'm not sure Uru makes that side in any position.

I can see Uru running off the ruck edges in the final 15mins of a NZ test match and providing a point of difference.

 

[House is on Fire]

I'm thinking a 6-2 split with a heavy starting back row.

Slipper / Bell / Kailea, Faessler, Tupou, Frost, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Valetini, Hooper, Wilson, Gordon, Lolesio, Koroibete / Daugunu, Paisami, Ikitau, Kellaway, Wright

Res: Pollard, Slipper / Bell / Kailea, AAA, Blyth, Williams / Uru, Reimer, McDermott, Donaldson

 

[fatprop]

Hard to drop Daugunu on form but if Koroibete is still as good as he was then it’s one of those tough choices I suppose. Probably prefer putting Kellaway to the back with both Daugunu and Koroibete on wings. I don’t think you lose heaps of kicking that way to be frank.

I think it is more likely Daugunu becomes the outside back bench option

 

[Marce]

Lynagh has the weakest goal kicking success rate of the three players mentioned by a fair distance

Not at test level

 

[Slim 293]

Not at test level

Oh, yeah...?