Wallabies 2024

[Tomthumb]

A great coach can definitely improve his weakest links and mould his squad to be a better side. However, winning sides generally have better cattle. That is a fact.

It's a chicken & egg scenario though. Who was saying England had great cattle after they were dropped out in the Pool stages of the World cup? Who was saying South Africa had great cattle when they got whooped 57-0 against the All Blacks

At some point, coaches need to make a tangible difference to results if they are any good. Or we might as well just appoint Rob Penney for a good laugh

 

[Braveheart81]

2-0 vs Wales, 1-1 vs Argentina.

Shouldn't that read 1-2?

How many times have we played Argentina this year?

We played 2 games in Argentina 1st and 8th Sept?? Won one and demolished in 2nd odd post by you.

That's why I said 1-1 vs Argentina.

 

[stillmissit]

Don't agree with this. If the only way a coach can be successful is to have great players, how do we know someone is actually a good coach?

The best coaches make teams better than the sum of their parts. Guys like Ian Foster & Pieter De Villiers have proven even bang average coaches can have success with great players

Fully agree with the first sentence, but the second sentence partly dismisses the first one.
Good coaches fall into 2 categories in rugby, they either take an average team and make them good ie Cheika and Mckenzie with Tahs or they build a solid base of young players ie Phil Mooney Reds and Stuart Lancaster Eng and someone else steps in and takes the honours ie Mckenzie and E. Jones. We need both of these types of coaches to be successful.

 

[stillmissit]

That's why I said 1-1 vs Argentina.

Ah! I thought you posted 1 out of 1.

 

[Jets]

I'd say a 2/4 tour result is a pass. We need to be improving and that involves taking scalps of teams above us. This would also be on the basis that we are competitive in the other two games.
I'd like to see more development in our attack, we are starting to see some clever options and that needs to continue.
Defence wise, I'd like us not to concede over 30 points in a game. This has been an issue this year and the squad are having time together at the moment, albeit split in two groups, so can hopefully work on this.
More certainty around our backline would be a nice development. I feel the pack have improved but still a lot of questions over our best back options.

 

[Dctarget]

Okay next question, odds that Sua'ali'i gets on for the Wallabies? I reckon there's a 30% chance. Have him come off the bench against Bristol on the 8th, start him on against England A on the 17th then bam off the bench for the Wallabies against Scotland on the 25th.

 

[Derpus]

I'd say a 2/4 tour result is a pass. We need to be improving and that involves taking scalps of teams above us. This would also be on the basis that we are competitive in the other two games.
I'd like to see more development in our attack, we are starting to see some clever options and that needs to continue.
Defence wise, I'd like us not to concede over 30 points in a game. This has been an issue this year and the squad are having time together at the moment, albeit split in two groups, so can hopefully work on this.
More certainty around our backline would be a nice development. I feel the pack have improved but still a lot of questions over our best back options.

Probably won't see a great deal of improvement in defence unless they change the system they are playing to.

 

[Alex Sharpe]

Okay next question, odds that Sua'ali'i gets on for the Wallabies? I reckon there's a 30% chance. Have him come off the bench against Bristol on the 8th, start him on against England A on the 17th then bam off the bench for the Wallabies against Scotland on the 25th.

If the squad remains injury free I agree. I suspect there will be injuries and he may play a bigger role out of necessity

 

[Wilson]

Okay next question, odds that Sua'ali'i gets on for the Wallabies? I reckon there's a 30% chance. Have him come off the bench against Bristol on the 8th, start him on against England A on the 17th then bam off the bench for the Wallabies against Scotland on the 25th.

30% is probably about right, but I reckon he probably has the same chance of copping a ban that rules him out for the rest of the tour for a tackle in one of the A games. Possibly the inevitable yellow for batting the ball dead will save him from being on the field to take someone's head off before he has adjusted though.

 

[Derpus]

30% is probably about right, but I reckon he probably has the same chance of copping a ban that rules him out for the rest of the tour for a tackle in one of the A games. Possibly the inevitable yellow for batting the ball dead will save him from being on the field to take someone's head off before he has adjusted though.

He only had the one ban for a high tackle in League didn't he? I think he'll adjust fine.

 

[stillmissit]

Probably won't see a great deal of improvement in defence unless they change the system they are playing to.

I'm no defence specialist but even I can see that the slide? d we appear to be using ain't working in a world where rush D has reached a point where we need to work out a reply to it or accept it ourselves.

 

[Wilson]

He only had the one ban for a high tackle in League didn't he? I think he'll adjust fine.

You still get away with a lot more in league - every hit in this video has him at least facing the judiciary in our game:

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I'm not saying he won't adapt well, but I think there's a really high risk in the early periods for converts when they're going out there looking to make an impact, tends to put them into that league big hit mode.

 

[Henry]

A coach is only as good as his players. We are currently ranked 10th in the world for a reason. We simply don’t have the depth of talent that we had back in the 80’s and 90’s. Many reasons for this including the shrinking of the player pool of CHS rugby and poaching raids by NRL clubs on schoolboy talent.

The current players are the best we have. Bringing in one or two players from overseas will make little difference.

Forget the glory days of the 80s & 90s, I'd even love some of that 00s or 10s talent! Which current player is better than their counterpart from the 2015 RWC starting final team?

Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (c), Scott Sio.

I can't see anyone who'd be making this team in the current crop? MAYBE Taniela at full fitness.

 

[Derpus]

Forget the glory days of the 80s & 90s, I'd even love some of that 00s or 10s talent! Which current player is better than their counterpart from the 2015 RWC starting final team?

Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (c), Scott Sio.

I can't see anyone who'd be making this team in the current crop? MAYBE Taniela at full fitness.

Bell is better than Sio.

 

[JRugby2]

He only had the one ban for a high tackle in League didn't he? I think he'll adjust fine.

I'm no defence specialist but even I can see that the slide? d we appear to be using ain't working in a world where rush D has reached a point where we need to work out a reply to it or accept it ourselves.

He's also not an idiot and played rugby for years as a recent high schooler - this is arguably the least risky league transfer we've had in terms of difficulty to adapt.

 

[JRugby2]

30% is probably about right, but I reckon he probably has the same chance of copping a ban that rules him out for the rest of the tour for a tackle in one of the A games. Possibly the inevitable yellow for batting the ball dead will save him from being on the field to take someone's head off before he has adjusted though.

He only had the one ban for a high tackle in League didn't he? I think he'll adjust fine.

He's also not an idiot and played rugby for years as a recent high schooler - this is arguably the least risky league transfer we've had in terms of difficulty to adapt.

 

[Dctarget]

I sincerely believe Sua'ali'i with minimal prep in Union will offer more to the Wallabies than

Forget the glory days of the 80s & 90s, I'd even love some of that 00s or 10s talent! Which current player is better than their counterpart from the 2015 RWC starting final team?

Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (c), Scott Sio.

I can't see anyone who'd be making this team in the current crop? MAYBE Taniela at full fitness.

That's actually so impressive how far we've slid from that. I'd also prefer Ikitau instead of Kuridrani. Ikitau on that backline would be immense. And Skelton instead of Douglas.

 

[JRugby2]

Forget the glory days of the 80s & 90s, I'd even love some of that 00s or 10s talent! Which current player is better than their counterpart from the 2015 RWC starting final team?

Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (c), Scott Sio.

I can't see anyone who'd be making this team in the current crop? MAYBE Taniela at full fitness.

Probably Valetini over Fardy, and any of Skelton, Frost or LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) over Rob Simmons

 

[Derpus]

I sincerely believe Sua'ali'i with minimal prep in Union will offer more to the Wallabies than

That's actually so impressive how far we've slid from that. I'd also prefer Ikitau instead of Kuridrani. Ikitau on that backline would be immense. And Skelton instead of Douglas.

Nah Kuridrani was the crashballer in that backline and his defensive work at that time was at least the equal of Ikitau's now.

 

[Dctarget]

Nah Kuridrani was the crashballer in that backline and his defensive work at that time was at least the equal of Ikitau's now.

I reckon he was carried by his teammates. Take him out of that Brumbies team and Wallabies, he's never been able to recreate his form.