Do Victorians seriously call rashies ‘scratchies’, @Dctarget ? Next you’ll be telling me they don’t fall into the category of togs or something ridiculous.
I actually had a brain fade and we call them rashies too, not that we ever need them sadly. I was trying to remember my Queensland youth!Do Victorians seriously call rashies ‘scratchies’, @Dctarget ? Next you’ll be telling me they don’t fall into the category of togs or something ridiculous.
Unfortunately Lolesio reminds me of the fat kid who put on his scratchie at the pool because the girls arrived.
Quiet achiever Tauakipulu earns maiden rep honour with Australia XV call-up
Western Force tighthead prop Tiaan Tauakipulu has been rewarded for a strong 2024 Super Rugby Pacific campaign with a call-up to the Australia XV squad.
Lineout | Scrum | Kickoff receive | Attack | Defense | General | |
Frost | Great target. Great defensive jump. Not the best rolling maul destroyer. | Good (?) | Good hands. Great jump. Timing can go missing. Team results here have been poor. | Not a line bender. Fast in loose play. Good support player. | Willing. Tackle technique pretty good. Yellow card potential due to height. Tackle % is down | Needs to combine with a tight lock that will bend the line for him. Likely starter due to lineout skills. Potentially goes to 6 after 50 mins. (?) |
Skelton | Good lifter. Destroys mauls. Needs a jumping backrower to cover for his lack of jump. | Good - If he is super fit. Difficult to partner with due to his size | Unsure | Line Bender. Good soft hands with good offload. A bit slow in support. | A bit slow. Good if the game comes within his reach. Destroys rucks and mauls when he gets to them | Needs a backrower to cover his lineout jumping and his defense mobility. 50 minute Max. Potentially the best fit with Frost (?) |
LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) | Good #2 in Lineout. Good maul defense. | Good | All of the current wallabies delivered poor team results in this area. | Hard carry. Good hands | Hard defender | Difficult to leave out. |
Williams | improving | Good start | Part of an underperforming unit. | Seemed Good | Seemed Good | Not certain of his credentials, so it is hard to comment. |
I think the RC saw Williams jump Frost for that starting position and Salakaia-Loto brings the positives that Frost does without most of his negatives. Williams can bend the line early on in the game, not so much of a hole runner like Lukhan. I want Williams/Skelton with Salakaia-Loto on the bench for the final 30.Question without notice;
What are the strengths and weaknesses of our second rowers;
Also, once we know these attributes, what is the best way to utilize them on game day.
Also, what pairings create the most synergy and create the best fit for the gameplan.
I will start with;
Lineout Scrum Kickoff receive Attack Defense General Frost Great target.
Great defensive jump.
Not the best rolling maul destroyer.Good (?) Good hands.
Great jump.
Timing can go missing.
Team results here have been poor.Not a line bender.
Fast in loose play.
Good support player.Willing.
Tackle technique pretty good.
Yellow card potential due to height.
Tackle % is downNeeds to combine with a tight lock that will bend the line for him.
Likely starter due to lineout skills. Potentially goes to 6 after 50 mins. (?)Skelton Good lifter.
Destroys mauls.
Needs a jumping backrower to cover for his lack of jump.Good - If he is super fit.
Difficult to partner with due to his sizeUnsure Line Bender.
Good soft hands with good offload.
A bit slow in support.A bit slow.
Good if the game comes within his reach.
Destroys rucks and mauls when he gets to themNeeds a backrower to cover his lineout jumping and his defense mobility.
50 minute Max.
Potentially the best fit with Frost (?)LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) Good #2 in Lineout.
Good maul defense.Good All of the current wallabies delivered poor team results in this area. Hard carry.
Good handsHard defender Difficult to leave out. Williams improving Good start Part of an underperforming unit. Seemed Good Seemed Good Not certain of his credentials, so it is hard to comment.
Who are your lineout jumpers for these pairings?I think the RC saw Williams jump Frost for that starting position and Salakaia-Loto brings the positives that Frost does without most of his negatives. Williams can bend the line early on in the game, not so much of a hole runner like Lukhan. I want Williams/Skelton with Salakaia-Loto on the bench for the final 30.
I want Swain/Skelton to start with Frost on the bench. Don't care who goes the 80 but would prefer Skelton.Who are your lineout jumpers for these pairings?
I’m a big fan of Salakai-Loto and very glad to see him back at the Reds.Question without notice;
What are the strengths and weaknesses of our second rowers;
Also, once we know these attributes, what is the best way to utilize them on game day.
Also, what pairings create the most synergy and create the best fit for the gameplan.
I will start with;
Lineout Scrum Kickoff receive Attack Defense General Frost Great target.
Great defensive jump.
Not the best rolling maul destroyer.Good (?) Good hands.
Great jump.
Timing can go missing.
Team results here have been poor.Not a line bender.
Fast in loose play.
Good support player.Willing.
Tackle technique pretty good.
Yellow card potential due to height.
Tackle % is downNeeds to combine with a tight lock that will bend the line for him.
Likely starter due to lineout skills. Potentially goes to 6 after 50 mins. (?)Skelton Good lifter.
Destroys mauls.
Needs a jumping backrower to cover for his lack of jump.Good - If he is super fit.
Difficult to partner with due to his sizeUnsure Line Bender.
Good soft hands with good offload.
A bit slow in support.A bit slow.
Good if the game comes within his reach.
Destroys rucks and mauls when he gets to themNeeds a backrower to cover his lineout jumping and his defense mobility.
50 minute Max.
Potentially the best fit with Frost (?)LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) Good #2 in Lineout.
Good maul defense.Good All of the current wallabies delivered poor team results in this area. Hard carry.
Good handsHard defender Difficult to leave out. Williams improving Good start Part of an underperforming unit. Seemed Good Seemed Good Not certain of his credentials, so it is hard to comment.
I reckon guys like George Smith are not common.Is this actually true though? In this professional age it seems there's a real art to knowing how much to exert yourself in training. Some guys need to bust a gut, while others need to save as much petrol as possible for game time. Not to mention managing injury risks.
Obviously Wright needed to better find that balance, and it's great he's found it.
I don't attend training clearly but I know of the stories of legendary under-trainers like George Smith. Didn't seem to impact his play on Saturday.
Without Swain, who would you have?I want Swain/Skelton to start with Frost on the bench. Don't care who goes the 80 but would prefer Skelton.
Jumpers Swain, Wilson, Valitini (occasionally) and McReight fast lift at the front or from the back over the top with Samu either taking it and McW support or the other way round.
Spot on. Especially these days. Professionalism won't tolerate it.I reckon guys like George Smith are not common.
When people talk about the greats in sports - guys like Jordan, Kobe, Messi, Tiger etc - you often hear about their work ethic and how hard they pushed themselves (and often their teammates) in training.
A friend of mine once met Michael Hooper and he asked him if had any advice for a young player wanting to pursue a rugby career and Hooper told him that exact line - train the way you want to play.
There's also a bit of a 'what-if' about it - imagine what Smith could've been if he had actually trained the house downThere's a chance a guy like Smith these days would be labelled a shit trainer and be on the outside of some squads and not get to the same levels.
So I see Tauakipulu called up to the XV side with Props dropping like flies.
I know he played every game this year which surprised me and what surprised me more was he's only 23 but gee cupboard is getting bare. Always thought he was barely a FT Super Squad player.
I would have guessed he was 27 since he seems to have floated around for ages.
I think that's whats skewing my mind. Mentally he's almost 30 for me so I thought this sucks but when I see he's 23 it changes it all.For a THP this career trajectory doesn’t bother me at all. For him to make a Super Rugby debut as a THP as a 19 year old is impressive, albeit premature.