Wallabies 2024

[Strewthcobber]

I haven't watched the whole game. Did Sua'ali'i end up defending much at 12?

For the later grubber down the short side try, he's got Ikitau inside of him.

Wright blind side wing, Kellaway at 10, mcReight next to him, then Ikitau, sua'ali'i, Jorgensen with Lolesio on the open wing.

 

[barbarian]

Yeah I noticed he defended at 13 a lot. He was there for Kellaway's turnover try late in the game.

 

[upthereds#!]

I'm guessing we need to be Wales - but mainly Scotland (plus lose to Ireland) if we want a chance of moving up the ladder again at Englands expense.

 

[KentwellCup>ShuteShield]

If we beat wales handidly, i can cop the rest being tough losses.

 

[TSR]

In hindsight it's pretty easy to see why Sua'ali'i was thrown straight into the starting XV.

It would have been hard seeing that ability at training and deciding he wasn't in your best team.

The point Schmidt made about him being named as a starter and that being beneficial for his preparation was a good insight as well. For a player short on reps, being the starter is really important for having a lot of involvement in the week leading up to the game.

It was obvious to me. I just didn’t get around to posting it on here. I can’t believe you lot doubted him. Hang your heads.

 

[Yoda]

They haven't updated the ladder yet (despite it saying otherwise up top), and will probably show the changes tomorrow but it will be as SMI mentioned...

1	(↑2)	South Africa	92.46	(+0.69)
2	(↑3)	New Zealand	91.21	(+1.55)
3	(↓1)	Ireland	90.58	(-1.55)
4		France	86.96
5	(↑6)	Argentina	85.60	(+1.30)
6	(↑7)	Scotland	82.70	(-0.69)
7	(↓5)	England	82.62	(-1.81)
8	(↑9)	Australia	81.14	(+1.81)
9	(↑10)	Fiji	80.07	(+1.00)
10	(↓8)	Italy	78.67	(-1.30)

https://www.theroar.com.au/rugby-union/world-rugby-rankings/

Who seriously worries about bloody rankings? Apart from who is top dog? World Champs. We just showed as underdogs we can beat England. No one gave us a chance because we were ‘9th’ in the world…and they were ‘5th’… I don’t care what ranking we are. I always think we can win every Test match on our day…I’m sure the players do too..

 

[Rhino_rugby]

Women's and Men's Rankings | World Rugby

Information about the World Rugby women's and men's rankings

www.world.rugby

England are 5th but could drop if they lose next week and Argentina win.

We moved from 10 to 9, tough of Fiji after their good win but Wales are ranked so low they didn't receive as many points for their win.

England currently sit in 5th, but a loss next week combined with an Argentina win could see them drop.
We’ve moved up from 10th to 9th, but it’s tough for Fiji; despite their strong win, Wales’s low ranking meant Fiji didn’t gain as many points for it.

 

[Rhino_rugby]

Who seriously worries about bloody rankings? Apart from who is top dog? World Champs. We just showed as underdogs we can beat England. No one gave us a chance because we were ‘9th’ in the world…and they were ‘5th’… I don’t care what ranking we are. I always think we can win every Test match on our day…I’m sure the players do too..

Who cares about rankings, except for who's on top as World Champs? We just proved as underdogs that we can beat England. No one gave us a chance because we were ‘9th’ and they were ‘5th,’ but that didn’t matter.
I don’t care about rankings—I believe we can win any Test match on our day, and I’m sure the players feel the same!

 

[noscrumnolife]

I will say with JAS the most positive aspect of the performance was that he showed skills I didn't necessarily expect him to have i based on his league performances. As an avid rooster fan who has watched just about every game he has played in the NRL, I thought he would be a very hard running, physical player on both sides of the ball who could also compete in the air. I didn't expect him to show soft, silky hands and a good awareness of space. In fact, I have found him very frustrating as a League center because he tended to go looking for contact above all else. On Saturday I think he only hit the deck once when he was tackled (and had a very clean presentation for quick ball when he did - not something you'd see from many league converts).

If he can combine that kind of performance with the intensely physical side of the game (especially on D - still remember him dropping Kikau as an 18 yo) could have some player.

Equally its early days - real test for me will come against Ireland and Scotland - two teams with better coaches than Borthwick/Gatland who will have a bit of tape and a plan for him.

 

[Wilson]

Who seriously worries about bloody rankings? Apart from who is top dog? World Champs. We just showed as underdogs we can beat England. No one gave us a chance because we were ‘9th’ in the world…and they were ‘5th’… I don’t care what ranking we are. I always think we can win every Test match on our day…I’m sure the players do too..

The rankings are used to seed the pool draw for the world cup, being done at the end of next year. With a lions tour next year reducing our opportunity to improve our rankings it's pretty important we come out of this tour with some improvement. Ideally we want to make it into the top 6 by the end of last year to avoid being paired with a top seed team.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Had a chat with a work colleague yesterday whose partner is involved with the elite level of the game here and obviously knows a good number of the Wallaby players well. She reported that morale in camp is apparently very, very good right now and that was before the weekend. I can only imagine it now.

They're reportedly a very together bunch who are playing hard for each other and their coach. You can actually see it in their body language out on the paddock too.

 

[Dctarget]

Had a chat with a work colleague yesterday whose partner is involved with the elite level of the game here and obviously knows a good number of the Wallaby players well. She reported that morale in camp is apparently very, very good right now and that was before the weekend. I can only imagine it now.

They're reportedly a very together bunch who are playing hard for each other and their coach. You can actually see it in their body language out on the paddock too.

Amazing what not playing NZ or SA can do to the spirit.

 

[Dctarget]

...Can Sua'ali'i qualify for WR (World Rugby) (or Australia's) breakout player of the year?

 

[Wilson]

...Can Sua'ali'i qualify for WR (World Rugby) (World Rugby) (or Australia's) breakout player of the year?

He's pretty much a dead cert to get the rookie of the year at the 2025 RA awards at this point.

For the World Rugby ones I'm not sure if they're calendar year or test season (starts with the EOYT/Autumn internationals). He's not going to trump someone like Wallace Sititi or Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu for this year, but if he qualifies for next years then he'll be pretty well placed to pick it up.

 

[Dctarget]

He's pretty much a dead cert to get the rookie of the year at the 2025 RA awards at this point.

For the World Rugby ones I'm not sure if they're calendar year or test season (starts with the EOYT/Autumn internationals). He's not going to trump someone like Wallace Sititi or Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu for this year, but if he qualifies for next years then he'll be pretty well placed to pick it up.

Yeah Sititi has to be an absolute guarantee at this rate. Shame we haven't seen more of Sacha.

 

[dru]

He's pretty much a dead cert to get the rookie of the year at the 2025 RA awards at this point.

For the World Rugby ones I'm not sure if they're calendar year or test season (starts with the EOYT/Autumn internationals). He's not going to trump someone like Wallace Sititi or Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu for this year, but if he qualifies for next years then he'll be pretty well placed to pick it up.

He's played one game.

 

[Wilson]

He's played one game.

I'm not anointing him World player of the year or the John Eales medal, but as a rookie of the year for 2025 he's in very good stead. Particularly from the Australian awards where the Rebels demise means there are fewer spaces and a flood talent on the market that will mean fewer rookies getting less time in super rugby.

On the world rugby side of things (assuming they use the same voting period) then debuting in the first available test match and looking like he's not going to be outside of the 23 when fit will make it hard for many players to compete with that. Obviously there's a lot of rugby still to be played but it's not at all outlandish to suggest he's an early favourite for these awards.

 

[Wilson]

Pietsch officially out for the rest of the tour:

Flook called up to the main squad.

 

[stillmissit]

Pity as Pietch was looking good.

 

[Filipo Daugunu]

Time for Potter to get a crack at no.23. Perfect utility option, covers fullback, wings, and outside centre.