Wallabies: Looking to the World Cup...

[Hawko]

Our two SH opponents are both capable of winning even without any three of their best players, because they have so much depth. We have no depth.

New Zealand have great depth, but I don't think SA have as much depth as they think, particularly their back three and halfback.

Our depth is not as good as NZ, but I reckon the only place we are really weak on depth is Tight Head Prop. Our locks are not too strong either, but their potential replacements are of similar quality. Right now, with team rehab coming back, we have good depth without enough "world class" players to be favourites for the Cup. The Super season might change all that for better or worse, but to say we have no depth is a gross exaggeration.

 

[TOCC]

I just read a quote from Drew Mitchell saying Speight was the hardest to mark in Defence and Attack in Super 15..

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

I've read that quote and what it actually said was that Speight was in the top 3 players that Drew Mitchell marked in super rugby 2013...

So in effect Drew only marked 13 or 14 wingers in 2013 and Speight was in the top 3...

 

[Dan54]

What is your definition of "world class"? Anybody who plays for the Wallabies? Some pretty average footballers have played for the national team over the years.

It is a judgement call, but I would only class 8 or 10 out of our current squad as world class. Folau, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Genia, maybe Cooper, Moore, Hooper, Pocock at his best, maybe To'omua, Lilo in his 2012 form. Another top season from Fardy would put him in the bracket. Beale back at his best would be there, too.

Agree wholeheartedly Wamb, I think the world class tag is thrown around to easily, there is a difference between international class and world class. Hell I'm a one eyed All Black supporter, but I only rate about 5-6 ABs world class. And even then some would argue I being one eyed..

 

[Scrubber2050]

Really think there is a HUGE difference between "world class" and 'World's Best" -
Obviously the Wqallabies are in the top 3 teams in the world and therefore must be world class (certainly most of them - to me the exceptions at this stage are Kepu, Mowen, Lilo, To'omua, Tomane - these blokes are on the improve and a year or two will surely put them in the top category. The rest of the team is world class NOW and are also improving as a group. They will only get better)

 

[Dan54]

Ok see where you coming from Scrubber, but I only really call a player world class if he would make a world 15 or 22.

 

[Zander]

Just my definition but I think world class means would make at least 4 of the top 6 countries in the world. NZ, SA, Aus, Eng, France, Wales

Making a World XV/22 wouldn't be world class but world's best.

 

[jamey jones]

My Team for the World Cup:

1. Scott Sio
2. Stephan Moore
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Hugh Pile
5. James Horwill
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Scott Higginbotham
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Digby Ione
12. Matt Tumua
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Henry Speight
15. Israel Folau

16. TPN
17. James Slipper
18. Ben Alexander
19. Rob Simmons/ Michael Hooper
20. Ben Mowen
21. Nic White
22. Kurtley Beale
23. Christian Leliafano

 

[Scrubber2050]

Wow jamey,

time to wake up from Xmas -

Picking a teram this far out - 2 x Super 15 years out - bit pre-emptive

Hopefully your wishes don't come true

 

[lpd]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/ben-mowen-to-quit-australian-rugby-20140109-30inm.html as Ben Mowen is likely to be out of the picture, surely this means the vice-captain should step up....
Quade for captain!

 

[cyclopath]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/ben-mowen-to-quit-australian-rugby-20140109-30inm.html as Ben Mowen is likely to be out of the picture, surely this means the vice-captain should step up..
Quade for captain!

Ha ha. I can see the thread now. I reckon he'd go alright, though.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Wouldn't be the worst in terms of strategy/tactics out on the field, he's always had a good instinct for the game. The other leadership stuff, well I dunno. I'm of the view that a national captain should also be the captain of their provincial team. An apprenticeship if you will.

 

[Ash]

While it's highly unlikely that Quade will be captain, although the though is amusing, there's been plenty of Wallaby captains since professionalism that haven't captained their provincial side.

Anyone care to start naming a few?

 

[RugbyReg]

I can't think of any?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Probably easier to start with who has captained the Wallabies over that time (and let's look at longer term guys, not once off or fill-ins):

John Eales
George Gregan
Stirling Mortlock
Rocky Elsom
James Horwill
Ben Mowen
David Pocock

All of the above have captained their Super Rugby sides, haven't they?

 

[RugbyReg]

yep. Even one off guys like Jason Little and Chris Whitaker have.

Perhaps George Smith? Did he captain the Brumbies?

 

[Ash]

To be honest, I was cheating and thinking of some of the "one-offs", although most of the "one-offs" did captain a few.

edit: and I was thinking of concurrently captaining both the Wallabies and their provincial sides too, not just having done both!

 

[Ash]

OK, from memory, I could have sworn that Eales didn't captain the Reds for a period (a season or two?) while also being Wallaby captain, but my memory could be completely playing tricks on me!

edit: actually, I am pretty damn sure that David Wilson captained the Reds and Eales captained the Wallabies for a few years!

 

[Slim 293]

yep. Even one off guys like Jason Little and Chris Whitaker have.

Perhaps George Smith? Did he captain the Brumbies?

George Smith actually captained the Brumbies a fair bit in later years with Mortlock and Hoiles often being invisible captains.........

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

LOL, fair enough

I guess the point I was making was that to captain Australia you really want blokes who have done it at a lower level first. It would be like taking a mid level employee in a big organisation and making them COO or CEO without having come through the ranks of that (or another) organisation first.

 

[RoffsChoice]

All of the above have captained their Super Rugby sides, haven't they?

For a while, Mortlock was Brumbies captain while Gregan was Wallabies captain.