Wallabies Squad - the Link Era

[JSRF10]

Some speculation in the Australian that To'omua could be lined up to play 15 and defend at 10, obviously journalists have to fill column inches but that was one of the stranger suggestions that I've heard for the Wallaby line up. If Link doesn't pick Mogg or Izzy at 15 I think he'll lose a lot of the good will that any new coach has.

 

[Deputy Van Halen]

both those will eradicate a few arguments on here!

Can't help but feel both of those are a blessing in disguise, Beale can sort his priorities out and maybe Palu can finally heal up properly. MMM into the 23 and maybe Schatz as a smokey in the squad. It's a real shame higgers is broken as there still isn't a physical back row impact player ready to step up. Mogg surely to start as fullback now.

Is Barnes still available? Interesting nobody is mentioning him if so.

 

[Braveheart81]

Some speculation in the Australian that To'omua could be lined up to play 15 and defend at 10, obviously journalists have to fill column inches but that was one of the stranger suggestions that I've heard for the Wallaby line up. If Link doesn't pick Mogg or Izzy at 15 I think he'll lose a lot of the good will that any new coach has.

Absolutely. Hopefully it is just speculation.

I completely get Cooper swapping between 10 and 15 for the Reds because he is a great attacking threat, but for the Wallabies it is a poor idea.

We have fullback options who are much better attacking runners, better under the high ball and certainly in Folau, a far superior defender or in the case of Mogg, a much better general field kicker.

 

[oztimmay]

Multiple places seem to be speculating that Will Skelton will be in the squad.

I certainly get the argument. Whilst I don't think he is close to being in a Wallaby 23, his improvement in such a short space of time is amazing and given his size, he could be anything.

In a 40 man squad, you should probably be able to squeeze in someone like him as a nod to the future.

Pyle deserves a place well before Skelton. He's been solid all year, lineout work has improved immensely and knows how to get tries. If Skelton gets a spot ahead of him I'm probably gonna go on one of my NSW-bias rants again.

 

[Braveheart81]

Pyle deserves a place well before Skelton. He's been solid all year, lineout work has improved immensely and knows how to get tries. If Skelton gets a spot ahead of him I'm probably gonna go on one of my NSW-bias rants again.

I think Pyle definitely deserves a spot. I agree that it would be ridiculous if Skelton was included and Pyle wasn't.

On the other hand, I don't think it would be ridiculous for someone like Skelton to be included ahead of a player like Sam Carter or Caderyn Neville.

 

[scaraby]

I think Pyle definitely deserves a spot. I agree that it would be ridiculous if Skelton was included and Pyle wasn't.

On the other hand, I don't think it would be ridiculous for someone like Skelton to be included ahead of a player like Sam Carter or Caderyn Neville.

Skelton will be taken on eoyt methinks...someone's got to carry the fluffy toy.

 

[oztimmay]

I think Pyle definitely deserves a spot. I agree that it would be ridiculous if Skelton was included and Pyle wasn't.

On the other hand, I don't think it would be ridiculous for someone like Skelton to be included ahead of a player like Sam Carter or Caderyn Neville.

Caderyn Yes, Luke Jones NO. If you look at his games against highlanders alone it's enough to consider him. He was immense all year.

 

[Braveheart81]

Caderyn Yes, Luke Jones NO. If you look at his games against highlanders alone it's enough to consider him. He was immense all year.

I didn't mention Luke Jones and he is something of a different proposition because he is as much a 6 as a lock.

That said, I don't think Luke Jones necessarily deserves to make the squad ahead of someone like Skelton.

In a 40 man squad there are going to be multiple players who are no chance to play a test in the Rugby Championship (or possibly at all this year) unless there is a massive injury toll. This is the area of the squad where the coach can have a bit of a punt towards the future by picking a couple of bolters in the squad that he thinks might be useful to him and the Wallabies in a year or two.

Whilst I also think Luke Jones is a decent chance to play for the Wallabies in the next few years, I think the coach is perfectly entitled to make a decision that even though Jones is a better player now than Skelton, he's not better than several similar players in his position whereas there is no one similar to Skelton.

 

[Braveheart81]

New players:

Peter Betham, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Scott Fardy, Bernard Foley, Tevita Kuridrani, Hugh Pyle, Jake Schatz, Scott Sio..... Matt Toomu & Nic White.

 

[Try-ranosaurus Rex]

Peter Betham, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Scott Fardy, Bernard Foley, Tevita Kuridrani, Hugh Pyle, Jake Schatz, Scott Sio... Matt Toomu & Nic White.

Official? All worthy inclusions.

 

[Try-ranosaurus Rex]

Scott Fardy

This one has me the most excited. Not because he is the world's flashiest players - because it has been thoroughly deserved. One of the Brumbies unsung heroes for the past two seasons.

 

[Braveheart81]

Cam Crawford, Kyle Godwin, Rod Davies considered but unavailable due to injury.

Older hats Beale, Palu, Pocock, Ioane, McCabe, Higginbotham not included through injury.

 

[Ado Tornado]

Personally I'd like see Kuridrani get a look in for the 40. Big man, fast and deadly. Could be a good spring tour option.

Long term I would love to see Izzy and Tevita and/or Chris Sautia line up in the centres for us.They would give us some some genuine big tackle busters in the middle of the park which we haven't had for a while.

I'd like to also see him pick one or two pure mongrels for the pack. Higgers is one and maybe Douglas, but guys like Quirk, Schatz and even Cardyn Neville
need to come into contention too.

And I predict Sam Carter for a smokie selection today too.

 

[Braveheart81]

So the 10 uncapped players are:

Betham, F-Sautia, Fardy, Foley, Kuridrani, Pyle, Schatz, Sio, To'omua, White.

Does that mean the other 30 are:

Alexander, Robinson, Kepu, Slipper
Moore, TPN, Fainga'a
Horwill, Simmons, Douglas, Timani
Mowen, Dennis, MMM, McCalman, Hooper, Gill
Genia, Phipps
Cooper, Barnes
Lealiifano, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Horne
O'Connor, Cummins, Folau, Mogg, Tomane

That's 29 players I think will be in the full squad. Who is the other one?

Last player should probably be a prop. Is Paddy Ryan back in even though he is still currently injured?

 

[No4918]

JOC (James O'Connor) seen as a fullback.

 

[scaraby]

Betham's an interesting 1...needs to fix up his hands in contact I think before ABs

 

[Try-ranosaurus Rex]

That's 29 players I think will be in the full squad. Who is the other one?

Maybe it will be a 39 man squad with Beale initially pencilled in, but scratched due to injury

 

[scaraby]

Australia's new coach Ewen McKenzie announced the following training squad for the Rugby Championship on Friday:
Backs: Peter Betham, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Bernard Foley, Mike Harris, Tevita Kuridrani, Jesse Mogg, Quade Cooper, Nick Cummins, Israel Folau, Joe Tomane, Nick Cummins, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt To'omua, Christian Leali'ifano, Anthony Fainga'a, James O'Connor, Will Genia, Nick Phipps, Nic White.
Forwards: Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Saia Fainga'a, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Peter Kimlin, Ben McCalman, Hugh McMeniman, Ben Mowen, Rob Simmons, James Horwill, James Slipper, Ben Alexander, Benn Robinson, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore, Hugh Pyle, Paddy Ryan, Jake Schatz, Scott Sio.
Yup Paddy is in.

 

[scaraby]

So the 10 uncapped players are:

Betham, F-Sautia, Fardy, Foley, Kuridrani, Pyle, Schatz, Sio, To'omua, White.

Does that mean the other 30 are:

Alexander, Robinson, Kepu, Slipper
Moore, TPN, Fainga'a
Horwill, Simmons, Douglas, Timani
Mowen, Dennis, MMM, McCalman, Hooper, Gill
Genia, Phipps
Cooper, Barnes
Lealiifano, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Horne
O'Connor, Cummins, Folau, Mogg, Tomane

That's 29 players I think will be in the full squad. Who is the other one?

Last player should probably be a prop. Is Paddy Ryan back in even though he is still currently injured?

yup see below he's in

 

[JSRF10]

I think the question on everybody's lips is did Link wear a red tie again?