Wallabies Squad - the Link Era

[The Red Baron]

That's good because I was about to criticise your grammar.

If you'd wanted Robbie Deans to be hanged, at least do him the courtesy of being put out of his misery in a grammatically correct fashion.

At the very least, he could have asked Robbie to dance the Tyburn Jig!

 

[FairWeatherAussie]

This question was asked earlier, but I don't think anyone answered, so I assume the answer is no. But could Sio play both sides? If not, then I think he should get the LH in front of Robinson. Robinson is very good but Sio was the form prop of the S15. Our problem is at TH where both Alexander and Slipper are similar in being ok scrummagers and astounding athletes around the field. And Kepu who is a slightly better scrummager but maybe not quite as physical. If Sio could play both sides I'd actually demote him to the bench and start with Alexander (or Slipper) because of their physicality and all round play. If the scrum was dominated, like happened in the third Lions, then Sio could come on early at TH.

Moore should be our hooker. I am a big fan of TPN, but I'd say most people agree that Moore is the better player and that the justification for TPN starting, or at least everyone's justification of Deans starting with TPN was that if he came on as a replacement he was just as likely to knock himself out a minute later so it made more sense to bring him on first where he could be replaced if that happened. But honestly, you start the first 60 minutes with your best player.

Fardy number 4. Between him, Kimlin, Moore, Smith and Alexander (and Mowen), I can't remember any time that a scrum half got as clean ball from the ruck as White had. They gave away penalties in the process, but often I was astounded that, as tag-team, they could secure such clean ball without breaching illegality. I'll probably make a dill of myself by saying this but I've never seen it done so well in over a decade of watching rugby, even by the Crusaders!

 

[Groucho]

Deans generally kept close to the ABs by playing tight and grinding

So is Link to open up the game more and play with width ? That is a really high risk, high reward option against a team whose key skill is leveraging transitions from getting turnovers out wide

Do we kick more and make them play from near their 22? Against a side set up to counter and that does it very well

We can't attack their scrum, we may get reward from attacking their lineout

The more I think about it, the more I think we will continue to play tight and grind for long periods

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Yes, the talk of running rugby is premature. McKenzie will play what it takes to win. If that's field position or a pressure game, that's what he'll do.

 

[FairWeatherAussie]

Yes, the talk of running rugby is premature. McKenzie will play what it takes to win. If that's field position or a pressure game, that's what he'll do.

According to SMH Link said that, but I wouldn't really trust either source, SMH because they're usually full of shit, and Link because he's intelligent enough to not admit his gameplan prior to a game. I think he is under some pressure to make the Wallabies game more entertaining, ultimately it is a money sport. But I have a feeling he will play it much tighter than he will sell it to the SMH crowd.

 

[Groucho]

According to SMH Link said that, but I wouldn't really trust either source, SMH because they're usually full of shit, and Link because he's intelligent enough to not admit his gameplan prior to a game. I think he is under some pressure to make the Wallabies game more entertaining, ultimately it is a money sport. But I have a feeling he will play it much tighter than he will sell it to the SMH crowd.

I agree. Link will play the best gameplan as he sees it. I;'m happy to trust in that.

 

[RoffsChoice]

FairWeatherAussie I think the few times he has been on TH side, he hasn't done too well, Ben Alexander is better than he is there. Best to just keep him at LHP for now, but good idea!

 

[Scotty]

isn't that exactly what the Wallabies were doing against the Lions,and the Reds supporters were complaining that Genia was playing 10 as well?

Sometimes, but all too often they revert to being static and too deep.

On Genia - in the first game vs the Lions he was often organising the backs as well as the forwards. Happy with him to be the playmaker for the forwards (as all 9s are), but if he has to do the same for the backs it gets a little ridiculous.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Yes, the talk of running rugby is premature. McKenzie will play what it takes to win. If that's field position or a pressure game, that's what he'll do.

If Link adopts a field position game, you can still bet it will be many steps up from the Deans' approach. Put simply, the kicking abilities of Quade, To'omua, Mogg and White are far more effective than those of JOC (James O'Connor), Barnes and Beale who formed the crux of Deans' gameplan over recent years.

 

[barbarian]

You reckon? I rate JOC (James O'Connor) and Barnes as kickers. I don't think they are any worse than Quade or To'omua. Mogg probably has the best kicking game in Australia, but I don't think any of the others you mention are particularly outstanding.

JOC (James O'Connor) didn't kick well in the 3rd test, but did kick bloody well in the 2nd- he was clearing to halfway from our in-goal.
.

 

[The Red Baron]

You reckon? I rate JOC (James O'Connor) and Barnes as kickers. I don't think they are any worse than Quade or To'omua. Mogg probably has the best kicking game in Australia, but I don't think any of the others you mention are particularly outstanding.

JOC (James O'Connor) didn't kick well in the 3rd test, but did kick bloody well in the 2nd- he was clearing to halfway from our in-goal.
.

The key point for me is accuracy. To'omua is accurate, Quade can be inconsistent and Mogg can be pinpoint. However, I don't feel that JOC (James O'Connor) or Barnes are as accurate as those three, so more often than not a 50m kick lands in the breadbasket of the opposing fullback.

Not to totally dismiss the kicking qualities of Barnes and JOC (James O'Connor) though, as I think that they can kick quite well when they are attacking. When Barnes kicks with purpose it is generally quite good. Unfortunately in recent times he has had a tendency to produce a number of aimless kicks that inevitably put pressure on the team. Having said that, Mogg and Quade are guilty of the same offence, although their kicks generally sail into touch on the full, rather than into the hands of an opposing player.

The more I think about it, the more interesting the issue is!

 

[I like to watch]

I think Barnes has turned out to be a bit of a myth.
The number of times he kicked down someone throat,with no chasers was just too regular,for someone with a rep for being a good kicker/game manager.
Nice guy though.

 

[nomis]

Perhaps Cooper's role should be to come off the bench during the second half if the Wallabies are behind and struggling to crack the defence.

 

[barbarian]

Kimlin and TPN out of the RC with injury. Ouch.

 

[Tex]

Crossing digits Moore stays healthy for the next month or so. Any news on the severity of TPN's hamstring? They're generally a three week recovery, right?

 

[Deputy Van Halen]

Albert Anae brought in as front row cover seems a bit odd? I guess his main job will be opposed training over the next few weeks, not to actually gun for a position in the 23.

 

[Braveheart81]

It would seem strange if Anae is retained in the 30 man squad. Would he really be the reserve hooker if Moore or Fainga'a got injured?

It's hard to see him being retained in the 30 man squad as a prop when we've already got 6 props of which one will certainly be cut.

 

[Braveheart81]

Crossing digits Moore stays healthy for the next month or so. Any news on the severity of TPN's hamstring? They're generally a three week recovery, right?

"It's always disappointing to lose players through injury but in Tatafu's case we don't expect him to be out long and he will still play a large part in our upcoming campaign," Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

What is the go with Hanson? Injured?

Would have thought Siliva would have been the next cab off the rank considereing players with injurys (TPN, Charles, Teesmann, Fitzy) but i guess Link has gone with someone he knows as a quick fix for the week in cap.

 

[Scrubber2050]

hanson has a neck injury - don't know how serious

 

[fatprop]

I think Barnes has turned out to be a bit of a myth.
The number of times he kicked down someone throat,with no chasers was just too regular,for someone with a rep for being a good kicker/game manager.
Nice guy though.

Myth? nah, his work on front foot stuff is/was pretty good

His issue to me was his "if under pressure, just kick it down the other end of the field" approach, as no one else appeared to know what was happening, so no chasers etc