Wallabies Trinations Squad

[Knockers]

Wouldn't Fainga'a be the hooker then?

Fainga'a is overated. Interestingly, the Reds do better when the reserve hooker James Hanson is on the field.

 

[Gnostic]

I thought that at one stage Knockers but Hanson has dropped away towards the end of the season in all aspects of set piece play. That was clear when he came on last night.

 

[qwerty51]

Fainga'a is overated. Interestingly, the Reds do better when the reserve hooker James Hanson is on the field.

Oh sorry I thought you were talking about the Reds team...

 

[Knockers]

Benn Robinson is only good when it comes to scrums

 

[Knockers]

I thought that at one stage Knockers but Hanson has dropped away towards the end of the season in all aspects of set piece play. That was clear when he came on last night.

I agree with this performance last night. But he was only on for 20 minutes. He is still young star so plenty of time for improvement. Real contender for the 2015 world cup.

 

[barbarian]

Benn Robinson is only good when it comes to scrums

Wait, what?


I am going to assume it was a typo that you left out 'and he is also great around the field, in attack and defence'.

 

[Gnostic]

:fishing

Benn Robinson is only good when it comes to scrums

 

[cyclopath]

This thread is making less and less sense every minute. Daley and Slipper over Robinson and Kepu? Robinson useless outside the scrum? Moore (fit) on the bench, TPN (coming back from injuries) starting. I'm lost.

 

[DPK]

Robinson is still our 2nd best scrumhalf behind Genia.

 

[barbarian]

Is it a full moon or something?

 

[cyclopath]

Robinson is still our 2nd best scrumhalf behind Genia.

Like it, DPK!! Certainly passes better than Burgo usually.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Overall I'm pretty happy with the squad and realistically, there should have been few surprises to anyone with the players picked. Ma'fu was a bit of a shock though, as was Timani. I hope that someone from the ARU went and spoke to Timani and asked him where his allegiances lay, because I'd hate for him to unavailable to anyone else if we aren't dinkum about making him into a Wallaby.

I hope we go with Robinson, Moore and Kepu as our starting front row, as the Reds boys IMHO are not international quality in the scrum yet. Around the paddock yes, but in the set piece no. Plenty of Reds should be in the mix for the other spots, though. Horwill, Samo, Genia, Cooper, Ioane and Davies to name a few.

 

[Lee Grant]

I just cut and pasted the names on the WP by position but thought that others may be interested.


Props: Benn Robinson, Ben Alexander, Ben Daley, Sekope Kepu, James Slipper, Salesi Ma’afu,

Hookers: Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota Nau, Saia Fainga'a, James Hanson,

2nd Row: James Horwill, Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons, Dean Mumm, Sitaleki Timani, Dan Vickerman.

Backrow: David Pocock, Matt Hodgson, Beau Robinson, Rocky Elsom, Dave Dennis, Scott Higginbotham, Wycliff Palu, Ben McCalman, Radike Samo.

Scrummies: Will Genia, Luke Burgess, Nick Phipps.

Flyhalves: Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau.

Centres: Anthony Fainga'a, James O’Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Back 3: Digby Ioane, Rod Davies, Luke Morahan, Lachie Turner, Kurtley Beale, Pat McCabe, Mark Gerrard.


There's a few surprises there but not many as you would expect with a 40 man squad.

Timani is a good choice though not so much for this year. I thought he was the best Oz lock in Super Rugby after Horwill and Sharpe in the 2nd half of the season. He came here a while ago to play league and is now at his third rugby franchise and he has finally hit his straps. The three brothers are globetrotters; so I wouldn't feel bad for Tonga if we played him against Samoa to nail him down.

Seeing the names of the props reminds us of how dependent on Kepu (the big improvier in 2011), Fat Cat and Slipper we are. Robinson faltered last year but seemed back to his best in 2011. In the absence of Slipper, Alexander will probably get the nod as bench prop if Kepu is fit enough to start against Samoa, but it's more likely that Kepu will just get half a game as he didn't play for Randwick on Saturday.

Post RWC we need a healthy Palmer, and later PAE, to show they are worthy of joining the Kepu, Robinson, Slipper triumvirate. With those 5 plus anybody else who improves as they get to mid 20s, we will have a good pool of props.

But I digress.

 

[tranquility]

Who drops out?

By my watch disregarding injuries;

Ma'afu
Hanson
Daley
Timani
Hodgson
Turner
Phipps
Dennis
Palu / McCalman

Notes:

- Giteau would be my third 9 as he doesn't dictate a spot in my XV
- Dennis has played super well all season, but the backrow is very competitive
- Samo is in super form and can play 4,5,6,8 therefor must be in the squad - Palu coming back from injury
- Hodgson has been great, but Beau has leapfrogged him
- All the rest are fairly straight forward


Thoughts??

 

[James Buchanan]

Robinson is still our 2nd best scrumhalf behind Genia.

Its funny because its true...

(which is not strictly an indictment on our other prospective scrummies)

 

[Knockers]

Ideal side:

1. Ben Alexander
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. James Slipper
4. Nathan Sharpe
5. James Horwill
6. Rocky Elsom
7. David Pocock
8. Scott Higginbotham
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Pat McCabe
12. James O'Connor
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Digby Ioane
15. Kurtley Beale

16. Stephen Moore
17. Benn Robinson
18. Dean Mumm
19. Beau Robinson
20. Luke Burgess
21. Matt Giteau
22. Lachie Turner

 

[fatprop]

Who drops out?

Props: Benn Robinson, Ben Alexander, Ben Daley, Sekope Kepu, James Slipper, Salesi Ma’afu,

Hookers: Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota Nau, Saia Fainga'a, James Hanson,

2nd Row: James Horwill, Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons, Dean Mumm, Sitaleki Timani, Dan Vickerman.

Backrow: David Pocock, Matt Hodgson, Beau Robinson, Rocky Elsom, Dave Dennis, Scott Higginbotham, Wycliff Palu, Ben McCalman, Radike Samo.

Scrummies: Will Genia, Luke Burgess, Nick Phipps.

Flyhalves: Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau.

Centres: Anthony Fainga'a, James O’Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Back 3: Digby Ioane, Rod Davies, Luke Morahan, Lachie Turner, Kurtley Beale, Pat McCabe, Mark Gerrard.

against the boks ...

1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Nathan Sharpe
5. James Horwill
6. Rocky Elsom
7. David Pocock
8. Radike Samo
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Digby Ioane
12. Matt Giteau
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. James O'Connor
15. Kurtley Beale

16. Stephen Moore
17. James Slipper
18. Rob Simmons
19. Matt Hodgson
20. Luke Burgess
21. Rod Davies
22. Pat McCabe

 

[nathan]

1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Sekope Kepu (Was the best Super THP in Aus before his injury)
4. Nathan Sharpe
5. James Horwill
6. Rocky Elsom (c)
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Digby Ioane
12. James O'Connor
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Rod Davies
15. Kurtley Beale

16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (Impact player = less chance of injury)
17. James Slipper (Good cover for LHP and THP)
18. Radike Samo / Rob Simmons (Both Sharpe and Horwill are 80 min players. DK covers 4,5,6,8 and with Palu at 8 provides good impact at the 60/65min mark)
19. Matt Hodgson (Covers 6,7,8 and is still number 2 behind Pocock in my eyes)
20. Luke Burgess
21. Matt Giteau / Anthony Fainga'a (There is enough cover at 10 to leave Gits out, but there's a part of me that thinks he needs to be in the team)
22. Pat McCabe / Luke Morahan (Dependent on selection at 21. Gits covers 10/12 where Fainga'a covers 12/13, realistically McCabe covers 11-15)

Scary fast and creative kick returns in that squad. Scary.

 

[Knockers]

Scott Higginbotham has to be in the team. If Sekope Kepu is fit he should be in the team.

 

[fatprop]

Scott Higginbotham has to be in the team. If Sekope Kepu is fit he should be in the team.

The question is where, to me it either starting at 8 or no where. He isn't going to replace Elsom in the starting side so it is between Samo, McCalman and him for the starting 8 spot. With Higginbotham being the loosest player and Hodgson providing the best bench cover