Wallabies v All Blacks, Saturday 21st October, Suncorp, Brisbane

[wamberal]

I reside in Dismal's spiritual home of Onehunga. However I consider it my civic, nay, moral, duty to oppose Canterbury rugby at every step. Even if it means supporting the splitters from across the bridge.

Dunno what it means, but I like it.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ I'm still trying to work out if zer0 is the thinking man's Dismal, or Dismal the stream-of-consciousness man's zer0

 

[Dan54]

Well after giving the test a great amount of thought , and reading a few so called press reports I can quite confidently predict,that either the All Blacks or Wallabies will win this if it not a draw.
But am I allowed to add one thing,I know I am an All black supporter, but I would like to say that Kurtley Beale has become my favourite Wallaby, mainly because I am so impressed with how he has matured, and he seems to be quite a good leader for the team. I said it now in case he breaks my heart on Sat with a last minute try or something!

 

[gel]

Yep. KB (Kurtley Beale) has been playing really good footy.

 

[A mutterer]

i would take hunt over kerevi any day of the week this season.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Speight's played at 13 in the past for the Wallabies (admittedly against Uruguay) - but I'm guessing he might not have trained their recently either with Kerevi in the squad

I would guess he spends half of the training time in the 13 spot - that is where he defends in the Grey barn dance that is the defensive strategy.

 

[Up the Guts]

i would take hunt over kerevi any day of the week this season.

If it's close I reckon there's a chance Kerevi won't even get on.

 

[mst]

The game preview is up on the front page. Definitely worth a read.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/bledisloe-3-preview-brisbane-21102017/

 

[Derpus]

If it's close I reckon there's a chance Kerevi won't even get on.

Which begs the question, why is he even on the bench? I wonder if Cheika has dropped the whole 'finishers' rhetoric because he doesn't have enough adequate players. The Koro v Ioane battle should be excellent. A footrace between the two would be pretty tight.

 

[Braveheart81]

I would guess he spends half of the training time in the 13 spot - that is where he defends in the Grey barn dance that is the defensive strategy.

Training at 13 in defence is the training role for the winger though because it means that Kuridrani is defending one spot further in.

Which begs the question, why is he even on the bench? I wonder if Cheika has dropped the whole 'finishers' rhetoric because he doesn't have enough adequate players. The Koro v Ioane battle should be excellent. A footrace between the two would be pretty tight.

I think it comes down to being a specialist position in the backline that no one else can really cover so they want a replacement in case Kuridrani gets injured.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Training at 13 in defence is the training role for the winger though because it means that Kuridrani is defending one spot further in.




I think it comes down to being a specialist position in the backline that no one else can really cover so they want a replacement in case Kuridrani gets injured.

So 13 is the only specialist in the backline on that test.

 

[Braveheart81]

So 13 is the only specialist in the backline on that test.

I think it is the hardest to cover amongst the other players.

If we left Kerevi out, the options to play there would be Hodge, Hunt, Folau or Speight.

Speight has the most test experience there but it hasn't been since 2015 and even then is only a couple of games.

Hodge played there for a few minutes against Scotland and made a defensive error which cost us a try.

Folau has played there in Super Rugby and Hunt is very versatile.

It would be a substantial risk playing any of them there which is why I think Kerevi remains on the bench. I doubt any of those other players have spent much time if any in recent Wallaby training in the 13 role.

 

[Derpus]

I think it is the hardest to cover amongst the other players.

If we left Kerevi out, the options to play there would be Hodge, Hunt, Folau or Speight.

Speight has the most test experience there but it hasn't been since 2015 and even then is only a couple of games.

Hodge played there for a few minutes against Scotland and made a defensive error which cost us a try.

Folau has played there in Super Rugby and Hunt is very versatile.

It would be a substantial risk playing any of them there which is why I think Kerevi remains on the bench. I doubt any of those other players have spent much time if any in recent Wallaby training in the 13 role.

I wish Cheika gave Meakes a run. I'd rather a solid defensive option on the bench than an attacking turnstile.

 

[Joe Blow]

Hodge and Folau can both play 13. I assume when Hunt comes back everything is covered well.

 

[Braveheart81]

Hodge and Folau can both play 13. I assume when Hunt comes back everything is covered well.

On what basis can Hodge play 13?

He spent a little while there against Scotland and struggled in defence.

I think we all see it as a position he could excel at in the future but to date he hasn't played there much and hasn't done well when he has.

 

[Up the Guts]

13 is a specialist position in defence. I think you need someone experienced there like Kerevi even if they're not the world's greatest defender. Especially with Koroibete defending the outside channel who, despite being a great tackler, apparently is constantly told throughout the game by Kurindrani where to play positionally as he's still picking things up. I have even heard Kurindrani speaks in Fijian on the field to Koroibete so it's easier for him to understand, maybe they could give the forwards a little bit of Fijian 101 and we can have our lineout calls in Fjian.

 

[Joe Blow]

On what basis can Hodge play 13?

He spent a little while there against Scotland and struggled in defence.

I think we all see it as a position he could excel at in the future but to date he hasn't played there much and hasn't done well when he has.

I agree that that is where he will end up. He may not be ready just yet. However, Folau can play there and with Hunt in the 23 it gives us a lot of options including that of another potential playmaker on the bench to cover 10-12.

 

[Braveheart81]

Cheika's comments on Hunt were that he is still a bit underdone which isn't surprising given the amount of time he has been out.

I expect he'll start next week in the Barbarians game.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Training at 13 in defence is the training role for the winger though because it means that Kuridrani is defending one spot further in.

As I said, the defensive barn dance by Nathan Grey. It is not written in stone that the 13 has to defend at 12. It is because Grey moves his weaker defenders in Foley and/or Beale out of the front line in defense that both the 13 and winger have to move in a slot or two.

 

[Braveheart81]

As I said, the defensive barn dance by Nathan Grey. It is not written in stone that the 13 has to defend at 12. It is because Grey moves his weaker defenders in Foley and/or Beale out of the front line in defense that both the 13 and winger have to move in a slot or two.

Of course it isn't written in stone, but quite clearly the way he practices when playing as a winger in both attack and defence is different to how we would train in both situations if he was to play 13.

This is regardless of the team's defensive structure. If Speight is to act as the reserve 13 they need to train with a different structure to how they would be training with him as a winger.