Wallabies v All Blacks @ Suncorp - 18/10/14

[boyo]

At this stage I really think leadership has something to do with it. We have some experienced guys on the side lines. Moore was a big loss for us in hindsight. He really epidermises what Link is trying to achieve with this team.

Does he have skin in the game?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

lucky spell check doesn't run to epidydimis

 

[Hugh Jarse]

This thread should be about the upcoming Bled 3 test.

Shouldn't all the other issues to do with Tshirtgate Mark II go to the Hotel California thread that is "Kurtley Beale". It seems that there is a cathartic unlimited scope to rant about anything related to Club Wallaby there.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Anyone with a silver fern attached to their avatar heading to Suncorp? There'll be 11 in our group, staying somewhere near George St, pub-crawling to the ground & likely pub-crawling back to our digs. We should be easy enough to spot, we'll be mostly in black.........

 

[Forcefield]

This thread should be about the upcoming Bled 3 test.

Okay. New direction. Last year we had a bit of joy with a few new selection options and a few exciting players brought in. Should we take the same approach again? Here are some posers:

- Too soon to bring Quade back?
- Do we risk further injury to Speight if he comes into the XV?
- Can we please give Luke Jones another chance?
- If To'omua is out, do we bring Godwin to 12 or play Rob Horne there?
- Who do we play at 9? Genia?
- Any other ideas?

 

[cyclopath]

lucky spell check doesn't run to epidydimis

Or even epididymis.

 

[kiap]

For mine:

- Too soon for Quade
- Be inclined to keep Speight in cotton wool for this month
- Probably give Luke Jones a go on the EOYT. Just don't see him as a tight lock, tho.

- If To'omua is out, do we bring Godwin to 12 or play Rob Horne there?
Good question. Dunno.

- Who do we play at 9? Genia?
Another good question. Has Genia even played 100 minutes since he came back? Possibly off the bench?

- Any other ideas?
Kerevi

 

[Bowside]

I don't think Rob Hornes going to win us a world cup, or a bledisloe test.

 

[cyclopath]

I don't think Rob Hornes going to win us a world cup, or a bledisloe test.

On his own, I'd agree. With 22 others, why not? I'm not sure we're losing of late because of the winger or reserve back primarily.
Of course, theoretically there are better wingers, and better utility backs, but they seem to be injured / out of form etc...
I think our problems lie further forward, just quietly. I think he's filled in admirably.
I like Godwin as a prospect, but really, what has he done in recent months? I wouldn't throw him into the ABs, rather get him on the field on the EOYT.
Anyway, it will be interesting.

 

[formerflanker]

re

Okay. New direction. Last year we had a bit of joy with a few new selection options and a few exciting players brought in. Should we take the same approach again? Here are some posers:

- Too soon to bring Quade back?
- Do we risk further injury to Speight if he comes into the XV?
- Can we please give Luke Jones another chance?
- If To'omua is out, do we bring Godwin to 12 or play Rob Horne there?
- Who do we play at 9? Genia?
- Any other ideas?

Re Genia - my local paper quotes Brisbane City coach Nick Stiles as saying Quade Cooper will play 80 minutes at Brookvale Oval tomorrow night. However Genia will not play. I don't know why not.

 

[Rugby Is My Life]

It's time for change - sticking with what we had during the TRC won't and didn't work. Throw caution to the wind and have a crack - my team would be:

1) Slipper
2) Fainga'a
3) Kepu
4) Carter
5) Skelton
6) Fardy
7) Hooper (C)
8) McCalman (if fit)
9) Genia
10) Foley
11) Speight (if fit)
12) Godwin
13) Kurindrani
14) AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15) Folau

BENCH - Hanson, Alexander, Alo-Emile, Neville, Jones, Hodgson, Phipps, Beale.

What we'd give to have guys like Ioane, Giteau, Pocock, Moore, TPN, Cooper, Sio, etc available. Give the young blokes a go and see if they're up to it.

We gain nothing by having Robinson walk around and unfortunately Horwill despite his ticker, is nowhere near the player he was pre-hammy tear.

 

[barbarian]

Godwin and Speight are light on match practice. The Rising guys are still pretty green (with the exception of Jones).

I'd be much happier if we waited until the EOYT to play these guys, instead of throwing them in to debut against the ABs.
.

 

[Rugby Is My Life]

Godwin and Speight are light on match practice. The Rising guys are still pretty green (with the exception of Jones).

I'd be much happier if we waited until the EOYT to play these guys, instead of throwing them in to debut against the ABs.
.

Why? Australian rugby was once famous for setting benchmarks, taking risks and out-thinking better teams (think the All Blacks and northern hemisphere scrums for years - particularly in the late 90's/early 2000's) and in the process won countless trophies.

We threw guys like Kearns into the Bledisloe cauldron and he became a Wallaby great. The same goes for Giteau as a kid playing at Twickenham.

Use the AB's test + EOYT to sort the men from the boys and discard the passengers before the likes of Moore, TPN, Pocock, Sio, etc return next season.

 

[Train Without a Station]

These were players who were untested. In 2014 there is no untested players. They have played televised Shute shield games, super rugby and NRC and we know exactly what we would get from them. Which is less than the players selected, which is why they were selected.

That's not throwing caution to the wind, that's blindly trying alternatives who have been inferior at super rugby level and somehow expecting them to be better test players.

There was more known about today's players when they were playing Australian schoolboys than there was about Giteau and Kearns when they debuted. Times change.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Brumbieman,
Are you referring to the probable dropping of Carter with Horwill and Simmons probably starting? He just isn't playing to the level required. You would think a player, reasonably new to the group, with an "old" experienced lock breathing down his neck would be having blinders. If he doesn't then his problem and he suffers the fate.

To me it doesn't seem like the leadership was divided at all. Both AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Hooper didn't want to send the bloke home. They MUST of had a valid reason.

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) was one who didn't seem to accept the discipline meted out by Link after the Dublin stay-out-late. Wonder if he has a problem with discipline. That could explain his support for KB (Kurtley Beale) in this instance.

 

[barbarian]

Can we keep the wild, baseless speculation to the Beale thread please?

 

[Brumby Runner]

Godwin and Speight are light on match practice. The Rising guys are still pretty green (with the exception of Jones).

I'd be much happier if we waited until the EOYT to play these guys, instead of throwing them in to debut against the ABs.
.

But then the cry goes up that we must win every test match and we can't be blooding players against the likes of England. Ireland, Wales etc. I think it is quite appropriate to bring in the odd new starter when the "incumbent" is not consistently producing the goods, even against the ABs. Not wholesale changes mind, but one or two if the regular starters are out of form.

In this case, I'd have no concern about Henry Speight being included if he is fit. Similarly, I would be happy with either Godwin or Inman at 12 if To'omua is left out, though probably on the bench if Lealiifano has been training good. I wouldn't go with Skelton as he has been playing more poorly at NRC level than any of Simmons, Horwill or Carter.

For the EOYT, there are a number of newbies I'd like to see get a run, maybe a couple in each test. In addition to Godwin, Speight and Inman mentioned above, I'd like to see both Jones and Neville on tour along with Alo-Emile, Sio, Gill, and possibly McMahon and Timani. Mostly forwards where we need to bolster our stocks. Bringing back Genia and Quade should be sufficient in the backs.

 

[Parse]

Don't usually suggest teams but.. it's dead rubber so best do something different I think.

1) Slipper
2) Fainga'a
3) Kepu
4) Fardy
5) Horwill (C)
6) Hodgson
7) Hooper
8) Palu
9) Genia
10) Cooper
11) Folau/Beale
12) To'omua
13) Kurindrani
14) AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15) Beale/Folau

Pick who you like on the bench...

 

[kiap]

But then the cry goes up that we must win every test match and we can't be blooding players against the likes of England. Ireland, Wales etc.

Baabaas game first up. Get a few new bloods in there and see how they do.

 

[badabing59]

Don't usually suggest teams but.. it's dead rubber so best do something different I think.

1) Slipper
2) Fainga'a
3) Kepu
4) Fardy
5) Horwill (C)
6) Hodgson
7) Hooper
8) Palu
9) Genia
10) Cooper
11) Folau/Beale
12) To'omua
13) Kurindrani
14) AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15) Beale/Folau

Pick who you like on the bench.

Dead rubber my arse! No games between SA, Aus or NZ are dead rubbers.