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Wallabies v England in Melbourne, 18 June

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Brumby Runner

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
Scrubber2050 said:
Talk of another 2 x 7 is crazy.

It worked at RWC because we had 2 x exceptional players that HAD to be in the team. With Pocock injured Chek will revert to a real 8. Talk of Gill (who I really like as a player) is farcical - it will not happen.

Slipper for Sio for sure - I disagree with Slim re his performance this year. He seems to have lost that "enthusiasm"
Lilo for Kerevi
McCalman for Poey

Hopefully Horne us OK - any news on that front ????????
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Sio was one of the better ball carriers and defenders in that first half, so I wouldn't be doubting his enthusiasm. He will make the 23, but off the bench would be best where the Wallabies will still have a full standard test front row to come on later in the game. Any problems he might have had earlier in Super, were likely to have been related to his (knee?) injury, but his form in the open in Test No 1 convinces me that he is now over that problem.

I'd like to see Kerevi kept in the starting lineup. I still think Kerevi/Kuridrani could be a long standing successful centre pairing for the Wallabies. CL to retain his spot on the bench, but also to take over the goal kicking if Foley has another off day.

I just can't understand the calls for Ben McCalman to come in at 8. He offers no go forward in attack, which is the main area of deficiency at No 8 atm. Won't be surprised if Cheika goes with Palu for 60 odd minutes, but my preference would be to see what Houston has to offer. Apparently, has been killing it over with Bath and the form of England on Saturday probably indicates that his form is good. Also, he knaows the English style of play and the players, so in that regard would offer just as much extra to the side as does Horwill.
 
Ulrich

Ulrich

Nev Cottrell (35)
RedsHappy said:
Good post Simon.

It's deeply unfashionable at present to be critical of any aspect of Cheikaworld but I said before the RWC and would say again: this HC has some remarkable strengths but a notable weakness - in the context of what's required to succeed at the top levels of international rugby - is the completeness of the design of his Assistant Coaches group.

If the Wallabies are to remain at No 2 and have a serious crack at the ABs I believe Cheika needs a proper specialist forwards coach - Ledesma is not this, despite his excellent scrummaging skills - who's expert at line out and broken play, and he badly needs a properly credentialed kicking coach. L Fisher and S Lierich come to mind as candidates, Malone is not it. Or the exceptional M Byrne for both kicking and general skills perhaps now that he's back home in Australia and having been so highly regarded by the ABs.

It's notable how EJ (Eddie Jones) has brought in and used multiple specialist coaching skills already in his short England reign - Ella for attack, G Smith for the breakdown (note how Haskell is today openly proclaiming how much Smith's recent technical advice has helped him improve his skills and general game) and Wilkinson for kicking skills. Do we think these investments have not aided England?

In fairness to Cheika it may be that the ARU is constraining his $ coaching budget. This would not surprise one bit as so much ARU cash is going into little else than propping up failing franchises thus directly or indirectly bleeding resources away from core skills and coach development and such like programs. But if it exists such a financial constraint on our HC would be massively mistaken and shortsighted.
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Matfield said he'd like to coach. Perhaps get him in on a consultancy basis for lineouts only.
 
Groucho

Groucho

Greg Davis (50)
swingpass said:
Groucho, shush, they still dont know the world has moved on. Most of them still think Jo Is just on holiday
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My home's in Qld, swingpass. I find 1974 to be very pleasant. Endless sunshine, mullets, singlets, old beat-up Holdens, and Skyhooks on the radio. Ahh.
 
ACT Crusader

ACT Crusader

Jim Lenehan (48)
Very surprised to see some critical of Hooper, and even one poster not including him in their 23. Remarkable.

The guy is an aggressive no frills sort of player that I thought played very well on Saturday night. Certainly the best player with a yellow jersey on. I think the spotlight should be on the likes of Fardy, Moore, Simmons and to a lesser extent Arnold for their relative lack of physicality at the collisions.

They will need to lift in this test.

Phipps played okay, but looked out on his heels with a good 10-12 minutes to go. IMO that could be something Cheika looks at addressing in test 2 if it's another physical game.

I think both sides have improvement - England need to sharpen up their set piece attack. Wallabies need to get more in the face of the English forwards at the breakdown rather than just go "hunting for the ball" all the time. Sometimes it's better to try and drive over than wait for your 7 or 8 to steal it.
 
Viking

Viking

Mark Ella (57)
Brumby Runner said:
I just can't understand the calls for Ben McCalman to come in at 8. He offers no go forward in attack, which is the main area of deficiency at No 8 atm. Won't be surprised if Cheika goes with Palu for 60 odd minutes, but my preference would be to see what Houston has to offer. Apparently, has been killing it over with Bath and the form of England on Saturday probably indicates that his form is good. Also, he knaows the English style of play and the players, so in that regard would offer just as much extra to the side as does Horwill.
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Is it really go forward that we need though? We had no issues spreading it wide and getting ground that way. And in tight I don't think the forwards were that bad into contact, I certainly don't remember many times we were caught behind the gain line.

The bigger issue was securing our own ball. that is more an issue with support and clearing attacking rucks. Ensuring one out runners aren't isolated which they were so frequently.

McCalman is probably the best out of all the remaining options who clears rucks frequently. He ain't a ball-runner but we don't really need one IMO. Palu is probably the best at clearing rucks but that will only last 20mins.

I think McCalman will be the first pick.
 
Pfitzy

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Seb V said:
Is it really go forward that we need though? We had no issues spreading it wide and getting ground that way. And in tight I don't think the forwards were that bad into contact, I certainly don't remember many times we were caught behind the gain line.
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We did skin them out wide a couple of times, but we were burning calories to feed that beast.

I would have liked a couple of inside runners for Foley to hold the defence up, with the odd switch or double-team sweep (ala the Foley-Beale-Foley move at RWC2015) to keep them quiet.

Bet Brown still has nightmares about that ;)
 
Viking

Viking

Mark Ella (57)
Pfitzy said:
We did skin them out wide a couple of times, but we were burning calories to feed that beast.

I would have liked a couple of inside runners for Foley to hold the defence up, with the odd switch or double-team sweep (ala the Foley-Beale-Foley move at RWC2015) to keep them quiet.

Bet Brown still has nightmares about that ;)
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Sio did a great line on the inside in the first half. I agree more of that is needed. As long as their is support to clear the ruck.

I get nervous every time a player makes a break or half-break we will lose the ball at the ruck.

Beale would have been very handy in that game.
 
ACT Crusader

ACT Crusader

Jim Lenehan (48)
tragic said:
Eh?
Who was critical of hooper and left him out of their 23?
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Edit: left out of starting 15.

That is crazy to think the best Aussie on the park would be dropped from a starting line up.

Some supporters obsession with a "fetcher" is amusing. From my armchair it seems a superfluous discussion. There are two quality loose forwards that wore 7 and 8 on Saturday night. It wasn't the fact that a real fetcher was needed, but rather more physicality to not allow England to blow the Aussies off the ball. Where was the support for Hooper and Pocock to create those opportunities?
 
Marcelo

Marcelo

Ken Catchpole (46)
Joe Blow said:
I think To'omua would be a huge bonus for us. He is step or two above Lealifano in physicality to maintain a good defensive line but also fills that role of the second playmaker./kicker I am sure he would be a close second choice for that role after Giteau for Cheika.
Is he fit though?
We could then have Kerevi and Hunt or Lealifano on the bench alongside Frisby
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To'omua 8 months ago, I haven't seen his physicality this year
 
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