Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

[RugbyReg]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

There is a big difference between test and S14.

My concern about Cooper is that a lot of his effectiveness comes from his unstructured style and risk taking.

I expect Cooper's play in test matches to cause a great deal of angst at times. Hopefully the return will be worth it.

I think that's actually pretty harsh. Only thinking off the top of my head the most prominant piece of risk taking I can think of was that reverse flick pass to Hynes v the Highlanders. There may have been a couple of quick drop outs, but I would have thought most of the success he had this year was sheer brilliance in terms of skill and being committed to backing himself. Have a look back at the tries he creates and a lot of them are set piece skill (inside passes etc), then there is the times he takes the line on himself, which is exactly what you want in a flyhalf.

In the passed, I may have agreed with you, but I think he's shown a lot more structure, and skill, this year.

 

[fatprop]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

There is a big difference between test and S14.

My concern about Cooper is that a lot of his effectiveness comes from his unstructured style and risk taking.

I expect Cooper's play in test matches to cause a great deal of angst at times. Hopefully the return will be worth it.

I think that's actually pretty harsh. Only thinking off the top of my head the most prominant piece of risk taking I can think of was that reverse flick pass to Hynes v the Highlanders. There may have been a couple of quick drop outs, but I would have thought most of the success he had this year was sheer brilliance in terms of skill and being committed to backing himself. Have a look back at the tries he creates and a lot of them are set piece skill (inside passes etc), then there is the times he takes the line on himself, which is exactly what you want in a flyhalf.

In the passed, I may have agreed with you, but I think he's shown a lot more structure, and skill, this year.

I not saying we shouldn't invest in him, but I think he has a fair bit of "Carlos Spencer" in him, so I expect there will be errors and brain snaps at times along with some really brilliant moments.

 

[RugbyReg]

yeah, I appreciate that you're saying we don't ditch him, but I still think its harsh to say his game is 'based' on risk taking. I can see it with Los Spencer - the passes between his legs etc- but with Quade I think he's peforming the basics, pretty bloody exceptionally.

check out his highlights from his Sharks game (his best of the year). I can only see one bit of real risk taking, in the 2nd half when he supported the break and throws a flick pass as he heads into touch.

Everything else he does is fairly straight forward, just done with exceptional skill.
3A9HFPqCCwE

 

[fatprop]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

Cooper takes more risks than any other Aus 10, that isn't a bad thing to me as long as it is understood as part of a pretty special package. My fear is that under the more intense pressure of test matches he makes a few errors and then is disgarded for a more conservative "safe" approach. The same thing happened to Cipriani.

I reckon we back him and give him the runners around him to create plenty of questions of the defense and hold on for the ride.

 

[cyclopath]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

After watching that footage, I think it makes it more important to have a good distributor outside him too, not just a crash-baller. He has that rare knack of putting a player in a hole, and I hope we see him and Horne in action together - imagine the cut-out to Horne, who seems to be able to break or half-break the first contact well, and offload with Ioane / Mitchell / Hynes / Turner etc outside to finish it off.
I agree with Noddy - most of what Quade does is not "unconventional", but just done very well. I love the speed of his chip kicks - it's out of the hand and on the boot before anyone knows what's happening.

 

[Sully]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

I think it is wrong to say his play is unstructured. He has mentioned and link has mentioned that the have Structures set up and he plays within them.

 

[#1 Tah]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

1. Daley
2. S. Faingah
3. Alexander
4. Mumm
5. Sharpe
6. Rock
7. Pockock
8. Brown (one last chance)
9. Burgess
10. Barnes
11. Mitchell
12. Gits
13. Horne
14. Turner
15. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

16. Edmonds
17. Weeks
18. Chizz
19. Hodgson
20. Valentine
21. Cooper
22. JOC (James O'Connor)

Heard it here first.

I'm very surprised Turner was selected in the squad to be honest. Sure he had the odd good game but I don't think he warrants selection. I hope that he's far away from the team as possible, as I think he's got too much of a high error rate. I wouldn't also be surprised if Deans doesn't go for Hynes over Mitchell. Mitchell has performed well, but his performance in the Wallabies jersey has failed to impress. Cooper will get first shot over Barnes.

And my prediction of the week, Giteau will fail to impress in these matches, and will be dropped.

Turner has the best defensive record in the super 14, and that is something to consider against the big fijian wingers.

 

[fatprop]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

I remember Link talking about Turner and how he was not rated at all by a number of influential people in aus rugby and they questioned his signing by the Tahs.

Link went on the say he was just behind Elsom in his professionalism off the field from the very start and he does the all the work all the time. That was highlighted in his body shape change, the guy has kept his pace but has bulked up and is bloody ripped now which appears to have helped is defence.

I don't think he is the greatest man to beat a defender, but I think he should be compared with say a "Doug Howlett" style winger in that works very hard off the ball in attack and defence and has real pace, and that is a bloody handy type of winger to have around.

On Brown

The guy is a pretty good 8 who has given away too many penalties at test level last season, but he is still the second best 8 in the country behind Palu.

I think some people should watch a few more Force games, he and Cowan finished the season playing well.

 

[cyclopath]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

I remember Link talking about Turner and how he was not rated at all by a number of influential people in aus rugby and they questioned his signing by the Tahs.

Link went on the say he was just behind Elsom in his professionalism off the field from the very start and he does the all the work all the time. That was highlighted in his body shape change, the guy has kept his pace but has bulked up and is bloody ripped now which appears to have helped is defence.

I don't think he is the greatest man to beat a defender, but I think he should be compared with say a "Doug Howlett" style winger in that works very hard off the ball in attack and defence and has real pace, and that is a bloody handy type of winger to have around.

On Brown

The guy is a pretty good 8 who has given away too many penalties at test level last season, but he is still the second best 8 in the country behind Palu.

I think some people should watch a few more Force games, he and Cowan finished the season playing well.

Spot on with Turner, FP. He is not the player he was a couple of years ago, and has obviously worked hard. Players like him and Hynes do a lot of good defensive work that is sometimes missed. Lote did a lot of "off the ball" stuff too, just not enough "putting the ball over the line" stuff.
As for Brown, the first time he gets another yellow card for the Wallabies, I will probably throw something heavy through my TV. I hope someone gets in his ear prior to the Tests. If he can do that, I would rate him well above Hoiles, whom I don't rate much at all.

 

[Scarfman]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

I think Turner is getting slowly better and better. Like Hynes, I suppose.

I reckon Giteau will smash the Fijians and cement his place in the side, so that he can be completely useless in the trinations.

 

[DPK]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

I think Turner is getting slowly better and better. Like Hynes, I suppose.

I reckon Giteau will smash the Fijians and cement his place in the side, so that he can be completely useless in the trinations.

+1

And it's going to suck balls.

 

[MrMouse]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

More importantly than Giteau sucking Fijian balls (or whatever)...

Where can I go near the ground next Saturday for a decent feed? Or am I best off trusting the Bruce pies? Haven't been down there since RWC03...

PS Props to FP re: Turner and I'm prepared to trust you re Brown until he goes :tard again

 

[fatprop]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

I think Turner is getting slowly better and better. Like Hynes, I suppose.

I reckon Giteau will smash the Fijians and cement his place in the side, so that he can be completely useless in the trinations.

Being outside Cooper, Gits is going to get ball in space, unlike the pass the parcel stuff To'omua did most of the time, so if Gits can remember how to run good angles/lines he should cut them up.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

Where can I go near the ground next Saturday for a decent feed? Or am I best off trusting the Bruce pies? Haven't been down there since RWC03...

It depends where you'll be before the game on where/what you can eat.

Probably no pies left by then due to certain scribes being in attendance......

 

[chief]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

Where can I go near the ground next Saturday for a decent feed? Or am I best off trusting the Bruce pies? Haven't been down there since RWC03...

It depends where you'll be before the game on where/what you can eat.

Probably no pies left by then due to certain scribes being in attendance......

What's the crowd expected to be like? I might take a ride down to Canberra and check it out.

 

[Groucho]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

What's the crowd expected to be like?

Bogans, mostly.

 

[cyclopath]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

What's the crowd expected to be like?

Bogans, mostly.

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
Nice.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

Bogans, mostly.

The Raiders are playing In Canberra the day after the Wallabies.....

 

[Ruggo]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

My money was on Eskimos. :lmao:

Is there a curton raiser and who is it?

 

[chief]

Re: Wallabies v Fiji, Canberra

I mean like attendance? Not a sell out is it?