Wallabies v France - June 14 Etihad Stadium

[KOB1987]

A starting player should do a lot more time than 30 minutes, IMHO.

All 23 need to be fit enough to play 80 minutes at full capability, take what happened to Moore as an example. You could probably afford an impact back rower on the bench but he still needs to be able to play a full 80 if necessary. SO I am sure Link will be thinking all this through with his 3 locks and how he places them.
Re Palu, presumably, going on pecking order, McCalman will run on at 8 and Higgers will come on to the bench.
I think the 3 front rowers should be there purely as reserves and should be the next 3 best scrummagers..if the scrum is strong why stuff it up by resting someone for the last 20. The other 5 reserves could and should have an impact element thrown in to the selection process.
Certainly wouldn't run someone on with a view to taking him off after 30 minutes, not against a top tier team anyway.

 

[Brumby Jack]

All shall be revealed at 12pm today.

Hopefully Ewen has been trawling the threads before naming the team after some great ideas in here.

 

[Joe Blow]

I would actually like to see Higgers start and play 80 mins but I will be happy to see him get 30 off the bench this week.

12pm today? OK

 

[Scrubber2050]

IMO
Run On
Slipper (VC)
TPN
Kepu
Simmo/Horwill
Fardy
Hooper (C)
McCalman (if Palu definitely out)
White
Foley
To'omua
K
Badger
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (VC)
Izzy

Bench
Weekes
Charles
Cowan
Jones or Skelton
Higgers
Beale
Phipps , maybe Genia

Congrats to Slipper, well deserved.

GO THE WALLABIES !!!!!!

 

[Pfitzy]

All shall be revealed at 12pm today.

Hopefully Ewen has been trawling the threads before naming the team after some great ideas in here. and ignoring the Brumbies fans

Fixed

 

[Fowi]

He's better than Cummins so yes he's assured of a spot if he's not injured.

Its not as simple as that though. Cummins is playing very very well at the moment, and I honestly can't see Speight getting a look in unless Cummins gets injured.

 

[Brumby Runner]

IMO
Run On
Slipper (VC)
TPN
Kepu
Simmo/Horwill
Fardy
Hooper (C)
McCalman (if Palu definitely out)
White
Foley
To'omua
K
Badger
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (VC)
Izzy

Bench
Weekes
Charles
Cowan
Jones or Skelton
Higgers
Beale
Phipps , maybe Genia

Congrats to Slipper, well deserved.

GO THE WALLABIES !!!!!!

Only 7 on the bench? Been 8 for a couple of years now.

I'd rather see Jones start with Simmons (as per the Carter selection last week) with Horwill or Skelton on the bench. I understand the argument that it might be unwise to have two debutant locks in the side, but tbh big Kev did very little when he came on last week and has had a pretty poor season all round. So I wouldn't mind seeing Skelton there for the last 15 - 20 minutes.

 

[USARugger]

Its not as simple as that though. Cummins is playing very very well at the moment, and I honestly can't see Speight getting a look in unless Cummins gets injured.

It's tough - with any other pacy Australian winger I can think of you'd be more likely to swap them with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and either put AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) on the bench or rotate him with Kuridrani. That way you have the balance of a big winger who can take the inside ball (Cummins) and the quicker finisher at the end of your line.

But Speight is a bit of a special case as he's very effective taking crash/inside balls off of the playmaker (not the biggest winger in test rugby but no spring flower either..by any means) and even more devastating ranging out wide. He just fucking shreds defenses for fun. He can do both so it's tougher to simply assign him to one of the two roles.

The one thing that is for sure is that he's more or less been the most consistently excellent wing playing in Australia for a few seasons now. He will start if he can translate even 75% of his Super Rugby form to Camp Wallaby.

I reckon we'll see him used as a finisher more than anything else though. We really need one and he's just downright excellent at it.

 

[Richo]

IMO, there's no way AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) will be benched unless he has a consistent drop of form for an extended period of time. After Folau and alongside To'omua, he's the most certain starter in the Wallabies back line for the RWC.

So if Speight comes in it will likely be at the expense of Cummins, or Kuridrani, with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) going to 13. I suspect the former, but reckon Speight will need to make his way in from the bench.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Sometimes it's not purely about form. Link has selected Kuridrani because he offers what we need at 13. Barring Link being unable to get the best out of Kuridrani, I doubt he is going anywhere.

 

[Joe Blow]

Then there is also Tomane coming back to be considered.
Unfortunately there will most likely be other injuries over time and it is nice to have some depth to cover them.
Neither of our current wingers or the outside back reserve have express pace. Speight and Tomane do.
If all were fit and available it is likely that AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would have been chosen at 13 and Cummins and Kuridrani may have been fighting for a bench spot.

 

[Deputy Van Halen]

You would expect the following changes for injury:

Starting:
TPN
Horwill
Benny Mac

Bench:
Charles
Jones
Higgers

Unforced form changes I (and others) would like to see:
Sio for Pek
Genia for Phipps
Weeks for Ryan

The bench forwards let the team down in the last 20-30. Ryan in particular was atrocious, why pick a tight head that can't scrum in test team? He cost the team points and obviously his technique needs more than tweaking. Weeks won't set the world on fire but he will hold up a scrum and do some work in tight. Phipps was his usual mixed bag but Genia needs another chance to prove he cares again. Pek was ok but fairly absent and didn't help the scrums much, Sio needs to get more time as he's the future.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think this whole argument that Skelton can't be selected because he doesn't ordinarily play 80 minutes is silly.

Of course he can selected. There are 8 reserves and the structure of our starters and bench can allow for someone who the coach doesn't want on the field for 80 minutes even if there is an injury.

You'd imagine that if Link selects Skelton on the bench for the second or third test and a starting lock gets injured in the first 5 minutes, he'd consider moving Fardy to lock, bringing Higginbotham on (assuming Palu is out) and saving Skelton for later.

Skelton would be far from the first player selected where the coach didn't see them as being close to an 80 minute player but still thought they could offer a positive impact for the team. It would be different if Skelton offered the same as the other options but just couldn't play for as long.

I think Jones is going to get the nod, but I doubt the deciding factor will be about being able to play 80 minutes.

 

[Ash]

I suspect that Skelton is in the squad more for developmental purposes and exposure to the national team. 5 locks was always overkill for this series, so I always thought that Skelton is a "developmental" player that Link wants to see more of in Link's environment.

If enough injuries occur Skelton will get selected, but at this stage I think he'd be last of the 5 locks chosen to take the bench.

 

[No4918]

If Palu is in - Skelton on the bench.
If Palu is out - McCalman to 8, Higgers and Jones on bench.

 

[something]

So if Speight comes in it will likely be at the expense of Cummins, or Kuridrani, with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) going to 13. I suspect the former, but reckon Speight will need to make his way in from the bench.

i reckon it'll be speight for kurindrani. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is best at 13.

 

[Fowi]

Sometimes it's not purely about form. Link has selected Kuridrani because he offers what we need at 13. Barring Link being unable to get the best out of Kuridrani, I doubt he is going anywhere.

This is what I am starting to think as well. Kurindrani offers exactly what Link wants at 13. And AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is a very safe option on the wing so I don't see him being dropped as well as being the current VC in the backs as well as having more caps than most of the players combined. I don't see AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) being moved into 13 unless Kurindrani gets injured.

Cummins I just feel offers that strong inside runner, which Speight can do, but I think Cummins is a better option for this role. Speight would ideally play as the finisher instead of AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) but AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is just too experienced and valuable a player to leave out.

 

[Scrubber2050]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) will not be left out of the run-on team.

I reckon when Speight comes along the Badger will be as nervous as his namesake was in the big fight.

In that one the Badger won, in this one Speight will take the honours

 

[Braveheart81]

Let's just hope the Badger doesn't try and claw the canastas off any of his rivals.

I can't imagine it would be good for team harmony.

 

[Pfitzy]

Ryan in particular was atrocious, why pick a tight head that can't scrum in test team? He cost the team points and obviously his technique needs more than tweaking. Weeks won't set the world on fire but he will hold up a scrum and do some work in tight.

Weekes or any other tight head would have been smashed as hard as Ryan was on the last scrum of the game. Carter has to shoulder a lot of the blame for his lack of concentration there.

You want to give Genia a chance despite his form for 90% of the season not warranting it, but Ryan has a few poor minutes and he's out? Make up your mind.