Wallabies v Ireland, Sun 20th Nov 7am AEDT

[A mutterer]

I'm waiting to see the team sheet before making up my mind on how drunk I need to be to watch the game on Sunday morning.

This is the crucible for Rennie. He talked up giving Swain a clear and firm understanding of eliminating dirty play from his game. If Swain is anywhere near the game team then it'll be a clear indictment throat either:
A) Hes all talk, therefore the players know deep down they can do whatever the fuck they want including not executimg basic skills or following the game strategy
B) The selectors aren't prepared to back him and are enabling a culture of dumb infringing

 

[KevinO]

My guess for the Irish team
1: Andrew Porter
2: Dan Sheehan
3: Tadhg Furlong
4: Tadhg Beirne
5: James Ryan
6: Peter O'Mahony
7: Josh Van Der Flier
8: Caelan Doris
9: Jamison Gibson Park
10: Johnny Sexton
11: Mack Hansen
12: Robbie Henshaw
13: Garry Ringrose
14: Robert Baloucoune
15: Hugo Keenan

16: Rob Herring
17: Cian Healy
18: Finlay Bealham
19: Keiran Treadwell
20: Jack Conan
21: Conor Murray
22: Joey Carbery
23: Stuart Mccloskey

Bundi Aki is available again, I don't think he will be rushed back into the side.

 

[Dctarget]

My guess for the Irish team
1: Andrew Porter
2: Dan Sheehan
3: Tadhg Furlong
4: Tadhg Beirne
5: James Ryan
6: Peter O'Mahony
7: Josh Van Der Flier
8: Caelan Doris
9: Jamison Gibson Park
10: Johnny Sexton
11: Mack Hansen
12: Robbie Henshaw
13: Garry Ringrose
14: Robert Baloucoune
15: Hugo Keenan

16: Rob Herring
17: Cian Healy
18: Finlay Bealham
19: Keiran Treadwell
20: Jack Conan
21: Conor Murray
22: Joey Carbery
23: Stuart Mccloskey

Bundi Aki is available again, I don't think he will be rushed back into the side.

Aki might be rushed back into the side because Henshaw and Carbery are both injured.

 

[KevinO]

Then McCloskey to start, Bundi on the bench. Jack Crowley on the bench for Carberry.

 

[Viking]

That is a fundamentally constricted view of “balance”. Before hitting it up we need to have the ball. For balance start with the set piece. Anything more in the tight 5 is a bonus.

That's ironic. I think your view of 'balance' only being relevant to the set-peice is constricted. I think it's relevant over all aspects of the game, general play, mauling, line-out, scrum, broken play, in tight, on attack, in defence etc.

The ball is in general play for 20-30mins each game after all. Every part of the game is important. This is why Ireland are so good at the moment.

 

[Viking]

I’d say he’s taken enough lineouts this year, particular jumping at the back, to be considered a legitimate 3rd/4th option…

He definitely has the height and seems like a very athletic player, I was always wondering why he was not used more. I think it's a skill he is improving which is great to see.

 

[Braveheart81]

I was always wondering why he was not used more.

If he's your primary ball runner you're going to have him in the backline more often than not.

It's probably only lineouts within 35 or so metres of the try line that you're generally running a full lineout to give your backs maximum space.

 

[Viking]

If he's your primary ball runner you're going to have him in the backline more often than not.

It's probably only lineouts within 35 or so metres of the try line that you're generally running a full lineout to give your backs maximum space.

I'm also assuming once Kerevi is back you will probably see him in the line-out more often then.

 

[qwerty51]

Aki might be rushed back into the side because Henshaw and Carbery are both injured.

That's just the start, I'm hearing lots more in doubt.

 

[Dctarget]

That's just the start, I'm hearing lots more in doubt.

Yeah I'm hoping Sexton is out but looks like he'll be fine.

 

[Dctarget]

Reading Nic Bishop's typically good analysis on last week's game is fucking grim. Rennie doesn't trust Foley or Lolesio to do anything. Why do we even have them there, play Hodge at 10 if we aren't going to use a flyhalf.

 

[emuarse]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet but the referee for this is O'Keeffe.

 

[Maulalltheway]

My team:

1. Slipper
2. Porecki
3. AAA
4. Frost
5. Skelton
6. Holloway
7. Hooper
8. Valetini
9. McDermott
10. Foley (Unfortunately our best option)
11. Petaia
12. Paisami
13. Ikitau
14. Kellaway
15. Campbell
16. FF (Folau Fainga'a) (Folau Fainga'a)
17. Gibbon
18. Thor
19. Neville
20. Samu
21. Hanigan
22. White
23. Hodge

We seriously need some new hookers, Porecki just isn't a world class hooker and FF (Folau Fainga'a) (Folau Fainga'a) is too inconsistent.

Not very optimistic about this game, I feel like we will crumble.

last 4 games
Porecki has played 3
Lineouts won 20, lost 4. PK conceeded 6. YC 1, missed tackles 4
Fainga'a played 4
Lineouts won 20, lost 3. PK Conceeded 1, YC 1, missed tackles 1

I just cant see why people love Porecki so much... and why there is such hate on Fainga'a

 

[stillmissit]

Reading Nic Bishop's typically good analysis on last week's game is fucking grim. Rennie doesn't trust Foley or Lolesio to do anything. Why do we even have them there, play Hodge at 10 if we aren't going to use a flyhalf.

That was an eye-opener, thanks DC.
We need to put a total focus on what 10 stocks we have and work with them rather than let them loose against a top-tier nation and then dump them as useless.
It always surprised me that Lolesio was the appointed one when we had Edmem, Donaldson and Harrison to look at. Having said that, why not give Lolesio a game plan where he can show if he has it or not, he strikes me as the kind of young rugby player who will do what he's told, which is a pity.
I would be looking to put some effort into Carter Gordon and put all sorts of demands on him this Super Rugby season ie 'you show us you can control the game against the Kiwi's and we'll give you a go.'

We must make the most of what we have and atm we have not. Bringing on Donaldson with 5 mins left shows that Rennie hasn't a clue regarding player management. It is so bad an evil mind could suspect McKellar of planning the demise of Rennie, except a total failure, would swamp him as well as anyone associated with Wallabies.

We ain't got the finest bunch of players on the planet but they could make a decent fist of it with a tight game plan, strong D and some straight forward attack.

 

[Viking]

last 4 games
Porecki has played 3
Lineouts won 20, lost 4. PK conceeded 6. YC 1, missed tackles 4
Fainga'a played 4
Lineouts won 20, lost 3. PK Conceeded 1, YC 1, missed tackles 1

I just cant see why people love Porecki so much... and why there is such hate on Fainga'a

Because its the timing of the errors. Fainga seems to make errors in crucial moments, i.e. last 5 minutes of the game with an important line-out and he throws a not straight.

I'm not a huge fan of Porecki, but his errors are certainly less crucial.

 

[Maulalltheway]

Because its the timing of the errors. Fainga seems to make errors in crucial moments, i.e. last 5 minutes of the game with an important line-out and he throws a not straight.

I'm not a huge fan of Porecki, but his errors are certainly less crucial.

you mean when he is on the field... seems out of his control.

stats are Porecki is performing worse in key areas lineout and discipline.

 

[Slim 293]

Reading Nic Bishop's typically good analysis on last week's game is fucking grim. Rennie doesn't trust Foley or Lolesio to do anything. Why do we even have them there, play Hodge at 10 if we aren't going to use a flyhalf.

It does somewhat vindicate both JOC (James O'Connor) and Lolesio a bit...

Some snippets:

The willingness to side-line the No. 10 10 from the running of the ship is so recurrent that it has become epidemic. It was the topic of this article at the end of August . The main part of that article concluded as follows:

“The four sequences reviewed in this article suggest a very peculiar set of play-making tendencies. In total, 14 phases started with a Wallaby forward at first receiver, six with one of the backs outside 10, and only one with the nominal Australian flyhalf.

“James O’Connor made the play once (albeit to telling effect) while contriving to involve himself in no less than six rucks.

“It is a strange distribution of tasks indeed, at a time when the recent performances of Johnny Sexton for Ireland and Richie Mo’unga for New Zealand have forefronted the need for a strong game-manager at No.10 in no uncertain terms.”

At the time, I felt that O’Connor’s unwillingness to step in at first receiver was linked to a lack of confidence after his long injury lay-off. With the benefit of hindsight, I am not so sure. The mistrust of the 10 as the key tactical navigator seems more like a Wallaby coaching principle than an individual defect.

The question now looks different after the debacle in Florence: how can you drive the ship and create cohesion when you’re not the man handling the ball? Like O’Connor in Cuyo, Lolesio’s only serious touch on attack created a scoring opportunity for the wing outside him

My amazement at the depth and complexity of Australian back moves in the early and mid-noughties is still fresh in the memory, I can still taste it. Everything revolved around the ability of outside-half Larkham to deliver the goods, whatever the length or direction of the pass: in-pass, back-flip, switch, dummy-switch, skip-one, skip-two or over-the-top. He could do it all successfully, 99% of the time.

On the evidence of the game in Florence, the Wallabies have slipped from world-leaders to bottom-feeders in the science of attack, and the capacity of their No.10 to pull the strings on the pass. As surely as O’Connor was marginalized in San Juan, so Lolesio was taken out of the attacking pattern in Tuscany.

Judging purely from the number of touches they have gotten at first receiver, it seems that none of O’Connor, Lolesio or Bernard Foley are trusted to run the cutter.

Let them clean out at rucks, support other people’s breaks and deliver the occasional kick, but don’t let them make play through phases via the pass. The rugby world has indeed been turned on its head.

 

[Tazzmania]

Because its the timing of the errors. Fainga seems to make errors in crucial moments, i.e. last 5 minutes of the game with an important line-out and he throws a not straight.

I'm not a huge fan of Porecki, but his errors are certainly less crucial.

Do the maths, if you are coming off the bench in 95% of the games, guess at what stage you are likely to make an error as opposed to the starting player.

 

[stillmissit]

you mean when he is on the field... seems out of his control.

stats are Porecki is performing worse in key areas lineout and discipline.

The bit I think you are missing is Fainga is missing in most breakdowns, he wants to be the guy who gets the ball and scores the try. Stats are only 50% of what a player does on the field.

 

[Maulalltheway]

The bit I think you are missing is Fainga is missing in most breakdowns, he wants to be the guy who gets the ball and scores the try. Stats are only 50% of what a player does on the field.

which one.
Fainga'a has less carries per match. Porecki carries more.

still doesnt take away from the KPI failures