Wallabies v Italy, Florence, Sun 13th Nov 12am AEDT

[Rugby Head]

Aus A also beat Fiji and Japan twice.. and we should’ve won that Samoa match..

Also, Samoa should’ve gone up 2 tries and a pen early and then Italy scored a runaway try - that completely broke them. I don’t think Italy win if they played again.

Everyone is forgetting Italy beat Wales 22-21 in the last game of the 6 Nations, it won't be an easy game.

 

[Dctarget]

I'd expect that there will still be a couple of the squad who won't have been in a 23 after three matches, a handful of players at most will be rested entirely and there'll be a few of the bench players from the first two games starting.

1. Slipper (c)
2. Fainga'a
3. Tupou
4. Skelton
5. Frost
6. Hanigan
7. McReight
8. Gleeson
9. Gordon
10. Lolesio
11. Kellaway
12. Paisami
13. Ikitau
14. Nawaqanitawase
15. Campbell

16. Lonergan 17. Gibbon 18. Ala'alatoa 19. Hanigan 20. Samu 21. McDermott 22. Donaldson 23. Banks

Slipper & Tupou will both be rested after 80 minute performances against France. I also think Ikitau will be rested, arguably most important player right now, I predict Petaia to start at 13.

 

[Slim 293]

Slipper & Tupou will both be rested after 80 minute performances against France. I also think Ikitau will be rested, arguably most important player right now, I predict Petaia to start at 13.

AAA is set to return this week, so he can captain the side and Tupou can start against Ireland IMO...

 

[Braveheart81]

Slipper & Tupou will both be rested after 80 minute performances against France. I also think Ikitau will be rested, arguably most important player right now, I predict Petaia to start at 13.

Yeah, AAA probably starts but I expect Tupou to play again after not playing a lot of rugby lately.

I think Petaia is still injured.

 

[Viking]

I agree, I think you need to keep playing Tupou and probably Hooper too. Both haven't played huge amounts of rugby lately. Both can come off at 40minutes.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I'd expect that there will still be a couple of the squad who won't have been in a 23 after three matches, a handful of players at most will be rested entirely and there'll be a few of the bench players from the first two games starting.

1. Slipper (c)
2. Fainga'a
3. Tupou
4. Skelton
5. Frost
6. Hanigan
7. McReight
8. Gleeson
9. Gordon
10. Lolesio
11. Kellaway
12. Paisami
13. Ikitau
14. Nawaqanitawase
15. Campbell

16. Lonergan 17. Gibbon 18. Ala'alatoa 19. Hanigan 20. Samu 21. McDermott 22. Donaldson 23. Banks

I'd really like to see Slipper given a rest. Probably could only happen if Sio is brought in to start, or if Robertson moves across to the LH side and starts.

Nick Frost also needs a rest. He has put in some long and strong games lately while Neville has been replaced just after half time. I'd have Neville either in the starting side with Swain on the bench, or vice versa.

Even against Italy, I wouldn't be risking Gleeson in the starting side. Pete Samu to start at 8 with Gleeson on the bench.

I know you have a soft spot for Gordon BH, but I think he's fallen to No 3 in the half back race. Tate needs to start with Lolesio at 10 to get some time playing together. Gordon on the bench.

The backline looks ok but maybe Ikitau to the bench for a bit of a rest. Maybe not if Hodge is then the option at 13.

 

[Pfitzy]

I think Petaia is still injured.

You shock me, sir.

 

[swingpass]

Rennie said Gordon was slated to start this game

 

[Froggy]

BH, Hanigan has always had a high workrate, but will be particularly busy at 6 and 19!

 

[Braveheart81]

BH, Hanigan has always had a high workrate, but will be particularly busy at 6 and 19!

I meant Holloway on the bench!

Swain is still suspended for one more match isn't he?

 

[Dctarget]

Swain is still suspended for one more match isn't he?

Fox has him available for selection.

 

[qwerty51]

No Swain is fine, banned for 6 matches. Bledisloe #2, 3 against Japan and Scotland and France.

 

[scrans21]

So do we rest a few players for this one?

1. Gibbon
2. Fainga'a
3. Tupou
4. Frost
5. Skelton
6. Hanigan
7. McReight
8. Samu
9. McDermott
10. Lolesio
11. Petaia
12. Paisami
13. Ikitau
14. Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase)
15. Campbell
16. Lonergan
17. Robertson
18. AAA
19. Swain
20. Gleeson
21. Gordon
22. Donaldson
23. Kellaway

 

[RugbyReg]

Swain is good

Darcy Swain has been suspended for 6 weeks, up to and including 6 November 2022.

 

[Hawko]

ignoring my hyperbole, the point remains, we shouldn't do mass restings.

Trouble is, we shouldn't ever play five international teams in 29 days. This is what RA are doing because they are so desperate for dollars. That means although we shouldn't do mass restings we have to; just so we can physically complete this ridiculous program.

And if we try to play the same team in all five tests, the team that finishes game 5 will be nothing like the team that started game 1. That is because body fatigue is a key precursor to soft tissue injury. Over-training has the same effect. Ring any bells with the 2022 season?

NZ does mass restings all the time, have done for years. They won't let their best players play full Super seasons either. I'd swap their last 10 years for ours in a heartbeat. And to rub salt into the wound NZ only play four tests this tour, one of which was Japan, and they have a full NZA team puttering around playing matches so they can pull players they want/need from there. They are light years in front of us on keeping players fresh and ready to play their best and additionally, light years in front of us on player welfare.

When ideology impacts reality, ideology never seems to win out.

 

[Dctarget]

Pretty excited for a flyhalf who can actually kick the ball across the sideline on a penalty.

 

[Viking]

Pretty excited for a flyhalf who can actually kick the ball across the sideline on a penalty.

How on earth a 34 year old professional rugby player still struggles to do this is just laughable.

 

[Viking]

Trouble is, we shouldn't ever play five international teams in 29 days. This is what Rugby Australia are doing because they are so desperate for dollars. That means although we shouldn't do mass restings we have to; just so we can physically complete this ridiculous program.

And if we try to play the same team in all five tests, the team that finishes game 5 will be nothing like the team that started game 1. That is because body fatigue is a key precursor to soft tissue injury. Over-training has the same effect. Ring any bells with the 2022 season?

NZ does mass restings all the time, have done for years. They won't let their best players play full Super seasons either. I'd swap their last 10 years for ours in a heartbeat. And to rub salt into the wound NZ only play four tests this tour, one of which was Japan, and they have a full NZA team puttering around playing matches so they can pull players they want/need from there. They are light years in front of us on keeping players fresh and ready to play their best and additionally, light years in front of us on player welfare.

When ideology impacts reality, ideology never seems to win out.

Nice post. You've convinced me that we should run out a complete B team for this one. But isn't that still better then having no game at all? Although likely to lose, a B team could still win and get valuable test match experience.

 

[griffins]

I also think Ikitau will be rested, arguably most important player right now, I predict Petaia to start at 13.

Imagine how good he could look outside a 12 that actually gave him some early ball. He is being criminally underused in attack at the moment.

 

[Pfitzy]

Trouble is, we shouldn't ever play five international teams in 29 days.

Nice simulator for the pool stage at a RWC...