Wallabies v Italy
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
- Status
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
He won't drop Hooper despite his indifferent form and completely brainless captaining.
He didn't drop Beale despite his garbage form all year even with To'omua back in the frame. He didn't drop Latu despite his brain snaps and Fainga'a's good form. Coleman and Rodda have both been average to poor all year, but have a mortgage on their spots despite being a position where we have some actual depth and despite presiding over the worst professional lineout in the top tier.
I've always defended Cheika as i think most of our issues are systemic but fuck he isn't helping himself.
Edit: we won't experiment either. We will go out with the same old team, Grey or Larkham will make some inane comment about trying harder, we'll perform exactly the same and either eek out a drab win or lose yet again.
He didn't drop Beale despite his garbage form all year even with To'omua back in the frame. He didn't drop Latu despite his brain snaps and Fainga'a's good form. Coleman and Rodda have both been average to poor all year, but have a mortgage on their spots despite being a position where we have some actual depth and despite presiding over the worst professional lineout in the top tier.
I've always defended Cheika as i think most of our issues are systemic but fuck he isn't helping himself.
Edit: we won't experiment either. We will go out with the same old team, Grey or Larkham will make some inane comment about trying harder, we'll perform exactly the same and either eek out a drab win or lose yet again.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Yes.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
Even though he didn't have a bad stanza, his kick that went dead and got us marched back 60m for a scrum is precisely why he shouldn't be 10. His general kicking game isn't good enough to be a 10. However, playing him there when Foley went off was the right call v. 10. Beale 12. To'omua. If Foley needs the week off then yes play him there, otherwise the combo to be tested in this match is 10. Foley 12. To'omua.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
I agree the kick was poor, but it's not comparing apples with apples to compare a player who starts every week regardless of form with someone who comes on with10 or 15 minutes to go.
If To'omua gets a couple of chances to start and run the game and fails, I'll be the first to acknowledge it.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
Fair call but I'm actually not comparing him with anyone, he's just not a fly half at the top level.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Perhaps he's not, but I'd like to see it so we all know for sure. I'm not even sure that we even have a test level fly half in the Australian game. Foley is with parts of his game, but he's by no means the complete package or anything like it at test level.
Up the Guts
Steve Williams (59)
Unless someone finds a few tackle bags down in Melbourne and can convince Quade to run into them.
Lorenzo
Colin Windon (37)
Golly. A conversion closer to the gate of Damascus rarely has there been, but better late than never, I suppose.
Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
Its Italy. They are a down-the-ranks tier 3 team and despite our form we are still tier 2. I wouldn't disagree we are down the bottom of tier 2 but we have not fallen out of tier 2 yet. We did lose by one penalty goal to the team ranked at 3. So we should not, on any count, pick our "best" team.
This game is our chance to experiment with fringe players and that is exactly what we should do. If the unthinkable happens and we lose, then we can write it off to us playing our B team. What we do need to do is rest our key players for the game against England. We need to give ourselves the best possible chance of winning that game even though most on this board think we are no chance. I disagree, I reckon its about a 60-40 chance we'll get beat, but if we rest a couple of key players against Italy we'll do our chances no harm at all.
So, given the cattle available I would rest TPN, Rodda, Pocock, Genia, Folau and DHP for next week. Additionally, I would swap some bench players for starters to rest them too. My team would look like this:
1. Kepu 2. Fainga'a 3. Thor
4. Arnold 5. Simmons
6. Samu 7. Hooper 8. Dempsey (only because we have no proper 8 options except Pocock)
9. Phipps 10. To'omua (Cheika promised he would get a run at 10)
12. Kerevi 13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
11. Banks 15. Beale 14. Petaia
16. Latu 17. Sio 18. AAA, 19. Coleman 20. Hanigan (reluctantly)
21. Gordon 22. Foley 23. Naivalu
If AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) goes really badly then we can bring Foley to 10, To'omua to 12, Kerevi to 13. Alternatively we could go Beale to 12, Kerevi to 13, Banks to 15 and Naivalu to 11/14. Or we could roll the dice and put Petaia at 13 and Naivalu at 14. Personally I think its very unlikely AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) will fail. The man has been all class since the day he started in U-10's.
If Banks or Petaia fail Naivalu comes straight on. The biggest problem is the backrow, but we cannot afford to blood Valetini no matter how promising, he is just too raw. Pushed the pieces round the chessboard but all that's left is Hanigan unless you drop Simmons back to 6 and I am very reluctant to do that.
Depending on who plays the house down, the team for England should resolve itself.
This game is our chance to experiment with fringe players and that is exactly what we should do. If the unthinkable happens and we lose, then we can write it off to us playing our B team. What we do need to do is rest our key players for the game against England. We need to give ourselves the best possible chance of winning that game even though most on this board think we are no chance. I disagree, I reckon its about a 60-40 chance we'll get beat, but if we rest a couple of key players against Italy we'll do our chances no harm at all.
So, given the cattle available I would rest TPN, Rodda, Pocock, Genia, Folau and DHP for next week. Additionally, I would swap some bench players for starters to rest them too. My team would look like this:
1. Kepu 2. Fainga'a 3. Thor
4. Arnold 5. Simmons
6. Samu 7. Hooper 8. Dempsey (only because we have no proper 8 options except Pocock)
9. Phipps 10. To'omua (Cheika promised he would get a run at 10)
12. Kerevi 13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
11. Banks 15. Beale 14. Petaia
16. Latu 17. Sio 18. AAA, 19. Coleman 20. Hanigan (reluctantly)
21. Gordon 22. Foley 23. Naivalu
If AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) goes really badly then we can bring Foley to 10, To'omua to 12, Kerevi to 13. Alternatively we could go Beale to 12, Kerevi to 13, Banks to 15 and Naivalu to 11/14. Or we could roll the dice and put Petaia at 13 and Naivalu at 14. Personally I think its very unlikely AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) will fail. The man has been all class since the day he started in U-10's.
If Banks or Petaia fail Naivalu comes straight on. The biggest problem is the backrow, but we cannot afford to blood Valetini no matter how promising, he is just too raw. Pushed the pieces round the chessboard but all that's left is Hanigan unless you drop Simmons back to 6 and I am very reluctant to do that.
Depending on who plays the house down, the team for England should resolve itself.
The Honey Badger
Jim Lenehan (48)
Agree Hawko with much of that.
Don't think there is any chance Hooper will be 8. Think you are hard on Hanigan.
Like your thoughts in the backs.
Don't think there is any chance Hooper will be 8. Think you are hard on Hanigan.
Like your thoughts in the backs.
Bandar
Bob Loudon (25)
Given the score line that last penalty was the most obvious, stupidest, dumbest penalty I've seen in a while. I'd be happy to drop him for that alone...
Brumbieman
Dick Tooth (41)
At least he can kick it that far.
You can make a fast car reliable, you can't make a reliable car fast.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
No problems at all with him kicking for touch but he doesn't have to play 10 to do that.
Strewthcobber
Simon Poidevin (60)
The oz is reporting that To'omua will be selected at 10 against Italy. We will see
Up the Guts
Steve Williams (59)
I think I'd prefer it if Beale had a rest and To'omua slotted in for him at 12.
Froggy
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
The side I'd like to see against Italy would be a bit experimental, ie trying a few things, but not 'give every child player a cap' type situation.
I would select Sio, Faainga, Thor, Coleman, Arnold, Dempsey, Hooper, Pocock, Genia, Foley, To'omua, Kerevi, Naivalu, Folau, DHP, Bench Latu, Kepu, AAAA, Simmons, Hanigan, Gordon, Petaia, Banks.
TPN is my preferred bench hooker, but could use a break. My only real experiments in the pack are starting Thor (got to be the long term option) and Arnold. Arnold can be bloody good, but needs to become consistent, not drift in and out of games. In the backs, I'm inclined to think that could be our best formula, but with Beale off the bench in place of either Banks or Petaia. If we had a good lead on the Italians with 30 to go, I would be getting the reserve backs on to have a good look at them. I'm not concerned with injury cover having two outside backs on the bench, as To'omua and Kerevi can both shift in one.
I would select Sio, Faainga, Thor, Coleman, Arnold, Dempsey, Hooper, Pocock, Genia, Foley, To'omua, Kerevi, Naivalu, Folau, DHP, Bench Latu, Kepu, AAAA, Simmons, Hanigan, Gordon, Petaia, Banks.
TPN is my preferred bench hooker, but could use a break. My only real experiments in the pack are starting Thor (got to be the long term option) and Arnold. Arnold can be bloody good, but needs to become consistent, not drift in and out of games. In the backs, I'm inclined to think that could be our best formula, but with Beale off the bench in place of either Banks or Petaia. If we had a good lead on the Italians with 30 to go, I would be getting the reserve backs on to have a good look at them. I'm not concerned with injury cover having two outside backs on the bench, as To'omua and Kerevi can both shift in one.
- Status