Wallabies v Pumas - Saturday 17 September, nib Stadium Perth

[todd4]

As a Perthian, I'm perplexed by that!

I think he is referring to our return game on 8th Oct being held at Twickenham (rather than Argentina). The English fans will probably support the Pumas.

 

[Groucho]

I think he is referring to our return game on 8th Oct being held at Twickenham (rather than Argentina). The English fans will probably support the Pumas.

Ah! Yes, he's right.

 

[Braveheart81]

Remember the Falklands!

Maybe they'll boo both sides.

 

[Viking]

Actually Mumm played in the first one, not the second one. He was relegated and Douglas was a surprise inclusion, that was his first game back. Foley was 10 and he got benched for Quade in the second one. It wasn't seen as a sacrifice, he was trying out different combinations. If he was sure the combinations from the first Bledisloe were the right ones he would no doubt have run them out again. SBW was a major contributor for our win in the first game, he played atrociously and was subsequently dropped.

Nic White and To'omua's impact from the bench had something to do with it too. They were key players in that win, Foley and Phipps were very very poor despite the win. Can't exactly blame it on SBW.

 

[KOB1987]

He does a lot of things that don't make sense. Remember only last year he benched our best player ,Pocock, and started Palu instead for the second NZ Test - despite winning the first test.

I can see Cheika starting Timani at 6 infront of Mumm and Fardy given both have been average.

Although a bit hypocritical given Foley and DHP remain, but that's Cheika.

Wait. Hang on. Based on your last post he also benched our worst players in Phipps and foley, and started 2 more of our best players in white and To'omua. He also benched mumm, but it seems the problem was that he started Palu instead of pocock.

 

[Joe Blow]

We are fine for 6s. Maybe Fardy comes back into the side this week? Either way we need our 3rd lineout option at 6.
Timani is there as an 8. He plays there in the NRC and has done so in Super Rugby at times as well. In fact they should be playing him in the back row at the Rebs pretty much full time.
I reckon he is better suited to starting as he helps set the level of physicality. Give him 40-50 minutes and then bring on McMahon or Pocock or Hooper, whichever one is on the pine.
If Speight is fit and well he might get a run on this week.? We need some speed out wide.

 

[A mutterer]

someone mentioned the press leaks and stories being spot on, one of the first this week was the 'growing combination and understanding' between quade and foley.

i really cant see many changes, and im not sure timani will make the bench for this one either, as hes been mentioned in previous weeks with no jersey to back it up.

it will be a win costs mentality i think.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Speight has not showed any form to justify being included in match day 23 including recent NRC games.

We need to stop recycling rejects / past failures and move forward. Putting Speight in would be step back not forward.

When he actually shows some basic semblance of half decent form rather than being one of few last specialist wingers available then start talking about Speight.

Speight does not offer the answers to improving our wing stocks.

 

[Viking]

Speight has not showed any form to justify being included in match day 23 including recent NRC games.

We need to stop recycling rejects / past failures and move forward. Putting Speight in would be step back not forward.

When he actually shows some basic semblance of half decent form rather than being one of few last specialist wingers available then start talking about Speight.

Speight does not offer the answers to improving our wing stocks.

I don't get this. We should discard a winger who's played 3 Tests in a shitty backline, but we should persist with Foley? What form does he have to justify selection? - he's been a liability in 6 out of 7 of the last tests, and DHP? who's let in tries in nearly every test this year apart from one.

Sometimes it's fair to pick the lesser worst player. Especially as your post resembles moving forward, wouldn't it be more "moving forward" to drop Foley and start Hodge at 12, thus leaving Speight on the wing.

 

[Viking]

Wait. Hang on. Based on your last post he also benched our worst players in Phipps and foley, and started 2 more of our best players in white and To'omua. He also benched mumm, but it seems the problem was that he started Palu instead of pocock.

Ah yes I forgot To'omua and White started.

He did start Skelton and Palu, that's bad enough for me

 

[Rugbynutter39]

No if your offering speight as the only alternative given can't kick and showed very little in attack in any game I have watched for some time I would probably still persist with the current crowd personally. As speight has just been woeful. With a view to looking to other newcomers that will shortly be available as potential replacements ie. the Rebels Fiji wingers for next year who will be more likely candidates to fill the problematic wing spot.

And for that matter on foley - sorry other than those 2 intercepts he actually showed some promise there and hodge is just not ready for 12 yet imo so keep him on the wing for the moment.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I think if they brought speight in I am about ready to top myself personally as an Australian Rugby fan. He has been bloody ordinary for some time. Selecting him because 2 years ago he was good is not the answer.

 

[Joe Blow]

Most likely Speight will not come in but we are really lacking in genuine pace out wide. Both DHP and Hodge have done a good job and have long futures with the Wallabies but probably not on the wing.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Speight has actually started to look more like his old self in the NRC this year, but I'm not sure he has yet done enough to come into the 15, even though we don't have another specialist winger anywhere near the side.

What does intrigue me is that some on here are defending the status quo because we've had a win and we should give the current players opportunities to get better, even though they say they would have a different side if they were to select it. While I have little doubt that there won't be any major changes for Perth, my question is just when would those other players who might be better than the present ones get a chance to show what they can do if the present players/combinations do improve such that the Wallabies put together some sort of winning streak?

I am inclined to think that Slipper will probably start this weekend but I don't see that as being a major change at all. Just an improvement in what is being done in the early phases of the match.

Changing the Pooper or the 10/12 combination on the other hand would entail changes to the game plan and would represent big change. I think both areas and the consequential game plan modifications would have a very real chance of improving the Wallabies' overall performance. But I can't see it happening.

 

[todd4]

So on Saturday we'll be sticking with the Fooper (Foley/Cooper) as well as the Pooper.

Or is this just getting childish

 

[Moono75]

We are lacking some genuine pace out wide so Luke Morahan could be good for a wing spot.

 

[Moono75]

So on Saturday we'll be sticking with the Fooper (Foley/Cooper) as well as the Pooper.

Or is this just getting childish

The front row of Slipper/Moore/Kepu is a bit concerning. If the SlipMorePu combination goes down.....your in a world of shit. Childish....hell no

 

[dru]

Speight has actually started to look more like his old self in the NRC this year, but I'm not sure he has yet done enough to come into the 15 <snip>

BR, do you really think so? I was thinking that he really needed more time in 15 man rugby so that the Brumbies had a player. And just no to the WBs.

Definitely we can use some wide speed at the Wobbles, I'm just not convinced that Speight, right now, offers an answer over DHP or Hodge.

 

[Marcelo]

The probably Pumas starting XV for the game in Perth:

15 Joaquin Tuculet
14 Gonzalez Amorosino
13 Matias Moroni
12 Gonzalez Iglesias
11 Santiago Cordero
10 Nicolas Sanchez
9 Tomas Cubelli
8 Facundo Isa
7 Juan Leguizamon
6 Pablo Matera
5 Matias Alemmano
4 Ortega Desio
3 Ramiro Herrera
2 Agustin Creevy (c)
1 Tetaz Chaparro

We are lacking some genuine pace out wide so Luke Morahan could be good for a wing spot.

Naivalu will be available for the next game in SA. That's the answer

 

[Spruce Moose]

Any idea who the ref will be for this one? Know it seems silly but how the breakdown will be reff'd seems a factor in this back row decision.

Feel like going back to Fardy, Pocock and Hooper again with Fardy to help with increased physicality from Argentina, and potentially negate some rolling mauls (haven't seen enough of them to know how effective the argies are with these.).