• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

Wallabies V Samoa - Test 2011

Status
Not open for further replies.
Scotty

Scotty

David Codey (61)
My tema would be more experimental:

1 Robinson
2 Moore
3 kepu
4 Simmons
5 sharpe
6 Elsom
7 pocock
8 Dennis
9 genia
10 Cooper
11 JOC (James O'Connor)
12 McCabe
13 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14 Davies
15 Beale

16 Hanson
17 alexander
18 timani
19 hodgson
20 phipps
21 giteau
22 ioane

Some of the reds forward need resting and we need to find the right centre combo outside of Cooper. Ioane also on the Bench for a rest and timani to see what he can do as an impact player. I would go a 5-2 bench but dont think genia should play a full game and Phipps needs exposure now. I would still toy with gits as a reserve half as well in emergency cases though. Funny thing is that my side has 4 guys that have played fullback in the last year and another who defends at fullback!
 
light

light

Peter Fenwicke (45)
I'd go experimental aswell giving priority to those returning from injury and haven't played for a while. Probably not likely lineup but here goes:
1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Sekope Kepu - Returning from injury, good man to have in a scrum against physical and heavy forward pack.
4. Nathan Sharpe - Our best lock.
5. Dan Vickerman - Last lifeline, Simmons ahead of him but this will be Vick's chance to shine. Simmons and Horwill both rested following 80mins on Saturday
6. Rocky Elsom (C) - Returning, probably won't last 80 but is our best 6 and deserves the chance to prove himself.
7. David Pocock
8. Ben McCalman - Physical and unlikely to be injured whilst offering quality.
9. Luke Burgess - Genia rested.
10. Quade Cooper
11. Lachlan Turner - Davies off the bench, Turner was in blinding form last time he played WOBs.
12. Anthony Fainga'a - Coming back from injury, good defensive centre who has stepped up and deserves a cap. May not last 80 against physical Samoa. Deserves a chance to show that his combination with Cooper can work internationally not just domestically.
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. James O'Connor
15. Kurtley Beale

16. James Hanson - Solid and throws straight, lifted the Reds when he came on, full of energy and fit. Deserves a go, Fainga'a to be rested.
17. James Slipper - Returning for injury, admittedly not our first choice but deserves a run and covers LHP and THP.
18. Sitaleki Timani - Reasons have been stated by many above.
19. Dean Mumm - Covers 4/5/6/8. Can't see why he's in the squad but has quality and good to use in this match
20. Matt Hodgson/ Beau Robinson - Hodgson to cover Elsom, Robinson to cover Pocock. Hodgson more likely
21. Matt Giteau - Utility value, act as cover Quade and Fainga'a should come on relatively early
22. Rod Davies/ Pat McCabe - Davies has speed off the bench, and his finals form warrants a cap. McCabe offers utility and covers 11/12/13/14 but I think Davies will get the nod, McCabe for the tri-nations..
 
light

light

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Easy bring on Giteau. It's not my cup of tea either, but he's there for a reason and although many of us may not want him there, we don't have much to lose if he has to slot in there for 5mins in a warm-up against Samoa. I'd be more worried if we lost Burgess and both Quade and Fainga'a needed replacing, JOC (James O'Connor) would have to go to 10, McCabe to 12 and Davies to 14.
 
Joe Blow

Joe Blow

John Hipwell (52)
There is a lot to get through in this one off test with Samoa.
The Brumbies players have not played for a while and need a run before the Tri nations, particularly Rocky.
The fringe players should get a run in this test to see how they go at test rugby rather than against SA or NZ. We also need to see if Samo is a genuine option at 8 and if Vicks is still up for it. Horwill and Genia deserve a rest and their positions are pretty much nailed down
So I would choose

1 Robinson
2 Moore
3 Kepu
4 Vickerman
5 Sharpe
6 Elsom
7 Pocock
8 Samo
9 Burgess (if fit)
10 Cooper
11 Ioane
12 JOC (James O'Connor)
13 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14 Davies
15 Beale

16 Hanson
17 Alexander
18 Timani
19 Hodgson
20 Phipps
21 Gits
22 McCabe
 
fatprop

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Rebel ready: Phipps in line for Wallabies start
Greg Growden
July 12, 2011

Nick of time ... while Nick Phipps doubts he will make the starting side for Sunday's Test against Samoa, the Melbourne Rebel said he would be confident if selected.

WALLABIES selectors are considering starting Nick Phipps at halfback, or at least giving him extensive time off the bench when Australia begins its international campaign against Samoa at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.

While Will Genia is under no danger of losing his No.1 halfback status, Wallabies management are deliberating over whether it would be wiser to share the scrumhalf duties this weekend, following his intensive five-month campaign that culminated in the Reds winning the Super Rugby final over the Crusaders in Brisbane on Saturday night.

While Genia will naturally want to start, there is common sense in giving Phipps his chance before the Test season gets serious the following weekend when the Wallabies meet South Africa in Sydney.

Then the selectors will have no option but to play their best starting line- team week-in week-out, as there is only a short period before the World Cup campaign gets serious in September and October.

Wallabies training will also go up a gear today, with the Reds contingent arriving in Sydney late last night to allow them to be part of a ticker-tape parade through the streets of Brisbane yesterday to celebrate their Super Rugby triumph.

In his first season of major representative football, Phipps had a tough initiation with the Melbourne Rebels, especially as the new province suffered some inexplicable defeats, revolving around their defensive structure basically falling apart. But there were also enough bright moments to revive the spirits.

Phipps, plucked from the Sydney University and Australian Sevens ranks to be the third halfback on last year's end-of-season Wallabies tour, certainly discovered the pressures of professional football, in particular being forced to endlessly defend around the breakdown.

It will only get more demanding this weekend against Samoa, where Phipps will be awarded his first Test cap as the other squad halfback Luke Burgess is not expected to have recovered from his broken hand until at least the South African Test in Durban on August 14.

Phipps said yesterday he had no idea what his involvement would be in the Test, but did not believe he would be starting. ''Will has played pretty much 80 minutes of every Super Rugby game. So I can't really imagine him taking a backward step for this Test,'' Phipps said.

But if given the call-up, Phipps thought what he had learnt with the Rebels would put him in good stead.

''It has been a long year, but I've really enjoyed it, learnt a lot and was able to fine-tune a lot of things in my game. So if the opportunity presented itself, I would feel confident of stepping up to the mark.

''We obviously had some ups and downs at the Rebels, but all of us down there have taken the positives out of it. It's our first season, so with a bit more fodder we will be more confident. The new players are going to add to the team, because getting Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor is going to be outstanding for us.''

Waratahs second-rower Sitaleki Timani was meanwhile forced to make a quick dash back from Japan to ensure he could train for the first time with the Wallabies yesterday.

Timani signed with the Canon club in Japan last January. Following the end of the Waratahs' Super Rugby campaign, Timani headed to Tokyo and was planning to play his first match there this week.

However, the call-up saw him abandon those plans, while his elevation to the Wallabies' ranks means that as soon as he makes the Test line-up he will be unable to represent Tonga at the World Cup.

But Timani emphasised yesterday his international plans now revolve around the Wallabies, where there is a chance of him one day playing against his older brother, Sione, who is in the Tongan squad.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...abies-start-20110711-1haug.html#ixzz1RqS1kdPS
Click to expand...
 
Blue

Blue

Andrew Slack (58)
Is Timani a real chance or is just a bid to cap him and make sure he can't play for Tonga?

Hope not.
 
The_Brown_Hornet

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I think Timani can develop into a test player and I've seen comments from him today (above and in the paper) that would indicate that he's keen on playing for the Wallabies. Fair enough, get him in there.
 
Richo

Richo

John Thornett (49)
Timani made a huge leap from his first appearance this season to his last. Given his size, strength and mobility, there's no reason to think he won't make another similar leap. He has the potential to be a good back-up to Horwill as an imposing, physical lock (although he will need to do lots of line-out work to come to Big Kev).
 
WorkingClassRugger

WorkingClassRugger

Michael Lynagh (62)
Timani would imo be a great impact player in the second row for all the reasons mentioned above. With his attributes coming on in the last 20-30 minutes when the opposition is beginning to tire he could really do some damage.

Hope to see him take the field on Sunday.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top