Wallabies v Springboks, Sat 10th August 2.30pm AEST @ Suncorp,

[Brumby Runner]

These are some excerpts from Joe Schmidt's conversations on RA's website.

On Marika Koroibete :-

"It's not a sudden conversation (about his return), there's been a few and we felt that his experience will be useful against these guys," he told reporters.

"Part of Marika's job in this group is to share that experience with some of the younger guys with a young set of back three players in this week like Corey Toole and Max Jorgensen."

On Will Skelton :-

"The last I spoke to (Will) he's on holiday with his family so it's a difficult time to suddenly start thinking about joining a team. There's also been the complications of getting him back to and from France because this window is not a normal Test window in the northern hemisphere.

"It just becomes a little complicated from that perspective and as good as Will is with the experience he has, if he arrives here and he's fatigued and he goes back there fatigued, it's not necessarily going to add the amount of value we'd like it to add".

On Max Jorgenson :-

Having spoken to the young gun, the former Irish boss remains confident that Jorgensen has the mentality and skill set to thrive at Test level dspite his inexperience and injury history.

“Yeah, it’s a conundrum because you never know when you talk to players,” Schmidt admits. “I had a good chat with Max today and he seems confident.

“He is very keen, super keen. So that keenness and confidence hopefully will be evident in the way he plays, but it’s a big Test match for him to inject himself into.”

On Angus Bell :-

“Angus didn’t quite hit the speeds that Max Jorgensen did today, but he looked big and robust carrying the ball and he trained fully,” Schmidt added.

“I think it is a little bit see how he comes through the week before considering him but he’s done everything we’ve asked of him so far so that’s a big tick in that column.”

Could be reading more into some of those comments than is meant, but there seems to be a real possibility that Jorgenson will play 15, with Marika and Corey Toole on the wings. Will Skelton probably won't be used before the EOYT, and Angus Bell is close to returning to the team.

 

[Derpus]

Yeah looks like Skelton joining has been put in the too hard basket by both sides.

Shame, really. Not really where test rugby is meant to be being the 'pinnacle of the game' and all that.

 

[Dctarget]

any Bokke fans wanna comment on their team? Are we getting an experimental side or all the big guns?

 

[Rugby Head]

any Bokke fans wanna comment on their team? Are we getting an experimental side or all the big guns?

I suspect they will name their team tomorrow as usual. I think Du Toit/ Marx are inured?

 

[PhilClinton]

Yeah looks like Skelton joining has been put in the too hard basket by both sides.

Shame, really. Not really where test rugby is meant to be being the 'pinnacle of the game' and all that.

Yeh it's a bit what the fuck to be honest and drives the narrative that a lot of fans have around him not really giving it his all when he plays for the Wallabies so why bother picking him.

He's on a holiday and doesn't want to play is my read on it. This bloke was our Wallaby captain at the last RWC?

I wonder if this attitude is more of a commentary about Skelton as a Wallaby or around the way the game is going where he is better off playing French club rugby and staying fresh from a financial perspective.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Yeh it's a bit what the fuck to be honest and drives the narrative that a lot of fans have around him not really giving it his all when he plays for the Wallabies so why bother picking him.

He's on a holiday and doesn't want to play is my read on it. This bloke was our Wallaby captain at the last RWC?

I wonder if this attitude is more of a commentary about Skelton as a Wallaby or around the way the game is going where he is better off playing French club rugby and staying fresh from a financial perspective.

He can only be released for 6 out of 8 weeks of the test window, and his French club is going to enforce it (as is their right). So he would have to fly from France, and back to France, three times in addition to flights to and from Argentina, and NZ, after only joining the squad 5 days before the first match (which would be today?). This is while he's in preseason.

I can see why he's not particularly keen to do it, and why Schmidt isn't particularly keen to have disruption in the team either

 

[Derpus]

Yeh it's a bit what the fuck to be honest and drives the narrative that a lot of fans have around him not really giving it his all when he plays for the Wallabies so why bother picking him.

He's on a holiday and doesn't want to play is my read on it. This bloke was our Wallaby captain at the last RWC?

I wonder if this attitude is more of a commentary about Skelton as a Wallaby or around the way the game is going where he is better off playing French club rugby and staying fresh from a financial perspective.

Oh I meant the latter given the limitations of the windows available to us to select players from Europe and what not.

 

[Braveheart81]

Yeh it's a bit what the fuck to be honest and drives the narrative that a lot of fans have around him not really giving it his all when he plays for the Wallabies so why bother picking him.

He's on a holiday and doesn't want to play is my read on it. This bloke was our Wallaby captain at the last RWC?

I wonder if this attitude is more of a commentary about Skelton as a Wallaby or around the way the game is going where he is better off playing French club rugby and staying fresh from a financial perspective.

I think this is a harsh and not overly accurate summation.

There have been more quotes regarding Skelton in the last week or two so I don't think these quotes are absolutely current. From all reports they're in the midst of preseason with opening round a month away. I doubt he is on holiday right now.

The reality with the Rugby Championship release window as Strewthcobber explained is that it doesn't just run from the start of the Rugby Championship to the end of it. If Skelton came out here for these first two tests he'd arrive a couple of days after the rest of the squad has assembled, probably be jet-lagged and then would need to fly home after the second Springboks test.

There has been talk of him joining the squad in Argentina. That way he joins the squad in the same state as everyone else (jet-lagged) but has the same lead-up to the two games as the rest of the squad and then flies back to France when the squad returns to Australia after the two tests.

 

[PhilClinton]

So lets just put a line through any French based players then? If it's all a logistics issue then RA should come out and make a blanket rule that French based players won't be considered for the rugby championship.

Draws a clear line in the sand and particularly gives younger players who might be heading over there something to think about if they want to play for the Wallabies against these teams.

 

[BDA]

Leaving Skelton out is clearly the right call. We know what he offers. He'll be in the selection frame come the Lions Tour (and probably the year-end tour). For now we should be using the opportunity to build some depth and experience with the guys we have at home.

I like the idea of being able to add Skelton as an option when the time comes but I hate the idea that we would hang our hat on his inclusion.

And I'm not critical of Skelton wanting to take some time off.

 

[Derpus]

So lets just put a line through any French based players then? If it's all a logistics issue then RA should come out and make a blanket rule that French based players won't be considered for the rugby championship.

Draws a clear line in the sand and particularly gives younger players who might be heading over there something to think about if they want to play for the Wallabies against these teams.

Honestly don't think it would be much of a barrier...

I just wish the availability laws took the Southern Hemisphere into account more but... well that'll never happen.

 

[Strewthcobber]

So lets just put a line through any French based players then? If it's all a logistics issue then RA should come out and make a blanket rule that French based players won't be considered for the rugby championship.

Draws a clear line in the sand and particularly gives younger players who might be heading over there something to think about if they want to play for the Wallabies against these teams.

Ironically enough South Africa have worked out a way of managing it. We will be playing against plenty of Euro and Japan based players this weekend.

Not sure what they do different. They do have a time zone advantage for Euro players

 

[Braveheart81]

Ironically enough South Africa have worked out a way of managing it. We will be playing against plenty of Euro and Japan based players this weekend.

Not sure what they do different. They do have a time zone advantage for Euro players

It would be quite interesting to track the comings and goings from their squad across the Rugby Championship (assuming you could get all the info) to see how they manage it.

 

[Derpus]

Ironically enough South Africa have worked out a way of managing it. We will be playing against plenty of Euro and Japan based players this weekend.

Not sure what they do different. They do have a time zone advantage for Euro players

But not for Japanese players.

 

[Strewthcobber]

But not for Japanese players.

No, but I doubt that Japanese clubs even enforce their rights to release at this time of year anyway.

They are much more concerned with the end of year tours

 

[Confucius Say]

According to RA data :

Williams 23yo, 195cm and 111kg;

Frost 24yo, 206cm, 120kg.

Which is the bigger body?

Don’t need the bigger body, need the bigger ticker. I’d play Williams and Frost ahead of LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto).

 

[dru]

I think this is a harsh and not overly accurate summation.

Absolutely. Let the anger target the release window and the rules around it. The rugby player is caught in the cross hairs. Nothing more.

 

[upthereds#!]

Don’t need the bigger body, need the bigger ticker. I’d play Williams and Frost ahead of LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto).

Need a combo of work and mass - can have all the ticker in the world but physics is physics, especially when the opposition is not just bigger, but also has experience, cohesion and ticker themselves!

 

[Adam84]

Guess there are quite a few more rugby fans in Brisbane besides those who just attend GPS matchdes and watch QPR games eh.

 

[LeCheese]

Guess there are quite a few more rugby fans in Brisbane besides those who just attend GPS matchdes and watch QPR games eh.

That's an enormous result for 'just' a Rugby Championship game (pls no one draw and quarter me, you know what I mean). There could still be some life in the old girl yet.