Wallabies v. Wales - 1 Dec

[en_force_er]

Let's not feel too sorry for Hooper. If you didn't give Poey 40-60 minutes this game keeping him bumming around European on ARU coin for so long would have been pretty laughable.

I don't believe in the whole "it's a contiki tour" theory, but anyone could see the wasted zeros associated with that.

 

[Dave Beat]

Hoops / Pockock.
Hooper deserved to retain his spot.
Although Hooper has strung together a number of MOM awards, I think he would have an even better showing if the Wobs played an attacking brand of rugby like the Brumbies did this year.
Where as Pockock maybe more suited to the defensive kicking game that Dingo is coaching, maybe dingo will increase the number of kicks in hope that Pockock will pilfer.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^ Then the prediction must be the Men in Gold by 15+ and a return to our rightful place in the rankings.

A fitting outcome to a rather cyclical years performances.

Bam Bam to get MOM after tearing into the Boyos like a caged lion being released in the middle of the mating season.

 

[en_force_er]

Hoops / Pockock.
Hooper deserved to retain his spot.
Although Hooper has strung together a number of MOM awards, I think he would have an even better showing if the Wobs played an attacking brand of rugby like the Brumbies did this year.
Where as Pockock maybe more suited to the defensive kicking game that Dingo is coaching, maybe dingo will increase the number of kicks in hope that Pockock will pilfer.

No intelligent person would question the fact that Hooper is the form flanker in Australia. However, this is a tour and selections on tour can sometimes be about more than who is playing the best.

Why is Diggers on the bench? Probably because he is carrying an injury. Could Hooper have the same issue? Possibly. Could Deans have just decided Poey needs game-time otherwise his whole tour is pointless. I can't say for sure but like I said, it's a tour and there's plenty of reasons.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

I doubt hooper is carrying an injury and dropping moore is so stupid.....deans has officially gone full retard.......you never go full retard

 

[No4918]

I doubt hooper is carrying an injury and dropping moore is so stupid...deans has officially gone full retard...you never go full retard

It does appear he is giving the Welsh every chance. Maybe Dingo owes Gatland a win after all the support he has thrown his way this week?

 

[Braveheart81]

I doubt hooper is carrying an injury and dropping moore is so stupid...deans has officially gone full retard...you never go full retard

Our scrum and lineout both struggled against Italy.

I would have kept Moore in the starting lineup for this test but he hardly showered himself in glory against the Azzurri.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

I don't know if our lineout struggled that badly but are you really going to put the scrums down to moore and not the pack as whole?
Or could we chalk it down to the fact that were against one of the strongest scrums in the northern hemisphere who have arguably the best THP in the world....
and considering Moore played well against england and was more than adequate at set piece, i think we can just put this selection down to favouritism

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Maybe the run on hooker selection is based on the statistical probability that TPN will get injured. There are still deficiencies in his kamikazi approach to the tackle that need to be ironed out of his game, for his long term health.

If (and a big if when discussing Dingo and the bench) Moore starts and is replaced at 50 minutes by TPN, what happens at 65 minutes when/if TPN gets another head knock?

At least with TPN starting, when/if he gets injured before the scheduled substitution time, Dingo has a specialist bench player to replace TPN.

 

[Braveheart81]

I agree. Deans has had a preference for TPN pretty much all year.

As I said, I would have retained Moore in the starting lineup. All I was saying is that Moore hardly forced his retention in the starting side with his performance against Italy.

I definitely think we need to have Moore playing more minutes than he is. TPN is liked for his physicality and tackling and his ability to offload (even if he regularly tackles using his head).

I would pretty much swap them at halftime every game so both can play with a lot of intensity.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Maybe the run on hooker selection is based on the statistical probability that TPN will get injured. There are still deficiencies in his kamikazi approach to the tackle that need to be ironed out of his game, for his long term health.

If (and a big if when discussing Dingo and the bench) Moore starts and is replaced at 50 minutes by TPN, what happens at 65 minutes when/if TPN gets another head knock?

At least with TPN starting, when/if he gets injured before the scheduled substitution time, Dingo has a specialist bench player to replace TPN.

hookers can come back on for injury no? so the scrums dont go to uncontested.

 

[Scotty]

Feel for Hooper. He's been magnificent and now he's been replaced. Admittedly, Pocock is pretty bloody great himself, but he's not played any footy for about 3 months plus. Should have been off the bench for mine.

It is a terrible decision. Pocock would be likely a bit underdone and susceptible to injury, he may not be an 80 player at the moment. Hooper has been the wallabies best player this year and has proven he is up for 80 minutes.

The decision puts Pocock at injury risk in the last game of the season, and ensures we won't see both players on the park at the same time, since you'd expect Pocock will not be given 80.

Put that together with TPN once again picked ahead of Moore and it once again proves Deans has lost his marbles.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Absolutely shit selection Scotty, I agree.

 

[Scotty]

I can't help thinking Timani was acting under orders on Saturday, and even before that. He stands in a very specific place in the backline, and surely if the coach didn't want him there he'd be told to pull his head in. Surely.

I agree. The tactic was woeful and ensured that Tapuai never got the pill. Deans failure not Timani (except for the handling errors of course).

 

[Lee Grant]

Wobs to 2nd if they win by 15+ or down to 4th if they draw or lose, me thinks. Maybe there is an upside for playing so many games this year. Is it fair on the Frogs or Saffers if they drop a place just by virtue of playing fewer games?

Well, they won't want to be fourth because they will be drawn to play the ABs in the RWC semi, though events make a mockery of some of these nice theories - things like losing pool games to lower ranked teams.

Though we have beaten the Blacks 2 times out of 3 in RWC semis we are likely to do better against the Boks who we have beaten 2 out of 2 in QFs or SFs, and have better results against them year in, year out, than against NZ. Vice versa, they would rather play us in the semis.

As I said 4 years ago - surely 2 years notice should be sufficient to organisers of the RWC - and fans of the teams to make hotel bookings. The process should have been done in 12 months time.

I guess the rebuttal to that is that making the rankings and the draw in 2013 - two years out - is almost as menaingless as doing it 3 years out.

They could have a point there.
.

 

[Lior]

Terrible decision picking Pocock over Hooper. Who has been along with Sharpe the Wallabies best this year. We need to win this game thus we need to pick the form 7 and that has been Hooper.

Let's hope Sharpe goes out with a win like he rightfully deserves after a stellar test career. But however lets hope that his test career is not yet over as I think the big guy's got a British and Irish Lions tour captaincy in him. However I may be as delusional as Robbie Deans' test selections.

 

[Wales Fan]

Wales Fan - yeah Wales is a bit like Oz - their starting props are not too bad on their day and the next one or two are decent, but it drops off a bit from there.

However I don't think that there will be too many crocodile tears from Aussies for Wales after the butchers bill we have had in 2012 - (and our 5th string scrummie might get on the park on the weekend).

I think our lads can't wait to get on the plane to come home and watch a bit of cricket. You could see it in the second half in Florence: they were out on their feet. On the other hand, Wales finished the game strongly against the ABs, who looked a bit weary themselves in the 2nd half.

At least we have 4 forwards running on: Pocock, TPN, Higginbotham and Douglas who have had some time off recently for one reason or another. The weariness of the others could be the very reason why these guys are starting, or at least be a contributing factor.

I read somewhere today that Oz will finish up the year 2nd if they win this game and that Wales are a chance to drop out of the top eight if they lose.

I can't vouch for the accuracy of those comments because I don't know the process, but if they are accurate there is a bit in this game.
.

Part of test rugby is dealing with injury, unfortunately for Wales and Aus to a lesser extent maybe the depth isn't really there in many positions.
The all blacks could probably field a 5th string side and compete fairly comfortably at the top level. I saw a blacks team online selection from players now unavailable and playing in Europe which would win the 6 nations if they entered - kinda depressing from a N H point of view.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Braveheart81]

Well, they won't want to be fourth because they will be drawn to play the ABs in the RWC semi, though events make a mockery of some of these nice theories - things like losing pool games to lower ranked teams.

As pointed out by Bardon in another thread, the top four rankings are essentially equal. The pool allocation is done randomly with each of the top four teams in a different pool.

2nd, 3rd or 4th there is no guarantee which pool you'll be destined to meet in the semi final.

 

[ChargerWA]

I think the big guy's got a British and Irish Lions tour captaincy in him. However I may be as delusional as Robbie Deans' test selections.

If you can talk the big guy into going around once more for the Force so he is eligible for the Lions tour you would become my new hero.

 

[Lee Grant]

As pointed out by Bardon in another thread, the top four rankings are essentially equal. The pool allocation is done randomly with each of the top four teams in a different pool. 2nd, 3rd or 4th there is no guarantee which pool you'll be destined to meet in the semi final.

Ah thanks - I should have known that, or maybe did and forgot.

Cheers
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