Wallabies Watch

[Athilnaur]

I think we will see this backline;

Genia
O'Connor
Ioane
McCabe
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Folau
Beale

White
Mogg
Lealeiifano (Cooper)

McCabe isn't as dynamic as Lealeiifano but his defense will lock him in, and I think he will remind us of his qualities in the next few weeks albeit at 13.

If Cooper squeezes his way in, which I doubt, then I think Folau will go to the bench as Deans won't want O'Connor defending outside Cooper. Nothing wrong with his tackling, but he can't do dominant tackles as McCabe can and it will be needed.

Cooper's error rate, specifically missed tackles and turnovers, will hold him back I think, on a stats basis O'Connor has been killing it in attack and D. Just can't see Cooper getting the run on. More likely he will come from bench, have a blinder and earn redemption that way.

 

[Slim 293]

I th
McCabe isn't as dynamic as Lealeiifano but his defense will lock him in, and I think he will remind us of his qualities in the next few weeks albeit at 13, from the bench.

 

[barbarian]

Are you saying that you'd play him at 15? Or 10 for that matter?

The reason he played those positions in 2012 was because our injury count was ridiculously high. I would have Beale/O'Connor/Mogg all ahead of him at 15 and Cooper/O'Connor/Beale all ahead of him at 10.

No, I was just answering your question on how he could be selected. That is how.

I don't disagree with your assesment.
.

 

[TOCC]

On Cooper, I thought he pulled off a couple of good tackles last night, one of his in cover was probably a try saver..

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Both sides of the Quade Cooper argument seem to be looking for two pieces of evidence.

1 piece to support their view of wheter he should be selected, and one piece to counter the other sides view.

ie the supporters of Quade find him making one tackle, and that is supposed to put the QC (Quade Cooper) has poor defence argument to bed forever, and evidence of one good pass is evidence that he still has the X factor for finding space for those outside him.

meanwhile the other side find QC (Quade Cooper) one example of QC (Quade Cooper) defending at the back as being evidence that he is always being hidden on defence and can not/will not tackle, and the one pass that is not precisely on the money as being evidence that he has lost the ability to set up those outside him forever.

The truth is somewhere in the middle, and his Wobs chances will more likely be resolved by what is going on inside Dingo's head, and QC (Quade Cooper)'s attitude at any Wobs meetings/discussions/phone calls.

 

[Gnostic]

I think we will see this backline;

Genia
O'Connor
Ioane
McCabe
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Folau
Beale

White
Mogg
Lealeiifano (Cooper)

McCabe isn't as dynamic as Lealeiifano but his defense will lock him in, and I think he will remind us of his qualities in the next few weeks albeit at 13.

If Cooper squeezes his way in, which I doubt, then I think Folau will go to the bench as Deans won't want O'Connor defending outside Cooper. Nothing wrong with his tackling, but he can't do dominant tackles as McCabe can and it will be needed.

Cooper's error rate, specifically missed tackles and turnovers, will hold him back I think, on a stats basis O'Connor has been killing it in attack and D. Just can't see Cooper getting the run on. More likely he will come from bench, have a blinder and earn redemption that way.

Looking at recent comments I think we will see all the "x players" including possibly Folau selected with the brick wall centres. My previous comments stand on what this will do to the attack, but then I consider the Wallabies apart from that single game against the French have never attacked through in depth backline plays under Deans in any event, so this centre pairing will make no difference to that. The attack in the backs will rely on rapid counter attack by the "x players" as individuals rather than construction of play by them.

What I think we will see in the back is (this is not what I would like to see just what I think will happen)

10. JOC (James O'Connor)
12. McAbe
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
11. Ioane
14. Folau
15. Beale

21. Barnes
22. Mitchell if fit, if not Tomane.

Cooper will not be selected, and I feel he isn't being considered regardless of the rhetoric coming from Deans.

 

[Paradox]

I'm sure it's not quite as good as that of our lord and saviour, Jesse Mogg, but it will be fine.

There you go you had to make it provincial. Tsk tsk. I'll put Baa Baa on you.

Folau for wing spot dumbs. Happy to see him start. We'll probably see Barnes or Beale at 15.

 

[barbarian]

Great to see Digby back in form, thought last night was the best he has played all season. And the Honey Badger was back on song as well.

Shit we have some outside backs at the moment.

I'd be putting my money on a Folau/Beale/Ioane back three in the first test.
.

 

[Paradox]

The bloke I really want Deans to take a gamble on is Lilo at 12. I think he could help spark our attack again.

 

[Paradox]

Great to see Digby back in form, thought last night was the best he has played all season. And the Honey Badger was back on song as well.

Shit we have some outside backs at the moment.

I'd be putting my money on a Folau/Beale/Ioane back three in the first test.
.

Yep and then when Ioane goes to France Speight comes in.

So you think JOC (James O'Connor) at 10?

 

[barbarian]

Yep and then when Ioane goes to France Speight comes in.

So you think JOC (James O'Connor) at 10?

I think that is what Deans will pick.
.

 

[Paradox]

I think that is what Deans will pick.
.

Yep, looks like it.

 

[cyclopath]

I think so too. I don't agree with it.

 

[TOCC]

ie the supporters of Quade find him making one tackle, and that is supposed to put the QC (Quade Cooper) has poor defence argument to bed forever, and evidence of one good pass is evidence that he still has the X factor for finding space for those outside him.

Um.... I wasn't suggesting one tackle has laid to rest Quade coopers defensive deficiencies, merely pointing out that he made a good covering tackle...

 

[Jared Bamford]

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper
4. Pyle
5. Horwill
6. Higginbotham
7. Smith
8. Mowen
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. JOC (James O'Connor)
12. Lilo
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Diggers
15. Folau

16. Hanson
17. Alexander
18. Ryan
19. Simmons
20. Gill
21. White
22.To'omua
23. Mogg (interchangeable with Folau, depending if Deans wants to play a kicking game)

I will put my money on JOC (James O'Connor) on the wing and you would be idiotic not to give Hugh Pyle a look into

 

[USARugger]

Um.. I wasn't suggesting one tackle has laid to rest Quade coopers defensive deficiencies, merely pointing out that he made a good covering tackle.

He's saved multiple tries this season with his cover tackling, to be exact.

 

[tigerland12]

I'd be looking at a Simmons/Horwill combination in the second row. Douglas has been playing relatively well, but that leaves you with two locks who aren't line-out specialists. With McMeniman looking unlikely to get picked, that really only leaves Simmons as our line-out specialist.

The only thing that could offset this is if both Mowen and Higginbotham start, as they are both very good jumpers.

That being said I would prefer Simmons over Douglas, he has been great the last month, has cut down the stupid niggle and is doing great work in the tight.

 

[USARugger]

I just can't see any reason for McCabe to be selected at 12 - at all. There is literally not a single fucking rational explanation for it outside of 'Robbie said so'. Lealiifano is just as good on defense and offers 1000 times more than McCabe on the opposite side of the ball. McCabe has done little to impress anybody but Deans in his 19 test caps. Lealiifano has been in some impressive form for nearly 2 years now. McCabe can't even earn a regular starting spot at his franchise. Lealiifano is absolutely one of the first names on the Brumbies weekly team sheet and is the glue that holds the back line together.

 

[USARugger]

I'd be looking at a Simmons/Horwill combination in the second row. Douglas has been playing relatively well, but that leaves you with two locks who aren't line-out specialists. With McMeniman looking unlikely to get picked, that really only leaves Simmons as our line-out specialist.

The only thing that could offset this is if both Mowen and Higginbotham start, as they are both very good jumpers.

That being said I would prefer Simmons over Douglas, he has been great the last month, has cut down the stupid niggle and is doing great work in the tight.

Higginbotham needs to stop making ridiculously blatant errors on defense before he gets selected, at least in my eyes. He's had some moments of brilliance in the past two weeks but also made several critical defensive errors in the past two weeks that cost the Rebels big time. That first big break the Crusaders made was 100% on Higgers and was literally the kind of mistake you'd expect from a U-12 player.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I just can't see any reason for McCabe to be selected at 12 - at all. There is literally not a single fucking rational explanation for it outside of 'Robbie said so'. Lealiifano is just as good on defense and offers 1000 times more than McCabe on the opposite side of the ball. McCabe has done little to impress anybody but Deans in his 19 test caps. Lealiifano has been in some impressive form for nearly 2 years now. McCabe can't even earn a regular starting spot at his franchise. Lealiifano is absolutely one of the first names on the Brumbies weekly team sheet and is the glue that holds the back line together.

But Lilo has never played a test. Is the Lions an appropriate place for a debut?