Wallabies Watch

[KevinO]

I don't think it was that Cooper was poor against Force, it was more that Genia was not getting the good clean ball his use to and this disrupted the whole back line play.

A Foley special we may as well call it, play the most ugly rugby possible in order to try get a result.

 

[Richo]

A Foley special we may as well call it, play the most ugly rugby possible in order to try get a result.

Urgh. It's a nightmare, isn't it?

It took half the bloody season for the Foley Tahs to put on the number of tries they did in one game against the Kings.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't think it was that Cooper was poor against Force, it was more that Genia was not getting the good clean ball his use to and this disrupted the whole back line play.

A Foley special we may as well call it, play the most ugly rugby possible in order to try get a result.

Surely it's the recipe for how to play against the Reds though.

It might not have been pretty, but it was bloody effective.

 

[Richo]

I agree with you on McCabe - http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/cooper-lealiifano-and-mogg-will-not-start-in-first-lions-test/

Great article, Scott. I agree with you on all fronts and find that to be a sad prospect. Of the three, I do think that Lilo is the most likely to break into the 23 and the 15.

Putting JOC (James O'Connor) at 10 kills two birds because it opens a wing spot for Folau as well as "solving" 10. That, to my mind, will be the nail in Cooper's coffin.

 

[No4918]

Cooper really is being judged to a different standard to other 10's. Last year people were screaming for him to do the things he is now being criticised for like not pushing passes and taking the ball into contact. His kicking game is now the best of the 10's as well and is considerably more consistent. Genia has kicked out twice at crucial times in a couple of weeks and created no opportunities vs the Force either. If that was Cooper kicking out on the full people would be howling about it.
Some credit needs to be given to how well the Force defended also. It was brilliant and they kept it up for the 80.

 

[Richo]

Cooper really is being judged to a different standard to other 10's. Last year people were screaming for him to do the things he is now being criticised for like not pushing passes and taking the ball into contact. His kicking game is now the best of the 10's as well and is considerably more consistent. Genia has kicked out twice at crucial times in a couple of weeks and created no opportunities vs the Force either. If that was Cooper kicking out on the full people would be howling about it.
Some credit needs to be given to how well the Force defended also. It was brilliant and they kept it up for the 80.

Agree with all of this. But I also get the sense that a strong majority of posters here would pick Quade at 10. Deans, the evidence suggests, will not.

 

[D-Box]

I posted this on the front page but:

Everyone keeps saying that Deans will pick a crash ball center who can defend well and that by default it will be McCabe - anyone reckon he's noticed this bloke from the force who currently is in effect playing like a crash ball center who can defend well but who keeps making teams of the week on various sites?

 

[Swat]

One of the negatives I took out of the Tahs slaughter on the weekend was that Timani and to a lesser extent Douglas are still running too upright. Timani may be able to get away with it now and then in Super Rugby but if he tries to bend the line like that against the lions we'll see the ball get turned over again and again. I fear similar things for McCabe should he be Dingo's favoured 12.

 

[Richo]

I don't want to see Timani play for the Wallabies this year. He's too raw and isn't a great combo with Horwill since neither really specialises in the lineout. If Kev gets hurt, he could be needed though.

 

[scaraby]

I posted this on the front page but:

Everyone keeps saying that Deans will pick a crash ball center who can defend well and that by default it will be McCabe - anyone reckon he's noticed this bloke from the force who currently is in effect playing like a crash ball center who can defend well but who keeps making teams of the week on various sites?

Good point but if Lilo's too inexperienced then your friend is a distant thought.
I thought Adam ACs roll was to take on the advantage line so why do we need a 12 to do the same. There will be a brick wall waiting at 12 why not try and shift wider then you bring in Beale, Folau ,Digby etc to either go through OR around.

 

[Ruggo]

Calling the lineout you mean? Kev is a fine option at lineout time and is often used as you would expect any lock to be, just not as the caller. I don't mean to be pedantic but is that what you mean?

 

[scaraby]

I don't want to see Timani play for the Wallabies this year. He's too raw and isn't a great combo with Horwill since neither really specialises in the lineout. If Kev gets hurt, he could be needed though.

We need a string bean so who are the alternatives to Simmons?
I think you are right we will have possibly Douglas and Timani as the "tight" back up but where is our "jumping /mobile" options.

 

[wamberal]

Calling the lineout you mean? Kev is a fine option at lineout time and is often used as you would expect any lock to be, just not as the caller. I don't mean to be pedantic but is that what you mean?

I think the point is that neither Horwill nor Timani wants to call the lineouts. Maybe Sharpey should do it from the sidelines, Kev could wear a little earphone.

 

[Richo]

Calling the lineout you mean? Kev is a fine option at lineout time and is often used as you would expect any lock to be, just not as the caller. I don't mean to be pedantic but is that what you mean?

Kev is a good lineout option, but not quite a technician in the Sharpe mould (at least in my viewing). So I'd prefer he was with another good option, rather than a liability like Timani. Sita and Sharpie was manageable because the latter was such an excellent performer at the line out. Kev isn't as good in that facet of the game, so Timani's problems there are exacerbated that much more.

 

[Rassie]

I posted this on the front page but:

Everyone keeps saying that Deans will pick a crash ball center who can defend well and that by default it will be McCabe - anyone reckon he's noticed this bloke from the force who currently is in effect playing like a crash ball center who can defend well but who keeps making teams of the week on various sites?

It is not about can defend well. Its about being the chief and commander of your defense. Your coordinator and the guy who quickly need to build that wall up again when the opposition created a hole somewhere. Calling the defensive pattern. When to Blitz when to be aggressive when the opportunity arises to put the attack on the backfoot

 

[Richo]

We need a string bean so who are the alternatives to Simmons?
I think you are right we will have possibly Douglas and Timani as the "tight" back up but where is our "jumping /mobile" options.

Any combination of Horwill, Douglas, Simmons (or even Pyle, but I can't see him getting a run against the Lions) with Mowen, Higgers or Palu would be pretty good. It's when a non-option like Timani is selected at lock that things get more complicated.

 

[Rassie]

You have missed my point entirely. McCabe doesn't have the skill set of either JdV or Kahui. He doesn't perform the roles that these two do. I would also add that the break and major challenges that McCabe made to the Crusdaers on the weekend all came on the right wing. No an accident IMO.

You are referring to attack. McCabe is used as their general in organizing the defense. The forwards do most of the actual defense.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't understand what Rassie is saying unless he posts a series of tiny animated gifs to go alongside it.

 

[Jets]

So the Wallaby team I'm expecting Deans to pick

1. Robinson
2. TPN
3. Alexander
4. Timani
5. Horwill
6. Higgers
7. Smith
8. Palu
9. Genia
10. Barnes
11. Digby
12. McCabe
13. Fainga'a
14. Tomane
15. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

16. Moore
17. Kepu
18. Slipper
19. Douglas
20. Hooper
21. Phipps
22. Beale

 

[USARugger]

Calling the lineout you mean? Kev is a fine option at lineout time and is often used as you would expect any lock to be, just not as the caller. I don't mean to be pedantic but is that what you mean?

Horwill is a line bending enforcer who can jump very well, Timani is a line bending enforcer. Having them alongside one another is an exercise in redundancy as they do not compliment one another.