Wallabies Watch

[wamberal]

So you think he will pick a player who has hardly played this season (Barnes) and leave out a player who has been one of the competition's stars (Folau)?

 

[No4918]

^^ Jets team above sounds about right for Robbie.

 

[scaraby]

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

thats a good way to lose your job pre lions if your Deans....horrible horrible backline aarrgggh i'm gagging

 

[No4918]

So you think he will pick a player who has hardly played this season (Barnes) and leave out a player who has been one of the competition's stars (Folau)?

Think you are taking his post too seriously.

 

[scaraby]

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

9 Genia,10 Cooper/JOC (James O'Connor),11 Le Deegbay, 12 Lilo,13 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) ,14 Folau/JOC (James O'Connor),15 Beale/Folau........there i'll be positive

 

[wamberal]

Think you are taking his post too seriously.

I take everything about rugby seriously. It is too important to joke about.

 

[Braveheart81]

I really think we're going to see something very close to:

Robbo, TPN, Alexander
Horwill, Douglas
Higgers, Palu, Hooper
Genia
Beale
Lealiifano, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Ioane, JOC (James O'Connor)
Folau

Reserves:
Moore
Slipper
Kepu/Sio/Palmer
Mowen/MMM/Timani/Simmons
Smith/Gill
White
McCabe
Barnes/Mogg

The only real changes I would make to that side is to start Moore ahead of TPN and I'd pick someone other than Kepu. I also wouldn't pick Smith because I don't agree with changing the current eligibility rules.

McCabe may start at 12 but I really think he's going to go with Lealiifano.

 

[D-Box]

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.

My post was somewhat in jest, though if you are picking your game plan first and then your players it should be the player most in form that fits the plan.

personnally I don't understand the hesitation to pick debutants. Yes they take poor options or make mistakes under pressure but that sounds remarkablely like the wallabies of the last few years, and not just inexperienced players. Give them a go and you never know what you will get.

 

[Jets]

I was trying to get into Robbies headspace. Would anyone be surprised if he picked that team? His other option is he'll pick a team of rookies so he can lay claim to giving them their first shot at a Wallaby jersey.

 

[barbarian]

I was trying to get into Robbies headspace. Would anyone be surprised if he picked that team? His other option is he'll pick a team of rookies so he can lay claim to giving them their first shot at a Wallaby jersey.

I would be, but only really for three reasons.

Firstly he wouldn't move AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) from 13, he settled him in nicely there on the EOYT.

Secondly Folau will be in there somewhere. Robbie has been interested in him from day 1, and clearly loves him.

Thirdly he hasn't picked Ant Fainga'a to start for a while now, and didn't pick him in the recent squad. I can't see him being close to selection.

Oh, and one more- he will go White over Phipps on the bench. He only stuck with Phipps because the other two were injured, and the fact that he didn't pick Phipps in the most recent squad is very telling.
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[Ruggo]

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.

Yep so you are more so refering to the caller? Kev just isn't one of them I agree. He could be but it is a skill learnt over time and experience. Time we don't have and experience won't come as there is little requirement in the side he plays most of his rugby for. I know this will cause flack but in reality the only experienced technician we have is Simmons. This is a very good reason that Pyle should be excelled through the system.

Tamani's lack of lineout work excludes him for mine. Past experience doesn't even rate him as a lineout option. Carrying a 203cm bloke with no ability in the air has to be a last resort and given last years cattle crisis we reached that stage. Looking at mongrel with a far broader range of skills I would take Douglas over him any day of the week. Only problem is you go back to the same issue in the second row with the lack of balance without the lineout technician.

A few years back we were screaming for more rock shifters, now we have options and are lacking in the technicians. Looking forward, what I like here are these blokes are young and their is scope for development.

Bring on the accusations of Reds bias peoples but I think we will see a lock pairing of Horwill and Simmons and this is why:

Simmons - Only real calling and technician option. An absolute skill required in any side. Greenhorn can't be handed these duties in the starting side. Greenhorn's first priority will be adapting to the leap in intensity with as little extra pressure as possible

Horwill - Will be captain and first bloke selected. Rightfully so.

That raises the question of the reserve lock. The two options for mine are Pyle and Douglas. If any merit could be seen in Horwill at 6, I would start Douglas in a heartbeat. The merit for Pyle is the need to be blooding another technician and as insurance policy if we lose our starting lineout caller and our lineout collapses in a disorganised heap.

 

[BDA]

Quote from Folau this week:-

"I'm really enjoying my rugby at the moment and I'd like to stay long term and give it a good crack so we'll see how we go," Folau said after Saturday’s 11-try thumping of the Super Rugby newcomers.

This confirms my suspicion that Folau will sign with the ARU through to 2015. The ARU will make him a good offer (as they should).

 

[Braveheart81]

So there are two more rounds until the initial squad of 25 is announced. The only thing the initial squad means on an absolute level is that those 25 players won't be allowed to play in round 17 (Brumbies vs Rebels, Force vs Tahs, Reds vs B&I Lions). After the 25 man squad is announced on the 19th/20th of May, those players will still have two more Super Rugby games before camp begins properly. Presumably there will be another logistics camp or just talking with the players about what is expected in the interim.

You would figure that players returning from injury will be left for the final 6 places (if they are selected at all). I'd include at least Barnes and McMeniman in this and possibly McCabe as well. Presumably players like Cummins will be trying to nab one of these spots and maybe also Cooper (he could be given a chance to play against the B&I Lions for the Reds to see how he goes if Deans is holding out on picking him).

For the intial 25 man squad, I think we'll see:

Robbo, Alexander, Slipper, (Palmer or Kepu)
Moore, TPN
Horwill, Douglas, Simmons, Timani
Palu, Hooper, Smith, Higginbotham, (Mowen or Dennis)
Genia, White
JOC (James O'Connor), Beale
Lealiifano, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Tapuai
Folau, Ioane, Tomane

So that's 25 players.

I think Barnes, McMeniman, Cummins, McCabe will be given more game time to try and prove their fitness and/or gain some more match practice.

Players like Sio (and whichever out of Palmer and Kepu get left out), Mowen or Dennis (whichever one gets left out), Mogg and Cooper will be fighting it out for the last couple of spots in the 6 that are added to the initial squad.If some of the players returning from injury don't make it, it will give a chance for more of the bolters to get selected. You could potentially add To'omua, Foley, Pyle and Godwin to that list.

Potentially Beale could be left out of the initial squad so he has an extra game to get his match fitness up but I'm guessing Deans will be happy to name him in two weeks time given how his fitness looked against the Chiefs.

I'm unsure whether the final squad will have three hookers and three halfbacks in it. If it does, you'd assume that Hanson or Fainga'a and Phipps might get added in that final 6 players. You'd think that the initial squad of 25 won't have three hookers and three halfbacks in it.

 

[Jets]

I would be, but only really for three reasons.

Firstly he wouldn't move AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) from 13, he settled him in nicely there on the EOYT.

Secondly Folau will be in there somewhere. Robbie has been interested in him from day 1, and clearly loves him.

Thirdly he hasn't picked Ant Fainga'a to start for a while now, and didn't pick him in the recent squad. I can't see him being close to selection.

Oh, and one more- he will go White over Phipps on the bench. He only stuck with Phipps because the other two were injured, and the fact that he didn't pick Phipps in the most recent squad is very telling.
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My team selection was in jest. I agree with all of your points above.

 

[barbarian]

My team selection was in jest. I agree with all of your points above.

Haha yeah I thought so initially, but then you kind of backed it up with something that vaguely resembled logic. I didn't know how to react......

 

[Jets]

That's what Robbie does too.

 

[wamberal]

I would have McCalman as a dark horse, particularly if MMM does not get back to form in time. I have a lot of time for him, he was going really well until his last injury (admittedly only in SS, but at the business end of the season). He out-Mowens Mowen, IMHO.

 

[Braveheart81]

I would have McCalman as a dark horse, particularly if MMM does not get back to form in time. I have a lot of time for him, he was going really well until his last injury (admittedly only in SS, but at the business end of the season). He out-Mowens Mowen, IMHO.

He had an excellent game against the Reds. His burst onto the pass to score their try was fantastic.

If he puts together a few more strong games he'll be sweating like a gypsy with a mortgage hoping for a call from Robbie.

 

[Ignoto]

This confirms my suspicion that Folau will sign with the ARU through to 2015. The ARU will make him a good offer (as they should).

A good offer? Isn't he on a $400k top up already?

 

[Jets]

A good offer? Isn't he on a $400k top up already?

It will probably go up.