Wallabies Watch

[barbarian]

Has anyone mentioned that another Folau myth was busted last night- namely that he can't kick?

 

[USARugger]

Not sure who actually thought he couldn't? My only real question mark in that department was over his accuracy. He learned how to kick the skin off the ball playing AFL. Seriously though.. you don't play even 2nd-grade AFL for that long and not learn how to punt an oval shaped ball.

 

[cyclopath]

Not sure who actually thought he couldn't? My only real question mark in that department was over his accuracy. He learned how to kick the skin off the ball playing AFL.

I'm not going to pull out all the quotes, but I think it was like the Quade can't tackle thing - more a case of "doesn't" rather than "cannot". Folau needs to remember the option more at 15 though.

 

[TOCC]

If izzy plays for the wallabies, it won't be at fullback he will be on the wing, his kicking is definitely a concern given Ioane is likely to line up on the other wing.

 

[USARugger]

I'm not going to pull out all the quotes, but I think it was like the Quade can't tackle thing - more a case of "doesn't" rather than "cannot". Folau needs to remember the option more at 15 though.

Yeah I see what you mean. I can relate to that sentiment. I know Folau can kick the ball but I don't know if I'd trust him to pull off the touch-finder under pressure in a Lions test.

Under the 'Tahs current system you won't see him kicking from the back often. Crawford is the go-to boot option in the Crawford/Folau/Betham alignment and kicking it out from broken play doesn't mesh with Cheika's system as well as having a guy like Folau run it back does. Might be even more similar to the Quade situation than you thought! Seems to be more of a victim of the system in regards to his kicking than anything else.

Point of my post was that anyone who actually thought Folau couldn't kick a ball must have missed the Digby Ioane torpedo extraordinaire earlier this year! If Digby can punt one I'm pretty sure anyone can

 

[Inside Shoulder]

If izzy plays for the wallabies, it won't be at fullback he will be on the wing, his kicking is definitely a concern given Ioane is likely to line up on the other wing.

Matt Burke disagrees: MMM 9am-10am every Sunday. Found it by accident this morning.
http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/shows/the-ruck-rugby-show/
Burke says its easier to get lost on the wing than at 15.
I was surprised by that view and it cuts across a received pice of wisdom in Aus rugby which sees fullbacks regularly picked on the wing, particularly early in their careers, but rarely sees a winger picked at fullback.

 

[jollyswagman]

With Folau's aerial skills you would have to play him at fullback.....why would you put him on the wing when he hasn't been playing there with the Tah's????

Quade is playing a good deal more maturity and commitment in defense this year. It is so bloody obvious he has been working hard to improve this area and show that he can defend at the very least, to an acceptable standard. He is not a turnstile and if you go back and watch his defensive work from his last game you would see how much he has improved. There were a number of dominant tackles in his performance this week, Then have a look at JOC (James O'Connor)'s defensive effort for the short time he was on the field - it was bloody ordinary. There must have been at least three separate occasions where he dropped off the tackle......and the injury he has picked up is the result of a crap tackling technique last weekend. Don't get me wrong, he has been brilliant in defense on many occasions in the past, but this last effort was certainly not one of them. I am big fan of JOC (James O'Connor) but I just don't understand how he is one of the favored 10's for the Wallabies. He hasn't played a lot of footy lately period and ever less of that at 10.......and Barnes at 10 are we bloody serious!!??? How many minutes of footy has he played this year????

I for one would be salivating at the thought of QC (Quade Cooper) and Folau running out together against the Lions. If the two of them managed to sync and were both "on" it would be one hell of a sight.

My vote if I had one:

9. Genie
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. Lealiafano
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. JOC (James O'Connor) (if fit)
15. Folau

Beale, White, Tomua, Mogg

 

[ACT Crusader]

With Folau's aerial skills you would have to play him at fullback...why would you put him on the wing when he hasn't been playing there with the Tah's????

My vote if I had one:

9. Genie
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. Lealiafano
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. JOC (James O'Connor) (if fit)
15. Folau

Beale, White, Tomua, Mogg

You still need those good arial skills for at least one of your wingers - and we know that's not Digby

There's been plenty of Super level fullbacks moved to the wing in the step up to test level - eg Roff, Howlett, Jane

If he is selected, I think taking the kicking pressure required at FB at test level, off Folau would be good for him

 

[Pfitzy]

Burkey has it right - wingers have to constantly think about their depth on defence depending where the ball is, whereas Folau can simply roam left to right at fullback much like you would in league, with the free wing (openside) moving back to help him regularly.

He has been caught with the short kicking game occasionally (e.g. Cheetahs) but that is also about the experience and the centres or halfback sweeping in the dead zone behind the line.

 

[TOCC]

With Folau's aerial skills you would have to play him at fullback...why would you put him on the wing when he hasn't been playing there with the Tah's????

Quite simply because of his kicking or lack thereof, his aerial skills are equally as useful on the wing as they are at fullback.. People can argue that he has the ability to kick, he very well may but it's a skill he hasn't been practicing in actual games, compared to other candidates like Mogg who is practicing and refining each week, and Beale who has experience at test level.

 

[Ruggo]

9/ Genia
10/ Cooper
11/ Digby
12 Lilo/Fainga'a (I would like to see more of Fainga'a at 12 for the Reds.)
13/ AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14/ JOC (James O'Connor)
15/ Izzy

I think that is balanced between attack and defense. I would more so like to see an attacking game plan for these blokes to flourish under. I don't buy the default conservative rugby wins you this and that argument. A side playing to it's natural strengths is the way to play and we have some fine attacking players in this country.

A bench of White, McCabe and Barnes would cover all positions in the backline.

 

[wamberal]

Has anyone mentioned that another Folau myth was busted last night- namely that he can't kick?

I would guess that he was told not to kick, until he understood the rules reasonably well, not to mention the tactics, strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, etc etc.


Let's face it, the rules around kicking, in attack and defence, are pretty complicated.

 

[Dumbledore]

Ruggo Despite his supernatural, telepathic, connection with Quade Fainga'a would be fourth choice 12 at best. At the moment he'll be behind Lilo, Taps and Barnes.

 

[wamberal]

I think we can all agree that Folau, injuries aside, will be in the 22 for the First Test against the Lions.


My guess is that he will start on the bench. Could be wrong. But if I were coach I would want to know the opposition pretty well before putting Folau into his first Test match.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Godwin would be ahead of FTA at 12

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[Scotty]

We won those Welsh Tests with goal kicking, If JOC (James O'Connor)/Beale/Quade were kicking, I doubt we would've. It's a huge factor and only Barnes is good at it. Lealiifano has limited range.

You are ignoring the part where we had forward dominance and if we had a 10 and back line that was better able to leverage that, we would have won by a lot more and goal kicking would not have mattered.

A tight, kicking orientated game is exactly what the Lions would like us to play. We need to play a high tempo game focussing on quick ruck ball and leveraging the space created through the backs.

Kicking is obviously important, but not if that person would otherwise not be picked.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

to be honest, the way he is playing, i am expecting higgers to be 8 with mowen at 6 and palu on the bench.

i think barnes is a massive chance to be either the 10, 12 or 15. but if he stays healthy, i think he will start.

his aimless kicking is annoying when he does it, but when he doesn't, i think people forget how bloody good a rugby player he is.

 

[cyclopath]

Godwin would be ahead of FTA at 12

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As much as you would like it to be so, and Godwin looks very promising I agree, I seriously doubt he is that high in the reckoning, for Deans, at 12.

 

[Pfitzy]

Godwin a year off. Very promising though

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

godwin is no chance to be in the team. could sneak onto the EOYT though as a 12.though strong competition from taps, mccabbe, horne and lilo.