Wallabies Watch
- Thread starter qwerty51
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Don't know if I would describe A. Fainga'a as a 'big power runner'. In fact I don't know if we have any centre (or back for that matter) who fits that description.
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Our two biggest power running centres are Higgers and Sitaleki Timani.
No.8
Phil Hardcastle (33)
I guess I ment he is a powerful player with alot of aggression that the Wallabies backline - well for that matter the whole team is missing.
Again though I'm not sure if Ant has that more aggression/power than AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Pat McCabe or Berrick Barnes.
Certainly he has not shown it at international level yet. Can't recall him ever breaking multiple tackles or pulling off a bell-ringing hit.
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Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
You're about to invoke the wrath of Brumbieman.........
FTBrumbieman?
Ruggo
Mark Ella (57)
Barnes doesn't have the aggression that the other three you mention have. Barnes is reliable at bringing his man down in the tackle but he never shows the ability to stop the attacking players forward momentum like McCabe, Ant and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) have.
Dave Beat
Paul McLean (56)
Or how George Smith promptly stopped some players and put them promptly on their arse. That hit on Izzy - crunch.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Dominant tackling is a huge underrated quality. It was a massive problem for the 2010 backline who let in a shitload of points.
Brumbieman
Dick Tooth (41)
Tackle shedding runs no, but you seriously cant remember him pulling off any big hits at international level?
I can think of at least 2 big hits that were 100% converted try-savers. 1 against the Boks changed the whole momentum of the game and put us back on the front foot and gave us the win. Another against the AB's that stopped a 5 man overlap 10m from our line in the tri-nations win.Plus a 3rd where he nailed Corey Jane out wide and won a penalty for us.
He may not be bigger, but he certainly is much more aggressive and more dominant in the tackle than any other contenders. I know who I would like to have doing the job of stopping Manu Tuilagi.
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is a better ball runner, but not as dominant in the tackle. I think that against the Lions, achieving parity isn't the task, we need to dominate, and Ant is the only one who is goignto make those big aggressive hits and stop the Lions backs BEFORE the cross the advantage line (making it easier for us to win the ball/penalty and harder for the Lions to build momentum).
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
So far in 296 minutes of Super Rugby 2013:
Tackles: 15
Offloads: 5
Runs: 45 (385m) (8.56m/run)
Line Breaks: 4
Turnovers: 10
I'd say he's having a pretty good season so far.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Its Mabo. Its the constitution. its everything. Its the vibe.
Dave Beat
Paul McLean (56)
In the WOBs for the last couple of years have lacked open field runners, is that due to:
- Game plan,
- Players chosen are more direct / confrontational,
- There is no open spaces,
- They only play one phase ahead instead of having a plan,
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
Game plan and JOC (James O'Connor) was injured this past year
Being an American who was born in the 90's I had to Google that one
I think that the Reds have been playing off of their forwards much more than they did in 2011 and also have been playing a more team-oriented game so far this year which has definitely lead to a perception that some of the "star" backs have been under-performing even though they've been playing some very solid rugby.
Dave Beat
Paul McLean (56)
Game plan - yes
JOC (James O'Connor) Injured - yes, I think having him in 13 he'll have the opportunity to run in space, but also create space on the people outside.
Having him at 10, with a 12, or 13 that is primarily front on and confrontational i.e. McCabe & Finger will limit his skills and he'll try and do more only one pass off the ruck, or in less than 3 phases.
I like Genia, Cooper, Taps (or Lilo), JOC (James O'Connor) - with the back three of Mog, Digby, and based on last weeks team lists - Rathbone.
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
I'd have to disagree with JOC (James O'Connor) at 13. He should be on the wing or at fullback where he has the time and space to make the most of his dancing feet. It's also much easier for him to slot into 1st-receiver from the back or off his wing than it is from #13 without disrupting the structure of the attack. Also, he's still too small from a purely Force = AccelerationxMass perspective, I really don't think his body would hold up to the type of tackling an international #13 has to do. That said, he is a brave defender with good technique. I just don't think his body would hold up in the long run, he's one of the smallest guys in the entire Wallaby camp, only 2" taller and 3kgs heavier than Genia.
Also with a player like Taps or Lilo at 12 (I think it should be one of them based on current form) I think having an abrasive and hard-n'-straight style ball runner like AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would be the more appropriate foil to that set of inside backs.
The biggest issue with JOC (James O'Connor) at 10 is that his personal play-style and the way he reads the game leads to him running the ball far more than you want your #10 to. Couple that with the fact that there really isn't a #10 with a passing game even in the same league as Cooper right now and JOC (James O'Connor) at #10 just doesn't make sense.
Mogg has been scintillating in attack so far this year and we know he has an enormous boot but we're only 4 rounds in and the sample size is small, we also know for a fact that he has huge issues defensively (barely over 50% for completed tackles in Super Rugby 2012).
I'm undecided on Rathbone, while he's been good so far we are still only a few games in and I also think his age should be a factor. While it would be a pleasure to see him in Gold again, he really would have to be the top 1-2 wing in Australia without any shadow of a doubt to justify pushing out a youngster for him.
Dave Beat
Paul McLean (56)
JOC (James O'Connor) - as above, that is why I'd like to see him play 13. He could also create space on the inside and outside for the back 3.
Mogg - I havent picked up on his defensive lapses yet. He's at the back so there are obviously defensive lapses, or miss reads, in fron of him - still early.
Rathbone - so am I, I just went off last weeks team sheets.
dangerousdave
Frank Nicholson (4)
TPN has the runs on the board at international level. I've seen lots of people on this board calling for Hanson to start ahead of Fainga'a, I haven't watched all the games myself but that doesn't excactly say he's in scintillating form.
I could handle Douglas instead of Pyle, in fact I should probably have put Douglas on the bench instead of Simmons.
Brumby Runner
Jason Little (69)
On the strength of today's headlines, I would not be unhappy if none of J'OC, Beale, Cooper or Ioane made the Wallabies. It seems to me that they just don't have the maturity and strength of character to be representing us at the top level. I also think that their omissions would open the way for a more stable and structured backline to be put in place. The main problem (from a team point of view) with two of these is that we don't know where their best position for the team is, and that leads us to want to put them in anywhere at the expense of specialists in those positions. Without them, I would see the backline looking like,
Genia, Lealiifano, Tomane, Tapuai, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Cummins, Mogg.
All specialists in their positions (although Lilo is playing 12 at the Brumbies, 10 is his best position) who together would form a complete unit where each of them knows his job. This would stop the continual stuffing about trying to fit the fancy boys in to the detriment of the whole.
Genia, Lealiifano, Tomane, Tapuai, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Cummins, Mogg.
All specialists in their positions (although Lilo is playing 12 at the Brumbies, 10 is his best position) who together would form a complete unit where each of them knows his job. This would stop the continual stuffing about trying to fit the fancy boys in to the detriment of the whole.
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