Wallabies Watch

[SouthernX]

Not better than Ed Quirk.

Agreed on season,

don't agree on Week 3.

I just mention it because Cottrell had a blinder last night & I reckon a lot of the EastCoast fans would only breeze over a match report rather then watch the Woodenspoon WesternForce

 

[barbarian]

I reckon Cottrell was the best Aussie 6 this round, he had a ripper of a game.

As for MMM, I was watching him and I wasn't blown away. He wouldn't be close to a Wallaby 22 at this point if I was selecting. His workrate was OK but he wasn't too dynamic with ball in hand. I'm yet to see the form that has people talking about him as the answer to the Wallaby's issues at 6.
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[qwerty51]

Well I don't quite see the point of putting up a team of the week, won't tell you anything about who's pressing for Wallaby selection. Could be shit all season and then have a blinder of a week.

 

[SouthernX]

Will be very interesting to see how MMM adapts to playing against the OZ & NZ franchises. Playing against the Saffas is equivilent to running into brick walls for 80 minutes. I am not saying that the OZ/NZ teams are softer they just like to spread it wide a bit more often & play a little looser.

 

[SouthernX]

Well I don't quite see the point of putting up a team of the week, won't tell you anything about who's pressing for Wallaby selection. Could be shit all season and then have a blinder of a week.

That's cool mate.

Some people are posting team of the week, others are posting wallabies form team.

But lets be realistic,Guys like Beale or Higginbotham can play sh*t all season & he will still be picked over Jesse Mogg & Ed Quirk based on reputation and what they've done for Robbie Deans in previous campaigns.

It will take a coaching change to inject a cleansed house into the Wallabies team.

You only have to look at Radike Samo last season who struggled to make the starting 22 for the Reds yet Dingo continued to go back to the well and select him for his outfits.

 

[qwerty51]

But lets be realistic,Guys like Beale or Higginbotham can play sh*t all season & he will still be picked over Jesse Mogg & Ed Quirk based on reputation and what they've done for Robbie Deans in previous campaigns.

It will take a coaching change to inject a cleansed house into the Wallabies team.

You only have to look at Radike Samo last season who struggled to make the starting 22 for the Reds yet Dingo continued to go back to the well and select him for his outfits.

That's the way it should be. You never pick a team purely on form. If you did McCaw and Carter would not have been the ABs 7 & 10 last year would they? I think it's a good tool to see who's really the form players for the spots where there's no clear candidate.

 

[Antony]

He'll be pressured to play two opensides in the 23 because we have 3 of the top 5 in the world.

Who are the three? And who else rounds out the five? Smith's been out of it for three years, and Gill has never played test rugby. And then there's Warburton, SOB, Robshaw, Brussouw, McCaw, Louw, Dusautoir, Armitage, Tipuric, that Scottish guy (Denton?).. Etc.

 

[qwerty51]

Gill was on the bench for nearly every Test match once Pocock got injured... he's played a lot off the bench and done well.

 

[Bowside]

I reckon Cottrell was the best Aussie 6 this round, he had a ripper of a game.

As for MMM, I was watching him and I wasn't blown away. He wouldn't be close to a Wallaby 22 at this point if I was selecting. His workrate was OK but he wasn't too dynamic with ball in hand. I'm yet to see the form that has people talking about him as the answer to the Wallaby's issues at 6.
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MMM made metres with the ball in hand, and he did it in the tight against the bulls. Australian locks regularly get smashed when hitting it up in the tight, only a special few like Horwill can keep moving forward after being hit.

I would put MMM on par with Fardy, Simmons, Neville and Jones. Behind Horwil, Pyle, Douglas and Timani.

But he has the added bonus of being able to play 6, a position we lack any international quality players at this point in time.

 

[Antony]

Gill was on the bench for nearly every Test match once Pocock got injured. he's played a lot off the bench and done well.

Fair, I remember that now. Still think it's a hard-sell for a top five spot.

 

[Bowside]

Who are the three? And who else rounds out the five? Smith's been out of it for three years, and Gill has never played test rugby. And then there's Warburton, SOB, Robshaw, Brussouw, McCaw, Louw, Dusautoir, Armitage, Tipuric, that Scottish guy (Denton?).. Etc.

McCaw and Dusautoir. The next best would be F. Louw, SOB, Robshaw, and Cane. Maybe Kolisi one day soon as well.


Brussow is quality but has been injured for too long.

 

[barbarian]

That's cool mate.

Some people are posting team of the week, others are posting wallabies form team.

But lets be realistic,Guys like Beale or Higginbotham can play sh*t all season & he will still be picked over Jesse Mogg & Ed Quirk based on reputation and what they've done for Robbie Deans in previous campaigns.

It will take a coaching change to inject a cleansed house into the Wallabies team.

You only have to look at Radike Samo last season who struggled to make the starting 22 for the Reds yet Dingo continued to go back to the well and select him for his outfits.

Are you saying you would pick Mogg over Beale for the Wallabies?

And Samo actually played bloody well in gold, and we missed him when he went off the field. As Qwerty pointed out some players have a test match temperament, and grow an extra leg on the big stage. Look at Ma'a Nonu- rubbish in Super Rugby, unstoppable in tests.
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[Inside Shoulder]

Are you saying you would pick Mogg over Beale for the Wallabies?

And Samo actually played bloody well in gold, and we missed him when he went off the field. As Qwerty pointed out some players have a test match temperament, and grow an extra leg on the big stage. Look at Ma'a Nonu- rubbish in Super Rugby, unstoppable in tests.
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Beale has been playing 10, hasnt he?
How can you pick Samo when the opening post says this:
"what a Wallabies team would be picked purely on 2013 Super rugby form"

 

[qwerty51]

I have it like this

Pocock, Hooper, Gill, McCaw, Louw, Robshaw

Brussow is just injured way too often

Dusatoir is without a doubt the most overrated player in world rugby. Nayaga and Ouedraogo are better. Look at France's November form vs now.

 

[SouthernX]

Are you saying you would pick Mogg over Beale for the Wallabies?

And Samo actually played bloody well in gold, and we missed him when he went off the field. As Qwerty pointed out some players have a test match temperament, and grow an extra leg on the big stage. Look at Ma'a Nonu- rubbish in Super Rugby, unstoppable in tests.
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Definately not. I'd pick Beale any day of the week over Mogg. I only used the example based on this Wallabies Watch thread.

& also agreed on Samo. Head Coaches have the right to pick the team with which he thinks gives him the best chance to win. (with guidance from other selectors of course) I'd say Samo is like that old bottle of Red that you bust out for special occassions (I.E Test matches)

 

[SouthernX]

Beale has been playing 10, hasnt he?

Yeah Beale has been playing 10.

However Robbie Deans does like him at 15.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Yeah Beale has been playing 10.

However Robbie Deans does like him at 15.

I thought the best thing about this thread was that it paid no regard to a reputation earned in seasons prior to 2013 - similarly I didnt think it was a comp to pick the team that Deans would pick - god help us!

 

[SouthernX]

Inside Shoulder the thread is about the form team of wallabies of 2013.

I apologize for steering it off course & talking about reputation playing a big part on selection.

 

[barbarian]

Beale has been playing 10, hasnt he?
How can you pick Samo when the opening post says this:
"what a Wallabies team would be picked purely on 2013 Super rugby form"

Not all posts have to relate directly to the first one. We were discussing players who don't necessarily show Super form but step up at test level- Samo is a prime example of this.
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[Inside Shoulder]

Not all posts have to relate directly to the first one. We were discussing players who don't necessarily show Super form but step up at test level- Samo is a prime example of this.
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so this is really an anything goes thread - who should be in the wallabies on reputation, hair cut or whatever takes your fancy - as opposed to these are the 22 guys who deserve to be picked?