Wallabies Watch

[USARugger]

Sexton will likely surprise you in that case.

 

[wamberal]

The Blues tactic of no kicking and a game of keepings off should have been a pilfering number 7's dream yet Gill was fairly quiet on that front. Smith and Pocock would have had a field day..

He was up against some very good opposition, and did a lot of work. I disagree that he was "quiet".

 

[USARugger]

He was up against some very good opposition, and did a lot of work. I disagree that he was "quiet".

Lets not forget the Reds seemed to be intentionally avoiding committing many numbers to the breakdown while the Blues were regularly flooding and overloading the breakdown. Sorry mate, but nobody on Earth is pilfering shit when there are 4 forwards cleaning them out in a quarter of a second.

 

[BigSteve]

At the moment im leaning towards this as our starting team for first test, good balance of X-factor, Mongrel, skill and size. But im sure Dingo will find away to totally destroy our potential with an influx of tahs...

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper / Palmer
4. MMM
5. Horwill
6. Mowen
7. Smith
8. Palu
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. Lealiifano
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Tomane
15. Mogg
16. Slipper / Palmer
17. TPN / Hanson
18. Douglas / Simmons
19. Gill / Hooper
20. Auela / Higgers
21. White
22. JOC (James O'Connor) / folau
23. Sio / Alexander

 

[BDA]

any news on when MMM might be back?

 

[GaffaCHinO]

any news on when MMM might be back?

I was down at the force training today for the first 30mins. He was moving around freely no sling or anything and joined in with the main group on some ruck work so i would say he isnt far away.

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[BDA]

At the moment im leaning towards this as our starting team for first test, good balance of X-factor, Mongrel, skill and size. But im sure Dingo will find away to totally destroy our potential with an influx of tahs.

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper / Palmer
4. MMM
5. Horwill
6. Mowen
7. Smith
8. Palu
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. Lealiifano
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Tomane
15. Mogg
16. Slipper / Palmer
17. TPN / Hanson
18. Douglas / Simmons
19. Gill / Hooper
20. Auela / Higgers
21. White
22. JOC (James O'Connor) / folau
23. Sio / Alexander

Take this group of players, add McCabe and Taps and replace Sio with probably Kepu (or Ryan) and i think that's pretty much the squad

 

[BDA]

I was down at the force training today for the first 30mins. He was moving around freely no sling or anything and joined in with the main group on some ruck work so i would say he isnt far away.

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thanks mate. That's good news. He's an exciting option for the Lions Series. He's custom built for the type of physicality we'll be facing.

 

[Bowside]

My pie in the sky wallaby team at the moment is:

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Palmer
4. Horwill
5. Pyle/Douglas
6. MMM
7. Smith
8. Mowen
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. O'Connor
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Folau
15. Beale

I think the team would either be totally unstoppable, or fall to pieces halfway through the first half.

That's if O'Connor turns up to the game, Quade doesn't steal the coaches laptop and Beale doesnt get pissed and try to deck his captain. Oh and if Horwill, MMM and Ioane can stay uninjured. No mean feat for this lot!

 

[Scotty]

Horne has been quietly excellent at 12. I definitely think it's his best position. If he keeps playing this way, he's a good injury-crisis option for the Wallabies -- although he shouldn't be close to first choice, of course.

I called for Horne at 12 a few years ago, but there were those that shouted it down 'why would you want to move the next great wallaby 13 out of position?'.

They were wrong on two fronts!

 

[jay-c]

i wouldnt be surprised is the horne and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) cooper partnership becomes an option for the wallabies if they keep things up for the tahs> ive actually been reallly impressed with how horne has performed at 12>> probably playing the best footy ive ever seen from him

 

[Lindommer]

As well as what he's doing at the moment (and very well he's doing it) I'd still like to see a touch more creativity from Horne. An inside centre who can sense the opportunity, or better, create it, of putting his outside players into space is an invaluable asset to a great team. But 12 for the Wallabies? Not yet. ATM it'd have to be Tapuai>Lealiifano>McCabe>Fainga'a>Horne.

Apologies, Pat, forgot you.

 

[KevinO]

O'Driscoll aside although he's not the threat he was 12 years ago.

If managed right the guy is more of a threat, he has said he is coming to win and being his last tour he will put everything on the line to get that chance. He might not have the speed he had 12 years ago but has adapted his game and is always dangerous. The last few years I've seen him score try's off pick and go's just as much he has using speed.

You always know that BOD will be in the right place.

 

[Lindommer]

BigSteve and BDA, excellent selecting. That SHOULD be our Lions training squad. Let's hope someone from the ARU's brainstrust reads this.

On the matter of props, as a former back I'm only vaguely familiar with the dark arts of the front row. Thank God. Slipper and Alexander? On what side do they play their best rugby? I notice Scott Sio's been changed around the front row these last few years, wasn't he pencilled in somewhere as a hooker? And he's definitely played at THP in the past. Kepu, a chance to make his mark at LHP this winter.

 

[fatprop]

BigSteve and BDA, excellent selecting. That SHOULD be our Lions training squad. Let's hope someone from the ARU's brainstrust reads this.

On the matter of props, as a former back I'm only vaguely familiar with the dark arts of the front row. Thank God. Slipper and Alexander? On what side do they play their best rugby? I notice Scott Sio's been changed around the front row these last few years, wasn't he pencilled in somewhere as a hooker? And he's definitely played at THP in the past. Kepu, a chance to make his mark at LHP this winter.

Kepu does too many lazy things flops, lazy enties etc

 

[Deputy Van Halen]

On the matter of props, as a former back I'm only vaguely familiar with the dark arts of the front row. Thank God. Slipper and Alexander? On what side do they play their best rugby? I notice Scott Sio's been changed around the front row these last few years, wasn't he pencilled in somewhere as a hooker? And he's definitely played at THP in the past. Kepu, a chance to make his mark at LHP this winter.

For my money both Alexander and Slipper started off as loose heads that can play tight head. Slipper is becoming truly a prop that can play both sides just as effectively, though very solid at both not brilliant at either. Benny A is a great LHP and a bit weaker at THP. Both solid bench options for their versatility.

Kepu is an above average scrummager and pretty weak around the park (lazy and gives away penalties for it). he should be well down the pecking order this year with Paddy Ryan and Sio showing that good scrummager doesn't have to mean slow and lazy.

 

[BDA]

ATM it'd have to be Tapuai>Lealiifano>Fainga'a>Horne.

I think Fainga'a is out of the picture at this stage. His defence this season has been solid as always but he really offers nothing in attack. He plays in a very strong Reds backline and I cant remember his last line-break or tackle bust (and given that I watch most Reds games twice these days, I do make an effort to see what kind of impact each player is making). Barring some fantastic form over the next 6 weeks, he's off the radar.

Robbie seems to like Horne. I suspect Horne and McCabe are currently battling it out for a spot in the squad. Not sure we need both, but knowing Dingo they could both be included. I would lean towards picking McCabe over Horne at this time. He has performed better than Horne at test level IMO. I'd have McCabe backing up 12 and 13. Actually McCabe can really cover 11-15 if push comes to shove. Maybe a bench spot is likely

 

[BDA]

Whilst the form of Sio and Ryan should put them ahead of Kepu in the pecking order, I suspect Kepu will get chosen ahead of both and probably for good reason. Kepu has significant runs on the board. He's played at a world cup and held his own against some pretty good front rows (at both TH and LH). He is pretty decent at scrum time.

I agree Kepu is generally lazy and his laziness often lead to penalties, but he is generally reliable in the scrum and in my view the prospect of our scrum getting owned will be much more detrimental than a few penalties at the ruck.

I think he'll be our 5th and final prop in the squad (rightly or wrongly).

 

[Bowside]

I'd pick Sio and Ryan over Kepu at the moment.

 

[barbarian]

Kepu looks to be just coming into some form though. Ryan and Sio have been quiet for a few weeks.

I won't call it for a few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if Kepu came on more in the next couple of rounds.
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