emuarse
Chilla Wilson (44)
Palu had a pretty serious negative involvement in the first 2 tries.
A serious question. How well does Palu cover across the field in defence?
Good/bad/ at times??
Palu had a pretty serious negative involvement in the first 2 tries.
EDIT: It seems that Brumby Runner has summed up my thoughts and posted it while I was writing that weighty tome.
The problem at the lineout last night was not just a lack of options. There were missed throws, miscommunication, lack of urgency and a few really good reads from the Highlanders. If you replaced Skelton with Horwill you still would have had the same issues.
I thought last night strengthened Skelton's case. He was the only bloke out there that played with test-level physicality for the whole 80 minutes. We are going to need that in spades in the RWC.
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TBH - Just wanted to also point out that Fardy has run the Brumbies lineout this year and it's been regarded as the best in the comp.....
Certainly with Moore, Simmons, Fardy and Higgers in the starting team there's no reason why the Wobs shouldn't have a dominant lineout.
Add to England George Kruis 198cm and 115kg he is as good as any of themJust did a spot of research in to how big the average lineout options were around the world.
Of course height isn't a perfect indicator of wing-span, but it's the best information available to the public.
It appears Rory Arnold is the joint-tallest lock in the world at 208 cm (6'10).
Adam Coleman is the closest Australian equivalent to Eben Etzebeth and Brodie Rettalick, the trio all coming up exactly 204 cm tall (6'8) each, and all weighing in between 122-125 kilograms. The trio range from 23-24 years old.
Interestingly, Ben McCalman and Dave Dennis are considered lineout options at 192 cm. Meanwhile, Lopeti Timani is considered "too short" at 193 cm - the same height as All Black lineout weapon Kieran Read.
Timani weighs just four kilograms more than Dennis, and six kilograms more than Read.
Ita Vaea, whom I earlier compared to Jerome Kaino, is a full nine centimetres shorter than the All Black. Lopeti Timani is just three cm shorter.
Wycliff Palu is three kilograms heavier than Timani, and only one cm taller.
Those claiming that Scott Fardy is too slight to pack at lock in an international scrum may be surprised to learn that Fardy is the exact same height as 2013 British and Irish Lions Locks Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell and Joe Launchbury, while weighing in three kilograms heavier than the eternal Irish captain.
Fardy is also taller than locks Luke Jones, Sam Wykes, Adam Thompson, Jerome Kaino, Scott Higginbotham and all three starting Springbok loose forwards.
At "just" 200 cm tall, Rob Simmons is the shortest primary lineout target in top-tier Rugby.
Australian Super Rugby lineout options
Rory Arnold - 208 cm, 127 kg
Will Skelton - 204 cm, 148 kg
Adam Coleman - 204 cm, 122 kg
Cadeyrn Neville - 202 cm, 120 kg
James Horwill - 201 cm, 117 kg
Rob Simmons - 200 cm, 115 kg
Sam Carter - 200 cm, 110 kg
Scott Fardy - 198 cm, 113 kg
Luke Jones - 197 cm, 111 kg
Sam Wykes - 197 cm, 109 kg
Adam Thomson - 196 cm, 112 kg
Scott Higginbotham - 195 cm, 110 kg
Wycliff Palu - 194 cm, 120 kg
Jacques Potgieter - 194 cm, 115 kg
Lopeti Timani - 193 cm, 117 kg
Dave Dennis - 192 cm, 113 kg
Ben McCalman - 192 cm, 109 kg
Jake Schatz - 190 cm, 104 kg
Ita Vaea - 187 cm, 119 kg
Sean McMahon - 186 cm, 100 kg
Liam Gill - 185 cm, 105 kg
David Pocock - 184 cm, 104 kg
Matt Hodgson - 184 cm, 103 kg
Michael Hooper - 182 cm, 101 kg
Springboks
Lode de Jager - 205 cm, 125 kg
Eben Etzebeth - 204 cm, 123 kg
Bakkies Botha - 202 cm, 124 kg
Duane Vermuelen - 193 cm, 116 kg
Willem Alberts - 192 cm, 120 kg
Marcell Coetzee - 191 cm, 112 kg
All Blacks
Brodie Retallick - 204 cm, 121 kg
Sam Whitelock - 202 cm, 116 kg
James Broadhurst - 201 cm, 122 kg
Luke Romano - 199 cm, 115 kg
Jeremy Thrush - 198 cm, 115 kg
Jerome Kaino - 196 cm, 113 kg
Kieran Read - 193 cm, 111 kg
Liam Messam - 190 cm, 108 kg
Sam Cane - 189 cm, 104 kg
Richie McCaw - 188 cm, 106 kg
England
Courtney Lawes - 201 cm, 119 kg
Dave Attwood - 201 cm, 115 kg
Joe Launchbury - 198 cm, 117 kg
Sam Burgess - 196 cm, 116 kg
Tom Wood - 193 cm, 113 kg
Ben Morgan - 191 cm, 116 kg
Chris Robshaw - 188 cm, 110 kg
Best of the Rest
Richie Gray (SCO) - 208 cm, 128 kg
Tomas Lavanini (ARG) - 201 cm, 130 kg
Mattias Alemanno (ARG) - 199 cm, 117 kg
Alun Wyn Jones (WAL) - 198 cm, 118 kg
Josh Strauss (SCO) - 198 cm, 117 kg
Paul O'Connell (IRE) - 198 cm, 110 kg
Pascal Pepe (FRA) - 195 cm, 118 kg
Fenandez Lobbe (ARG) - 193 cm, 108 kg
Louis Picamoles (FRA) - 192 cm, 116 kg
Juan Leguizamon (ARG) - 190 cm, 104 kg
Thierry Dusatoir (FRA) - 188 cm, 100 kg
TBH - Just wanted to also point out that Fardy has run the Brumbies lineout this year and it's been regarded as the best in the comp.....
Certainly with Moore, Simmons, Fardy and Higgers in the starting team there's no reason why the Wobs shouldn't have a dominant lineout.
Think we're pretty much on the same page TBH. The biggest question to me is does Pocock start no matter who else is in the pack or do we need Hooper's running game in some selection combination?
The second half of the season has confirmed for me that Pocock is the man for the job. He's a beast and we'll need his physical presence to combat those big NH forwards and make them worry about not committing to the breakdown.
^^^^^^^^^^
Does that mean you think Folau is a contentious selection? I can see the contention in others, for sure, but Folau? If that is the case, who else is in serious contention? Or maybe I'm reading your post wrong? Good post, by the way.