Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[Braveheart81]

There is a reason why teams are balanced out the way they are. Once Read is back, are the All Blacks going to play Kaino or him at lock to accommodate the other one? No. They are going to play their locks who get the job done in the set piece and whilst don't have the same quality running game, get over the gain line in tight.

If Sam Whitelock or Brodie Retallick were available for selection in Australia, we'd drop any and all of our locks to make way for them though.

Probably not a fair comparison.

I agree that balance is crucially important. I don't think Horwill and Simmons provides the right balance though because as a pairing they don't have enough impact in general play right now. With Simmons as our premier lineout forward, this would be the reason why Horwill is struggling to make the starting team right now.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I consider Simmons and Carter our best pairing right now.

 

[Marcelo]

My WC's squad:

1.Slipper
2.Moore
3.Kepu
4.Simmons
5.Carter
6.Fardy
7.Hooper
8.Palu
9.Genia
10.Cooper
11.AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
12.To'omua
13.Kuridrani
14.Speight
15.Folau

16.Sio
17.Alexander
18.Polota-Nau
19.Skelton
20.Pocock
21.McCalman
22.White
23.Beale

 

[born-red]

32 MAN SQUAD

HOOKER - Moore TPN Charles
PROP - Slipper Kepu Alexander Sio Robinson
LOCK - Horwill Simmons Skelton Carter
B/R - Fardy Higs Palu Mccalman Pocock Hooper
H/B - Genia Phipps White
F/H - Cooper Foley
CENTRE - Beale To'omua Kuridrani AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
O/B - Folau Cummins Speight JOC (James O'Connor) Tomane

1. Slipper 2. Moore 3. Kepu
4. Simmons 5. Skelton
6. Fardy 8. Palu 7. Hooper
9. Genia 10. Cooper 12. To'omua 13. Kuridrani
11. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) 15. Folau 14. Speight

16. TPN 17. Sio 18. Alexander 19. Horwill 20. Pocock 21. White 22. Beale 23. JOC (James O'Connor)

- Always prefer to see Higginbotham at 6 though

Australia A Squad

HOOKER - Hanson Fainga'a Sexton
PROP - Cowan Weeks Ryan PAE Holmes
LOCK - Neville Coleman Wykes Jones
B/R - Dennis Aeulua Cottrell Schatz Hodgson Gill
H/B - Burgess Lucas Mckibbin
F/H - Harris Lealiifano Godwin
CENTRE - Tapuai Inman CFS Horne
O/B - Mccabe Mogg Morohan Turner

 

[Scrubber2050]

boom spot on and a top side

Pete you are obviously a super intelligent and incisive gifted reader of the play !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[qwerty51]

Why are people putting Pocock on the bench?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The picture ahead of the RWC is becoming at once clearer and more cloudy (stay with me here). What is clearer is the fact that several blokes have stepped up and taken ownership of their positions. In this category I would put the following:

Slipper
Moore (assuming he heals)
TPN (stepped up very well for Squeaky)
Simmons (his line out work has been outstanding and we don't have anyone else of the same calibre in that area)
Fardy
Hooper
Palu
To'omua
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Izzy

These guys are absolute certainties if they stay fit for mine.

The picture is cloudier in that we've got several positions where we've got good candidates. This is a good problem to have BTW. At lock, half back, five-eighth, outside centre and the wings we've got some quality coming through and I'd like to think that there will be blokes pushing hard to stamp their names on the team sheet in the coming twelve months.

With everyone fit and playing well, I'm thinking I would go with:

1, Slipper
2, Moore
3, Kepu
4, Simmons
5, Carter
6, Fardy
7, Hooper
8, Palu
9, Genia
10, Cooper
11, Cummins
12, To'omua
13, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14, Speight (*)
15, Folau

(*) This selection is based on potential and form at Super Rugby level. We obviously don't know yet if he's the real deal.

The bench would be horses for courses in a lot of ways. You'd look to the opposition, conditions etc and make up your mind on your bench players and select them for maximum impact on that day.

 

[Marcelo]

Why are people putting Pocock on the bench?

I love Pocock! But he has played few games in the last years, then is unknown what level will have in the next WC. If he's at his normal level, he will be my first option at 7 but one more injury could end his career.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Pocock is the great unknown. His knee has blown up twice now and we just don't know if he's going to be back at all (I expect he will) or whether he's going to be anything like the player we saw before. If Benn Robinson is anything to go by, poor old Dave might miss the boat here. I sincerely hope he doesn't, but I've got this terrible feeling that he might ever be the Pocock of old.

 

[qwerty51]

My point was more that a 7 is wasted on the bench and we would be better served with a 6/8.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Could not agree more. Considering we have player depth at 6 and 8 with players who can come on and make an impact, a second 7 would be a poor selection.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I can accept the argument for no backup openside in the match 23, I just hope we don't go into a RWC again without one. That was absolute suicide.

 

[Marcelo]

32 MAN SQUAD

32 man squad?? Ok:

1.Slipper​

2.Moore​

3.Kepu​

4.Simmons​

5.Carter​

6.Fardy​

7.Hooper​

8.Palu​

9.Genia​

10.Cooper​

11.AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)​

12.To'omua​

13.Kuridrani​

14.Speight​

15.Folau​

​

16.Sio​

17.Alexander​

18.Polota-Nau​

19.Skelton​

20.Jones​

21.Horwill​

21.Higginbotham​

22.Pocock​

23.Hodgson​

24.McCalman​

25.White​

26.Foley​

27.McCabe​

28.Leali'ifano​

29.Cummins​

30.Tomane​

31.Beale​

32.O'Connor​

​

​

 

[Pete King]

32 man squad?? Ok:

32.O'Connor​

​

​

You really let yourself down with this inclusion

 

[Marcelo]

You really let yourself down with this inclusion

Then my 31 man squad is good? Yeah, I know the Aussie Justin Bieber is a naughty kid, but I'm imagining him playing for the Reds next year, so I will feel more appreciation for him in 2015

 

[BDA]

I'm wondering whether the world cup squad will increase to 33 next year, having regard to the fact that teams are required to play an extra prop on the bench. anyone know what the deal is?

My 32 man squad at present would look like this:-

Props - Slipper (LH/TH), Sio (LH), Robinson (LH), Kepu (TH), Alexander (TH)
Hooker - Moore, TPN, Hansen
Lock - Simmo, Horwill, Carter, Skelton
Backrow - Fardy, Hooper, Palu, McCalman, Pocock, Higgers
Halfback - White, Genia, Phipps
Flyhalf - Cooper, Foley
Inside Centre - To'omua, Beale
Outside Centre - Kuridrani, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Wing - Speight, Cummins, Tomane
Fullback - Folau
Utility Backs - McCabe, JOC (James O'Connor)

Barring injuries I think the majority of the squad is firming. I've highlighted the ones that are still a question mark for me.
-3rd choice hooker is still anyone's guess but I'll back Hansen to take the spot
- 3rd choice hooker is a two horse race between Phipps and Burgess. Comments from link on the weekend about "players returning from injury" which included a comment about burgess suggest to me that Burgess is still in the frame for selection. Phipps definitely has the inside running atm but don't count out Burgess, who brings a lot of experience to the squad.
- Three specialist wingers is likely...Cummins and Speight are likely. Third will either be Tomane or JOC (James O'Connor). I have mixed emotions about JOC (James O'Connor). We could really us a genuine finisher with pace on the wing. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is solid but would not be my first choice at wing next year.
- If there is enough room in the squad to choose 2 utility backs id go with McCabe and JOC (James O'Connor). McCabe because he's hard as nails and JOC (James O'Connor) because he is world class. Both have the experience of having played a world cup.

I think its not too late for Horne, Godwin, Lilo and Weeks to push their way into the squad. They will probably rely on injuries to get a spot

 

[A mutterer]

Then my 31 man squad is good? Yeah, I know the Aussie Justin Bieber is a naughty kid, but I'm imagining him playing for the Reds next year, so I will feel more appreciation for him in 2015

quoting this here so we can all partake in a 'told you so' moment sometime next year

 

[Tomikin]

Its funny how Jones Cameo has pushed him so far out of the squad.. Before the test he was seen as the choosen one .. John Eales mark 2.. now be luck make the next squad..

Sent from my HTC_0P6A1 using Tapatalk

 

[born-red]

of course we like impact off the bench - yet mccalman is on the bench now and is not giving the "impact" people look for. He is coming on a making a high amount of tackles and having a presence at a high percentage of breakdowns - he is NOT coming on a making big line breaks and shots as a Palu would or Samo did for the last 20min.

Therefore if I had to choose between a work-rate backrower off the bench as Ewen seems to like, between Mccalman or Pocock for the last 20 minutes. Id go with Pocock. Imagine him coming on and being a pest at every break down, and the pilfers he could rack up against isolated tired runners. His selection on the bench wouldn't be to come in and try and win a game, but to come in and shut down any opposition resurgence.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I think Jones is being massively undersold by everybody. His cameo off the bench didn't really show much and people think Link is likely to take 3 players who play 8, 2 opensides and not a single player who fills the 6 role that link wants.

If Jones can maintain his form at Super level I'd back him to take the spot of either Higgers or McCalman as he offers the Fardy type of lock/6 that link likes, but more of a ball runner than Fardy to offset his deficiencies at the breakdown in comparison.

For me it was pretty telling where Higginbotham sat in the pecking order that he was not considered for another cameo at all in a "dead rubber".