Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[RugbyReg]

Have heard that Horwill may well be retiring imminently, despite that OS contract.

Pretty sure that's not the case.

 

[cornetto]

That's why I have 100% faith in everything Richard Graham is doing over at the Reds.....

These infallible giants of cosmic wisdom are truly above reproach from us lowly simple internet dwellers.

Not really a fair comparison with Cheika. He has the results to prove he knows what he is doing, RG has not.

 

[TOCC]

Carter looks in line before Horwill. So he would've missed anyway.

i did a stat breakdown on Carters performance in Super Rugby before his injury, and Carter's form and performance was alarming at how poor it was compared to other Wallaby contenders.

Im completely baffled as to how Carter could be considered ahead of Horwill and Luke Jones..

If your opinion of Carter been ahead of Horwill is based off my comment about not seeing Horwill at the training session yesterday, then there could be variables in that. That could be just because Carter is based in Sydney training with the Country Eagles and Horwill is in Queensland with Brisbane City. I didn't see the other interstate based players like Higgers, Kerevi or Lealifano there either.

 

[Brumby Runner]

i did a stat breakdown on Carters performance in Super Rugby before his injury, and Carter's form and performance was alarming at how poor it was compared to other Wallaby contenders.

Im completely baffled as to how Carter could be considered ahead of Horwill and Luke Jones..

If your opinion of Carter been ahead of Horwill is based off my comment about not seeing Horwill at the training session yesterday, then there could be variables in that. That could be just because Carter is based in Sydney training with the Country Eagles and Horwill is in Queensland with Brisbane City. I didn't see the other interstate based players like Higgers, Kerevi or Lealifano there either.

Think all of Higgers, Kerevi and Lealiifano are on the plane to London for Barbarians' duty.

 

[USARugger]

If Cheika's gripe with Horwill was ball-carrying impact it makes absolutely zero sense that he'd prefer Carter.

 

[Dai bando]

a bad attitude can sometimes be detrimental to ones achievements,

 

[Groucho]

a bad attitude can sometimes be detrimental to ones achievements,

Mine says, "A chance meeting opens new doors to success and friendship".

 

[Tomikin]

Not really a fair comparison with Cheika. He has the results to prove he knows what he is doing, RG has not.

Oi a world wide search was taken by the Reds 20 application and Dick beat them all. His that good..

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

 

[Train Without a Station]

If Cheika's gripe with Horwill was ball-carrying impact it makes absolutely zero sense that he'd prefer Carter.

Or Douglas

 

[emuarse]

Everyone is surprised by Horwill's exclusion and Douglas' inclusion.

Horwill's issue in Cheika's eyes seems to be that he wasn't in his top two loose head locks in terms of calling the lineout etc. Simmons and Mumm were picked ahead of him here. He also didn't have the physicality and impact that Cheika wants from his tight head lock. Skelton and Douglas have been picked here.

Clearly Cheika is taking a risk that Douglas doesn't produce the sort of form at the RWC that would justify his inclusion. It's Cheika's ARU's risk to take though.

And there you have it.

 

[emuarse]

Carter looks in line before Horwill. So he would've missed anyway.

Q51,
Like your bait

 

[hammertimethere]

The reasoning that Horwill isn't a better lineout operator than Simmo or Mumm, not a better grunt merchant than Skelton or Douglas ignores the fact that it seems that Mumm is Fardy's direct back up and the only case for McMahon coming to rest Hooper and/or Pocock v minnows. IMO not worth it to leave behind the form lock (esp. at set piece)

 

[KOB1987]

The reasoning that Horwill isn't a better lineout operator than Simmo or Mumm, not a better grunt merchant than Skelton or Douglas ignores the fact that it seems that Mumm is Fardy's direct back up and the only case for McMahon coming to rest Hooper and/or Pocock v minnows. IMO not worth it to leave behind the form lock (esp. at set piece)

I think McCalman is likely to be Fardy's understudy.

A team
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Pocock

B team
6. McCalman
7. McMahon
8. Palu

 

[fatprop]

Or Douglas

Agreed, Douglas's best work is about cleanouts, pushing, defense and having a big engine.

Although for 2014 he was the defensive shooter at the 10 for the Tahs, a role Hooper was given in 2015. So his defensive stats were partly shaped by the misses that that pressuring unit will invariably make, as were Hooper's this season.

I don't think Douglas's preferred replacement would be Horwill if Cheika wants someone who can fulfill that role, it would be Sam Carter.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Or Douglas

Cheika seems to be setting up a Simmo and Skelton/Douglas combination. The second pair are to bring the mongrel (and size) and Simmo the finese and skill at lineouts...

Horwill's absolute "mongrel" seemed to go for a walk after his major injury.

 

[Viking]

Now that the dust has settled I can see what Cheika is thinking. He's trying to mould Douglas into a Vickerman type lock who would pair perfectly with Simmons.

I think everyone on this board, rightly so, thought this RWC was too soon to inject him and would have given him a super xv season first, but hey, Cheika thinks he's ready so maybe he is.

I truly hope he proves us all wrong. Especially for Horwills sake.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Rugby World Cup Squad Outrage Template (Australian Style)

Why are there more
◻︎ Reds
◻︎ Waratahs
◻︎ Brumbies
than anyone else and not enough
◻︎ Reds
◻︎ Waratahs
◻︎ Brumbies
◻︎ Force
◻︎ Rebels
◻︎ Overseas Players like ________ in the squad.
I am sick and tired of all the petty interstate bias and parochialism. It is supposed to be the Australian National Team.

Why is ______________ in the team?? Any fool could see that he is
◻︎ too old
◻︎ too small
◻︎ too inexperienced
◻︎ too big
◻︎ too risky
◻︎ a penalty magnet
◻︎ too slow
◻︎ ______________

Don’t get me started on _____________________. Why is he there?
◻︎ He’s no longer the player he was in 2011.
◻︎ He’s a flat track bully and can’t step up to Test level.
◻︎ He’s only there because he plays for _______________.
◻︎ He has a serious attitude problem and only plays for himself.
◻︎ He never passes.
◻︎ He can’t kick.
◻︎ He is a seagull and avoids the tough stuff that players in his position should be doing.
◻︎ He can’t tackle.
◻︎ He goes missing on defence.
◻︎ He ______________________.
(Tick one or more of the above.)

I would have chosen ____________________ and ___________________ instead of ___________________ and _______________ on the basis that I am a ___________________.


If I was Coach, I would have
◻︎ chosen a more balanced squad that Blind Freddy could see that it was the best available.
◻︎ won the Bledisloe Cup and the RWC multiple times by now.
◻︎ stopped Bill Pulver and the other sycophants at ARU from interfering with the Wallabies and their preparation.
◻︎ resigned unless ______________________________.
◻︎ ignored all the ignorant, parochial, fickle fluffybunnies opinions on Green and Gold Rugby. What would those keyboard warriors know about rugby?

I can’t believe that _______________
◻︎ has a Wallaby top up payment.
◻︎ hasn’t <got a bigger / been offered a> Wallaby top up payment.

For use after RWC:
◻︎ We won. Bill is finally back where he belongs. This is awesome news. We’re the best in the world. The Kiwis choked yet again and they can only win at home. The Poms are over-rated over-paid over-hyped wannabes like I have always said they were. I knew it would happen and the rest of you who didn’t believe me when I said it can just go jump in Lake Burley Griffin in the middle of winter for all I care about your so called opinions. #ChampionWallabies #ToldYouSo
◻︎ We didn’t win. I told you so. It was obvious that this would happen because Cheka is a _________________ and if only they had followed my advice we would have won. Any idiot knows that Rugby is first and foremost about < attack / pressure / territory / defence / physicality / possession / set pieces / a flexible game plan >. The team was rubbish and deserved to lose because they didn't focus on < attack / pressure / territory / defence / physicality / possession / set pieces / a flexible game plan >. They are an embarrassment to all those that so proudly wore the Green and Gold jumper in 1991 and 1999. Bill Pulver and his bunch of in-bred cronies running the ARU should be shot at dawn and their carcasses hung off the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a reminder of what they have done to our once magnificent Australian Rugby. #WeakAsPiss #WallabyWannabies
◻︎ The standard refereeing was appealing and biased against us based on preconceived ideas.


I can't take too much credit for the above as it was gratuitously inspired by this Saffer gem:

Thanks to @RhydianL9 twitter

 

[BDA]

Rugby World Cup Squad Outrage Template (Australian Style)

Why are there more
X Reds
X Waratahs
X Brumbies
than anyone else and not enough
◻︎ Reds
◻︎ Waratahs
◻︎ Brumbies
◻︎ Force
◻︎ Rebels
X Overseas Players like Rocky Elsom in the squad.


Why is Skelton in the team?? Any fool could see that he is
◻︎ too old
X too small
◻︎ too inexperienced
◻︎ too big
◻︎ too risky
◻︎ a penalty magnet
◻︎ too slow
◻︎ ______________

I would have chosen Liam Gill and Kerevi instead of Michael Hooper and Kuridrani on the basis that I am Marto.

I can’t believe that Ben Alexander
◻︎ has a Wallaby top up payment.
X hasn’t got a bigger Wallaby top up payment.

 

[Sully]

Can we work this up into a blog post with a proper form? @gagger @barbarian

 

[qwerty51]

Just had a look at the comparison between the 2011 and 2015 RWC squads. 2011 was very inexperienced in terms of how long each player had been apart of the set-up, for instance we had 10 players who made their debut only in the previous year and 2 who made their debut in 2011. Compared to now, we only have 3 players who made their debut in 2014 and one uncapped player. Full list:

2010: Saia Fainga'a, Salesi Ma'afu, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Ben McCalman, Anthony Fainga'a, Rob Horne, Kurtley Beale*

2011: Nick Phipps, Pat McCabe**

2014: Will Skelton, Sean McMahon, Henry Speight

Toby Smith uncapped.

*Beale made his debut in 2009 off the bench for 10 mins in the last game in 2009, doesn't count imo.
**McCabe same situation as Beale in 2010.