Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[Viking]

One player that is extremely important to our campaign is Simmons, so I think the fact that he has sat out the first 6 rounds will be good in the long run.

Why is Simmons so important? For his Line-out skills? We have plenty of quality jumpers in Fardy, Carter, Higgers, Horwill, Jones etc. Fardy is now calling the line-out for the Brumbies and I think Higgers calls for the Rebels too.

Our current starting locks have probably been the players who are most consistently beaten by their opposite numbers. I wouldn't be against giving other guys a shot (Jones) or even blooding a new lock (Timani, Arnold).

 

[Marcelo]

Why is Simmons so important? For his Line-out skills? We have plenty of quality jumpers in Fardy, Carter, Higgers, Horwill, Jones etc. Fardy is now calling the line-out for the Brumbies and I think Higgers calls for the Rebels too.

Our current starting locks have probably been the players who are most consistently beaten by their opposite numbers. I wouldn't be against giving other guys a shot (Jones) or even blooding a new lock (Timani, Arnold).

Yeah, no Wallaby lock has been so important in the last year. Our second row has been disastrous, every lock can be replaced

 

[hammertimethere]

The wallaby Locking conundrum is very real.

In my opinion Simmons is a lock in for a few reasons
- nowadays an excellent scrummager on the loose head side. Has had his head up Slippers backside since they were 15 years old (It's probably his favorite place in the world).
- Probably Australia's most proficient line out forward (happy to admit there is a few good operators around though)
- Statistically the Wallabies best defender over two consecutive tours in terms of tackles completion % and dominant tackle %, and very good numbers of tackles made too.

The decision is what do you want from the tight head lock.

In my opinion the skillset required is;
- Scrummaging proficiency
- physical in defence and breakdown
- line out competency (if not completely
- ball running ability

Probably in that order

Of the options
- Horwill
- Carter
- Skelton
- Jones
- Arnold
- Coleman
- Timani

You need to evaluate what each brings in the above criteria, and balance experience against youth when considering squad make up
(We're likely to take 4 2nd rowers, but I'd prefer it to be 3 and an extra 6/lock).

 

[USARugger]

Didn't Cheiks end up using Simmons quite a bit at THL for scrummaging during the EOYT? He's not a small guy by any means, but fuck me if we don't have bigger units that can learn to lock out a scrum like that.

Toughest part of the locking conundrum (**injuries aside) will probably be 'vetting' these younger guys and new faces in time for the RWC. Just down to the math of it, we'll likely end up taking one or two guys with very little or no test experience at all - and very little between now and the RWC to base any real assessment off of.

Is Jones really a viable option for anything other than bench 6/8/Lock cover? He'd be light even for the loosehead lock and is lacking in some attributes there compared alternatives in the position.

 

[Brumby Runner]

IIRC Will Skelton had deficiencies scrumming at THL behind Kepu and Alexander, so again iirc Simmons was moved to THL by the later EOYT matches. It seems to me that the spot of THL is a choice between Simmons and Carter.

 

[Tip]

Well Michael Cheika has proven that he has no problem picking an out of form Amigo despite him being a needless distraction and destruction to the team.

Thus I expect to see O'Connor there.

 

[fatprop]

Well Michael Cheika has proven that he has no problem picking an out of form Amigo despite him being a needless distraction and destruction to the team.

Thus I expect to see O'Connor there.

Could you explain that in english?

 

[Scrubber2050]

The difficult thing in picking players for representative teams like the Wallabies is the reconciling of incumbency, current form(allowing for the player playing in a less than great Super team), previous performance in team, and experience in big competitions.

I suppose the trick is getting it right

 

[emuarse]

will be interesting to see whether Cheika opts for 3 THPs in the RWC squad or only two. Last season there was talk of Sio moving to THP, but its probably to late for that experiment. If I'm not mistaken, Slipper played some games at THP at the 2011 RWC. He's probably still one of our best THPs.

Barring injuries I presume the 4 props will be:-
Sio, Slipper (LHP)
Kepu, Alexander (THP)
Plus 1 ? - I think the plus 1 is probably more likely to be another THP given that Alexander and Kepu can both play LH.

Front runners for me are Laurie Weeks and Sam Talaki.

Having Ben Alexander as the run-on THP makes me extremely nervous, particularly against England.
He plays OK at scrummaging in S15 level but doesn't cut the mustard as an international. He reminds me a bit of Al Baxter and Matt (dropkick) Dunning. As props keeping up the scrum in tests, they really didn't hack it.
It will be interesting to see how Greg Holmes performs as a THP in the scrums, as he plays his first game in a week, and should be fully refreshed. He's 32, 115 kg, highly experienced, and can play both sides of the scrum, so might be the ideal utility prop.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Think Holmes is a great option as a backup THP behind Keps.

Has a huge amount of experience (as does Benny A), good scrummager, good around the field and a great team guy

 

[emuarse]

Few situations are perfect.

We currently have the Wallaby 12 not playing there at all throughout the year.

If Beale gets injured, either Horne would play 12 or Jono Lance would play 12.

If Horne gets injured, maybe Carraro plays on the wing and defends at 12 or maybe Beale just defends at 12 the whole time.

Who knows?

Braveheart, you're at the wrong site here. Go around the back of the building and find the slagheap called 'Waratahs'

 

[Marcelo]

Could you explain that in english?

Amigo is friend in Spanish

 

[Tomikin]

Jesus this can't be right can it.

Butler can lay claim to being the hardest working forward in the Australian conference, putting his body on the line to make 62 tackles per game this season.

 

[emuarse]

Jesus this can't be right can it.

Butler can lay claim to being the hardest working forward in the Australian conference, putting his body on the line to make 62 tackles per game this season.

Surely a typo, a team making over 100 tackles is a reasonable benchmark.

 

[Tomikin]

Surely a typo, a team making over 100 tackles is a reasonable benchmark.

Possiably, said Hooper averages 56. bottom of article this

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...l-cheika-go-head-to-head-20150319-1m2skm.html

 

[Viking]

Saw that article too. I assumed it was an editing error and the numbers are actually total tackles for the season.

 

[Brumbieman]

The wallaby Locking conundrum is very real.

In my opinion Simmons is a lock in for a few reasons
- nowadays an excellent scrummager on the loose head side. Has had his head up Slippers backside since they were 15 years old (It's probably his favorite place in the world).
- Probably Australia's most proficient line out forward (happy to admit there is a few good operators around though)
- Statistically the Wallabies best defender over two consecutive tours in terms of tackles completion % and dominant tackle %, and very good numbers of tackles made too.

.

Problem is mate, our lineout has been an absolute shambles under his direction for the past two seasons.

He may be a great defender but he's just as likely to spear tackle the referee, (late and off the ball) as he is to put a decent shot on a player when it really counts.

 

[TOCC]

Problem is mate, our lineout has been an absolute shambles under his direction for the past two seasons.

He may be a great defender but he's just as likely to spear tackle the referee, (late and off the ball) as he is to put a decent shot on a player when it really counts.

What rubbish..
Firstly what has been the Wallabies line out success rate and secondly what has been his penalty rate the last two seasons?

Simmons had really improved his performances the last two seasons and comments like this are completely wide of the mark.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BDA]

Problem is mate, our lineout has been an absolute shambles under his direction for the past two seasons.

Don't agree with this at all. Our line-out hasn't been our problem.

 

[Tomikin]

Simmions is important for a number of reasons, his experience, his technical aspects at both scrum and lineout. I never really rated him untill about 2013 spring tour, his starting to move into that 50 test cap mark, his cutting down brain explosions and I think if he can get back and in form he be one of our best at the Rugby World cup.. I think his on the edge of going up a level..