Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[Braveheart81]

Wow. These posts will never get old.

At least it's the first time you've suggested an Australian team where you haven't spelled Will Genia's name wrong.

 

[emuarse]

Just had a look back to when I put my 23 in at the beginning of this thread on 18/11/13.
So I thought I'd update it with my perceived changes for the big event.
Slipper
Moore
Kepu
Skelton Carter
Simmons
McMenniman Fardy
Pocock
Higginsbotham
Ginea
Cooper
Spleigh
To'omua
Lealifano Kuridrani
JOC (James O'Connor)
Folau

Bench
Tatafu Polota Nau
Robinson Sio
Ryan Weeks
Horwell
Hooper
Beale Ashley-Cooper
Godwin Foley
Cummins Phipps

Comments:
For me, Skelton is /will not coming on fast enough to be effective in a world
cup
At the time of the RWS Spleigh & JOC (James O'Connor) will be better wingers and Kuridrani a better 13 than AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), who will make a great utility back.
I feel Palu will have lost the edge by this time next year.

 

[Bairdy]

Spleigh.........



























Spleigh.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Toby smith should have been taken on this tour

 

[Tomikin]

Spleigh...



























Spleigh.

Yeah Harry Spleigh

 

[Joe Blow]

We are clearly lacking in the reserve front row and locking departments.
If I was Cheika I would be putting in calls to Maafu, Timani and Douglas to see If I could get them back to OZ on a short contract. Timani and Douglas are two excellent TH lock options to partner Simmons and Horwill at LH.
Maafu is a solid TH who will not let anyone down backing up Kepu.
The Smith brothers are untested at the highest level but hope they get a run against Argentina or SA during the RC.

 

[Forcefield]

Maafu is shit. He'll play one good game in five and the others will be woeful. There is a good reason he never made it in Super Rugby. I can't remember if it was 2012 or 2013 but he got yellow carded against the Waratahs in Perth in a 5m scrum. Longbottom came on for a backrower and we won a scrum turnover with 7 men. There are better options out there. Our problem isn't just the props. It's the guys pushing behind them.

 

[Joe Blow]

Maafu is shit. He'll play one good game in five and the others will be woeful. There is a good reason he never made it in Super Rugby. I can't remember if it was 2012 or 2013 but he got yellow carded against the Waratahs in Perth in a 5m scrum. Longbottom came on for a backrower and we won a scrum turnover with 7 men. There are better options out there. Our problem isn't just the props. It's the guys pushing behind them.

Right. Thats why we need to unearth(or bring back) a couple of TH locks. Simmons is a gimme for his lineout work. Horwill can back him up but we could dearly use a couple of strong body moving scrum pushing TH second rowers......and a back-up TH prop. Just those 3 people will see us going into the RC and RWC a lot more comfortably.

 

[Highlander35]

Ma'afu isn't terrible, but he's limited. His scrummaging (something I did rate, even if many didn't) has improved as well for Northampton, but he was never the fittest player in the world, and has swallowed a cow since moving there.

Kepu, Holmes, Faulkner, Alexander, Weeks are the 1st choicer at each Soup side. Kepu is undoubtedly the standout and deservedly the encumbent, but beyond that there's no obvious option, Alexander has been the long term tighthead but many have no faith in him. Faulkner has been adequate, but isn't as strong as Longbottom, who's a loss for the Force. Holmes is probably too old to return to the fold, although Samo did, so who knows, and Weeks had a very good season, but kept having Hamstring problems.

Then there's PAE, Hoskins, Ryan, R Smith and ???. ??? hasn't played much if any Super Rugby. Don't have a lot of faith in either of the Smith twins personally. PAE is a very good scrummager, and has a lot of ball carrying talent, but is raw and hasn't been able to grasp a permanent starting spot (the fact he's leaving compounds this). Hoskins is the same as Paul, but the arguments against are stronger again. And of course, Ryan is shit.

Who's left beyond that? Both the Allatola's have little Soup experience. Metcher has none. Sio hasn't even started any potential coversion. I don't know who's at the Reds or Force.

I feel the 3 that went this tour will go, given both Faulkner and Alexander can play loosehead, unless Weeks has an amazing season, or Sio has a successful conversion. But it could be anyone.

 

[BDA]

A few thoughts to round off the test season.

- shit test season for the Wallabies, but after all the turmoil we've faced this year, things couldn't possibly be any worse next year. Looking forward to seeing what Cheika can do with the team next year.

- set piece will clearly be a key factor to get out of our group at the world cup. We need a huge emphasis on the scrum. I'd be approaching Michael Foley right now and signing him on for next year. Blades is coming up short atm. One only had to look at the bird's eye shots of the two scrums on the weekend to see how much better the English scrum looked packing down (in terms of its form) than the wallabies who looked like a bunched-up rabble at times. The personnel is probably there. TPN and Moore are needed back, our scrum has always been weaker without them. We also need more weight behind our THP. Both Deans and Link seemed to understand the importance of having a lock style 6 packing down on the THP side in the majority of scrums. The pack needs to start scrumming as a pack. That includes you Michael Hooper, who honestly doesn't appear to do anything in the scrum - on the weekend the open-side of the scrum was enough constant pressure - whilst he cant be solely blamed, his performance was indicative of why the scrum was under pressure.

- Cooper v Foley - Saturday proved to me that Cooper should probably be our starting 10 for the beginning on next season (subject to Super form). IMO it's his kicking game in general play that sets him a part from Foley. That's the area that we have been outplayed for most of the season, especially on the EOYT. He has a superior long kicking game and does a much better job finding space on the field and directing the team around with his boot than Foley does.

- Hooper v Pocock - This is probably shaping as the most interesting battle of 2015 from an Australian perspective. I'll throw my hat in the ring and say that by the end of the Super season, fitness allowing, Pocock will be outplaying Hooper. If Pocock can regain the form he had before his injuries then he is the man to lead the Wallabies at the RWC. I'm again turned off by Chieka's decision to blindly back a Tah player, by declaring that Hooper will be our captain next year. The team has not done well under Hooper and he might not even be the best 7 this time next year.

- Skelton - against England he showed why he's a world beater, and also a liability. Something needs to change this year if he is going to be a serious option against the likes of England next year. Either he is a consistent starter at lock for the tahs, or Cheika grooms him as a 6/8. Either way he needs to develop from a poor set piece lock.

New Players? - I cant see many. Obviously there will be a bunch of returning players but its too late to blood new ones. The only bolters I could see are Hunt (because he has the skills) and PAE (merely because we need some strong scrummaging THPs).

Anyway, glad that season is over. New Year next year! Bring on Super rugby!! WE R RED!

 

[Brumby Runner]

The three areas of forwards play I think we are currently underperforming in are the scrum, defending the rolling maul and making ground with ball in hand.

The lineout is generally adequate to very good.

In the EOYT tests, our starting props and hooker were up to scratch at scrum time except for the game against England where I think it was likely that fatigue was setting in. The starting locks are at least adequate in the scrum against most teams but lack the aggressiveness and athleticism to impose themselves in open play. The backrow was substantially undersized, unbalanced and contributed very little to our scrummaging efforts.

At scrum time, we need to ensure the backrow stays bound while the scrum contest is on and we need to have more grunt as in size there. Can't afford to go into a test with essentially two open side sized flankers.

As a rule, we were pretty horrible in all games trying to defend the oppositions maul. As pointed out elsewhere, the more a maul is set up to reflect the scrum shape, the better it seems to perform. Seems like an area for coaching to concentrate on no matter who is selected in the pack.

In open play, the ABs second and back rows set the benchmark, although England and SA are not far behind. The ABs' locks and loosies are all extremely athletic types who are able to dominate the forwards defense in lesser teams, and the same can be said about Etsebeth, Vermulen etc and Laws, Morgan, Woods and Robshaw. We need to be finding players of these types to give our pack some authority. I think Fardy will improve things a bit when he comes back into 6, but there's not much I can see on the horizon in the way of locks or No 8s.

Maybe Jones and Neville are the missing parts of the locking solution. They appear to be more athletic than our present locks and I'm sure neither would be a liability at scrum or lineout time. Horwill used to be the type we need, but I'm afraid he won't be able to rise to the occasion again due to the effects of his injuries. Big Will won't be the answer until he can be effective at set piece even though he is one of the better defenders of a maul.

Ben McCalman surpassed my expectations during thee EOYT but he does not really impose himself (why is he known as "Big Dog"?) in the manner of a Morgan or Vermulen. And unfortunately, he is not as effective in the wide ranging game as Read.

So, in summary, I think we have an adequate front row which will be improved with the return to fitness and form of Moore, TPN and Sio. We need to find more athletic types for the second row and more damaging runners for 6 and 8. I would be content if the scrum was able to hold its own and be able to win own ball if we can get forwards that make a greater impact otherwise in similar fashion to Retallick, Whitelock, Etsebeth, Laws, Vermulen, Read, and Morgan.

 

[Rob]

Even though most of the problems are in the forwards I reckon there will be a major reshuffle in the backs by the time of the RWC. I think the three amigos will back together (KB (Kurtley Beale) at fullback, JOC (James O'Connor) on wing, Quade at 10). I don't think Chieka will persist with Falau at full back - way to limited for an international FB - will end up on the wing.

IN the forwards we are just way to small and soft. Both second rowers are honest toilers but neither ever get over the gain line or belt the opposition in defence. The current backrow is just too small and the front row reflects Australia's history of converting backrowers to frontrow.

The backrow is the easiest to sort out as we get Pocock, Fardy, Palu back at some stage.

Have watched big willie since juniors, he is a bit of a one trick pony but I would be tempted to persevere with him - but need to fix his scrummaging and give him the ball before the defence is already tackling him.

Stephen Moores return will help the front row but we don't have too many options. I do like the look of PAE and would give him a go off the bench in a test as I would Sio - we have to try something. You never know it just might be a Tony Daly/Phil Kearns moment - both of who were picked from nowhere and were great.

 

[something]

Don't like the idea of KB (Kurtley Beale) at fullback.. too much of a liability, defensively and under the highball.

I think it would have to be somebody who is safe under the highball, has good positioning and has a big, accurate boot. The only person who gets close to that (excluding Mogg) is JOC (James O'Connor). Hunt is a smokey, just based on his perceived skill set. Unless either of those guys have a stellar season i expect Folau to be the 15 for the RWC.

 

[hammertimethere]

Izzy suffered toward the back half of 2014 I think largely because he was heavily marked and didn't adapt and pull out any different tricks, basically everyone worked out his hop step and shimmy on the outside move and defenses just slide across hard. He also can't kick for territory and doesn't really use support well in counterattack (never had to because he's such a freak at beating a guy one on one).

He could learn to kick for territory, that would be sweet but I wonder if his talents couldn't better be utilized in a dual role in the back 3 with KB (Kurtley Beale).

When Beale had that amazing season at FB he made some unbelievable covering tackles and try savers, his high ball work was ok (though not brilliant) but his best attribute was that he had a great knack for (with JOC (James O'Connor)) for picking out mismatches in the chase line and manipulating with footwork to open up gaps which his short passing skills allowed him to exploit.

In my mind I want Folau and at least one of JOC (James O'Connor) and Beale in our back 3. With Cooper playing the sweeping role that would give any team looking to kick long and over us a second thought

 

[Gillys_ghost]

1. Slipper 2. Moore 3. Kepu 4. Simmons 5. Horwill 6. Fardy 7. Pocock 8. Palu
9. Genia 10. Cooper 11. O'Connor 12. To'omua 13. Kuridrani 14. Folau 15. Beale? thats a nice looking team

but 9. Genia 10. Cooper 11. O'Connor 12. To'omua 13. Kuridrani 14. Speight 15. Folau is pretty good as well

 

[Mr Doug]

Just had a look back to when I put my 23 in at the beginning of this thread on 18/11/13.
So I thought I'd update it with my perceived changes for the big event.
Slipper
Moore
Kepu
Skelton Carter
Simmons
McMenniman Fardy
Pocock
Higginsbotham
Ginea
Cooper
Spleigh
To'omua
Lealifano Kuridrani
JOC (James O'Connor)
Folau

Bench
Tatafu Polota Nau
Robinson Sio
Ryan Weeks
Horwell
Hooper
Beale Ashley-Cooper
Godwin Foley
Cummins Phipps

Comments:
For me, Skelton is /will not coming on fast enough to be effective in a world
cup
At the time of the RWS Spleigh & JOC (James O'Connor) will be better wingers and Kuridrani a better 13 than AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), who will make a great utility back.
I feel Palu will have lost the edge by this time next year.

Some names there that I've never heard of, but I think I get your drift!!

 

[qwerty51]

I'll call it. Pocock will not make the RWC squad and he won't be injured. Gill and Hooper will be the 7s in the squad and Gill will start some matches over Hooper. Gill seems to be the forgotten man but he's still world class IMO and has a lot to offer.

 

[emuarse]

I'll call it. Pocock will not make the RWC squad and he won't be injured. Gill and Hooper will be the 7s in the squad and Gill will start some matches over Hooper. Gill seems to be the forgotten man but he's still world class IMO and has a lot to offer.

I can't really agree with you on Pocock, mainly because his total commitment to fitness I'm sure will see him back to his best.
Also he is more of a support in the scrums and is No 1 at ball ripping.
But, will he overcome two lots of serious injury?

 

[hammertimethere]

It's been done, Dave Dennis and Ben Mowen, Lewis Moody are blokes who have come back from a few knee recons

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Hodgo had 2 knee recons in his early days hasn't affected his longevity