Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[Viking]

Let's do.

Almost as obvious.

6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Palu

.

Hardly obvious given many in this forum myself included would have Pocock over Hooper and arguments for McCalman over Palu are pretty solid given he is the incumbent, played well last test season, and is probably the super xv form 8. Plus Higgers has skills the other 2 don't have. I myself can't pick an 8 at the moment.


6. Fardy
7. Pocock
8. McCalman / Palu / Higgers - dunno.

 

[RugbyReg]

backrow incumbents are:

6 McMahon
7 Hooper
8 McCalman

 

[Braveheart81]

Hardly obvious

The almost as obvious comment applied to the locks. The comment about each group of positions is below the players named.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Hooper may be the incumbant, Pocock is playing the house down.

Pocock has remained injury dree (well mainly anyway)

Seems to me that Pocock is fast becoming the frontrunner for the 7 spot.

 

[Viking]

The almost as obvious comment applied to the locks. The comment about each group of positions is below the players named.

My bad. Apologies @Highlander35

 

[TOCC]

Oh we all know that Simmions isnt a penalty magnet.. what makes most people get the shits is that his are dumb.. He had pretty much cleared that up from 2013.. Now he does push lineout defense in tests where he comes across takes the man in the air etc.
..

Nonsense, and again this comes back to either perception issues or just a straight dislike towards a player.. If as you suggested he was taking the opposite man in the air then his penalty count would be reflected accordingly... And what is this 'etc' that you speak of exactly, seems like grasping at straws.






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[RugbyReg]

Not sure there is ever such thing as a 'smart' penalty?

 

[Braveheart81]

Not sure there is ever such thing as a 'smart' penalty?

I agree. The result is the same.

I guess rather than a smart penalty, you're talking about the opposite of dumb penalties though where the players actions are a) a good chance of resulting in a positive outcome for their team and b) are not clearly a penalty offence (i.e. sometimes the referee will decide you haven't broken the laws).

 

[Viking]

Nonsense, and again this comes back to either perception issues or just a straight dislike towards a player.. If as you suggested he was taking the opposite man in the air then his penalty count would be reflected accordingly. And what is this 'etc' that you speak of exactly, seems like grasping at straws.

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I don't think it's that straight forward. To be fair Simmons DID do a lot of stupid penalties early on his Test career. These would leave you screaming WTF at the TV wondering what on earth he was thinking. Amateur, brain-fart penalties. Theirs no hiding he did this.

BUT what I don't agree with is posters seem to hold these moments against him for his entire career ignoring the fact that the last 2-3 years Simmons hasn't given away any more penalties then any other Wallaby.

Much is the same with Cooper and his error rate.

It's easy to forget that players actually mature and are much different players from 2-3 years ago.

 

[Viking]

Not sure there is ever such thing as a 'smart' penalty?

Pushing for a turn-over on the edge of the field is certainly "smarter" then cynically lying on the wrong side of the ruck right in front of the sticks.

There are no "smart" penalties but their are certainly penalties which are a lot worse then others.

 

[Tomikin]

I thought I said that his been good since 2013 ?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I can live with penalties if it's for 50/50 stuff (very marginal late tackle, attempted pilfer at the breakdown for instance), but what I can't stand are brainless infringements that you'd admonish the U/12's for. Things like standing three metres offside and tackling a bloke, a stupid dangerous hit, lying all over the ball etc. Simmo used to do stuff like that and I'd tear my hair out, but clearly he's worked on it and is much better now. Good on him for that.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

So, here's the Wallaby starting 15 - as selected by Fox Sports Fantasy.

Based on average points scored per game (not including the round just played), minimum of 5 games:

Slipper
Moore
PAE
Jones
Skelton
McMahon
Pocock
McCalman
Phipps
Foley
Inman
Kerevi
O'Connor
Shipperly
Folau

 

[ljperk]

long time listener, 1st time caller...

My 15
Slipper
Moore
Kepu
Simmons
Skelton
Fardy
Pocock
Higgers/ Mcalman
Genia
Cooper
Horne
To'omua
Kuridrani
Mitchell
Folau



Can't see Foley having a hope of winning us a RWC... 4/5 passes go behind the man and thats no exaggeration.
QC (Quade Cooper), To'omua, Kuridrani is the best combo the wallabies have seen for a long time and is the only combo good enough to win the RWC.
throw genia in there due to his combination with QC (Quade Cooper) (and the fact that in a team going forward, he is the best, although think stirzaker is playing the house down).
Pocock at 7: he is a traditional scavenger/fetcher, imo is the definition of #7... hooper players more like a 6 but i still wouldn't pick him there (lineouts)... also occasionally hooper misses tackles that pocock wouldnt... (eg To'omua try V waratahs)
Don't want to see Carter anywhere near a wallabies jersey, glad that those stats justify my beliefs... the only thing the stats miss is scrums... which of them provide the most at scrum time... i think people tend to forget the importance of the locks in the scrums....

not too sure on Speight, always has a good highlights reel but think the lowlights reel should be just as important for the wingers... haven't seen his (enough of him play) so i cant really comment but he would be close to a jersey.

 

[Scrubber2050]

So, here's the Wallaby starting 15 - as selected by Fox Sports Fantasy.

Based on average points scored per game (not including the round just played), minimum of 5 games:

Slipper
Moore
PAE
Jones
Skelton
McMahon
Pocock
McCalman
Phipps
Foley
Inman
Kerevi
O'Connor
Shipperly
Folau

Fantasy agreed - reckon there are 7 blokes who won't be starters and some will not make the 23

 

[Viking]

not too sure on Speight, always has a good highlights reel but think the lowlights reel should be just as important for the wingers. haven't seen his (enough of him play) so i cant really comment but he would be close to a jersey.

IMO Speight doesn't have a very big lowlights reel. Even his quiet games he's doing work in defence, hitting rucks, and even making turnovers. Horne certainly has a bigger low lights reel given a few blunders at Test level last season and his recent tip tackle.

Having said that, Horne is still the form winger and certainly in better form then Speight so it's a real tough choice.

 

[Scrubber2050]

IMO Speight doesn't have a very big lowlights reel. Even his quiet games he's doing work in defence, hitting rucks, and even making turnovers. Horne certainly has a bigger low lights reel given a few blunders at Test level last season and his recent tip tackle.

Having said that, Horne is still the form winger and certainly in better form then Speight so it's a real tough choice.

Big Henry was fairly average (below) at Test level so far. And that was after a stellar Super rugby season

 

[Braveheart81]

Speight was returning from a reasonable injury layoff.

I think it shows that underdone players get found out at test level more often than not.

Whilst it's always tempting to try and fit in your best players who are returning from injury or have little niggling injuries, it adds a level of risk every time you include someone who is less than 100% in terms of fitness or preparation.

Hopefully it's less of an issue this year at the RWC compared to 2011 but we certainly need to be very careful.

 

[Viking]

Wasn't that only one game? Wingers are always going to look average when the distributors play poorly and the forward pack is on the back-foot.

Combined with what Braveheart said. I'd say Speight is fairly untested at international level.

Also, Horne was below average last Test season too.

 

[Floggn']

I can live with penalties if it's for 50/50 stuff (very marginal late tackle, attempted pilfer at the breakdown for instance), but what I can't stand are brainless infringements that you'd admonish the U/12's for. Things like standing three metres offside and tackling a bloke, a stupid dangerous hit, lying all over the ball etc. Simmo used to do stuff like that and I'd tear my hair out, but clearly he's worked on it and is much better now. Good on him for that.

Lying all over the ball isn't a stupid penalty it is actually smart play IF you get away with it. It slows the ball down for the attack therefore letting your team reset its defences. I agree with TOCC. It seems Simmons has the 1 goat philosophy being applied to him all too regularly.