Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[qwerty51]

Repeated head knocks, general fan-base negativity and getting chopped and changed in position for years seemed to suck out his enjoyment of the game, in Australia at least.

I don't think any of those contributed to his departure, it was purely the head knocks.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

You are entitled to your opinions RN, but the worry is that Foley, playing against a 2nd tier side, did nothing in play to make me say, "he's the man for fly half". His conversion kicking was good on the day, but he showed no versatility around the field, with either halfback, which in turn allowed the Eagle backs defence to dominate our backs in our attack.
If Foley was good in the position, he should have played in the second Bledisloe. But I suspect Cheika was protecting him.
Cooper on his day is still out & out the best 5/8 for the Wallabies.
Cheika has now twice played him out of position, which has to be somewhat unsettling.

EA I am actually not completely sold on Foley and indeed been singing the chorus for To'omua to start their and see what he offers....but suspect Cheika looked at things like that in training and decided Foley the man for the job.

My view is for flyhalf we don't need an outright star but someone who is consistent who can guide the team around and direct traffic. Cooper can be a star but also a liability and for flyhalf imo we need a more consistent player rather than a game breaker who can also lose us a game.

I keep hearing everyone tell me Cooper is best flyhalf for some years but in years gone by if judging by the above criteria ie consistent performance I would not change my viewpoint that I would not pick Cooper as he has failed in my eyes for many years to be able to pull together consistent performances.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Maybe cheicka has played Quade out of position as he sees him as the bench 10 but wants him to improve in other positions to be the effective bench option??

Hmm maybe some merit in what you are saying dillyboy - ie wants Quade as backup to Foley given latter not exactly been convincing either so wants Quade to be more versatile potential bench option.....unfortunately he only seems to cover 10 as not shown covers other backline positions that hence makes him a good bench option

 

[Rugbynutter39]

No I get the point but the 'unnecessary risk of only taking 2 hookers' argument has been done to death. The coaches had to select 31 players and it's always going to be a compromise. Rightly or wrongly our coaches made the decision that the most important factor was that the 15 key players ALL be rested completely for the Uruguay game. SO that was their compromise, and it was easier to find a test level prop that can play hooker than a hooker that can play prop. Especially considering that (presumably) James Slipper is the back up to your plan A.

For your scenario to eventuate would require that one of our 2 hookers has a non-tournament ending injury that keeps them out of the England game e.g. a grade 2 calf tear. Further to that, it would require that we don't have a tournament ending injury to a player in the whole squad in between now and the England game. A prop or halfback aside, any injury and James Hanson will be the first player called in to the squad.

The point of my post was that we can't cover every contingency perfectly in a 31 man squad. A calculated risk has been taken, but I'm sure they know that.

Lets face it - there was always going to be some conjecture as to what player was included or left out. Worse things to happen than having only two hookers....so suggest if that is our main focus it means the squad is not too shabby.....

 

[wamberal]

The only player I would have liked to have seen make the squad is Lilo.



But I know that he has not done enough recently. Very sad.

 

[dillyboy]

It's a tough call to have Quade as your bench option though (and I'm a massive Quade fan) as he takes his time feeling his way into a game.

I also don't like chopping in the pool stages but Foley for Fiji & England (as both these games will be 10 man rugby) Quade for Uruguay & Wales.

Then either whoever impressed the most (or is left standing) for the finals

 

[Gnostic]

It's a tough call to have Quade as your bench option though (and I'm a massive Quade fan) as he takes his time feeling his way into a game.

I also don't like chopping in the pool stages but Foley for Fiji & England (as both these games will be 10 man rugby) Quade for Uruguay & Wales.

Then either whoever impressed the most (or is left standing) for the finals

Chieka will not have the Wallabies playing 10 man Rugby.

 

[chasmac]

So:

1. Sio
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Simmons
5. Skelton
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Pocock
9. Genia
10. Foley
11. Mitchell
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Folau[/quote]



Purely for lineout I think Douglas for Skelton with Skelton as the super sub.

Mitchell gets the nod over Speight for his kicking.

Reserve backs;
Phipps
Cooper
Beale.

Reserve Forwards
Slipper
TPN
Holmes
Skelton
Mumm
Toss a coin between McCalman / Palu / McMahon

 

[BDA]

Reserve backs;
Phipps
Cooper
Beale.

Reserve Forwards
Slipper
TPN
Holmes
Skelton
Mumm
Toss a coin between McCalman / Palu / McMahon

Well that would be too many reserves. You either need one less back or one less forward. choose your poison

 

[Bakkies' Index Finger]

I guess what I don't understand is how Bernard Foley has developed the reputation within Australian rugby circles of being a consistent and reliable 10?

His super rugby semi-final performance against the Highlanders and his performance against the AB's in Sydney were two of the worst performances by an Australian 10 this year. His previous performances for the Wallabies have also left plenty to be desired. Yet despite numerous poor performances in pressure matches, he remains seen as the most consistent and reliable option for us at the RWC?

 

[qwerty51]

He was the Ice Man last year on the EOYT with his kicking in the NH.

 

[Sully]

Too bad the RWC is this year.

 

[Groucho]

I think it is interesting to see the number of positions with no clear front runner


I see 5, 7, 8, 9, 12 & 14 not really clear what is the best option, with even Kuridrani not showing immense form either (although that may be an issue with the game plan & the chopping and changing inside him)


I see the reason as much about having more depth with many more viable options.

That's shocking.

The reason's THAT NO ONE'S GOOD ENOUGH.

WE'RE DOOMED.

 

[Groucho]

It's a tough call to have Quade as your bench option though (and I'm a massive Quade fan) as he takes his time feeling his way into a game.

I also don't like chopping in the pool stages but Foley for Fiji & England (as both these games will be 10 man rugby) Quade for Uruguay & Wales.

Then either whoever impressed the most (or is left standing) for the finals

England may play 10 man rugby against us, but we're certainly not going to be playing 10 man rugby against them.

Unless Michael Cheika has inadvertently swallowed John Connolly in a mad Jabba the Hutt moment.

Or has otherwise lost all his marbles.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Chieka will not have the Wallabies playing 10 man Rugby.

Exactly how they played in the first 60 minutes against USA.

 

[Groucho]

Exactly how they played in the first 60 minutes against USA.

That's not what playing ten man rugby means. It means kicking continuously for field position, and playing a forward-oriented pressure game as a primary strategy. What happened against the USA was that their successful rush defence stopped us from getting the ball to the outside backs for the first 40 or so minutes.

We got sucked in by the ease of the first two tries, and tried to spin the ball wide without going forward, and Foley and Giteau kept getting sacked. USA rushing from 2m offside didn't help.

What we needed to do, but didn't until the second half, was to play a power game to combat it. Eventually we did, and that was the end of that.

 

[KOB1987]

OK courtesy of @Groucho on the match thread we can finally put this one to bed:

Sio can start at LHP and still be the reserve hooker.

Done and dusted.

 

[fatprop]

I find it amusing to see the conniptions over hooker, the same horrors could happen at THP if Kepu or Holmes go down for any length of time and nary a squeal

 

[dru]

That's not what playing ten man rugby means. It means kicking continuously for field position, and playing a forward-oriented pressure game as a primary strategy. What happened against the USA was that their successful rush defence stopped us from getting the ball to the outside backs for the first 40 or so minutes.

We got sucked in by the ease of the first two tries, and tried to spin the ball wide without going forward, and Foley and Giteau kept getting sacked. USA rushing from 2m offside didn't help.

What we needed to do, but didn't until the second half, was to play a power game to combat it. Eventually we did, and that was the end of that.

Interesting piece by Greg Mumm on the Roar.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/09/09/two-halves-make-a-whole-but-the-breakdown-will-make-it-work/

Essentially that the pack did not adapt to a defence that didn't commit to the ruck. Meaning the gaps are inside not wide. And the game play was getting the ball wide. Phipps with fast delivery is better at the wide game.

The pigs could have adapted to pick and go to ease this but so could have Phipps by running more through the middle and better feeding the pack around the scrum.

Which is a style that Genia is more suited to. Ideally you want a half with excellent skill sets at both of these, but it hasn't happened yet so don't expect it in a couple of weeks.

Which is why neither Genia nor Phipps has a lock in this preoccupation that the fans have with a first 15. Cheika will change the selections based on the opposition.

You could say the same about the 10s. And while it doesn't quite work Gitts and Beale. QC (Quade Cooper), Gitts, and Beale have spent time out of position which to me suggests who Cheika sees as his "finishers". But the team will be selected for the opposition.

This is NOT "depth". It's Cheika using the material available to him to create depth in the playing style through the tournament.

I like it. Plenty of pressure though to get it right.

 

[RugbyReg]

I find it amusing to see the conniptions over hooker, the same horrors could happen at THP if Kepu or Holmes go down for any length of time and nary a squeal

I guess because we have a former test THP in James Slipper who could fill that role. We don't have anyone with hooking experience, at any decent level at least, who could cover 2 should the need arise.