Wallaby 6,7,8

[Joe Mac]

While Elsom @ 6 and Pocock @ 7 is awesome, what are your thoughts on who should be the run-on 8? While obvious choice seems to be Palu, having him injured this week really got me thinking that without him, we are a little screwed.

one option would be to shift Elsom to 8 and have Hodgson and Pocock at 6 and 7. What do you reckon? Any other great combinations out there?

 

[Reddy!]

I think you are on the money with your second option as to how to react to a Palu injury. I think Higginbotham would also be an option at no.8 IF he continues the form he showed against the Force for the rest of the season. The cupboard is, however, looking rather bare.

In a year or more time McCalman from the Force could come into contention but not at this point in time.

 

[Biffo]

While Elsom @ 6 and Pocock @ 7 is awesome, what are your thoughts on who should be the run-on 8? While obvious choice seems to be Palu, having him injured this week really got me thinking that without him, we are a little screwed.

one option would be to shift Elsom to 8 and have Hodgson and Pocock at 6 and 7. What do you reckon? Any other great combinations out there?

Never again two fetchers. Only specialists at 6,7 and 8. If Rocky is injured I'd prefer to see Mowen or HigginBum at 6 - straight swap.

 

[Reddy!]

I think the question was if Palu was injured :thumb

 

[Biffo]

I think the question was if Palu was injured :thumb

I am having a shocker on the keyboard today. :huxley Unfortunately, right now it would have to be Rocky to 8. let us pray that the McKenzie miracle continues and Houston steps up.

 

[TOCC]

higginbotham is still a long way from been a wallaby, physically his all there, but his skill set is still a bit low..

alternatively you have someone like Houston who has it all skill wise, but physically his not quite there.

 

[Viking]

Having 2 fetchers wouldnt be that bad, especially when one of them is pocock, he's a strong player i recon he could take on the role of a classic 6 if told too.

 

[JJJ]

Always wondered how Mumm would do at 8. Seems to me that we need to beef up our pack under the new interps. That's fine while Cliffy is there, but if he goes you wouldn't want to see a lighter Richard Brown type player replace him. They might make the tackles but they'd be making them in a consistently backwards-moving direction, and would be incapable of pushing over the advantage line. Which is why I'm sceptical of playing Hodgson and Pocock in the same pack. I can just see 2010 Schalk and his mates smashing them back time and again, and mauling their way 30m at a time.

 

[Gagger]

Palu does more for the Wobbs and Tahs then most give credit. If I'm right he's still close to farking orf OS anyway isn't he? That would be a very dark day.

I'd like to see Mowen and Higgenbatty get a shot. I suspect though that we're more likely to see Mumm and Dennis running at 6 with Rocky at 8

 

[Langthorne]

Palu being injured is bad news for the Waratahs (see last Saturday), and would be bad news for the Wallabies.

I am no big fan of Brown, but I could see him in the number 8 position if there was sufficient bulk in the rest of the pack to compensate. If Mumm was not already playing in the second row he would be an interesting back up number 8 too I guess. Mowen would need to rediscover the form he started the season with to be in contention of making the squad.

 

[the gambler]

Dont think Mumm has the explosiveness for 8. But if Palu was injured I would probably put him to 6 and Elsom to 8.

 

[Spook]

Mumm would be a shite 8. I'd move Rocky to 8 and put a genuine 6 in.

 

[cyclopath]

I cannot answer the question as to who to play if Palu is injured, but can I just add my voice to the "NOT 2 FETCHERS AGAIN" chorus. It hasn't worked yet, and I cannot see that changing. We need more grunt at breakdowns, not more fetching. We need to develop better counter-ruck and maul skills.

 

[Scotty]

I like the look of a good sized, quick, great ball supporter at 6. Higginbotham is the best ball supporting loose forward in Oz at the moment, and Mowen is not far behind (Mowen does other things better). I'd happily have either at 6 in the Wallabies with Elsom at 8. Hopefully we will be playing an up tempo game that will suit the speed these loosies will bring. Without Palu we will need to have TPN or Moore working overtime close to the ruck, and I would push for Sharpe and Alexander to be in the starting lineup to also get us on the front foot.

 

[Viking]

i think we'll find out if the 2 fetchers system works soon once pocock returns for the force. Surely with Hodgson playing so good they'll shift him to 6. Then we'll see how the system works.

 

[Sully]

The Force really play 3 fetchers if you count Brown.

 

[Lee Grant]

I cannot answer the question as to who to play if Palu is injured, but can I just add my voice to the "NOT 2 FETCHERS AGAIN" chorus. It hasn't worked yet, and I cannot see that changing. We need more grunt at breakdowns, not more fetching. We need to develop better counter-ruck and maul skills.

Good post cyclopath. I don't have a clue about 8 either if Palu doesn't front up. As I wrote elsewhere: 8 is a black hole of Wallaby rugby, in that there is only one valid candidate. [I also wrote that 7 was also, but changed my mind on Saturday night.]

Higginbotham has the best attributes but is not playing in the position and would need high maintenance mentoring if he were. Mowen is a stepper, not a runner over of people and we need a bruising player; Brown is an unreliable nutcase; Hoiles is Hoiles, a good S14 player in an open game - and Houston can't be assessed fully yet.

It's a black hole.

I'd like to see Elsom play there for the Brumbies with Chapman to 6 if skipper Hoiles is injured just to see how he goes, but I wouldn't pick him to play 8 cold, though maybe there is a case to play him there against Fiji in Canberra.

7 is better now that Hodgson has proved himself there. Unless somebody knows of somebody better it doesn't matter that Hodgson won't be playing on the open side when Pocock reports back for the Force. We can't be that choosy - in this position two of the four teams have openside flankers who won't be available for Oz.

Whilst I think that Waugh is one of the most valuable players for his team of any player in the Super14 I also think that barring injury to others his test days are likely behind him.

I am not so worried about the 6 spot.

As for this little bit.....

... can I just add my voice to the "NOT 2 FETCHERS AGAIN" chorus. It hasn't worked yet, and I cannot see that changing.

To be annoyingly pedantic it has worked - but not very often, and not recently. I remember a game I was at when the Wallabies played against the All Blacks in Sydney. Waugh and Smith teamed up, it worked a treat and we smacked Kiwi bums.

It was a reasonably important game too - the 2003 RWC semi-final.

 

[Reddy!]

This is definitely a Lee Grant thread.

Okay here is some food for thought. If Palu was injured play TPN at number 8; Saia Fainga'a would be the back up hooker on the bench. This is not such a crazy idea as TPN has all the attributes of a no.8 and Fainga'a has shown so far this year he has the potential to step up to the next level.

 

[fatprop]

I don't think duel fetchers would be very effective under the current tackle rulings

The other issue is that it limits lineout options having dwarfs at 6 & 7.

 

[Scotty]

No TPN at 8, even if he has the skills. We need him to play tight, either starting or making an impact off the bench.

I suspect if the Wallaby team was picked this week, we would see Elsom stay at 6 with Higginbotham at 8. His body position has improved over the last few rounds and he supports Genia and Cooper so well. He has a lot of developing to go of course, but he is travelling ok.

They will have to assess the likes of Mowen and Houston during the remainder of the season.