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Wallaby 6,7,8

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waratahjesus

Greg Davis (50)
is pocock back on the park soon?
i still say TPN should convert to 7 not 8.
a pocock, tpn, palu back row would be great though if TPN could go somewhere there
 
P

PhucNgo

Guest
fatprop said:
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.

It may be a little unpolitic these days but have you never heard of dwarf throwing?
 

waratahjesus

Greg Davis (50)
CanadianRugby said:
Stop moving TPN, he's happy where he is.

problem is, he is a great hooker (throwing to be argued) but he is also probably our second best open play forward behind palu at getting metres and having him coming off the scrum earlier would be an asset as well
 
C

CanadianRugby

Guest
I'm just against moving players out of position too much. TPN is the starting hooker for the wallabies. Why move him and force a whole different set of decisions and skills on him and maybe weaken two positions instead of one?
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
TPN is a hooker. There was a reason he moved there.

Elsom is a 6. There is a reason he hasn't played more at 8 and its not because we've had plenty of good 8s.

Each backrow spot is a specialist position. There are rare players who can cover a couple of spots at S14 level but, as I've said before, it is much harder to do so in test matches. You only have to be out of position half a yard or half a second slow in responding and you will be punished. Not being instinctive as to your role and positional play will cost your team. Think of Masoe - great at S14 but couldn't nail a spot in the test team, Kaino at 8 last year, Eales and Willie O at the 91 RWC...

If Palu was hit by a bus tomorrow and we were in the world cup final on saturday I would look at Hodgson and Hoiles (on current form and in that order). Higgenbottom is a prospect and would be in the squad but he isnt a natural 8 yet. Houston is not in form.

International rugby is littered with the names of 6s who have tried to play 8 at test level and failed.

The thought of switching TPN to the backrow is nonsensical.
 

waratahjesus

Greg Davis (50)
Cutter said:
TPN is a hooker. There was a reason he moved there.

Elsom is a 6. There is a reason he hasn't played more at 8 and its not because we've had plenty of good 8s.

Each backrow spot is a specialist position. There are rare players who can cover a couple of spots at S14 level but, as I've said before, it is much harder to do so in test matches. You only have to be out of position half a yard or half a second slow in responding and you will be punished. Not being instinctive as to your role and positional play will cost your team. Think of Masoe - great at S14 but couldn't nail a spot in the test team, Kaino at 8 last year, Eales and Willie O at the 91 RWC...

If Palu was hit by a bus tomorrow and we were in the world cup final on saturday I would look at Hodgson and Hoiles (on current form and in that order). Higgenbottom is a prospect and would be in the squad but he isnt a natural 8 yet. Houston is not in form.

International rugby is littered with the names of 6s who have tried to play 8 at test level and failed.

The thought of switching TPN to the backrow is nonsensical.

sorry, you say each back row spot is a specialist position and you want hodgson to replace palu at 8? guy is a seven who plays 6 for the force when pococks fit. he is to light for 8 anyway. the brown factor has already shown a light weight 8 for the wallabies at the moment is not the way to go.
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
I'd have to agree with wj here Cutter. Suggesting Hodgson as the wallaby 8 is contradictory to the remainder of your post, and also a little crazy. Higginbotham is the only one out of those you mentioned that has played 8 this year, and while you say he isn't a natural 8, I believe that is where he has spent most of his time, he has certainly done it for club a lot.

I'm confident that Elsom and Higginbotham would do a better job at 8 in a test match than Hodgson.
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Dunno Gagger, I doubt it though outside of a rare game or playing out the game there. Tim Davidson has held down the 8 position at Syd Uni very well for a long time, and they've had other very able players able to fill in there too like McKutcheon (elder). Bruce or Cyclo might know better than me though.

Regarding Hodgson, in the past year he's player 6, 7, and 8 at separate times for the Force and done well there. I suspect we would've seen more of him at 6 for the Wallabies if he didn't do his shoulder vs the Baabaas.
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
In terms of being inconsistent with the rest of my post, I said there are rare players who can switch. Hodgson is one albeit if we had a half decent 8 somewhere I wouldn't dream of playing him there.

Hodgson has played a lot of 8 at club and S14 level. He might be light and not your typical 8, and it may be an indictment on the other 8s out there, but he is our next best bet. Higginbottom isnt playing 8 for QLD and when he has played there his form hasnt been as good as when at 6. If you are out of position, you can't get into the game. Houston isn't Wallaby standard. Hoiles is an 8 but goes missing when graft is required.
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
Higginbotham has played a lot of 8 at club level, and has most likely played as many games at 8 for the Reds that Hodgson has for the Wallabies. IMO Higginbotham is closer to an international 8 than Hodgson is, but we will see by the end of the S14.

Whether we like it or not, you need to have size on your side at international level.
 

Gagger

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Staff member
I agree Scotty that Higgers has got a better physique for 8, and has shown a few glimmers of heading in the right direction so far this year. But if there was a Wallaby match tomorrow and it was between him and Hodgson for 8, I think I know who'd get it (as long as there was some timber at 6; Rocky or Mummba)
 

Scotty

David Codey (61)
If there was a Wallaby match tomorrow, there is a good chance that Smith would be 8 with Pocock 7.
 

Godfrey

Phil Hardcastle (33)
Yeah, I still sort of have this stupid thinking that he'll somehow still be playing for the Wallabies. :'(
 

Reddy!

Bob Davidson (42)
On the Rugby Club this week, they pulled up some insane stat about George Smith.

Last time he missed a game for the Brumbies: 2005

Total games missed for the Brumbies in his 10+ year career: 2

Coaches and the big wigs that run professional sporting franchises would love to have 30 George Smith's in their team. He is the ultimate professional footballer imo.

Anyway, with the emergence of Pocock and Hodgson (who is a year younger than Smith!?!) I'm not as worried as I was initially about his retirement. Also with up and comers Cooper, Fainga'a and Gill, our flanker stocks are pretty full.

I think there should be a Wallaby 1,2,3 thread as well.
 

waratahjesus

Greg Davis (50)
im still sceptical on hodgson, everyone was banging on about richard brown being the second coming and so much better than palu last year, and look how that turned out. He hasnt made the step up yet, not sure if he will, he is doing it at a fairly late age the extra bit of speed and decision making needed isnt always there. i only wish we had another young 7 to blood but we just dont seem to have anyone after pocock.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
You could be right about Hodgson but he made me sit up in the lounge chair last Saturday night.

Let's all hope you are wrong. It will be a while until Gill, Hooper and their contemporaries emerge unless one of them is a Smith or Pocock.

Meantime we will need a bridge over troubled waters if Pocock goes down or loses form.
 
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