Wallaby Watch 2014

[Joe Blow]

Phipps performance on the weekend was excellent behind a dominant pack.
He just gets to the base of the ruck and clears very quickly continually. His running game has also come on this year.
Genia was better this weekend but he still hesitates at times and kicks the ball away too much. Mind you, his kicking game wasn't all bad on the weekend but Nic White can match and better it.
It is very surprising that Genia will be left out all together.
McKenzie needs to know what his new options are before the RC so I am sure we will see a few fresh faces throughout the series.

 

[Benaud]

Is Payten generally reliable with this stuff?

I don't think anyone would have been surprised to see White start but Genia has gotta be a moral for that bench halfback role surely!

 

[Bairdy]

Is Payten generally reliable with this stuff?

I don't think anyone would have been surprised to see White start but Genia has gotta be a moral for that bench halfback role surely!

Payten and co. are being leaked/fed this info from Wallabies camp, so yeah, I would consider his stuff reliable. He (or someone else from the Murdoch media) was the one who broke the Moore captaincy a few days before.

 

[tranquility]

Link from day dot as Wobs coach, has wanted to distance himself from perceived Reds bias. He has aimed to cultivate a true meritocracy, which is what created such a good culture at the Reds in the first place. It would not surprise, based on precedent that Genia is overlooked.

 

[barbarian]

Makes sense they would leak that now. Gets all the controversy out of the way early, and means by tomorrow all the focus is on who is IN the team, and not left out.


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[Dave Beat]

Im amazed that McKenzie would leave out Genia altogether in favour of Phipps on the bench. Phipp's performance history for the wallabies has been average at best. Genia has had so many man of the match performances at Suncorp. I can understand benching him but fuck.

Yes interesting this one, my thoughts -
White has earned his start.
I think Phipps has out performed Genia this season.
I didn't rate Phipps under Deans, but he's going alright now.
Genia's kicking frustrates me because i hate kicks, but that may be the game plan not him, but his kicks need to improve if it is the game plan.

 

[fatprop]

OK, if Genia is "rested", I wonder how Horwill is fairing

 

[Train Without a Station]

Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt To'omua, Nick Cummins, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (c), James Slipper.​

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http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/ewen-mckenzie-says-wallabies-must-make-up-ground-before-test-against-france-20140602-zrve6.html#ixzz33WOoCBDZ​

Likely Wallabies team from Georgina Robinson today. Personally I don't agree with Phipps starting over White, but otherwise I think that's the best starting XV to go for.

I'm mostly intrigued as to the bench lock and loosie. Bench lock has to be Jones and I'm guessing Higgers would be the loosie.

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[Scrubber2050]

Genia's exclusion will be good for the Reds. He must realise that you must consistently play good to great rugby to make the national side. Expect him to rejuvinate and get back to the level he was. OR will he spit the dummy and fuck off to France for some big $$$$.

The dropping of Genia (if correct) also sends that important message to the playing group - NO-one is expendable. Performance (and behaviour) is the only yardstick that Link is going to employ.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Can Fardy cover lock?

 

[Scrubber2050]

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http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/ewen-mckenzie-says-wallabies-must-make-up-ground-before-test-against-france-20140602-zrve6.html#ixzz33WOoCBDZ​

Likely Wallabies team from Georgina Robinson today. Personally I don't agree with Phipps starting over White, but otherwise I think that's the best starting XV to go for.

I'm mostly intrigued as to the bench lock and loosie. Bench lock has to be Jones and I'm guessing Higgers would be the loosie.

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TWAS,
It would be absolute bullshit if Phipps was chosen over White.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Fardy can cover lock, but it's a moot point. There is no better 6, so moving him would just weaken the blindside and slightly weaken the set piece possibly. Bit of a pointless exercise.

 

[Braveheart81]

Payten and co. are being leaked/fed this info from Wallabies camp, so yeah, I would consider his stuff reliable. He (or someone else from the Murdoch media) was the one who broke the Moore captaincy a few days before.

Would these be leaks now or just observations from training yesterday?

I'm assuming these training sessions aren't closed to the few main rugby journalists in Australia.

I definitely agree that there are a fair few intentional leaks (such as it emerging over the weekend that Moore had been told he was going to be captain two weeks ago).

 

[ACT Crusader]

Fardy can cover lock, but it's a moot point. There is no better 6, so moving him would just weaken the blindside and slightly weaken the set piece possibly. Bit of a pointless exercise.

Yes he's the starting blindside, wasn't suggesting otherwise. But there is a big risk in having a lock plus Higgers on the bench with no openside cover in the starting lineup or bench. If Hooper goes down in the first minute then there isn't the mobility to get the job down at the tackle/breakdown.

Higgers plus an openside on the bench with Higgers covering 6 & 8 and Fardy covering lock late in the game.

 

[fatprop]

TWAS,
It would be absolute bullshit if Phipps was chosen over White.

It will depend on how we will play against the French

We won't want to play a slow slug fest with lots of kicking

If we want to play a mobile, quick attacking game to move the big, french pack around. I can see the logic

I can't see us kicking the ball out, we will be taking quick taps, getting the ball away from contact quickly.

If so, Phipps and Genia are the logical two.

 

[ACT Crusader]

TWAS,
It would be absolute bullshit if Phipps was chosen over White.

Not necessarily. Phipps has more Wallaby experience and has made some very obvious improvements to his game.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I don't agree with that. If the openside goes down, you play with a 6/8 there and adjust your game plan accordingly. The Brumbies have managed to survive without a 7 their whole season without too much trouble.

You're better off having your 4th best loose forward on the park and playing accordingly, than you're 2nd best openside if these are two different players.

Also the potential 1 or 2 pilfers that the openside would get are outweighed by the potential 1 or 2, line outs/scrums lost due to a compromised set piece.

 

[ACT Crusader]

It's not the 'pilfers', it's the workrate, the tackle count, the speed to the breakdown that sets these guys apart to just another loose forward. Look at the workrate of Hodgson, he does things that even a good blindside doesn't get through, because that's what the position demands.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I disagree with that too. Nowadays locks and 6's frequently top the tackle count. 6's are generally quicker than 7's. They also generally play 6 or 8 because they have the ability to have a greater impact with each of their involvements rather than being forced to have greater involvements of a lower impact.

Another loosie is more than capable of covering this. The only instance this has been a failure was when McCalman was tried as a clone of Pocock, rather than focusing the fundamentals of a 7 and not worrying about looking for pilfers.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Further to this, Australia have traditionally played a reserve 7, not to play a reserve 7, but the reserve 7 has generally not been the 4th best loosie, but the 2nd best loosie. Due to this they are often brought on at 6 or 8 in tandem.