Wallaby Watch 2014

[Train Without a Station]

Dumbledore I'm not knocking Jones at all. Big fan of him as both a player and as a person.

But as you noted, he is best suited to 6. He's been very effective breaking tackles as a ball runner. He also gets through a great deal of work.

But he is more of a running workhorse than a ruck hitting one.

 

[It is what it is]

Yep Jones is best suited to No 6, for his, our scrum and team's sake.

 

[Dumbledore]

Dumbledore I'm not knocking Jones at all. Big fan of him as both a player and as a person.

But as you noted, he is best suited to 6. He's been very effective breaking tackles as a ball runner. He also gets through a great deal of work.

But he is more of a running workhorse than a ruck hitting one.

Ah fair. Seriously though, go back a season and have a look at how he was playing. He was hitting a truckload of rucks, largely because he was the only player who could be bothered. This year, his tackle numbers are way down - and I reckon the ruck ones would be too - while his carries and metres gained have almost doubled. It's a schematic issue rather than one of intent. If Link wants him to play tight he's shown it's something he's able to do, at least in the Soup anyway.

Whether he's able to play well enough to make up for the 5cm and 10kg difference he's giving up to most Test locks is something we'll just have to wait to see.

 

[swingpass]

Yep Jones is best suited to No 6, for his, our scrum and team's sake.

Yes it's just a pity that the Rebels won't / can't play him there

 

[Highlander35]

We need 2 Jones.

Sent from my LG-P713 using Tapatalk

 

[Ruggo]

Some people just haven't learnt the lesson on what is required of a bench player. Impact this and mpact that is just naive.

What happened to Moore last night could happen to anybody and the bench player may effectively have to play the role of the starting player. Anybody who can't consistently play 80 minutes is not ready to step up to the next level.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Some people just haven't learnt the lesson on what is required of a bench player. Impact this and mpact that is just naive.

What happened to Moore last night could happen to anybody and the bench player may effectively have to play the role of the starting player. Anybody who can't consistently play 80 minutes is not ready to step up to the next level.

Couldn't agree more all we hear about bench players is how player x didn't have any impact blah blah blah.

I'm sorry but how many times do we see players coming off the bench an actually changing the game or it's outcome...... It's Very rear.

Bench players jobs are to come onto the field and continue the good platform laid by the starter or to replace a starter who isn't playing poorly and give a more positive continuation not to change the game plan that you have been playing for the last 60-70mins

 

[It is what it is]

If Owen Finegan would have come off the bench in the 2003 RWC Final, we would have been a great chance to have won it.
Instead we left him out of the RWC squad, because we had doubts he could play 80 mins at that level.
Bench players will determine games and I want impact, not an insurance policy.
Plan B's can always be determined when a 5% chance happens.

 

[swingpass]

I think it's possible to have both "replacement"
Types and "impact" types on the bench. Clearly the front row are largely replacements capable of playing 80. One other reserve forward is presumably a 4/6 who could substitute for 80 if necessary. You could easily accommodate an impact forward a rampaging ball runner who's job would be to do maximum carnage in the final 20 minutes, think Schalk burger Jacques potgeiter types. Equally in the backs a half, a utility back and a game breaker - last night KB (Kurtley Beale) fitted that mould. I don't think it's possible to cover for every eventuality so
One has to take the risk sometime.

 

[Pfitzy]

Fuck, was this a joke??

barbarian is a hipster @cyclopath - we don't get it.

 

[Pete King]

Anybody who can't consistently play 80 minutes is not ready to step up to the next level.

Ridiculous rational, If this were the case the Waratahs would be without a few of their bet players for this year (poitiger, skelton). Even as recently as last night you could see how much of an impact the french hooker made when he came on

Or look to the best side in the world for the last 8 years :

In 14 All Blacks Tests last year they made 102 substitutions. Eighty of those substitutions were made after the 50-minute mark. In those 30 minutes the All Blacks out-scored their opponents by 183 to 53. New Zealand rugby is continuously innovating. This is why their rugby is so successful. The latest innovation is the discovery that impact off the bench is a crucial factor in winning Test matches.

" smh article - spiro "

 

[Gnostic]

Some people just haven't learnt the lesson on what is required of a bench player. Impact this and mpact that is just naive.

What happened to Moore last night could happen to anybody and the bench player may effectively have to play the role of the starting player. Anybody who can't consistently play 80 minutes is not ready to step up to the next level.

I like this but, there is space to carry a couple of impact players as long as the position is also adequately covered with a utility type in case of an early type injury. For instance, if Skelton was to be picked the second row could adequately covered by Fardy if such an injury to a second rower was to occur.

 

[TOCC]

Ridiculous rational, If this were the case the Waratahs would be without a few of their bet players for this year (poitiger, skelton). Even as recently as last night you could see how much of an impact the french hooker made when he came on

Or look to the best side in the world for the last 8 years :

In 14 All Blacks Tests last year they made 102 substitutions. Eighty of those substitutions were made after the 50-minute mark. In those 30 minutes the All Blacks out-scored their opponents by 183 to 53. New Zealand rugby is continuously innovating. This is why their rugby is so successful. The latest innovation is the discovery that impact off the bench is a crucial factor in winning Test matches.

" smh article - spiro "

Super Rugby isn't Test Rugby and I bet everyone of those AB's substitutions are able to play at least 75minutes

 

[Pete King]

Super Rugby isn't Test Rugby and I bet everyone of those AB's substitutions are able to play at least 75minutes

ok well the only player in contention who offers big impact but not the ability to play 80 mins is Will Skelton, I dare say Owen Finegan who scored a try in the 99 World cup GF didnt have 75 good minutes in him. Fardy is there to cover for injuries why not unleash a bloke to tear it up for 20 minutes instead of favouring a tyring plodder

 

[Pete King]

Patrick Tuipulotu is the equivalent of Willie Skelton

 

[TOCC]

Patrick Tuipulotu is the equivalent of Willie Skelton

In the sense that they are both big and raw units with a lot of potential, but in terms of fitness, Tuipulotu has played a full 80minutes for the last 5 games at the Blues.

Its starting to sound like I'm having a dig at Skelton, I'm not i think he is a fantastic young player, but his fitness level just isn't at test standard, and people need to consider this when talking about promoting him to a starting lock.

 

[Pete King]

In the sense that they are both big and raw units with a lot of potential, but in terms of fitness, Tuipulotu has played a full 80minutes for the last 5 games at the Blues.

Its starting to sound like I'm having a dig at Skelton, I'm not i think he is a fantastic young player, but his fitness level just isn't at test standard, and people need to consider this when talking about promoting him to a starting lock.

I wouldnt start him in a million years but there is merit in having him on the bench when one of the starting back rowers can cover an injury in the second row

 

[It is what it is]

With Fardy in the team, if Higginbotham was on the bench you could have Skelton too. I wouldn't go with Skelton and McCalman on the bench together though.

 

[Pete King]

agree think higgers offers more from bench then mcCalman by means of lineout options/cover too.

 

[qwerty51]

With Fardy in the team, if Higginbotham was on the bench you could have Skelton too. I wouldn't go with Skelton and McCalman on the bench together though.

Yep, Skelton and Higgers should come as a package.