Wallaby Watch 2014

[Scrubber2050]

Pick the best team that is possible from players that are avauilable

that should be the stategy each and every time whether we play the AB's or the USA

There are no "friendlies" at test level

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't really understand this talk about waiting to blood new players in the RC?

I don't think there will really be any clear intention to blood new players at any point prior to RWC 2015.

We've had so many new test players in the last year or two that there isn't really a need to blood new players. There will surely be some debutants this year but it will be by players showing superb form and/or because of injuries to seasoned Wallabies.

I think McKenzie will very much be looking at his side that went well on the EOYT and continue developing that all the way up to the RWC. I doubt we'll see any dramatic shift prior to the RWC in terms of selecting lots of new players or phasing out older players.

 

[Viking]

We play France in 5 weeks, though.

Wow did not realise it was this soon.

 

[Dumbledore]

We've had so many new test players in the last year or two that there isn't really a need to blood new players.

There's a few areas of need I reckon, or at least areas where we need to have a serious look at some of the depth players and combinations.

Need to see what we've got at lock, hooker, THP, scrumhalf, flyhalf, both centres and wing. Worth having a look at a few project players too, who might not be quite there yet but will be better for the exposure to Test rugby. Guys like Mogg, CFS, Coleman, Jones, who are knocking on the door now but might well be forcing the issue by next year.

 

[Braveheart81]

There's a few areas of need I reckon, or at least areas where we need to have a serious look at some of the depth players and combinations.

Need to see what we've got at lock, hooker, THP, scrumhalf, flyhalf, both centres and wing. Worth having a look at a few project players too, who might not be quite there yet but will be better for the exposure to Test rugby. Guys like Mogg, CFS, Coleman, Jones, who are knocking on the door now but might well be forcing the issue by next year.

I get what you're saying and certainly think Jones could easily debut this year but most of the players named in any squad will already be Wallabies thanks to the number of players we've capped in the last couple of years.

Mogg and CFS are already Wallabies so I guess most of my point was that a lot of the fringe options we currently have are both young and already Wallabies.

I can't see Coleman (either of them) getting a Wallaby cap this year.

The third and fourth choice hookers, halfbacks, THP are already Wallabies as are five potential fly halves (Cooper, To'omua, Foley, Beale, Leali'ifano).

 

[Dumbledore]

Yeah, I take the point. I guess I wasn't saying so much we need to cap new guys as we need to give some of the fringe, but in form, guys a proper run to see what they're made of?

You obviously want to try and build some continuity heading into 2015, but I do think we need to play around a bit this year.

 

[Viking]

At this stage I definitely think we need to blood a new lock (from the bench) as our current lock stocks in Horwill, Simmons, Douglas are becoming pedestrian.

Winger their will be Spreight. Can't see anymore.

 

[Dumbledore]

At this stage I definitely think we need to blood a new lock (from the bench) as our current lock stocks in Horwill, Simmons, Douglas are becoming pedestrian.

Winger their will be Spreight. Can't see anymore.

Agree completely. Carter, Jones, Skelton and Coleman (at a stretch) should all be given a look. Horwill at his best was great, but he just hasn't shown anything more than glimpses this season. Simmons had an excellent EOYT but hasn't been all that great in the Soup - and his decision making still scares me. Douglas is a pretty eh player. When you look at some of the locking combos we'll likely be up against, Whitelock-Retallick, Etzebeth- Du Toit, Launchberry - Laws etc., it becomes an area where we concede quite a bit of ground.

 

[Brumby Runner]

'World Class' front row is an interesting way to put it. It's good by Aussie standards, but then in any list of the world's best props, there are no Aussie names in the top 20. Good props by Aussie standards are quite a different beast from world class props - of which there are none in Australia. It's been our weakest link for 20+ years.

I think the Brumbies have a run of the mill scrum by Super Rugby standards, which is good by Aussie standards. They can dominate occasionally against weak scrums but are still liable to lose a few tightheads and generally struggle to compete against scrums that are good by Super Rugby standards. In those cases, their game, like the Wallabies game, is based on surviving that area and winning other areas.

Dreaming! Brumbies scrum has only had difficulties after the starting props/locks have been replaced. Otherwise, they are the equal or better than all other serums in the Super comp.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Skelton can't jump at all - no prick can lift the big bugger

 

[Scrubber2050]

Dreaming! Brumbies scrum has only had difficulties after the starting props/locks have been replaced. Otherwise, they are the equal or better than all other serums in the Super comp.

BR I may be wrong but I thought Sio was on for all 3 scrum losses

 

[Slim 293]

BR I may be wrong but I thought Sio was on for all 3 scrum losses

He might've been, but the Brumbies had dominated the Chiefs scrum for 65-70 minutes before that..........

The Brumbies no doubt have the best scrum in the Australian conference, and one of the strongest scrums in the competition.......... but it's certainly not infallible and they don't have the tight 5 depth to keep the dominance for a full 80 minutes.........

 

[fatprop]

Skelton can't jump at all - no prick can lift the big bugger

I see units like Skelton being used as lifters, he may not be able to leave the ground by much, but he could throw a unit like Hooper over the goal posts

 

[Brumby Runner]

BR I may be wrong but I thought Sio was on for all 3 scrum losses

I'm sure he had been replaced by Smith before at least the last two losses. And on those two occasions, the ball was actually inadvertently kicked back by a lock in one instance and by a flanker in the other. Not really tight heads at all, but errors on the part of the players involved. Not a reflection on the front row regardless.

 

[Brumbieman]

Whilst To'omua is currently the best 10, the combination of Cooper 10 and To'omua 12 is certainly the best option.

To'omua has all the attributes as an inside centre, and Cooper thrives with a ball player outside him.

No brainer for mine

Well, actually, i'd say it's the opposite, given his form in recent years.

Cooper is a playmaker who needs lots of people running direct lines at holes, and he will turn professional defences into a colander if you give him that.

There is no one better in Australia at seeing who the defence is focussing on and then giving it to someone they're not. If you select a backline full of playmakers, rather than runners, you nullify his strength because everyone is then trying to use their footwork and skills and sideways running to create things on their own.

Give Cooper a very direct, straight running 12 and he thrives. Give him a 2nd flyhalf and he struggles, because what he's waiting for is everyone to just charge at a gap and make the defence commit, at which point he puts it out in front of the man who is hitting the best line. To'omua is filling that role. His playmaking skills are a bonus, but the primary reason that pairing works is because To'omua runs fucking hard, and straight at the biggest gap in front of him.

If you put a Giteau at 12, it all falls apart because the Giteau also wants it early and wants to dance and run around people and not smash through a hole, so it just gets shuffled out to the 13, who then needs to be a big bastard to make any headway or have a chance of straightening the attack.

That's why Lealiifano struggles at 12, comparatively to his form at 10, and why To'omua seems to step up a gear when playing 12. Lealiifano is a playmaker, To'omua is a Horan style 12 who's grown up playing 10 and wants to stay there. He can play it, and fairly well because of his talent, but he'll always have more impact on the game at 12 where he can take hitups, run over people, smash them in defence, and still have the ball playing skills to cover for a flyhalf buried in a ruck.

 

[Brumbieman]

How about this for the Frogs:

Slipper
Moore
Alexander
Jones
Carter
Fardy
Hooper
Mowen/Higgers/Palu

White
Cooper
Tomane
To'omua
Kuridrani
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Folau


Simmons and Horwill aren't in form, and need a real kick up the arse. Jones is having a beast of a season and is maturing into a good lock, but he's more a loose than tighthead lock. Carter is our form tighthead lock atm, and he plays like one too.

 

[Dumbledore]

I like that Bman. Wouldn't mind seeing McCalman have a shot at 8. Maybe even take a flyer on Mogg for a wing spot. It's a very one-paced backline otherwise.

 

[cyclopath]

Skelton can't jump at all - no prick can lift the big bugger

Well he has been used as a jumper, and been lifted. So he can. But he's not as easy an option as some others, for sure. You'd need 2 other really good options at least.
I reckon his biggest attribute is his ability to fuck up opposition mauls. He does that better than most others I've seen this year. A real pest.
I can't quite see him at Test level yet, until he gets a bit more endurance, but the scope is there for that to happen when you look at his improvement from last year to this year.

 

[daz]

Give Cooper a very direct, straight running 12 and he thrives.

That has Pat McCabe written all over it.

 

[Tomikin]

That has Pat McCabe written all over it.

last time we beat the AB I'm pretty sure Pat was 12

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