Wallaby Watch 2014

[Brumby Runner]

Ok every match has been played. This will be what Link selects on Thursday.

1. Slipper
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Jones
5. Simmons
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Palu
9. White
10. Foley
11. Horne
12. To'omua
13. Ashley-Cooper
14. Cummins
15. Folau

16. Polota-Nau
17. Sio
18. Alexander
19. Horwill
20. Higginbotham
21. Genia
22. Kuridrani
23. Beale

Horne and Foley swap on defence.

Skelton or Carter in place of Horwill, and McCabe in place of either Kuridrani or Beale. No need to swap Foley out of 10 in defense.

 

[Richo]

Kepu > Ryan

Cheika starts Ryan because he better suits the style of play that the Waratahs want, especially early in the game. He's a work-rate prop who runs very well. Kepu is more experienced, much stronger in the scrum and more skilled, but for the Tahs he is better in short bursts.

Link will be selecting based on different criteria. I think we'll see 1. Slipper, 3. Kepu after the injury to Alexander.

 

[Brumby Runner]

While Foley and Beale clearly benefit from playing together, you can't discount the fact that they're also playing with two massive attacking threats in AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Folau.

Therefore I think putting Beale into 12 for the Wallabies is not so clear cut. Especially when massive fluffybunnies like Bastareud are going to run into that channel.

Anyway, there can be little doubt that Foley has done anything he can to secure the starting 10 jersey, and even Nick Phucking Phipps has put his hand up to perhaps get a start. And if the logic of a lot of non-Tahs supporters is to be followed, a 9/10 combo from NSW might get a gig. Doubt it though.

Sorry. Selecting Phipps over Genia and White is a joke. And I don't think Link will be in a laughing mood when he picks his team!

 

[Paradox]

Would like to see a starting front row of sio moore slipper and a replacement front row of cowan tpn kepu. I think we'll end up with slipper moore kepu starting with so sio tpn ryan on bench.

 

[Paradox]

I think link will select AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) on one wing with Kuridrani at 13 To'omua at 12. Badger on other wing. Genia will be 9 and Beale at 10.

I'd like to see a White Foley 9/10 but I don't think it's going to happen just yet

 

[Tomikin]

Funny people keep saying Link will pick AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13 but he won't or he'd not put him in the outside backs .. 3 centre's Kirendarni the only 13..

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[Tomikin]

Haven't seen all of AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s game from yesterday yet but on the bits I've seen he is in career best form at 13.

Link penciled him in as a winger... So like To'omua who should be 10 but will be 12 ..AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) wil be a winger...

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[BDA]

Ryan did okay against Macintosh, but that's not saying much. He's one of the few LHP in super rugby who is actually taller than Ryan

 

[Scrubber2050]

Things we know:

Squad enters camp at Sancuary Cove today.
French test match next saturday.
Link to announce Captain on Monday
Link to announce team on Tuesday.

Link knows:
The run on team and reserves.
The Captain and Vice Captain

There will only be probably 3 training runs and a Captains Run between now and then.

The team will be known to the players at first traing run on Monday.

Whatever team Link chooses, Australia is much better placed to p[erform at the higest level than at any time during the Deans era.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Link penciled him in as a winger. So like To'omua who should be 10 but will be 12 ..AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) wil be a winger.

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And Link had Kepu in the original squad and only brought Ryan in as replacement for Benny A. So, Slipper will start at No1, Kepu T No 3, To'omua at 12 and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 14. Much prefer to see Foley at 10 rather than Beale.

My guess at Link's first team is,
Slipper,
Moore (c),
Kepu,
Jones,
Simmons,
Fardy,
Hooper (vc),
Palu,
White,
Foley,
Cummins,
To'omua (vc),
Kuridrani,
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper),
Folau

TPN,
Sio,
Ryan,
Skelton,
Higgers,
Genia,
Beale,
McCabe.

On THPs, I would like to see Aloe-Emile brought into the squad in preference to switching Slipper or Cowan, or bringing in Pae.

 

[Athilnaur]

Most of the XV picks itself judging from the various posts here. My take on contentious spots other than front row which I'll defer to people with a clue thanks;

Horwill will play, Jones bench. Hard to pass up Horwills experience and passion.

Fardy, Hooper, Palu, Higgers bench for his utility and ability to conjure stuff up.

Genia. If Genia had played poorly this week White had a shot. But the possibility an in form Genia down the track is so compelling White is hosed in my view.

Beale. I can see why people say Foley and Foley's kicking might get him there but Beale's experience and proven ability to bring it when the pressure is at his highest gets him the start I'd say.

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to outside centre. Wing is the obvious option but AACs ability to engage the opposition and set Folau wins the day. On that basis McCabe to wing with the Badger. McCabes speed and proven ability in high pressure games wins him a spot over Horne.

 

[Richo]

Funny people keep saying Link will pick AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13 but he won't or he'd not put him in the outside backs .. 3 centre's Kirendarni the only 13.

I'm sure Link knows how to use Microsoft Word and can easily move AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to a different table cell.

 

[RedsHappy]

Things we know:

Squad enters camp at Sancuary Cove today.
French test match next saturday.
Link to announce Captain on Monday
Link to announce team on Tuesday.

Link knows:
The run on team and reserves.
The Captain and Vice Captain

There will only be probably 3 training runs and a Captains Run between now and then.

The team will be known to the players at first traing run on Monday.

Whatever team Link chooses, Australia is much better placed to p[erform at the higest level than at any time during the Deans era.

I absolutely hope so, and get your argument.

But I worry that a vital piece is missing: Link has not upgraded his Wallaby Assistants. The only one of which is any way seriously proven is McKay, and he not really over a full Test season. Blades and Scrivener are totally unproven and their handiwork in 2013 was far from impressive. No full-time kicking coach, no team sports psychologist, no renown S&C coach (as far as I can tell).

Link has only ever once designed a full coaching team that won a top prize: in 2010-11. Once that group dissembled from 2012, the Reds were never the same again. Link's 'grand transition' to his hand-picked R Graham has, so far, been a dismal failure.

We shall soon see if Link's technical coaching skill is matched by an equally important managerial one in building in the right combinations of specialist coaching expertise, but the omens are ambiguous at best.

 

[BDA]

the problem with moving AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to 13 is that we are already short on genuine wingers, but have an embarrassment of riches in the centres.

 

[Pfitzy]

Also if Slipper plays tighthead we do get to have our scrum utterly demolished because this is TEST RUGBY, not fucking tiddlywinks.

Fixed. Honestly, playing Slipper out of position to justify getting Sio on the park is about the worst argument I've heard.

Are you a back?

Problem is that the style most Super rugby coaches want requires more mobile, good-round-the-park props who can scrum OK. The approach to Pro rugby up north in that department is different. They value a different quality.
It doesn't mean we can't have good scrummagers, but that aspect has long been a secondary thing in Aus rugby. I wish it weren't so.

If Salesi "Fat Kid" Ma'afu can get a contract up there as a prop, then its clear just how big the gulf is!

It'll be Kepu at THP, because Link knows that we need a solid scrum to prevent the French getting any momentum. Ryan will go to the bench.

Hopefully, after all the Deans fart-arsing around, and the PROOF that players out of position don't perform as well, we get a team that is doing the simple things well.

 

[Pfitzy]

Sorry. Selecting Phipps over Genia and White is a joke. And I don't think Link will be in a laughing mood when he picks his team!

Yeah, did you see the bit where I said it was doubtful?

Selecting Phipps over Genia right now is an even-money prospect. His form, as with a lot of the Tahs right now, is career-best. Genia could hardly aspire to say that about himself right now, but his career high is a lot higher than most.

White may have had a good game against the Rebels, and been solid all year, but many, MANY Reds and Brumbies fans were all "oh yes, we believe combinations should be picked" before it was clear that one of the horses in that combination was lame.

 

[BDA]

Genia will start. He had a great game on Friday so it's hard to say he's out of form. He's a proven big match test player and he is better suited to the style of game the wobs will play on saturday.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Yeah, did you see the bit where I said it was doubtful?

Selecting Phipps over Genia right now is an even-money prospect. His form, as with a lot of the Tahs right now, is career-best. Genia could hardly aspire to say that about himself right now, but his career high is a lot higher than most.

White may have had a good game against the Rebels, and been solid all year, but many, MANY Reds and Brumbies fans were all "oh yes, we believe combinations should be picked" before it was clear that one of the horses in that combination was lame.

The combination of White/To'omua would be the strongest test 10/12 ATM. But Link has Matty at 12, so that's not on the cards. In its absence, a partnership of White/Foley or Genia/Foley beats Phipps/anyone hands down. I know Link also sees Beale as a 10, but if he goes that way I expect we will again get a toweling at the hands of the ABs and perhaps Saffas. Even the French will be smacking their lips at the prospect of Basteraud running at and over the Beale speed bump. And don't suggest, please, that Beale should defend on the wing. That was shown as being totally inadequate by the Chiefs yesterday.

 

[BDA]

surely Foley's performance against Cruden yesterday will see him given the no.10 jersey

 

[Pfitzy]

The combination of White/To'omua would be the strongest test 10/12 ATM.

Typically, the Arabic number system indicates that White is wearing "9" on his back, as a rule. Not sure how you get that wrong...

In its absence, a partnership of White/Foley or Genia/Foley beats Phipps/anyone hands down.

Oh well I'm glad we cleared that up. Weren't you one of the people saying it HAD to be a To'omua/Lilo 10/12 combination because Brumbies?