Wallaby Watch 2014

[qwerty51]

Anyone can train with a squad, when teams go overseas they usually use players from that country to hold tackle bags.

 

[Braveheart81]

Wallabies squad gets named on Wednesday.

 

[BDA]

Any idea of how many in the squad? 32?

For the first Bledisloe the team basically picks itself, save for Cummins' spot. This weekend's game could be pivotal as I would expect it will go to either McCabe, Horne or Tomane.

 

[qwerty51]

I assume it's excluding Brumbies and Tahs players and will be quite big so there's ample bodies at training.

Plenty of match-ups Link will be interested in

Skelton vs Carter
Ashley-Cooper vs Kuridrani
Phipps vs White
Tomane/McCabe vs Horne
Lealiifano vs Beale

 

[Braveheart81]

The matchups between the four starting props will be important too.

Whilst I think Sio certainly did enough to cement his place in the squad in the June series, I don't think Cowan did anything to suggest that Benn Robinson is a spent force.

Ben Alexander will slot back in ahead of Weeks and Ryan.

 

[Bowside]

I think Robinson will have to play himself back into the squad over the next week or two.

 

[en_force_er]

There's actually usually 4 or 5 guys unofficially training with the Wallaby squad whenever they're Sydney or Brisbane based. Can't see why he couldn't be one of those.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

About time we had a smokey. I have not seen a lot of him this year, but the little I have seen of Jed Holloway makes me wonder how he has not cracked the Tahs yet. He seems to be a good all round eight, bit and strong.


It's about time we had another Cinderella story in our code, it is all so predictable these days. We need another Phil Kearns from reserve grade story.

I thought the same about Holloway. Surely there'd be a Super rugby side willing to play him? The fact that the Tahs are going so well rules out that option, but perhaps one of the others? I doubt we'll see a club player elevated straight to the Wallabies again though, for the same reason we don't see it in the Aussie cricket team: the pathway is too well defined now and performance at the next level down is almost totally what gets you selected in the test team.

 

[Braveheart81]

32 man squad being named in just over an hour.

My guess:

Props: Slipper, Sio, Kepu, Alexander, Weeks
Hookers: TPN, Charles, Hanson
Locks: Horwill, Simmons, Skelton, Carter, Jones
Backrow: Fardy, Hooper (c), Palu, Higginbotham, Hodgson, McCalman
Halfbacks: White, Phipps, Burgess
Fly Halves: Foley, Beale
Centres: To'omua, Leali'ifano, Kuridrani, Ashley-Cooper
Wing: Horne, Tomane, McCabe
Fullbacks: Folau

They've mentioned a couple of times that this is a Bledisloe Cup squad so I'm guessing Genia won't be named as he's unavailable for the first test or two. Likewise I'm guessing that Speight won't be named in this initial squad.

Unsure about Weeks but I'm guessing he'll be the 5th prop. Other candidates are Robinson, Cowan and Ryan.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Braveheart,
Good pick methinks. - Reckon Genia is done for this year's RC AND EOYT - he may be a chance for the RWC but shit he's giving the other three a huge headstart.

 

[Braveheart81]

I'm not so sure. I think he and Burgess will be playing plenty of NRC vying for that third halfback position for the latter part of the RC and EOYT.

If White or Phipps lose form, Genia might push back into the matchday 23.

Genia's starting position of third choice in the June series and then injured at the start of the Rugby Championship certainly makes it an uphill battle.

 

[lewisr]

Fuck yes. Henry Speight in the squad. No surprises I think, another solid selection from Link, time for some results!

 

[Braveheart81]

So Cowan is in. Weeks is not.

Jones is out.

Speight is in!

 

[Braveheart81]

Forwards: Ben Alexander, Pek Cowan, Sekope Kep,u Scott Sio,
James Slipper, Nathan Charles, James Hanson, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sam Carter,
James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Will Skelton, Scott Fardy, Scott Higginbotham, Matt
Hodgson, Michael Hooper (c), Ben McCalman, Wycliff Palu.


Backs: Luke Burgess, Nick Phipps, Nic White, Kurtley Beale, Bernard Foley,
Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Leali’ifano, Matt To'omua, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Henry
Speight, Israel Folau, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe Joe Tomane.

 

[hammertimethere]

PROP
Ben Alexander
Pek Cowan
Sekope Kepu
Scott Sio
James Slipper
HOOKER
Nathan Charles
James Hanson
Tatafu Polota-Nau
LOCK
Sam Carter
James Horwill
Rob Simmons
Will Skelton
BACKROW
Scott Fardy
Scott Higginbotham
Matt Hodgson
Michael Hooper (c)
Ben McCalman
Wycliff Palu
SCRUMHALF
Luke Burgess
Nick Phipps
Nic White
FLYHALF
Kurtley Beale
Bernard Foley
CENTRE
Tevita Kuridrani
Christian Leali’ifano
Matt To'omua
BACK-THREE
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Henry Speight
Israel Folau
Rob Horne
Pat McCabe
Joe Tomane

 

[Braveheart81]

The form of the team in the June series and the relative lack of injuries made this a very easy squad to predict.

Able to have that consistency in team selections is surely assisting with our consistency on the field.

Only naming one potential debutant (Speight) who would have debuted earlier if eligible is quite amazing from an historical perspective but again, good for our consistency, particularly with next year being a RWC year.

 

[hammertimethere]

Not a great deal to argue about. I still wish AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) was in able to play 13 but you can't have everything and I suppose it makes sense to look at him on the wing given the relative lack of experience on the flanks. It does highlight how useful it would be to have a reformed version of JOC (James O'Connor) running around. Other than that no real issues

 

[Pfitzy]

Forwards: Ben Alexander, Pek Cowan, Sekope Kep,u Scott Sio,
James Slipper, Nathan Charles, James Hanson, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sam Carter,
James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Will Skelton, Scott Fardy, Scott Higginbotham, Matt
Hodgson, Michael Hooper (c), Ben McCalman, Wycliff Palu.


Backs: Luke Burgess, Nick Phipps, Nic White, Kurtley Beale, Bernard Foley,
Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Leali’ifano, Matt To'omua, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Henry
Speight, Israel Folau, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe Joe Tomane.

Cowan? Seriously?

 

[Train Without a Station]

Unfortunate to see Jones drop out. Didn't really get much of an opportunity in June and has steadily been building for the past 2 seasons.

 

[Pfitzy]

And Burgess??? Based on what?