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One year out, who will play for the Wallabies at the World Cup?

PJP new author
Roar Rookie
29th October, 2014
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Israel Folau - the first selected in the green and gold. (Photo: supplied)
PJP new author
Roar Rookie
29th October, 2014
96
1902 Reads

With a tumultuous couple of weeks behind us, I wanted to try and discuss the future of Australian rugby.

While history will say the Mckenzie era a failure on stats alone, he has promoted some wonderful talent. With consistency these guys can be developed into a winning side.

McKenzie was unlucky with injuries to key personnel, which no-doubt worked to destabilise the team.

I think its no co-incidence that this period of internal upheaval coincided with the injuries to David Pocock (a natural leader well respected by the team), Stephen Moore, Will Genia and the loss of form and confidence of James Horwill.

These guys are the natural leaders in Australian rugby, and anyone who has coached team sport knows these leaders are vital to team stability. Michael Hooper is a great talent, but in my eyes doesn’t have the maturity to lead the Wallabies yet.

I’d like to look beyond this end of season tour, in the hope that everyone will be back on deck come the World Cup, and pick what I consider our best.

Lets start with the fat blokes. The complaint of every Wallaby supporter for the past 15 years has been our inability to compete internationally come scrum time.

I fail to see how our Super Rugby teams seemingly have no problem, only to see us get dished up consistently in the yellow jersey.

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The Wallabies have a proud history, and many great players have pulled on the jersey, however the fact that Ben Alexander and Al Baxter are our most capped tight heads ever says something about our problems in the past 10 years.

Having said all that, James Slipper and Sekope Kepu seem to be developing into a formidable combination, and with Moore’s arms around them I think we have a competitive front row.

Instructions must be scrummage first, the rest is a bonus. Who replaces them is our biggest problem, with little time to be resolved. Saia Fainga’a has really stepped up in the past few weeks, playing with controlled aggression and doing the basics right (lineouts, scrums). He gets the nod ahead of Tatafu Polota-Nau. Sio looks to be a developing talent at loose head, but I am stumped at backup tighthead.

It’s the Wallabies biggest concern. Maybe Tetera Faulkner could be that man.

The second row is a real problem and the point of difference between us and other international sides.

These guys must offer more than just lineout ability, especially if we want our front concentrating on set piece. These guys have to take up the slack. A good pack is always the sum of all its parts, and this is why the All Blacks dominate.

Their ability to create players that can master all facets of the game is the key. Rob Simmons, while clearly a great lineout technician, lacks any presence in ball carrying or cleanout. Sam Carter, while young and with potential, is solely there for his work rate to make up for Simmons lack thereof.

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The key is getting Horwill back to the level he was pre his knee injury, when he was considered a world class lock, playing with aggression and hitting the gain line consistently.

I would like to see Luke Jones partnering him, who I think has the ability to become something special. He is aggressive, runs hard and is a good lineout jumper. My bench lock would be Will Skelton against bigger less mobile packs and Carter against the All Blacks etc.

The balance of the backrow is vital, and something McKenzie was unable to achieve. Pocock coming back is the key here. He plays hard over the ball, and leads from the front.

Again while Hooper is an amazing talent, in my opinion he unbalances the backrow. I think they have been forced to pick Scott Fardy at six because Hooper’s style is not to play on the ball. Fardy somewhat makes up for this.

The problem is we are left with our best gain line forward at seven playing wide of the ruck, and our best on-baller at six. While Fardy is a good footballer, he rarely carries with any authority. My backrow would be Pocock at seven and captain, Higginbottom at six, with the freedom to play a little wider aka Kieran Read, and Ben McCalman at 8.

I know there’s a large crew that don’t rate McCalman at international level, however I think he’s a workhorse in defence, and runs hard and often with the ball.

He plays close to the ruck and would compliment Higgers and Pockock well. My bench would see Hooper come on for Higgers if things were tight, or McCalman if we were looking to loosen things up a bit.

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So that’s the boring bit out of the way, let’s talk about the rugby players.

I like the way Phipps is developing his game, and until Genia gets back to his best, he gets the start. While Phipps pass needs attention, his speed to the breakdown is key, and he looks to clear from the ruck immediately.

Genia’s game suffered when Deans decided to try and focus play off him. The pressure on him to produce something became too much. One of the key’s to the All Blacks play at the moment is the speed of Aron Smith and his ability to clear the ball away from congestion quickly, giving his backs time and space to conjure something up.

If Genia can get back to this style, then he get’s the start, however until then, I see Phipps as our best option.

Flyhalf has been a problem for Australia, with an obsession to try and fit some kind of magician into the play making role. While Cooper, O’Connor and Beale’s skill sets are impressive (in attack), I just don’t see it as needed by the current Wallabies.

We have some fantastic attacking weapons out wide, and should concentrate on getting them as much ball as possible. Foley has done an admirable job at 10, but like those I mentioned above (with exception of O’Connor maybe), he cannot tackle, and this is a major problem.

Matt Toomua would be my 10. He’s cool under pressure, has a good tactical kicking game, tackles well and has good vision. All the attributes you need. Michael Lynagh, Steve Larkham, Tim Horan, Dan Carter are all brilliant players, but none would be considered ‘mecurial’. It’s just not needed at 10 or 12, leave that for the glory boys wider out.

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The centres I’d like to see? Kyle Godwin partner Tevita Kirandrani. They are both big men, with the ability to dominate the gain line.

Godwin also has a history of playing 10, and will add the ball playing ability at 12, that has set Wallaby backline play apart from the All Blacks and Boks over time.

Finally the back three – this is where we want the ball with space and time given the talent available.

Israel Folau obviously at fullback, with Henry Speight on one wing and James O’Connor on the other.

That represents a balance of power and skill, with James O’Connor having the ability to ghost into the play making role as needed. The bench for the backline sees Genia, Beale and Adam Ashley-Cooper having an ability to cover all positions and add spark when introduced.

So baring injuries, that’s my 23 for next year’s World Cup final when we role England in the final. Are they good enough to claim the Webb Ellis?

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