Roar Guru
Joined March 2010
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When I consider the likely Test team that Dave Rennie will select, I went back and looked at various statements he has made on…
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As I cast back my mind over the last 12 months of internationals, quite aptly, the phrase "nobody is perfect" comes to mind. That…
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Another Roarer wrote an interesting article on Kurtley Beale on the site recently. He suggested that despite Beale's poor tackling record, he is still…
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Here are my player ratings from the quarter finals of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons…
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Here are my player ratings from Round 18 of Super Rugby. These rankings are for players who are eligible to be Wallabies. Submit your…
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He does have good acceleration , however I think he lacks top end. He seems similar to Muirhead, agile and nimble, good acceleration but lacks top end. Ryan doesn’t seem any quicker than Peitch and he isn’t that quick.
Toole is easily the quickest oz winger
Without seeing them chasing each other my guess at the second quickest oz winger would be Lancaster.
'Run-on debut like no other': Junior Wallabies flyer announces himself to the world after stunning hat-trick
Agree
However if Ikitau is injured who is next best at 13?
The options are Perese, Kellaway, Flook, Petaia, Daugunu, Walton, Paisami
I would have Daugunu, Walton and Paisami ahead of Flook.
Agree Paisami would be the best option at 12 (from domestic options), followed by Foketi , on current form.
'Run-on debut like no other': Junior Wallabies flyer announces himself to the world after stunning hat-trick
not sure that Ryan actually has that much raw speed, nimble and agile yes.
No where near as quick as Toole as an example.
'Run-on debut like no other': Junior Wallabies flyer announces himself to the world after stunning hat-trick
that not true, it is IF he is used for his strengths , very good wide runner, good support play, good defense, hard worker.
Better as a bench option than starter though.
Trouble is Valetini is better, and Wilson lacks other skills to start alongside him, and isn’t versatile enough to be selected on a 5:3 bench.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
He is playing much better, more consistent, and better decision making.
Also he has had some very good games at test level as well as the poor ones.
Brumbies knock over Hurricanes in statement win as Wright shines again behind forward pack
Flook wasn’t that good against the blues
'Run-on debut like no other': Junior Wallabies flyer announces himself to the world after stunning hat-trick
Vunivalu is on defence, just not interested
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
agree on the forwards but a bit early to say Ryan has all the skills.
Have not seen him under the highball under pressure. Have not seen him kick much.
Also he is a good defender but not a powerful one so he gives up metres on every tackle.
His is agile and nimble but not a particularly fast (for a winger) or powerful runner.
'Run-on debut like no other': Junior Wallabies flyer announces himself to the world after stunning hat-trick
he didn’t block and support player either, all the blues support players ran past him as he casually jogged.
No excuse whatsoever for casually jogging as others ran (from both sides) after him.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
not so sure that Wilson can start, this makes it a pretty weak lineout with no genuine lineout options in the backrow.
Other candidates I didn’t list were Uru and Hanigan at 6 because they also have the necessary lineout skill. Also why players like Leota have also been slected at 6.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
when was the last time a not straight scrum feed was free kicked?
also in the ruck it is illegal to Kick, or attempt to kick, the ball out of a ruck
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
why wouldn’t he chase a forward who ran around him as fast as he could with the game on the line? He just jogged.
That is not fully into it!
It doesn’t take rugby nous , technical knowledge, or confidence.
All he had to do was run as fast as he could and he would have caught him, instead he jogged casually waiting for others to do the work.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
the biggest issue the reds have had is not that they just lost to the best teams but losing to the weaker teams in force and Moana.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
agree that those box kicks were a terrible choice and yes contributed to the last tries.
Both reds halfbacks have a much better pass than McDermott.
Wilson should not be used as a battering ram, he is much better off running wider and not in tight.
L Wright was very very good. He was attacking the ruck often, and slowing it down or pilfering.
Also made an enormous amount of tackles. The equal most for both sides.
Agree on reds lacking physical power and smarts with the current injuries / suspensions.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
he is lazy though.
When Sotutu ran around him he jogged after him.
It doesn’t take a rugby brain to say chase the man with the ball as fast as you can. He did not try and catch him, lazy and uninterested.
He just wants highlight reels.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
Fine however LW in the final minutes also did box kicks which handed position back just 20 metres or so up from where he kicked.
Better game management would have been to run the ball or have kick it deep into a corner or kick it out. He made the worst choice of all, and executed it poorly.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
IMO the biggest backrow choice is between L Wright and Charlie Cale if you want a balanced backrow.
If you want to cover the ruck, lineout, attack out wide and in tight, and defence, link man, support play.
Choices
6 Valetini 7 McReight 8 Cale
6 L Wright 7 McReight 8 Valetini (lose a bit on attack out wide)
6 Valetini 7 L Wright 8 Wilson (lose out on linkman, and support play).
6 Valetini 7 McReight 8 Wilson (lose out on lineout)
Since Cale attacks well in the loose/ out wide , is faster than Wilson the first option is the most well rounded.
This is not to say Cale is a better 8 or better player than Wilson just his skills compliment the others the most. Wilson is a better defender, has better hands, better in tight.
'Heartbreaking': Blues sink Reds with post-siren try after rising star scores epic hat-trick
I would prefer Ikitai and Paisami ahead of Flook at 13 though.
Paisami had his best game I have seen for a very long time (if not his best ever game).
Need to see Ryan now that he will be targeted in defence and under the highball.
If he isn’t strong under the highball then he is contesting with Toole for 1 wing only.
I easily have Toole and Kellaway as the leading wingers with Wright at f/b.
'Run-on debut like no other': Junior Wallabies flyer announces himself to the world after stunning hat-trick
both, Kellaway at wing, he is a better winger than F/B, and Wright at f/b who is a better f/b than winger.
Brumbies knock over Hurricanes in statement win as Wright shines again behind forward pack
Toole and Kellaway wingers and Wright as F/B would be a very good combination
Brumbies knock over Hurricanes in statement win as Wright shines again behind forward pack
a playmaker, and more importantly game manager number 10 is not measured by any running stats, so runs, run metres, defenders beaten, clean breaks are meaningless.
You need to look at their passing, their general play kicking, their decision making.
Five surprises, five disappointments and five things to figure out as Super Rugby 2024 reaches the end game
Cale could well be in the backrow with Valetini.
Valetini plays the tight role and it allows Cale to be the wider runner, same role that Wilson does so well, with the added bonus of a lot better lineout.
Not saying right now looking forward.
Five surprises, five disappointments and five things to figure out as Super Rugby 2024 reaches the end game
you missed out on Will Harrison being if test goal kicking standard, he is even better than Lolesio in this regard
Five surprises, five disappointments and five things to figure out as Super Rugby 2024 reaches the end game
not quick enough for NFL nor robust enough
'It's disappointing': Petaia's Super season over - and it could end his Reds career
Agree to disagree
'Run-on debut like no other': Junior Wallabies flyer announces himself to the world after stunning hat-trick