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Joined January 2010
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Like for like changes in the run-on. Maybe Jones provides a little more oomph and less speed… but it looks like Cheika’s made his mind up about the shape of the team.
Must be some niggles on the bench if Cheika hasn’t finalised it – one of the props, Howell and one of Cooper/Horne. Let’s see who ends up fit…
Henry Speight to make debut: Wallabies team to play Ireland
I nearly had kittens when he kicked it, but in retrospect it I believe was deliberate and thought through. I think the idea was to get it out of their half and to trust their defence to man up away from the red zone, and to give themselves a chance to clean up any missed tackles. Which is exactly what happened.
I don’t think they trusted the chance of a turnover or a penalty from tired forwards not getting up off the ground late in the game.
SPIRO: 10 out of 10 for Wallabies against Wales
Ella talked a lot about dealing with this in his book about backline play. The problem hasn’t changed that much. Players might be fitter so they can keep the pressure up for longer, but the pressure was always there.
Getting better all the time: Why rugby is the best it has ever been
Ella gets annoyed with people who assume that it was all talent and instinct. Everything they did was practiced and practiced and practiced. He was fit – he just never looked hurried. He was never (IMHO) a flashy player a la QC or Carlos Spencer. He was much more like Foley or Aaron Cruden, with sympatheic passes to players going forward and backing up.
Getting better all the time: Why rugby is the best it has ever been
Agreed. The ‘penalty’ punishment for poor body position or being out muscled is way out of wack. It should be converted to a short arm free kick and the game continue – possession has been won and the game restarted. If the scrum is not in the red zone and the dominant team wants another scrum, eventually it should be uncontested. Different for a pushover of course, but I’m sure that this could be worked out fairly.
Getting better all the time: Why rugby is the best it has ever been
+1
QC was still trying the miracle passes rather than giving it to the right player on the front foot. But then if anyone can straighten him out its Cheika
SPIRO: Cheika's Wallabies won't be Pulverised
The only non-test is the barbarians game. He needs to blood/work his newbies so I picked this:
Benn Robinson
Josh Mann-Rea
Ben Alexander
Will Skelton
Rob Simmons
Sean McMahon
Matt Hodgson
Scott Higginbotham
Nick Phipps
Bernard Foley
Henry Speight
Kyle Godwin
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Joe Tomane
Israel Folau
with giving AAC the honour of captaining. where there was a choice I picked the attacking player in keeping with a Barbs game.
I don’t think Genia or QC are up to running a test yet, and assuming there are no bolters from the Barbs game, this would be my first test team:
James Slipper
Saia Fainga’a
Sekope Kepu
Sam Carter
Rob Simmons
Scott Higginbotham
Michael Hooper (c)
Ben McCalman
Nick Phipps
Bernard Foley
Henry Speight
Christian Leali’ifano
Tevita Kuridrani
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Israel Folau
James Hanson
Benn Robinson
Ben Alexander
James Horwill
Matt Hodgson
Will Genia
Quade Cooper
Rob Horne
Cheika has tough decisions to make in the Wallabies backline
When I played I used a mantra “Do your job THEN change the game THEN break the game” . Most of the stats are in the “change the game” rather than “do your job” category which is, I think, why you have a hesitancy about Mtwarira: there are some gaps in his basic loose-head-prop-ness.
re Etzebeth and Galarza, generally you have a jumping and a working lock, not two the same type. Pick one of these two then pick Retallick.
re Fekitoa and Kuridrani, same issue – they’ve picked similar players with similar stats. What about try assists, or metres assists maybe (ie metres gained from sympathetic passes)? And I’ve always looked to see what the the 5/8 did if the outside centre has a prominent game.
Flawed Statistics? Fox Sports Stats Team of the RC
Are you serious? The only time I saw them played in their entirety was in the old natrional rugby comp and they worked a treat. The games were fast and clean. The application of the laws was transparent – exactly what was the intention.
The real problem with the application of the ELVs was that they were designed as a package NOT as a pick and mix. I agree: taking a couple of rules and applying them over the old set WAS a disaster
SPIRO: The ARU needs to push for the fully monty ELVs
I suspect your suggestions would make the game MORE complex, with different interpretations depending on the circumstances, the period of the game and the position on the field.
The ELVs were about SIMPLIFYING the rules and were not a pick and mix set. They were designed to be applied as a package.
the old National Rugby Championship held some time ago applied the rules in full. I thought they worked fantastically well. The ruck/maul worked a treat – the forwards worked out quickly how to protect the ball, backs were getting quick ball and there was some great competition for the ball as well.
SPIRO: The ARU needs to push for the fully monty ELVs
AAC was moved to the wing to cover McCabe being seriously injured and no obvious winger replacement. This was about the paucity of wingers not TK’s form. I would have brought on TK ahead of Peter Betham as well.
In fact the choice of McCabe over TK in the first place is telling.
However good on TK for playing well and putting himself forward.
Steady as she goes for the Wallabies
That sounds like the tackle on Folau in the second all blacks game…
and AlsBoyce, your point is further emphasised by the fact that the tackle is the reason AAC is out this week.
Steady as she goes for the Wallabies
Well we’re certainly arguing about it 🙂
SPIRO: McKenzie's final XV is a work in progress
I agree on Simmons – he went up a lot in my estimation.
I have also been disappointed in Fardy’s contribution this year. Seems like the sophomore blues. The way the scrum disintegrated when he was in the second row was BAD, particularly given he has played second row all year. At the time I considered whether or not yellow carded second rowers should be replaced by specialist second rowers, like we do the front row, but then realised that we probably would have brought Fardy on anyway!
SPIRO: McKenzie's final XV is a work in progress
That was always the argument about QC 🙂
Although I haven’t seen any complaints about Beale’s ACTUAL defence over the past couple of months, only opinion based on his history.
In my opinion he executed a cracking tackle on Nadrani on the weekend and stopped a certain try 🙂
Wallaby backline headaches hit McKenzie
Had tickets in the pleb rows and got there (by public transport) well in advance. All good. Only to find that the queue to get in (gate H by the way; hello and commiserations to fellow gate H’ers out there)was hundreds of metres long, curling around itself like a tape worm. Took over 40 minutes to get in, at 7.40. So I did see the kickoff, but there were HUNDREDS of people behind me that weren’t so lucky. Completely amateurish from a group aspiring to be the premier stadium in…somewhere.
Not happy Jan.
My love/hate letter to ANZ Stadium
+1 on Hoiles. Saw him play for Randwick couple of weeks ago and he looked accomplished – his skill levels were a step above – but not outstanding. But he’s one of those players who looks better in better company. He seemed to make ground in traffic.
He does look smaller than his peers – is that right?
SPIRO: Waratahs and Sharks finalists but who are the other four?
Possibles:
combination of Moore and TPN (not one or the other as there is nobody behind them)
Skelton
Higginbotham (although I think he’s too lazy in the end to make it)
Hooper/Pocock
Palu
Genia (too cranky at the moment)
QCooper
Beale (has the x-factor)
Speight
Folau
SPIRO: Here come Japan and Scotland in new IRB world order
Ah yes let’s pause in blessed memory……. Now carry on
SPIRO: Here come Japan and Scotland in new IRB world order
“The wallabies want someone who straightens the attack, that isn’t AAC greatest asset.”? Did I miss something?
Do the Wallabies pose a serious threat to the All Blacks?
Looks like we’ve been watching different players for the last 10 years. My observation has been that AAC ALWAYS straightens at outside centre – I’ve NEVER seen him crowd his winger by running to the wider channel. His problem has always been with positioning the pass – he gets defenders between him and his outside support, which indicates to me that he has taken the inside channel when straightening.
Do the Wallabies pose a serious threat to the All Blacks?
Well, the League half plays the union 5/8 role (witness Ricky Stuart) and the League 5/8 plays the second 5 (in NZ parlance) role. And Cameron Smith would be a great union half back.
Coming back to the point Beale is and should be a second 5, not first 5. At first 5 he firstly has to run the show (which stifles his ability to read and attack the defensive line) and he secondly doesn’t have enough room to run at the defence – hence he runs across the line at times. At second 5 we get to see him as a BALL CARRIER rather than as a passer – we get to see his hands, feet, speed and vision. I agree his defensive technique has been poor, but he has been working with Nathan Grey and that seems to be making some headway.
SPIRO: Good Will (Skelton) hunting for new Wallaby star
ooo I have an opinion about this 🙂
5/8 choice is between Foley and Toomua (Beale has not been playing there and in any case trying to manage the game stifles his ability to read and distort the defence lines). Foley offers soft hands, steady head and flat passes, and a first choice goal kicking option; Toomua offers more aggression in attack and defence and a better kick out of the hand. I’d choose Foley because generally his outside centres are more prominent than Toomua’s, which is an indication that foley provides them with more/better space over the game.
At inside centre: Beale, Toomua, McCabe. I’ve excluded CLL because I really think is fourth choice at best at the moment – not playing with any prominence for the Brumbies, and they’ve looked better when McCabe replaces him. Toomua offers good hands, straight running, energy and aggressive defence (a lovely tackle), although his defence at times is suspect because his lines and instinct are a 5/8th’s, leaving holes behind his rush-up. Beale offers hands, feet, speed and vision and understanding with folau and foley, and a second choice/long range goalkicker (although less important with White); his direct running does not bend the line and his defence technique has been poor in the past (although he seems to have handled this year OK; maybe Nathan Grey is making a difference). McCabe offers great running lines and bends the defensive line like a much bigger forward, plus speed and defence. My choice: Beale has the x-factor.
Outside Centre: AAC and Kuridrani. both similar players; Kuridrani is bigger; AAC straighter and runs better lines but has trouble positioning a pass. Defensively, Kuridrani hits harder but AAC is the better organised and coverer. My choice: AAC has the better form coming into the games.
Do the Wallabies need to make some changes?
Read this after the match. Remarkably prescient. If only I’d known I wouldn’t have been so anxious watching 🙂
My message to England's underwhelming forwards