Wales make changes for Australia re-match

Well, I dare to wait and see what happens when they meet. :) Sorry, if I wasn't clear, I do have the highest regard for both Roberts and Phillips, and its a great shame we won't see the latter until June. Its only two days now to this test, bring it on....!

Mike i can't believe you dare to compare Barnes and JOC with Roberts, and think Genia has the potential to match or be better than Mike Phillips.

Mike not Guthro - please! Ben S - Palmer left the Tahs because they wouldn't promote him ahead of Baxter. His scrummaging looked good at the Brumbies last year but he got injured and wasn't available for selection come the internationals and WC. I'm very surprised he wasn't brought on this tour.

I think what you mean to say is "size is everything"! Apparently, Roberts has announced he's going to test out JOC and Barnes on Saturday, so we will find out how much size matters then. We'll have to wait until June to compare Phillips and Genia. But regardless, if I was a coach and these four turned up, I'd find space for all of them. But then, I'm one of those strange types who reckon the size of the fight in the dog is more important than the size of the dog in the fight!

Mike how could JOC and genia be close to , jamie roberts and mike phillips . How much bigger are ROberts, and phillips. JOC and Genia are much smaller. Mike phillips is 6'3 1/2 back. Genia is no where near the same size mike. And jamie roberts is massively bigger than Mike. The size different factor is massive Mike.

Its always difficult comparing players who will never actually compete for the same positions. Roberts is a great player, so is JOC. Same for Mike Phillips and Will Genia. Each of them are about as good as you can get. I think if a coach was given all four of them (Graham Henry with a Barbarians side for instance... ;)), he would just find a place for all four in the XXII. And God help the opposition.

Jamie oberts Ben S. Surely Jamie ROberts is a better inside centre than JOC if he was to play I/C, and Berrick Barnes or Pat Mcabe. Do you think Ben S Jamie ROberts would not be a certiany for the wallaby I/C spot. And do you really think Will Genia would challenge mike phillips for the wallaby starting spot if Mike phillips was fit , please. Will Genia is not anywhere near Mike phillips league Ben S. Are you some Ben S that thinks JOC and Will genia, are better rugby players than Jamie Roberts and Mike Phillips.

We saw on the Lions tour that Jenkins, Rees and Jones are a formidable unit, but when you take them out Wales look vulnerable. Gethin Jenkins is no technician, and Bennett is a far smaller man than Rees. I like the look of Brad Davies and Ian Evans (Evans is a very clever footballer IMO), but is perhaps more of a natural 4 than a 5, which means the Welsh lineout could be vulnerable. The back row is classy, but I don't think this is a Welsh pack capable of physically dominating any of the top sides. I think O'Connor at 10 is a real positive, and I've long been one of Mitchell's critics, so IMHO this will be a better Australian side than what we saw during the WC - more dynamic with a more reliable half-back pairing. At the end of the day people seem to be saying that Wales will be dangerous based on the WC, but in reality Wales weren't that great during the WC. I think their success was exaggerated more by poor tournaments from France, SA, England, Ireland and Australia. They failed to beat a SA side there for the taking, laboured a win over a tired Samoa, and then failed to beat a poor France side whom they had on the rack. Against Australia I thought they looked totally out of their depth, and bearing in mind the inexperience in the 9-10-13 channel, I can't see Wales suddenly pulling a big win out of the bag. I just can't see a single area of potential dominance they could exert over the Wallabies.

I recall Palmer got a few games under his belt at the Tahs a while ago. I thought he looked pretty solid, tbh. I haven't seen anything at all of Scott Andrews. He's always been around the Welsh training squads over the past few seasons without ever making the final cut. I think the replacement prop, Bevington, has a bit about him. He has impressed me.

That was sort of joking, but thinking it through, I think he would have a very strong claim. Very strong. It just reflects how bare is our cupboard in Australia. We have been using converted looseheads in the position. Many people think Dan Palmer should be our first choice TH - and he is uncapped! Andrews would be very welcome. Of course, I would rather have the Franks brothers, or Gurthro Steenkamp... ;)

Really?

Yes, I suspect Andrews would walk in to the Wallabies first XV if he wanted to emigrate....

Ben S, Thanks for your analysis. On that basis wallabies should be in the box seat, even without beale cooper mitchell and burgess. And yet... Australia has always been vulnerable to being closed down in the forwards. Ireland and South Africa did it to us in RWC, and Boks also did it to us in one of the last 3N games. Our backs didn’t get much ball, nor space in which to use it. Our pack is always fragile for a top 3 team, but on this tour its worse: 1, 3, 6, 8 and the bench look really thin. I reckon if the welsh win this, its the forwards will do it for them.

Unfortunately, and as I'm sure you've noticed, every new player that comes into the Australian team showing just a modicum of potential is touted as the next big thing. I think Slipper does show promise, but hasn't regained form after injury (but getting there). Even in form, we're talking about lowly Australian propping standards...

He hasn't played much rugby over the past few seasons. This will be a huge step up for him. I thought Slipper was the Great White Hope of Australian propping?

Ben S. Can you expand on why you think Scott Andrews might be a weak link? I confess I don't know anything about him. He's the tight head right - surely any Welsh tight head could cope with the likes of Slipper?

An exciting looking Wales side, but I think Australia should be disappointed if they don't win comfortably. No Adam Jones, AW Jones, Phillips, Hook or Byrne either. I'm excited to see players like Scott Williams and Lloyd Williams in the backline, but it is a very, very inexperienced Wales backline. As well as Wales did in the WC I also felt that they were still far too reliant on Jamie Roberts, and that their backline play lacked cutting edge and was too one-dimensional, as it has been for the past two seasons. To that extent I think they over achieved, with their only real good game coming against Ireland. Scott Andrews might also turn out to be a massive weak link.

This match is purely a money spinner for Australia and Wales. But a good money spinner why not not, keep the kitty turning over to pay the bills.

Its not a sell out yet. Looking at a crowd of 60K +. would be nice to see it full though.

Seems fair - 15 Australians facing 75,015 Welsh!