Well, amidst all the chatter about the timing of Kurtley Beale coming off the bench, two very nice points should be made.
The first is that wins over the South Africans are historically hard to come by and the one on the weekend came when our guys weren’t at the top of their game.
Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley hadn’t started for a few weeks and it showed. The match will serve to improve them though.
Second, and probably more importantly, the omens are good.
Assuming Quade Cooper and Will Genia return to their potential form, the Wallabies will have two complete Test-standard back lines. Special thanks should go to the Waratahs’ attack and defence coaches for developing a template which should infuse the whole squad over the next few months.
I seriously can’t think of the last time there was this much depth in the Wallabies squad.
In Genia and Phipps, we have two halves who would compete to be in the top three national teams. Likewise Foley and Adam Ashley-Cooper and then Beale and Matt Tomua.
Ashley-Cooper and Tevita Kuridrani are both incisive players of calibre. As for wingers, there are at least two in Henry Speight and Ben Horne with potentially more coming in James O’Connor and Karmichael Hunt.
True, there is only one fullback in this league. Given his prodigious talents though, Israel Folau is enough if he continues to remain as fit as he’s been. In any case, Beale and O’Connor provide good cover with Christian Lealiifano covering for them. He can kick too.
I think the Wallabies’ stock of backs is as good as it’s been for a long time. Ian’t quite see the same double coverage of the top nations’ quality in the forwards, though.
Play the Game
Guest
Folau is overrated at fullback ,he does not know how to truly play that position ....he is a winger.The only backs worthy of note is Genia, Toomua and AAC. Only Genia would make the all Blacks.
The King
Guest
There is another "The King" out there! You seem a little more fired up then me, but I agree with your sentiment- few pretty condescending Kiwi's out there. Not bad when our 4th winter sport draws with there only industry.
JKat
Guest
That was 12 years ago. I seem to recall he improved (or at least the team did) and the results nearer the end of his tenure there were better....performing well at the 2003 World Cup. I would like to hear some insider comments on comparing Henry to Hansen....to Link.
Justin3
Guest
You are joking, Moore would start, dint be foolish
Jake
Guest
No, not the coach. This is the guy who "coached" Wales to 11 straight losses. Cant' think of a coach of a 1st tier rugby side with a worse losing record than that.
Ken Stewart
Guest
How long since aussie have won the World Cup?
JKat
Guest
hey mace22. What do you think of the idea that the AB's have done so well over the last 3 years due to the quality and stability in the coaching, rather than talent in the players? By stability I mean that the current coach has been involved in the AB's for, what, 10 years now?
Zack
Roar Rookie
I agree. Look at Folau, Cooper, Hooper, McKenzie...LOL
Zack
Roar Rookie
Bitter much ?? LOL..
richard
Guest
I think the general standard of world rugby isn't that good atm.NZ is streets ahead,and I don't see anyone really pushing them.Australia,England,and SA can all beat them on their day,but none of these sides are going to consistently do it. As to your forward pack,I only rate Slipper as truly world class,your second row is average as are your back row.In the backs the one player that would make the NZ squad would be Folau,but how many others? Where Australia do well is in working as a team,and they have an uncanny knack of being able to mask their deficiencies.Take the game v the Boks on the weekend,Australia should have been smashed,yet found a way to win.
JKat
Guest
My memory of such things goes back decades, as I stated in the earlier post. I disagree with comments that the AB players are so talented and others are not. I support my position by referring to similar comments over 24 years only to watch those same supposedly less talented teams beating the allblacks in various bledisloes or World Cup semis or quarters and very nearly in a AB home World Cup final. I further support my position with the theory roughly equating to star team on their day will beat a team of overconfident stars. I don't see the controversy. The current AB team is playing very well but if u start thinking they r doing so merely due to greater individual talent then ur sadly (on many levels) mistaken. Apologies for poor writing but my screen is tiny and my thumbs are big.
The King
Guest
Hope hope you kiwis keep your talking up until the next World Cup... One "almost choke" win and all if a sudden you're experts. Let's remember your team's performance doesnt give your comments any weight
mace22
Guest
How about lets wait for the next 50 yrs to see how they front up and play, Better still the next 100 yrs. Lets forget about the one loss since the last world cup. Seriously you can't predict how a team will go in the future, only what they've done up to this point. Up to this point the AB's have done bloody well. But maybe the all blacks aren't that good, it's just that every other team is she ite.
Phantom
Roar Rookie
Cj will not be a first choice when all are fully fit
Ronaldo
Guest
Note for JKat ... I won't call you a dope if you make comments like the last one. That I can agree with ... your previous efforts are not so lucid & gave rise to my earlier jibe. So we agree that the AB's continue to front up & play. Lets see how they go over the next 12 months & then at then at the WC.
The King
Guest
The ABs clearly have more talent in the backline- this article is kinda embarrassing coming off a poor showing against SA and a pasting from NZ. Aust aren't bad, but they have to take an honest look at themselves and their domestic systems- articles like this cover up deep rooted issues.
Willie La'ulu
Guest
Lol your comments are terrible. You have no point. The last team to beat us was England in England. I don't think we were too high on our laurels then, and since.. No one has beaten us. So riddle me what you mean by "I've heard it before another team beat them"... Because I'm pretty sure since the World Cup we have lost one test only and it damn sure wasn't to the "All-Star" backs the Wallabies apparently have
Willie La'ulu
Guest
You're right, you need a bloody miracle !
Geroy Asap Bevie
Guest
#1-Slipper #2-TPN #3-Sio #4-Simmins #5-Horwill #6-Hodgson #7-Hooper #8-Higgers ... #9-Phipps #10-Foley #11-Horne #12-Beale #13-Kuridrani #14-Tomane #15-Folau I think McKenzi should control his #12 selection like Heineke Meyer controll his Hooker selection.....Toomua starts one week then Beale the other week 'this way evrybody will be happy & treated fair
JKat
Guest
Ronaldo, not sure you read my comment correctly. Perhaps it was poorly written. Or perhaps I have misunderstood your comment. I certainly am struggling on that count. Care to elaborate on why I am a dope? My point is that I keep hearing people claim the allblacks are the most talented players. But I heard the same claim just before some other team beat them. Often beating them convincingly. Sometimes repeatedly. I don't credit the ABs as having the most talented players, however currently they are clearly the best team. Talent at the individual level is over-rated in rugby.