Wallabies vow to play a high-tempo, risky game at Twickenham

Yes lets stick to the facts. Alexander White Beale Robinson All selected by the last 3 Wallaby coaches. All considered amoungst the best Australia has. I know, lets run them down and rubbish them because we dont like them. Thats really classy and great support for your team. The rest of your posts are bizzare, you go on about Foley and Phipps, I never mentioned them at all. Thanks for pointing out my spelling mistakes mate, great help and I really like the way you pretend not to understand. Perhaps your english is not as good as you thought. You understand but are one of those people who pretend not to to avoid facing the argument. Yeah, thats you alright. Hey but continue to support people rubbishing your national team. Because Wallabies are not the best in Australia even if selected by Australias last 3 national coaches. Truth is, Im from NZ and support the ABs but Im dead certain I am more of a supporter of Australian rugby than many of you. Tell me about Phipps and Foley, I was really interested in that and how you introduced that to the argument from nowhere. Nobody mention Foley and Phipps except you, perhaps reading the posts you are replying to is a good idea. Its not me thats failing to grasp anything there buddy. Im not going to point out that you ridiculed or hated any player but you support and defend those that do because you think you know better than the national coach you think it is fair to rubbish players. I grasped that, just like I grasped you being a supporter of your own opinion rather than a supporter of Aus national team. Hows that for umbrage? P.S. (sic)

Yeah and thats why people who coach international teams select him. Keep attacking your own players. Aus rugby culture is so healthy.

100% agree. Cooper last played well in s15 2011 that was years ago

Apparently Skelton gets the opportunity to get some exposure at Test level but Jones has to cool his heels after only one game. Meanwhile Genia, CLL, Tomane, Godwin, English and Faulkner get to wear their blazer. Hooper plays so wide that hes often not playing in the forwards. With Skelton's lack of speed to the breakdown, it's like another forward missing. But the English forwards will be there. All 8 of them.

I think Loyal Tah Fan might be on the right track with that logic. I don't see how Genia is paying for Foley's kicking? I think Genia is a victim of his own form at the moment. We all know what kind of player he can be but he hasn't exactly lit up the park lately. I would expect that if the Wallabies are having trouble exiting their half, Foley will be pulled and Cooper brought on. I would expect to see Nic White brought on at a similar time. Cheika is testing players and from where I sit, this looks like another experiment by Cheika. Whether it will work or not, remains to be seen...

Once Kuridriani was ruled out my confidence started to wane. Now liabilities Alexander and White once again are on the bench I'm not confident at all. Alexander will be chewed up and spat out by England ( again ) conceding 6 points in penalties while the serial kicker White ??? Genia is not in form but I still would have picked him.

Phipps is NOT the best passer. BUT - and it's a big BUT: 1. He is the a very fast recycler of posession. This has been the standout feature of his play since the Tahs S. Africa tour. Speed is everything to his play and results in the odd sprayed pass 2. He is currently the best sniper and support player 3. He is the best defender 4. He is more enthusiastic and up for the fight than any other 9 at the moment. Genia has a better pass and in form is better in attack and defence, but he is not in form and is clearly still recovering from his injury.

Incorrect. The previous 2 coaches more typically had Genia-Cooper in preference to Phipps-Foley, when both combos were available, so lets try to stick to facts shall we, rather than emotive finger pointing.

Can you please explain yourself a bit better? And perhaps show me where I have shown "hate and ridicule" to the players that rep (sic) my country. Suggesting that there are, in my humble opinion, better players available is just a suggestion, lets not make too much of it. I trust you can GRASP that concept? To suggest I am a hater of Australia's vest (sic) rugby players is simply incorrect, and to suggest that I have dellusions (sic) of grandeur (what is that anyhow?) and claiming to know better than people better equipped to know is just plain deluded. The rest of your rant simply makes no sense at all. Your suggestion that because McKenzie selected Foley and Phipps when Genia and Cooper where unavailable somehow validates Cheika choosing them when the latter are available is illogical. Likewise the suggestion that because Mckenzie selected Beale and Skelton, that Cheika is right to do so is similarly flawed. Can you name one performance on the spring tour, or 4 nations, that has warranted their continued selection? And can you deny that Ashley Cooper has been very poor on the spring tour? On what metrics does he deserve continued selection? I note that you had a dig at the combination of Genia and Cooper in an earlier post. Given that you seem to take extreme umbrage at me opining that they are perhaps superior to the Phipps-Foley combo, and given they were the first choice of McKenzie when both combos were available, don't you think you are perhaps being a bit hypocrital? You can't see the value in them, but other coaches clearly did (McKenzie and Deans).....

Yeah Beale can find a side line quicker than anyone else or throw an intercept . Go the crab surprise us and do something a tackle would be a start.

I dont grasp that because Im 100% certain that that is completely wrong and those players are amoungst the best Aus has. That would probably be why the games elite keep selecting them like the last 3 Wallaby coaches. If there are obvious choices for reserve prop in Aus besides Robinson and Alexander, I and the Wallaby coaches havnt seen them. If there are obvious choices in Aus for reserve lock over Skelton then I havnt seen them, Horwill is not in great form and he and Skelton are different players. I would prefer Skelton but Im not going to rubbish Horwill because I disagree with selection. Imo Beale should be in the team and I would have him in the 15. Although I wouldnt argue that he has had the right prep and the bench may suit him best. Imo he is clearly one of Aus best players and deserves selection. The Wallaby coaches agree. So sure, you can hate and ridicule the players that rep your country and pretend its because you know better than the last 3 Wallaby coaches but, and try and GRASP this, you are just a hater of Australias vest rugby players and should probably try to think a bit more before having dellusions of grandeur and not only claiming to know better than people better equiped to know but also to know that the players better rugby brains than you have selected are not only not worthy of selection but are worthy of being rubbished for trying their best to rep you and your country.

Okay one more: QC and KB decided to smuggle a skunk back into Oz; when they got to the Customs desk the skunk tried to struggle out of the suitcase. "Quick" said KB to QC "Stuff it down your pants" "What about the smell" said QC, "Well if it dies then it dies" replied KB.

If you remember, Grayson, your suggestion is exactly what Cheika proposed when taking on the role. He wanted Larkhman as backs coach. And Foley as forwards coach. Both said no. I think it is a great idea. We need all provinces pulling together for the one common goal. Just like in New Zealand. My family are heavily involved with the Chiefs and everything they do, positional changes etc, are made with the All Blacks in mind. That is definitely not the case in Australia. Now whether we like it or not Cheika will have a dual role next year. Certainly not ideal but they were strange circumstances which found him accepting the Wallabies gig 3 days before flying out to Europe. And we aren't exactly flush with top line coaches here. Sorry for offending Grayson, but when you refer to the EOYT as the "Tahs end-of-season/pre-season development tour" then you are falling into the category of "small-minded" that has plagued a large majority of contributors on the Roar of late. A website that years ago used to be purely about talking rugby and tactics. My problem with the "Provincial bias" card many are insinuating that Cheika suffers from is that he is selecting the same players as Ewen McKenzie did. Unless of course he was also in on the conspiracy? Genia was taken to South Africa and Argentina this year but never got a run. A guy lke Hooper has now been selected at openside by the past 3 Wallabies coaches. Hodgson was always around, yet only now are we seeing it as being a NSW bias thing?! Dear me. As I said above Im not at training so can only assume Cheika is picking those that are showing form in front of his eyes. I would love Genia to get more game time. But he looks "off" at the moment. He has really struggled when coming on for 15mins. And his starting effort against the Baa Baas was hardly inspiring. Same could be said of Cooper and Hodgson in that instance. Cheika gave them a shot, and by selecting McMahaon who had an outstanding game, it shows that the Baa Baas was a proper trial. But they failed to impress, and so Cheika went back to the combinations his predecessor had used as he really didn't have all the time in the world to work on new combinations. That is simply the reality of it all.

Wallaby supporter: Following the Wallabies converted me to religion" "I never believed in hell until i started following them"! Whats true in rugby as well as in sex - nice guys finish last.... okay no more !

A lot.

what do the wallabies and decaffeinated coffee have in common..... No active ingredients !

Thought I'd leave it a while before responding so what I respond with was tempered by some consideration. Not sure I appreciate the "small minded" jibe and just to set the record straight I am not bashing the provences. Far from it. I would just like to see some further consideration of players across the provincial teams, rather than perhaps a default Waratahs position. Anyway just to illustrate some open and big mindedness what about this. Whether you like it or not the fact that Chieker is both the Wallabies and Waratahs coach means he cannot help but be distracted by the responsibilities and demands of both roles. Now its perhaps too late to do anything about that now but moving forward what about this as an idea. We develop a coaching and management group from the current head coaches of each of the provinces. As an example Larkham as the backs coach, Chieka as the loose forwards coach, Foley as the tight five and so on. All five provincial coaches particpate in the selecting the game day 22. Now I accept that you still need a head coach to arbitrate and "lead the team". In my opinion that should not be a coach or an individual with any current alegience or association with a provincial team. Just a thought but how good would it be to have Wayne Bennet as the Wallabies coach. Now before anyone sais but hes a leagie and knows nothing about union - remember he is supported by five coaching specialists. What he is, however, is a great motivator and knows how to get the best out of every player and you only have to hear how his players talk about and repect the man to understand his sucess. What this stucture would deliver is greater communication and co-operation between the Provinces and the national team and ensure every player understands what is expected of him and can avail themselves of a wide field of expertise. The coaches can also learn from one another. I know some will say but what about the logistics and what about the Provincial teams coaching commitments. Well the fact is the Internationals dont clash with the Super 15 Season. The pre-season stuff on at the time of the Spring Tour can clearly be managed by the Provinces other support staff - Clearly thats whats happening at the tahs? So Eaglejack hows that for some big thinking?

The Genia Cooper combo is the most overrated combo in world rugby by miles. I have heard so much about it but I have not often seen much to back it up.

Your points are fair but it had not even occurred to me that Hugo would start at 7. I have had him at 6 all tour and don't believe he could do worse than other in that posi. It's a bit narrow minded to think that a bloke of his experience could not quickly find some form at 6. Besides how many have played out of position in the backs on this tour? What we want from Hodgo on the field is his experience, his head and his muscle and if that means he has to swap sides.......swap sides.

Hodgson on must be injured. Otherwise this is bizarre. Genia, perhaps another injury. I must say, though, that White did have a very good game against the BBs when he came on. Watched the game last night and was impressed, so we might get a shock. This might sound a little bizarre but is there any chance that Cooper could be turned into a halfback to cover the option on the bench, particularly in game like this where we need a 6:2 split.