There are not many surprises in Michael Cheika’s new look Wallaby train-on squad.
Let’s start with the omissions:
Thankfully, there is no Karmichael Hunt, whose transition to rugby has been nothing short of a disaster – not just for him – but more importantly – for the Queensland Reds and Australian rugby in general.
Irrespective of his off-field dramas, the simple fact is that he has done very little since coming to rugby in 2015 to justify anything, let alone inclusion in a Wallaby squad. Enough said.
James O’Connor is no doubt disappointed at his omission, having returned to Australia with the goal of forcing his way back into the Rugby World Cup squad. The Queensland Reds’ woeful 2015 season has also not helped his cause. There is no doubt O’Connor is a highly talented player, but arguably he has not done enough to warrant selection in 2015.
Nick Cummins from the Western Force is another notable omission and has also suffered from being in an underperforming Super Rugby franchise in 2015.
Jack Debreczeni, the Melbourne Rebels No. 10 can also consider himself unlucky after a stellar season. He is a player to watch for the future and I fully expect to see him wearing the green and gold down the track. Unfortunately for him, Australia is blessed with enormous talent in this position, with Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, Matt Giteau and Matt Toomua all capable of doing the No. 10 jersey proud.
Debreczeni’s scrumhalf partner Nic Stirzaker is also a player to watch for the future. While his time may not have come as yet, if he builds on his 2015 performances the halfback position may one day be his.
In the forwards, 72-Test veterans Ben Alexander and Benn Robinson might also consider themselves unlucky but Cheika is looking for new blood in this crucial front row area and these initial Tests leading up to the World Cup will be used to see whether the new boys selected can step up to the plate. This is a good move.
In the backrow, Liam Gill can consider himself the unluckiest of omissions and one only has to look to the statistics to see how effective he has been at the breakdown. A No. 7’s primary role is to steal the ball and Gill was superb in that area despite playing in a Reds pack that did not do enough to support him.
Given his omission, the ARU should do everything in its power to send Gill into the Australian Sevens team for the Olympic qualifying Oceania Games, as he would be a magnificent addition.
Veteran Force backrower Matt Hodgson is a victim of an abundance of backrow talent and Rebels lock Luke Jones can also consider himself unlucky to miss selection.
Now for the inclusions:
Lock James Horwill can consider himself extremely fortunate to be in the Wallaby squad. While he has experience and can hold his own in the lineout and scrum, Horwill’s defence in 2015 has been extremely poor and his work rate around the park is not up to current international standards.
At this moment in time, the likes of All Black locks Brodie Rettalick and Sam Whitelock, South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth or Ireland’s Paul O’Connell would leave him standing in the shade.
One only has to recall critical defensive periods in two of the Reds’ matches which changed the nature of the game. The first was against the Chiefs, when Liam Messam scored a try after running past Horwill as if he wasn’t even there, and the second was against the Waratahs, where once again Horwill’s defence of his tryline was lacking.
Rob Simmons is another player that needs to do more. To be fair, his set piece is fine, and in recent times he has tried to be more aggressive, after being labelled too soft for Test rugby. In reality, his general play needs improvement to be one of the starting Test locks at the time of the Rugby World Cup.
Brumbies lock Rory Arnold’s selection is a good one. At 208 centimetres, Arnold has shown he has the potential to form a formidable partnership with the likes of Will Skelton, as the Wallabies look for firepower in their forward pack.
Mind you, as far as the lineouts are concerned, we could put King Kong in as the lineout jumper and still lose the ball, if Tatafu Polota Nau doesn’t learn to throw the ball in straight. One would think after all these years and 50 Tests later, that he would have honed this down to a fine art, but regrettably not so. His work rate around the field is very good, he is a tough and fierce competitor and he has improved his tackling technique.
However, a player must be able to perform their core function better than anyone else in the country to wear the gold jersey and a hooker has to be able to put the ball on a dime. This is remains Polota Nau’s Achilles heel.
Apart from Gill, there are no surprises in the backrow. Most commentary this season has been on the David Pocock-Michael Hooper tussle for the prized No. 7 jersey. Another option for Cheika to consider is playing both Pocock and Hooper in a left and right role rather than the traditional No. 7 and the tall and bigger No. 6.
The added impact at the breakdown of having two No. 7s in play may well outweigh any perceived lineout benefit of a fourth jumper or scrum advantage. No doubt it will be a horses for courses exercise and depend upon the opposition and game strategy.
Melbourne Rebels Scott Higginbotham thoroughly deserves his position and will challenge strongly for the No. 8 jersey. He is aggressive, very fast, and skilful. Ben McCalman from the Western Force also deserves his selection and is tough and uncompromising. While NSW Waratah Wycliff Paul has also been selected in the squad, he has not done much this season to get too excited about.
The rest of the squad is as expected and all things considered the selectors have done a fairly good job at this point.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Are you Alan Jones in disguise?
Franky
Guest
Palu never does anything to get excited about. I like how you say that a #7 needs to steal the ball, Hooper rarely does
hasbeenflanker
Guest
One of the very useful things about the internet Ben S is that you can check stuff out from the other side of the world. Douglas suffered a back injury in April mate. Nice gong Aviva skip but where are those stats on lineouts if you are so much more across it then anybody else? As I said at the end of my first post, if he creams it in the RC I will give myself an uppercut. He will not be playing London Irish Ben he will be playing the Springboks and the All Blacks......players the other candidates have recent experience against. BTW, of the 2 times we have won the RWC in the UK how many guys did we call on because they were playing in the English premiership? You keep backing him cause he needs some support from all Ive read.
Paul
Guest
Cheika is nobodies Doxy. He obviously see's benefit in having Mumm there and I seriously doubt is has anything to do with his father..
Ken
Guest
I think you are a bit harsh on Karmichael Chris..You obviously didn`t stay up and watch him make 6 tackle busts and run for over 150 meteres against the Bulls in Pretoria at fullback ( imo his best position) .He has talent. He hardly played this year.Lets see him go next year ay...
Jeff
Guest
"Unfortunately for him, Australia is blessed with enormous talent in this position, with Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, Matt Giteau and Matt Toomua all capable of doing the No. 10 jersey proud." Hmmmmm ?????
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Perhaps if you'd actually watched any Exeter games you might have a different view. Also, Dean Mumm was named captain of the 2015 Aviva Dream Team. English rugby doesn't give out awards to historically unimpressive Australian tight forwards for no good reason. And what has Kane Douglas done at Leinster? Nothing.
hasbeenflanker
Guest
Birdy, Exeter Chiefs position on the table last three seasons in the Aviva premiership, 6th, 8th and 5th from a comp with 12 teams. Granted, "lowly" maybe slightly unfair.....but they aren't winning or top three either mate. Shall we agree on unremarkable? More than that (and before I am under attack over the number of "lowly" reds in Cheika's squad) I reviewed Mumm's stats throughout the past two seasons and apart from a small handful of good performances.....nothing to suggest he was a shoe-in.Somebody show me his lineout stats versus the English jumpers as this detail was unavailable. I think you are bang on about your team not fearing him at RWC old cock. The waratahs lineout had been woeful near the end of its S15 campaign - he was around for a small part of 3 of them. Brumbies, Rebels and Reds lineout sound. Someone must have been calling them okay mate. Kane Douglas should be in contention from July if Cheika is seeking a backup lineout technician to Simmons. Was playing better and is almost 6 years younger. And Timani is the guy that keeps getting overlooked in all this....how were his lineout stats, anybody?
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Three ordinary seasons with lowly Exeter? I see you know your English rugby...
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Hmmm... not sure this team is going to frighten anybody.
Birdy
Guest
It's not fair to label Exeter as 'lowly' HBF, they're an up and coming team who only missed out by a whisker on qualifying for the league play-offs. Mumm has had a good season and was made club captain of a very no-nonsense club where praise is not given easily. He has been good but not spectacular all season. Can't say I would particularly fear meeting him at RWC 2015, as a pom fan, but the Wallabies are, in my view, very weak at lock, so I wouldn't be quite so dismissive of him. He's played well in a league with a good few locks better than the Wallabies currently have.
hasbeenflanker
Guest
Agreed. Recall Mumm was rushed back in for the south african leg (lions and cheetahs) with the tahs and then had the final match against the reds. All matches off the bench. Didn't cause a murmur form wise... And with SANZAR rules well known by the Tah's coach...he was always ineligible to play the S15 finals (min 4 matches required). In other words,I am saying the matches were for WB qualification only... This is a dangerous approach. That fish factory is churning away......and I'm downwind.
PeterK
Roar Guru
since the lineout is so weak perhaps that is what he is using Simmons and Mumm for to help get the others to speed and improve the tactics there. From what I saw from him in aust and then his 2 cameos I would not pick him in the 23 noor the 31 man squad.
hasbeenflanker
Guest
PeterK - due diligence is a very fair approach. I know mine doesn't count but I have done mine with key UK sources and nor he or Exeter have caused a blip IMHO. This has been telegraphed since late March when news came out he would leave Exeter a year early and the ARU rushed a provisional approval for him to be eligible for WB selection this year as long as he played some club rugby....you ask why? Rewind to his previous wallabies form.......?.......rewind 3 years to Mumm;s hand in the worst season in Waratahs history......now look at three ordinary seasons with lowly Exeter. Best Dave Dennis could say was he has noticed a bit of "development" there.....and by the way, he is 31, no spring chicken. My due diligence also tells me his influential father happens to be a board member of the ARU board........there are at least 4 names in front of him if you assume his form is at the top of the range publicized and are willing to accept it is a straight transition to S15 form.......use him for training purposes with line out calls and tactics maybe, due to his experience....but let's get serious about the level he has been playing at for the past four years. This is too serious a year in rugby for nepotism to creep in. So I'm calling it for I reckon it is. I welcome somebody to allay my fears with stats that show he is deserved of the position. If Cheika plays him and he plays the house down as our new saviour I will give myself an uppercut.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Obviously Dean Mumm was not in them since he played in the NH and only 2 cameos in super rugby. From all reports Mumm has played well at Exeter against good NH locks. He has improved his physicality. He did not deserve a Wallaby cap when hen was here but I have not ruled out that he has improved, neither has Cheika. The RC squad was supposed to be 35 obviously increased and it allows for assessing Mitchell, Giteau, and Mumm, nothing wrong with that, I call it due diligence. Locks in order Skelton, Timani, Jones, Arnold, Dennis, Coleman, Enever, Simmons, Horwill Blindside flanker in order Higginbotham, Fardy, Timani, Jones, McMahon, Dennis. So Dennis is not far off. Jones did play well in super rugby but he did last year as well and his intl form was poor, he worked hard but failed to make an impact especially physically and Cheika probably counts that against him. IMO Dennis has improved his physicality. He is not a genuine lock though, I would consider him for the wider squad since he covers 6 and lock. Not in my 23. I know why Simmons is there, he is very good at the lineout and even if he does not make the team is invaluable helping run the lineout. Horwill should not be there more than Dennis. His form has never returned back to pre injury days. He missed a lot of tackles and lacks mobility, slower than a prop off the mark , slower than Skelton actually.
DaniE
Roar Guru
They could also do what apparently the Hurricanes have done more of this season, which is a quick throw in instead of waiting for a lineout... Not a great long term solution
hasbeenflanker
Guest
JohhnyJDog and Wilfil - thanks for asking same question. PeterK - whete were these guys on your form guides.......they were not on mine. Is this a stitch up?
hasbeenflanker
Guest
Dean Mumm and Dave Dennis....? Please explain.
hasbeenflanker
Guest
JohnnyJDog and Wilful - thanks for not having the wool pulled over your eyes with the backrow dribble....... Chris Roche - please explain your non-explanation of the Mumm abd Dennis selection. PeterK - where were this pair form wise ALL season? I'm smelling a fish factory......there were at leadt two players in their positions playing at much better levels than them.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Ha ha, love a little history lesson to someone being condescending.