That time of year is here – it’s time for the first Wallabies Test of the season. The Wallabies team has been announced, the teams are preparing and fans are getting excited.
So without too much fanfare, here’s the team we selected to play for Australia before the actual team was announced.
The Roar‘s Wallabies team
1. James Slipper
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Rob Simmons
5. Will Skelton
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Scott Higginbotham
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Joe Tomane
12. Matt Giteau
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Drew Mitchell
15. Israel Folau
And here’s Michael Cheika’s team.
Actual Wallabies team
1. James Slipper
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Rob Simmons
5. Will Skelton
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper
8. Scott Higginbotham
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Rob Horne
12. Matt Giteau
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Israel Folau
Now, we’ve selected the starting XV only, for ease of use. Dealing with 5-3 vs 6-2 bench splits wasn’t really part of the game I envisioned.
That aside, there are a few key differences in our team compared with the actual team. The wingers are both different. We also picked David Pocock at openside flanker, not Michael Hooper.
It mightn’t seem like much, but those are three fairly big differences, and they were near unanimous in our vote.
David Pocock was the preferred openside flanker of the fans, getting a whopping 93.5% of the vote. Michael Hooper was next with 6.4% of the vote.
That is a huge difference, considering Hooper was the preferred choice of Cheika. Obviously Scott Fardy is strong over the ball, which means you don’t need a number 7 who’s game is based around pilfering, but Pocock has been exceptional with ball in hand this year.
Incumbency played a big factor, no doubt, in the decision, as did the fact Hooper’s the squad vice captain and it’s not like he’s out of form. A tough decision, and not one you can really go wrong with. But many will feel that the wrong call has been made. Let me know in the comments below what you think.
Similarly, the wingers are a point of contention. Roarers preferred the running games of Tomane and Drew Mitchell over that of Rob Horne and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Again, those are four good choices, but surely Tomane’s Super Rugby form was irresistible? Apparently not, as he’s not even in the 23.
This time, we were more divided in our vote. All four options polled good numbers, with Mitchell and Tomane winning out by healthy, though not nearly unanimous, margins.
Here’s how they all polled.
Drew Mitchell – 58.9%
Joe Tomane – 43.5%
Adam Ashley-Cooper – 35.5%
Rob Horne – 28.2%
Not bad, not bad.
We also managed to pick the same 12 players as Michael Cheika in all the other positions, so well done all!
Anyway, over to you Roarers? What do you think of our team? Would it do better than Cheika’s?
RobC
Roar Guru
I dont think Andre has fully expressed himself yet. I believe he needs an Aussie or NZ coach or even team, to unleash him. Or move to the Lions. btw who's the new Stormers coach?
Anthony Hird
Roar Guru
Think you'll find Horne will be defending in the 12 channel
Realist
Guest
Pocock is a better test player than Hooper. AAC has had a poor season and I wouldn't rate his kicking game over Mitchells. Rob Horne isn't an out and out winger. His finishing is suspect. We lack genuine pace in the back 3. See Tomane vs Argentina a few years back (and again this year in various Super games) and Mitchell in the HC Final to see what destructive wingers they can be.
Qwas
Guest
5 Brumbies, 4 Reds, 3 Tahs, 2 from Toulon and 1 Rebel. Recognition from the Roar that Superrugby is not the best indicator of international performance?
Qwas
Guest
Does this mean you are going to stop playing the victim as the only one who knows how good pocock is and sees through hoopers ability?
Browny
Roar Rookie
Simmons is skilled... he has the best set piece skill set of any of our locks, he's just not a ball running player. Runs the lineout, scrums well, and hits bucket loads of rucks. TWAS, feel free to chime in with his ruck numbers here... Skelton does jump, just not well. He's not a defensive option but you can put him at the front and sneak a couple of throws to him over the course of a game. Plus once the opposition takes the ball down and turns it into a maul he's the best bloke to have there to diffuse it. Ok, so what's your alternative to Kepu? Holmes is already there, coming of the bench. I'm happy with that. He'll get good time on the field. How do we give Sio experience before the RWC if we don't play him now?
Browny
Roar Rookie
Good point. If the game looks like we really need more breakdown pressure you can insert Pocock into the game for Hooper or Fardy. If Hooper's running game is effective but Fardy isn't getting it done Poey can go to 6 or if Hooper's getting belted and not having the success you expect then Pocock goes to 7. A similar logic applies to Higginbotham I guess too. If the looser running game you'll get out of the Fardy-Hooper-Higginbotham works, great. Larkham made some comments about being unpredictable so we might see some interesting link play between the backs and Hooper (and Higgers?). But if that isn't working we've got Poey to fix it coming off the bench. Unless the three starters absolutely kill it I expect we'll see a fair bit of Pocock tomorrow night.
Peter Hughes
Guest
Both teams picked have several glaring weaknesses in the forwards imo The locks are both poor & the reserve lock is now really poor imo. Simmons lacks skill, physicality & mongrel & Skelton does not jump in lineouts. Kepu is not international standard as a srummager & Sio needs much more experience before he will be imo. Maybe this forward pack is the best Aust has but it won't scare any of the Top 10 nations - they'll all see it as a weakness imo.
kibuib
Guest
I think Sanchez is very underrated....he is probably the best defensive 10 in the game, and he has a pretty well rounded offensive game. Pollard vs. QC will be an interesting matchup.....Pollard probably shook the rust off with the World XV game.
Harry Jones
Expert
Georgie Ford ain't bad. Carter looks imperious, again. Cruden is a killer. Barrett is more of a utility back. Sexton can dominate a game. Sanchez is coming on. Lambie is a utility footballer. If his pack fires, QC is magic. I think Pollard is raw, but is in the top three or four in that group.
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks Paddy. Nice result. Would have liked to have seen a comparison of the 23. In any case, the roar selection, does have its advantage. However, the coach has selected the best team to win. Let's hope for a good showing. But team and attendance, I heard ticket sales haven't picked up
RobC
Roar Guru
RT, I think Pollard is good, esp strong in contact and great kicking game. This may be the year he starts to realise his potential. But he's not there yet.
niwdEyaJ
Roar Guru
Horne and AAC are great over the ball, and our 7 is a speedster... wait, I see what Cheika is doing here....
niwdEyaJ
Roar Guru
Not so sure about that Lano, Hooper would have got more than 6% if it was influenced by "party line" voters.... I guess this proves that those with "blue tinted glasses" aren't so one-eyed after all! Fan participative selections are a bad idea, however I do think it's a worthwhile exercise and the results should be made available to the coach as a "sanity check"... And in this case, I think our team would have 10 points over Cheika's quite easily ;-)
AlBo
Guest
Oh dear. Do I really need to say it?
Fin
Roar Rookie
That was my thoughts. The percentage of Roars that picked Hooper at 6 was probably more than at 7 and a good indication of how many would play them in Tandem.
Dink
Guest
Imagine if hooper, AAC and Horne were not picked... Only 3 tahs in the run on side! Imagine the uproar!
IronAwe
Guest
Finish it with skill and pace on the wings. Pace is the one thing we are lacking in our wings with Cheik's squad.
IronAwe
Guest
Agreed, I read on another thread that Horne and AAC are good over the ball at the breakdown (as far as back go) so could be telling in the style of games he's looking to play. Neither Horne nor AAC are the fastest of wingers, and it seems he may be placing high emphasis on ball retention. Not wanting wingers to get isolated etc. Who knows, we'll soon find out I guess.
boonzie
Guest
You maybe on to something there