I think it’s time the Wallabies rethought the front row configuration. Saturday night’s first Rugby Championship Test match in Brisbane showed the ascendancy of the Brumbies’ Scott Sio as the rightful owner of the Wallabies’ loosehead prop position.
Sio’s ball running also injected extra punch in the midfield, as did veteran Greg Holmes. The energetic running from Sio and Holmes set the platform for the eventual escape victory.
The pleasure I felt when Stephen Moore called for the second scrum on the South African five-metre line was immense. A feeling that I have to admit I have not felt in relation to an Australian scrum for a number of years.
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It was joyful to finally see an Australian scrum to be proud of. Let’s not get to excited, the scrums I speak of came late in the game with the Wallabies threatening the Springbok line on numerous occasions and with a high level of possession. Those scrums were powerful examples of what an Australian scrum should be, even if the starting Springbok front row was off the field.
It was a good, albeit small sign of the possibility of the group. We all know how much we will need it coming into the World Cup against England and the other strong northern hemisphere packs.
This small glimpse of possibility now needs to be tested for real. We need to see that combination start against Argentina, who are renowned for their scrum strength and technique. If that test is passed then on with the All Blacks. Sekope Kepu didn’t have a bad game but the inclusion of Sio was instantaneously effective.
The Wallaby scrum was found a bit wanting earlier in the game against the experienced Springbok front row, displaying what seemed to be rudimentary mistakes. A few times the second row bind loosened and the integrity of the scrum was compromised.
Will Skelton with his massive size and strength should not have let this happen. Most of the time it was not a problem but maybe the intensity of the first Test of the year got to him at those moments in the game.
The inclusion of James Horwill later in the second half also pulled the scrum together. Horwill has put his head in many a scrum, and it was evident with the tight five when he came on. His ball running also added aggression, running hard with strong carries a far cry from the majority of his Super Rugby season.
Michael Cheika has an interesting selection issue next week in Argentina. I would think this week will see an intensified scrum session plan for the team coming into the challenging Argentina pack. The hard yards need to be packed down for what will be a great test for the forwards going into the World Cup.
Overall the forwards should be relatively happy with their efforts. However, on a number of occasions second and third phase ball was lost due to lazy or ineffective clean outs. Another relatively rudimentary part of the game that will need to be solidified if the Wallabies believe they are any chance of beating the All Blacks.
Let’s get it straight, any victory will have to be a whole team effort but the forwards will love to see a kick fired down from the backs land in some space or go out. I lost count of the number of kicks that missed their mark.
It’s tough trudging about the field for some of those bigger blokes, particularly when you see territory destroyed by poor kicking.
Taylorman
Guest
NB, if you can't tell that Hoopers selection ahead of Pocock is more out of loyalty than who is the best player for the position then I can't help that. Pocock is by far the superior open side flanker. Skelton was terrible. He was touted by many as ready for 80 minutes when the reality couldn't have been further from the truth. If he offered physicality, you tell me where you saw it.
Taylorman
Guest
No need to whiteboard the obvious. Replays of the match are on YouTube for anyone who's interested.
Brian
Guest
Having played against Manly many times over 8 years or so as a junior player, I can assure you that Hooper primarily played as a number 7 during this time. That's not to say that his skill set isn't transferable to the backs, however you'd have to think that this isn't really plausible at this point in time. This whole "Hooper should play in the centres" is really quite ridiculous to be honest and nothing more than an underhand insult to him.
Jack
Guest
Foley??You are joking of course.
Jack
Guest
Who are you kidding,our four front rowers are great provided there is not a passenger in the second row like Skelton is at the moment.
Jack
Guest
Who was at fault for the lack of the Wallaby success at the clean out?This is a major problem for Cheika.Hooper is not playing a 7's role and this is putting pressure on the other forwards.Skelton did not carry his weight against the Bok's.What is the answer,I do not know but it would be great if Hooper took time off and learnt to be a halfback.We could then pick a great side which would include both Hooper and Pocock.
BetterRedThanDead
Guest
At his best he can be a mobile, dangerous runner with soft hands - at his worst he is a pillow with a poor work ethic. Great to see Horwill step up and play towards his potential.
Doylie
Guest
My ideal lineup against the Pumas (out of the 31 squad travelling). 1 Sio 2 Moore 3 Holmes 4 Horwill 5 Simmons 6 Pocock 7 Hooper 8 Fardy 9 White 10 Foley 11 Tomane 12 Toomua 13 Kuridrani 14 AAC 15 Folau Reserves 16 Kepu 17 TPN 18 Slipper 19 Skelton 20 Mumm 21 Phipps 22 Lealiifano 23 Mitchell
Markus
Guest
Folau played limited minutes as a forward in the AFL, where once you take the mark you have all the time in the world to kick the ball uncontested in a straight line at goal.
Markus
Guest
Slipper did not win a scrum penalty. The ref even said at the time that if the Springbok TH did not drop his knee that the Wallabies were going to be penalised for wheeling the scrum again. The only dominant scrums the Wallabies had all game came with Sio's entry into the game. Make of that what you will (though we know full well what you will make of it).
Taylorman
Guest
Pocock was formerly world class, he has had a successful SXV season that suggested he would once again be successful. Skelton has never been world class, and has never started a test of this calibre. Go figure who was more likely to succeed. Cheika got the selections of those two wrong. Pocock should have started. Skelton should have come off the bench. Sorry you don't see that. And it wasn't in hindsight. I said consistently before the test that Pocock should start as did others. I also said consistently that Skelton would not go 80 in a test of this calibre.
Ra Bro
Guest
The guy quade missed outside him was toomua. Quade needs that straught running 2nd5 8 to do his magic outside. But his kicks to space without good chase were rubbish and he knows that.
mikeylives
Guest
Why are you wasting your time posting here Tman? Give ARU HQ a buzz and ask for Cheik's number so you can show him your whiteboard.
Mike
Guest
Just looking at the first scrum in the second half, Wallabies are definitely packing a bit higher than they did in the first half. They hold rock steady for that one before Pocock takes it out the back.
Mike
Guest
It looks like the Bokke 11 (Habana?) who gets his hand to the ball before Folau and taps it back. Great work, and Folau got beaten on that one.
RobC
Roar Guru
Will Sanchez Genia.
Lara
Guest
The front row options are limited . The players are not there at the moment and it is to late to expect to find the players at this stage of the season. However to be fair , we all knew the Wallaby front row would struggle against the good teams.
Marty
Guest
I agree Markus, Skelton doesn't cut it at test level. The other one that always has me scratching my head is Folau. So good under a high ball but such a poor ability to clear with the boot. What did he do in AFL?
Mike
Guest
TM, its all very well for you to call Cheika out as wrong for putting Pocock on the bench, using 20/20 hindsight. But Pocock was back from a 2-year lay off due to injury. Robbie Deans copped stick for bringing both Drew Mitchell and Quade Cooper back too fast and too soon from injury, and there's probably other examples. Its easy to say from the armchair that Cheika should have put Pocock straight in at 7, but Cheika may have decided that 30-40 minutes was all he was going to risk for his first outing, and that he preferred that in the second half.
pjm
Roar Rookie
There was no 'correct' choice for this match as it was a trial. What should of been correct though is picking the players that were right for the game plan. Skelton would of dominated if he came off the bench when they started playing direct.