Wallabies team to play Argentina: Cheika rings the changes

Dear Aussie Dave No. I don't. I am a constant and annoying proponent of scrum technique and the importance of the set piece on these boards. If Dean Mumm has learned how to scrum at Exeter, I will be delighted, and will happily and deservedly eat my virtual hat here on Monday.. But I doubt that he has. And even if he is now as good as Brodie Retalick, which I doubt, he would still have needed to improve many other aspects of his game to deserve a start.

If he's from the Tahs...he will be picked just as Mumm and Beale - both with little or no recent playing form. But now there's a twist as Douglas has signed for the Reds and like O'Connor could be tossed. Mind you JOC did not deserve to be chosen but neither did the other two.

Kane Douglas is moving to Queensland I hear. He and partner are expecting their first and want to be near families for support. His family is from north NSW so expect him to turn out for the Tahs or, as rumour has it, the Reds. I cannot for the life of me see K.Douglas in the Wallaby setup this year. He hasn't played since March through injury and apparently did not impress his Irish employers in the few matches that he did play. Why would M.Cheika pick someone with no form for the last 12 months when he has Rory Arnold crunching his players on the training paddock ?

I think you're right on that prediction. If Skelton plays you probably need to go with McCal or Higgers at 8.

Wallabies will think their Xmas's have come early. Two weeks in a row the opposition are fielding a new centre pairing. The Saffers put up Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, who both played a pretty good game in Brisbane, and now the Pumas field a new cap JP Socino and a 2-match outside centre Matias Moroni. It will be interesting to see if the Wallabies don't try some new tricks on the newbie centres. Mind you that's if the Wallaby pack can get the ball cleanly and Phipps can get it out there. Incidentally re: the Tevita Kuridrani try, did anyone notice that Isreal Folau was unmarked just outside Kuridrani ? If TK had passed to Folau, there would have been no need for the TMO and the 17 million heart-starter pills swallowed in Australia during that 5 minute TMO think-fest. Then again a rushed or spilled pass would have cost Aus big time.

Only if you believe that the sides of the scrum work independently of each other. A lack pressure on their own loose head allowed the Boks to attack Slipper esp when Hooper was not engaging properly.

Skelton needs to spend the time between now and the World Cup losing the excess weight and increasing his aerobic fitness. That should be the easiest thing in the world to do for a player in his state. He could be a force in the World Cup but if he just plays tests like this he'llremain big, unfit and will be exhausted by the time the tournament is half done. Assign him to a biggest loser trainer and programme within the Wallaby setup and keep him hungry for the rugby by being around it but not in it. He's been unable to do that due to tahs duties but now is the best chance. Rest from games and up the fitness.

Skelton battles to reach 10ks per hour at full gallop. Even my basic knowledge of physics tells me that mass is one thing,but useless without momentum!

Agreed with PK, Folau was dynamite taking the high balls. Every other high ball catcher in the team is minimum 30% chance of dropping it. Its a worry that some opposition players are allowed to simply stand a metre in front of Folau taking the ball, knowing that he will crash into them and go A**e over Apex on the ground. This stops his running with the ball and perhaps the crash will cause Folau to lose the ball. What scares me is I can see him doing a shoulder or arm if this keeps happening. Last year's EOYT they were "accidentally" running into him as he was high in the air and getting away with it (check out the Irish game and Folau's takes). It seems to me this tactic has been ditched as too risky of a yellow card, so now they simply run up and stop, knowing Folau's forward momentum will crash him into them before his feet are on the ground, and tip him. As long as they don't wrap their arms around his legs the refs are calling it accidental. It happened 2 or 3 times in the SB match, they weren't even trying to go for the ball, just another sneaky tactic to stop Folau.

Is Skelton still being 'trialled'...he had a poor game against the Boks. Mumm and Beale...what have they done to deserve a spot on the roster? Kerevi must be out of consideration, as a run against the Pumas would have been a good opportunity to see if has the ability to deliver in a Test....lord knows we need some line bending capability in the centres...

News just in if people hadn't heard already. Kane Douglas has negotiated a release from his Leinster contract, and is returning home to Australia asap. I see also that the Rebels have signed former Leinster and Ireland prop, Jamie Hagan, to their ranks for next year.

TWAS; Parling is 3rd or 4th choice lock behind Launchbury and Lawes. He is battling for a place in the squad with Atwood and Kruis. Even so; Parling is a more physical player than Simmons.

very dangerous to attack the lineout 5 metres from the goal line, miss and you have no chance of stopping the maul. AB's have a better lineout and did not do it.

Not sure if you have been reading the roar for that long machooka but cully used to be a regular contributor here too. he's stopped his articles here and only sporadically contributes to RH now which is a real shame as I enjoy he's "outsider" view of aus rugby.

does not change the fact that the scrum was being pushed back on the other side most of the time

Totally agree...but why would you expect their rugby coverage to be any better than the rest of Fauxfacts' coverage?

Yes, I agree. Some good judges on here have identified some issues with the guy, but I think he is definitely worth some development.

and also pretty sad..

Are you seriously saying that the coach knows he's injured but they're going to play him anyway? That's illogical especially when you consider how they're treating Palu. How do you know Slipper is injured?

Skelton did pretty well, bent the line on a number of occasions so much so that the support was left behind and the ball pilfered. If we get someone like Pocock backing him up, there will be plenty of off loads and quick recycles.