Wallabies team to play All Blacks: Ben McCalman to start at blindside flanker

That's a good point, it's a relative thing. Don't think this squad would have lost 3-0 to England. They could have even won the series.

Also Peter, Fardy at 6. McCalman to come off the bench at 25 to go for Pocock ( assuming of course that Pocock has learnt the full 8 role as above). The lesser line out options through the Pooper combo also baffles me. You don't need that many targets to succeed when you have mobile targets. I've had very successfully operating line outs with only the two locks as targets but they operated in a variety of slots in the line out order with every other forward capable of getting them up to compete and knowing when and how far to move forward or back to put the catcher in the right spot - options through mobility. Open side of course always stands at the back of the line out for the long throw option or the harassment of opposition backs on lost ball. To me the Hooper, Pocock combo could have been so much more had some real thought, commitment in training and strategy been applied to make it more than a short term gimmick. Obviously as an ABs supporter I'm glad the effort wasn't put in to make it more than it was but as an old open side I can see what it could have been.

I agree with you. On opposition feed the open sides primary mission is to cover channel one then if the if the opposition is not playing an 8 - 9 move off the back to hit the first five as he gets the ball. Pocock just doesn't have the speed for this. With Hoopers speed and Pococks strength over the ball and ability to survive the clean out opposition first fives should be having nightmares about getting knocked over by Hooper and the ball taken off them by Pocock but in reality it just doesn't happen like this because they both play unconventional versions of the positions they are selected for. Hopper needs to have his roving commission revoked and restricted to playing where the ball is whether that be in tight, supporting his backs for the clean out on break down or harassing opposition back lines not waiting for it to come to him on the wing. Pocock should have been training at 8 constantly since the inception of Pooper learning control at scrum time and lifting in the lineout - he can't jump but he could be a much better lifter. Having both on the field could be an affective combo if only there was some commitment to the strategy in training and game planning rather than the current idea of wanting 2 great talents on the feild but with no real definition of role or accountability for the core responsibilities that go with the numbers on their backs.

Bugged out last weekend for at least some things, on one article I could edit everyones posts... I assume a tech guy somewhere is in some miserable mire of code trying to work out where it all went FUBAR.

Simmons and Douglas have to be the least intimidating lock combination in world rugby.

The only queries I have on this team is the Captaincy & the bench. Moore showed in the June Tests that he's not up to it consistently (& is only on the field for 50-55 minutes) - Pocock is the man for me. Fardy & Mumm both cover 4 & 6, & are similar style of players- Timani woulda been my pick over Mumm as he could cover 5, 6, & 8, & is more of a power/impact player. Also thought Ala'alatoa was a LHP - Robertson is inexperienced in pro Rugby but at least he plays THP & went OK in Super Rugby when given the opportunity. Need to add that I'm a Waratah & NSW Country Eagles Member/supporter & am aware that some on here will think that makes me slightly biased.

I'm not sure what happened to the edit post function

TPN converted from Number 8, LHP to Hooker

and how well did that work out for those coaches?

Cant edit text roarers, so apologies for typos. Im not drunk.

Pity that Nathan Hines was ignored by the Aussie Super Rugby sides. Aus Rugby missed out on 16 of the finest seasons from him. The closest he got to a pro gig was with the North Sydney Bears and they told him he was too big and should play Rugby. No one looked at him so he went backpacking over to Scotland with his UK passport and was playing pro Rugby within a few months.

I sentiment i getting from wallaby fans reminds me of the early teams laurie mains picked. The feeling that even though you hoped for the best, you Simon Mannix, Ant Strachan and Matt Cooper were just not test players whichever you looked at it. Sorry wallabies fans.

NO it dont make sense at all. what other areas does Pocock overshadow Read? line out? Ball Carrying? Hitting rucks? support play and creating overlaps? only one specialty of Pocock is turnover ball, which is the bread n butter of an openside flank. For that NZ have Cane. and when Hooper opts to play in centers, Pocock becomes a passenger. to put it simply , the balance of auzzy 3rd row is lost by having 2 openside flanks who are not tall enuf at line out and not big enuf for ball carrying. that is why Fardy was overworked against England - he was the jumper , ball carrier and enforcer.

3 back bench and a grand total of zero impact to be expected from any of them, though Phipps on the bench might work better as a big problem with his game is that his discipline goes to hell under fatigue. At least Kepu is back to fix the front row some. Lineout is no good, but it's never going to be good with Pocock and Hooper in the side -- picking Hooper is basically picking 70% of Kieran Read. Several locks can feel a more than a bit unlucky to be behind Mumm on the bench, Arnold would be a better reserve lock than Mumm or Fardy (assuming one plays 6 from the bench). Don't mind McCalman in the starting side, a Fardy-Hooper-Pocock back row offers nothing but skill at the breakdown and it doesn't matter how many turnovers you win if you're going backwards.

Season ending injury apparently. Just as he had worked back from the previous injury he goes down again.

Harris withdrawn due to injury, Taylor moves to #2 and Coles moves to the bench with his bag of painkillers. Will be interesting to see if they try and get Taylor to last the 80 or as close to so as to minimise the time Coles is on the field given his busted ribs.

The ABS could take some lessons from Paddy and the Roar staff... More traffic here than the Census 2016 website. On rugby matters, Timani was robbed!

Let's hope Giteau and Foley are on. DHP has been playing well, and deserves his selection, though as you say, full back a better option. Foley has been so ordinary, and Giteau hasn't exactly lit any fires. Yes, we made the finals of the RWC, but only just! I'm not sure this team will deliver the results we would like to see. Cheika is extremely conservative. Experience ever form. At least Ewen proved what can be done with form!!

I am a fan of both Fardy and MacCalman. Macalman is very handy in the line out for the force so I don't think there will be much, if any, loss. Fardy is clearly a leader in the brumbies line out but Simmons will be calling, so those skills aren't as valuable to the wallabies, ....barring injury..

Except he won the John Eales medal in 2013 - which is voted on by the players. Won Waratahs Players Player award in 2015, 2014 and 2013. We'll see if he gets it again this year, but he's been the Players Player literally every year he's played at the Waratahs. But I guess you would know better aye Terry.