Wallabies team to play Ireland: Timani dropped to make way for Mumm

Great comment

Why don't we just leave it to the coach,he at least knows what's happening over there. I expect every knocker to be online with congratulations, if the Wallabies win.

Yep, sorry. I wasn't aware you were referring to today's final cut when I posted the earlier entry. I agree completely. I don't have any answer for that Jez.

CB2, the question is why retain McMahon over Timani when we already have Pocock and Hooper in the run on team. Both can play 80 so either Mumm plays the whole game and he replaces a guy that has a massive motor anyway. OR McMahon replaces Mumm so that we have three small back rowers, a truly bizarre selection. Timani makes so much more sense.

Oops. I was only against the Pooperani getting a run-on start and not with Mumm starting. I'd be happier with Fardy starting but Mumm will do. Now that Timani is out of the 23, this decision is so clownish but is not actually funny?

Huge Hemmaroids was a pretty handy player but the No6 who should be out there is Luke Jones, but M.Cheika (and likely E.McKenzie) didn't think he was up to scratch. ?

Yeaaaaaaa for the NSW Wallabies. And can we recall Dave Dennis as a reserve? LoL

Yes, lets pick 3 opensides and not one genuine 8....

Completely unable to drop Pocock (Cheika's unconscionable selection bias would be far too blatant and he would lose even the most partisan support base + needs him on the pitch to have any chance of victory against a rampant Irish pack) - and simply refuses to bench Hooper. Pocock's juggernaut performance at openside last week (what a shock) and Timani's revelatory season has intensified the rightful calls for more logical backrow balance meaning Cheika must again attempt to create doubt elsewhere; shifting the selection conversation to the 6 & 8 positions in order in insulate Hooper's non-accountable incumbency at 7. Fardy and Timani are the victims of this season's backrow carousel. Mumm is a grateful recipient of stunning good fortune who can be easily discarded if Hooper's selection accomodation requires it. Pocock's impending sabbatical is like a lottery win which will stem the irresistible tide for 12 months in which Cheika will hope injury or form claims its victim, and the farce can continue.

Why did he drop Timani? That has done my head in. Is up there with dropping Kerevi earlier in the season. Will still watch the match but a large part of my enthusiasm for the game is gone.

For all the posturing EJ, your lofty moral high ground isn't applied evenly. It is fairly clear to all and sundry where your firm preferences lie. And that's OK. Claiming some virtuous intellectual superiority when confronted by conflicting views is disingenuous and frankly boring. My thoughts on Hooper are clearly stated and well documented over several seasons. But for the record: great individual player, though patently lacking in the key forward-centric requirements his position and this team needs, and absolutely not the starting openside flanker for the Wallabies. Commensurate with his incumbent skillset, not in my top 3 for that role. Brilliant centre three quarter waiting to be forged: opportunity missed. And yet the stunning and continued imbalance in the Wallabies forward pack is absolutely not his personal fault: the blame lies firmly with the Wallabies coach whose myopic insulation and accommodation of Hooper's spot has caused this eye watering folly. But whatever flaws Cheika has, his now-clear favouritism is at least transparent. No fence sitting in any of the above right EJ? Why not be boldly overt? Walk like Cheika. Celebrate Red Kev. Be so overjoyed about your prejudice you name yourself twice like Frank Frank. Revel in your partisanship. Bias has a poor reputation and it shouldn't. It is an opinion site after all. The pretence of objectivity is getting old. Free the shackles.

And now Timani has been dropped from the 23. If the line out were so critical to selection, why not play McMahon, Hooper and Timani? Arnold and Simmons are both real locks who can call lineouts. Timani has played more time at lock than at 8. McMahon can jump and took at least one line out against the French. That way we have options at lineout, mobility around the park and presence at the ruck. Indeed, dominance at the ruck. Persisting with Hooper and Mumm neither optimises the line out nor strengthens the back row. It's the worst of all the possible combinations unless giving game time to your favourite players is your real objective.

Actually, I was excited to see QC named at 10. I had said all week he should get a run, get to show his stuff. I did say no excuses for Cooper. Only because with his many fans there is inevitably a fallback on why his performances aren't 8s or 9s. But I like the guy. As I've always said the 10 debate is far more 50/50 than some make out. Foley is apparently useless and a waste of space to some. I'll point out both Cooper and Foley's strengths and weaknesses. And then can understand why Foley is slightly ahead in the coaching staffs mind at this stage. I never said "last chance saloon" in relation to Cooper. I want the 2 to continue to put pressure on each other in the years ahead. Competition breeds success. Hopefully Jono Lance is also in the mix too. But thanks for following along CB2. If I need an unbalanced analysis on Michael Hooper, I'll be sure to search for your posts in the future. He'll be coordinating tramline traffic, right? I have respect for all players. I never made the Wallabies so who am I to mock those that have? That's certainly a characteristic not shared by all on here.

All this carry on about Fardy has a penalty problem & Mumm is not good enough.... yarda yarda yarda... May well be fair points. In which case, why not get Dempsey on the park. He's a big aggressive no 6 who can jump in line outs, run the ball, effect turn overs, etc. Give the lad a go! What's another new cap? BTW. For the record, I am not a Tahs fan.

Why is everyone so upset about Dean Mumm being picked? His Dad served as an ARU Board member for 6 years so not only should he be picked, he should be the first man picked. This makes me very upset when people don't understand the way rugby works in this country....

except he doesn't Ruck stats have proven otherwise.

I may be one of the few people out there, but I do get the fascination with Mumm over Fardy. I love watching Fardy play and I think Fardy has been awesome for Australia in the past. He's one tought MF. He's also much better that Mumm has ever been. The problem is that Fardy isn't awesome right now. Mumm has delivered more in a Wallabies Jersey that Fardy has this year. Neither have been awesome. I saw the game this morning against the French Barbaians and if ever there was a game for Fardy to stamp his name on the jersey, it was there. But he didn't do it. I would prefer McMahon to have taken that #6 jersey, there is a lineout to win and McMahon can't do that. McMahon is better around the field than Mumm (and Fardy), but lineouts are important. Fardy can do the lineout, but recent performances have McMahon and Mumm in front of him unfortunately.

"Instead I look at the reasoning behind the selections and perceived tactics they’ll employ." Don't recall you taking such a balanced, philosophical approach to Quade Cooper's last team sheet entry EJ. Something along the lines of: "right, the bloke's got himself a proper 1st class 12, last chance saloon." Perhaps your marbles are deployed more easily for some than others.

Yep. And whilst a titanic mano-a-mano breakdown clash between Poey and O'Brien would be worth the price of admission alone, a Poey VS O'B, Heaslip, Stander, Best et al ground contest is potentially going to look mighty ugly. And so when Pocock inevitably has several Irish Wolf Hounds dangling off him all match (safe in the knowledge the Gold openside is coordinating tramline traffic and the blindside is religiously counting lucky stars), and doesn't manage to get near the pill, swathes of the partisan chorus will yell: "poor game, ineffectual, old and slow, ruck monkeys are soooooo early 2000's, centres are the new flankers, THIS is why we have to stick with Hooper - fact!" Whereas, this was a unique opportunity for this Wallabies team to deploy a fit-for-purpose, balanced and formidable Gold backrow - and the clash against an equally impressive Irish backrow would have been outstanding! The Wallabies are still capable of collecting the cookies this weekend against the Irish and I dearly hope they do. But now-undeniable selection bias, player accommodation, forward-centric skills and capability sacrifice continues to make life harder than it should. Sharpen your knives David Pocock, you're heading to a gunfight. Wake up Michael.

Agreed. Who doesn't love witnessing the start of a burgeoning relationship. FF - can you change your handle to "(Sky) Blue Frank"?