You are faced with a typically large bodied Springbok pack, desperate for a win.
What do the Wallabies do? Select a 33-year-old, 84-Test veteran riddled with injuries at hooker. As if that wasn’t enough, he picks him to start less than seven days after the guy played rugby in England.
It is difficult to know what goes through Michael Cheika’s mind sometimes.
We could guess that maybe loyalty plays a part. But that loyalty is misguided, especially when you hook that veteran hooker after 30 minutes of cement-legged play.
Possibly, there is the question of ‘who else’? That disregards the very respectable performances of Brandon Paenga-Amosa during the Irish series. It also put to one side Tolu Latu’s appearance in Sydney last weekend, about 10,000 miles closer than Tatafu Polota-Nau’s run on for Leicester.
Paenga-Amosa in particular must be absolutely mystified. He’s gone from first choice to fourth in six months despite being one of the best performers for both the Wallabies and Reds this year.
The selection shockers go well beyond the decision to start Polta-Nau at Hooker against South Africa.
Of course there is the ongoing debate regarding the Pooper combination. Playing your best seven at eight is debatable despite that combination getting Australia to a World Cup Final.
But an even bigger sin is the selection of Lukhan Tui out of position at six. That is presumably to assist with the line out where Dave Pocock plays eight, yet Tui’s line out work is questionable. His work rate around the field even more so.
The great Wallaby sides had grafters at six. Owen Finegan and Matt Cockbain both pulled a shift, carried the ball, did the work that wasn’t always glamourous.
Work ethic. You hear Cheika use that phrase over and over, even just after halftime during the telecast from Brisbane. Yet where is his Finegan or Cockbain?
Cheika seems to think that guy may be Ned Hanigan. It is not.
Mike Cheika
The inconsistent and apparently hypocritical selections coming out of the Wallabies don’t just stop in the pack.
Cheika should be applauded for his willingness, admittedly belated willingness, to drop Bernard Foley and promote Kurt Beale to fly-half. Certainly, we saw Beale challenging the advantage line and posing problems that Foley is unable to.
Matt Toomua was also a welcome addition. He provides starch and composure and his return is very welcome ahead of a World Cup year. He seemed to survive his jet lag much better than Polta-Nau, probably because he is five years younger and fresher of body.
Elsewhere in the backline, the selections just seem to be all over the place.
The absence of Folau and Kerevi created head aches this campaign. But Cheika does not seem to be able to make up his mind how he wants his backline to function.
Dane Haylett-Petty is a wonderful player but either use him as a back up full back or leave him to settle on the wing. Tom Banks is a game breaker and needed to start at 15 in Folau’s absence.
Nick Phipps continues to be preferred as the back up nine. He will be rushed back no doubt despite providing lesser service and slower distribution than the alternatives.
One has to hope that sooner rather than later Cheika settles on a side and that decision is not centred around numerous players out of position and old favourites that never seem to get the message. Whatever the message is.
I am not confident.
Cheika won a European championship with Leinster. He won a Super Rugby title with the Waratahs. He coached the Wallabies to a World Cup Final under difficult circumstances.
Past glories only get you so far. Cheika’s credit is running dry after home series losses to England and Ireland as well as regular second half whackings by New Zealand. Ewen McKenzie seemed to lose the confidence of Hooper and Beale as well as his job for less.
Should Cheika be sacked? No. But it is time for a different approach to selection and some accountability, preferably through the imposition of a selection panel.
piru
Roar Rookie
Seemed to me that Toomua played a lot of 10.... Does he think he's being tricky by getting players to play a different position to the one on the jersey maybe?
ethan
Guest
Tui will work quite well at 6 against teams that play tight. Eg. Not the All Blacks. He had a good game vs the Boks, but his true position is lock.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
Pluses last night: An actual Fullback at 15 and playing very well. An actual No 8 at the back of the pack. Beale/Toomua combination. Foley not the field kicker. The whole attack not based around a cross kick to Izzy. Minuses: Foley, Hannigan and Robertson still in the team. Koribete just hopeless. Challenges for future (probably the next Coach: Pocock is the world's best 7, not the world's best 8. Finding a spot for Folau. That's not 15. DHP and Banks are both better. A Captain that team mates don't have to run interference for with the Ref.
waxhead
Guest
yes fully agree with wre01 here. Most of cheika's selection errors are due to blatant Waratah bias imo
Hoges
Guest
I think Cusack from the Brumbies warrants consideration. He is a big strong unit with a background in sevens meaning he has a huge motor. Haven’t seen a lot of him but what I have seen he has been impressive.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Good points Sinclair. It is basically only against NZ that he had issues in defence, but I don't reckon there is another "proper" 6 in Australia who would have made a skerrick of difference in the first two Bledisloe matches. The Wallabies were simply outclassed across the park. After being initially skeptical I don't actually mind Samu paired with Hooper or Pocock. He comes across to me as a Sean McMahon type player, the size of a 7 but with good enough leg drive, feet, ball skills and jumping ability to do the job at 8. I wouldn't mind seeing others like Holloway getting a go though, I would add Scott-Young, McCaffrey and Cotteral to the list.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Discipline is still a mojor problem. The Wallabies conceded 10 penalties to 9 but those nine against the Wallabies seemed to be to put the numbers closer.
Sinclair Whitbourne
Roar Rookie
Rhys, I am with you re Tui. I think he is developing into a pretty useful 6. Explosive pace might be an issue against NZ but in the 2nd Bledisloe he was still carrying hard in the last minutes and he brings real physicality. I'd like to see him with one of Hardwick/Holloway (for example) at 8. That would give a pretty hard working pair to go with Hooper/Pocock (my pref Pocock if he still has a neck). I thought Samu was ok but he is basically a 7 who played 6 for Canterbury at provincial level. He could be developed into the position if they see him there but I'd rather the extra height and power that Holloway, Hardwick bring. I feel Australia have the players but selections are a big issue.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
In fairness to Tui, he has the equal highest tackle count of the game with Hooper (10), only missed one and ran more metres (28) than any other forward. I don’t call that a problem with his work rate.
Sinclair Whitbourne
Roar Rookie
Share your sentiments and most of your conclusions. The one's I don't share still seem reasonable. Good to see a win but also left with the feeling it papers over the chasms. Our back 5 forwards still struggles to bend/break the gain line and that means our halves have their work cut out. Genia had a better game but seems well off his best and we have not seen any game time for the backups. For all my reservations about Foley as a test 10, I thought he was a bit hard done by to be dropped. When he was dropped. I would rather have seen Toomua at 10 to see how he went, or even Lealifano (and I am a Reds supporter by the way). Beale is a known quantity and I think his issues at 10 are much more serious than Foley's. We are seriously thin for options here because I see Toomua and Beale as better at 12. Toomua had an ok game last night I thought. Maybe Beale to the bench? The real issues to solve remain up front, however. Balance in the locks and backrow.
Red Block
Roar Rookie
The axing of Foley appeared to be an act of desperation by a man trying to keep the wolves at the door from barging in. One wonders whether Raelene Castle's little dig last week had a jolting effect on him and served as a reminder that his position is not guaranteed. It must have hurt like hell to drop one of his favourites.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
He already has a selection panel. This is it. Here on this site. And others. And he ignores it, mostly. Gutsy effort by the team despite lots of disruption.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
He al
Armchair Sportsfan
Roar Rookie
Are you saying he keeps cheikaning and changing? Sorry...dad joke.