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Bentnuc

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Joined May 2019

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Good point Brett. Not sure why there is this emphasis on rotating players so much. It’s not really done in Super Rugby as every match is pretty much important. It should be the same for the Wallabies. There is not that many games for them in a season and a lot of gaps in between for recovery. Surely cohesion and combinations are the most important thing of all???

Just their best performance of 2019: the Wallabies' simple quarter-final assignment

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1d

Wouldn’t you kill to end a career on John Eales numbers: 86 played toal 77.9% won, bledisloe 19 played 53.63% won, world cup 15 played 86.66% won and tri nations 18 played 52.77% won. Not too many players will end their career with a winning record against the ABs!

How the loss of Israel Folau has improved the Wallabies backfield

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4d

Just had a look there. Played 70 matches won 60.71% would you believe! Won 57.69% of 26 rugby championship matches. 18.18% of 9 bledisloes. 75% of 8 world cup matches.

How the loss of Israel Folau has improved the Wallabies backfield

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4d

If Sexton is on song and controls the game with smart kicks then it could be a great contest!

Ireland vs New Zealand: Betting against the greenback

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3d

So true. Loading the backline with big blokes who can run over the top of people looks great and provides a few highlights but it’s not the way to win rugby matches longterm. If it was Samoa would be the best team in the world

How the loss of Israel Folau has improved the Wallabies backfield

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4d

Fair enough but Izzy was only rested for 3 matches versus tier 2 teams his whole career for the Wallabies (Japan, Uruguay and USA). True about the Cheika era. As Nick points out though, without him this year has been the most successful since the last World cup… All food for thought I guess

How the loss of Israel Folau has improved the Wallabies backfield

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4d

Great article Nick! I must admit, I didn’t think Koroibete deserved his spot in the team… but my god has he turned it on! He has been in great form and improved many aspects of his game immensely. I’m happy to be proven wrong 😊

100% agree about Folau. Australian Rugby has had an idea of promoting ‘highlight reel’ players for the last 2 decades now. These players do great things but not the little things that actually win games. I’m pretty sure overall Izzy was a net negative player for the team as a total.

Kerevi seems like a nice bloke but he is highlight player who I’m not sure is actually positive for results overall. Great at busting tackles, poor defense and very poor at deciding when to pass to his outside men. Not sure whether next year the backline will be better off???

It’s not too scientific but interestingly enough both Folau and Kerevi have the lowest match winning percentage of current Wallabies players (having played more than 30 matches). You would think that big name players who get many touches and have a large influence on the game should be playing in more winning matches???

Kurtley Beale 90 / 58.88 %
Adam Ashley-Cooper 121 / 57.43 %
David Pocock 81 / 57.4 %
James Slipper 94 / 55.31 %
Adam Coleman 37 / 54.04 %
Rob Simmons 99 / 53.03 %
James O’Connor 50 / 53 %
Scott Sio 61 / 52.45 %
Will Genia 108 / 51.38 %
Michael Hooper 98 / 51.02 %
Matthew Toomua 50 / 51 %
Reece Hodge 38 / 50 %
Allan Ala’alatoa 36 / 50 %
Bernard Foley 71 / 48.59 %
Israel Folau 73 / 47.26 %
Samu Kerevi 31 / 45.16 %

How the loss of Israel Folau has improved the Wallabies backfield

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4d

If Kerevi and Kurandrani are the centres then you might as well pick the best defensive wingers because they are not going to see any ball in attack! The All Blacks know the importance of passing/offloading centres – Laumape didn’t even make the squad! Even Gatland changed his idea of the big centre charging making yards (Roberts) and since he has Wales have had their most success in years.

The Wallabies team that can trouble England

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1w

Just don’t see how the selectors are doing anything??? Another new halves combo in what could be our second last game of the year. Madness. This is the same thing Cheika has been doing for years. With one game left before the knock outs time for experimentation is well over. Bar injuries we should have a stable team. The quarters (against most likely England) will be very tough as we haven’t beat them in years. All this chopping and changing of players stops combinations flourishing.

Hooper to the bench, To'omua at flyhalf among ten Wallabies changes for Georgia clash

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1w

He did have a good second half against the all blacks in perth and the saffas when we were well behind… when he initially runs straight hes good. As soon as his first few steps are sideways hes a liability (like most players I guess)

Five talking points from Wallabies vs Uruguay

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1w

True. I saw a comment on here about how Kerevi didnt pass all match. Watched the replay and it was right. He literally did not throw one pass all match (he popped a ball up from the ground once though). You’d hope to make 100 metres getting as much ball as he does and running every time 😂

Why selection cost the Wallabies their Rugby World Cup game against Wales

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2w

Great read Nick 🏉 It seems to be a common Cheika move to try and get too smart with selections for these big games.

I remember before the last world up we won the first bledisloe then Cheika replaced Foley (who was actually in great form) with Cooper (who wasnt) and we hot smashed. Looks like he has done the reverse here.

Agree about Genia. Rod Kafer in the commentary said he had a great game when he came off for White! Not sure what match he was watching!

Why selection cost the Wallabies their Rugby World Cup game against Wales

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2w

Fair call. Sometimes I think as a team we would be better off with Meakes or Hunt in place. Good defenders, good passers, unselfish, not highlight reel players but probably better for the overall result of the team??? Think the reds will actually be better off too without the ‘pass it to kerevi’ gameplan

Wallabies player ratings versus Wales

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2w

I thought the biggest turning point was when Hooper decided to take the kick at goal to go to 1 point behind. Wales were struggling. They would have been over the moon when he pointed to the sticks! A try there and the match was all but over

Wales withstand Wallabies' second-half fightback

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2w

Brilliant article Nick! Don’t know about you but watching the match I thought the play one-way traffic after the first 30 mins. Even though the Wallabies were behind for 60 mins it just seemed inevitable the points would start flowing and it would be a comfortable scoreline in the end.

Can’t wait for your article about Kolbe. Is there too much of an emphasis on size in the Fiji back 3? They looked gassed very early. Would love to see Nikola Matawalu back on the wing instead of replacement half. Then Radradra back into 13. Might give them a bit more spark at the end of the game and variety in attack having a player that goes around blokes instead of over them.

Why the Wallabies are running for the exit

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3w

Good point. I wonder if it is better to get a more solid player in there with better hands and defence compared to Kerevis running ability??? Meakes or Hunt might be better for the team overall? The Koribete try wouldnt of happened if Kerevi go his hands on the ball. He would have ran it and made good metres for himself out wide but the chance would have been wasted like many others

Rugby World Cup: Five talking points from Wallabies vs Fiji

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3w

If he was big he wouldnt have that acceleration though!!!

All Blacks scrape past Springboks in Rugby World Cup clash

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3w

Kolbe and Barrett were very brilliant 🏉

All Blacks scrape past Springboks in Rugby World Cup clash

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3w

Wright, Hegarty, Paenga-Amosa, McCaffrey and Speight would be great additions to this team!!!

No walkover for Wallabies as Fiji prepare to flex forwards muscle

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4w

Yeh its amazing when you watch the footage from that era… the skills have gone backwards, especially the offloading and support play like you say. I also think we are not running different lines like we used to. Too much emphasis from the wallabies on power over skill nowadays!

No walkover for Wallabies as Fiji prepare to flex forwards muscle

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4w

Bookies are paying 7 to 1 for Fiji, got money on it?

Return of the Pooper: David Pocock and Michael Hooper set to start in World Cup opener

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4w

No sure why there has been so much talk about the lineout… Fiji rarely kick for touch and nor do the Wallabies. There should be even fewer line outs this game than normal. The trend in world rugby has been less lineout due to less kicking and even less contested lineouts as quick throws are all the rage. With both teams liking to keep the ball in play it makes Pococks breakdown skills even more important

Return of the Pooper: David Pocock and Michael Hooper set to start in World Cup opener

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4w

Ah true chook! Should be a brilliant world cup 🏉

Rugby World Cup 2019 preview series: Australia

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Sep

Good article Nick. I heard an interview with Greg Clark and he was asked about Pooper and he said ‘name any alternative that gives you more advantages than having Pocock out there’.

Not sure why everyone says it didnt work? When they were played together we had way more issues causing the loss of matches than the back row. Pocock, Hooper, Fardy back row was what got us to the WC final (and Joubert!)

Pocock was taking it easy against Samoa to get some game time. Get him in against Wales or Fiji and he will rip it up.

He has bounced back from injury many times. How we could think about having a 3 time world player of the year nominee not playing every second is just madness! Other teams must be laughing that this is even debatable.

Samoan selection Sudoku for Michael Cheika ahead of the Rugby World Cup

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Sep

Fiji got smashed by Japan, bookies give them only a 10% chance of victory, they haven’t beaten the Wallabies since 1954… could happen but I wouldn’t put the house on it!

Rugby World Cup 2019 preview series: Australia

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Sep
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