Roar Guru
Joined March 2010
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As I cast back my mind over the last 12 months of internationals, quite aptly, the phrase “nobody is perfect” comes to mind. That phrase, of course, is synonymous with John Eales and for good reason. This then makes me think of the upcoming John Eales medal award.
“It is particularly incumbent on those who never change their opinion, to be secure of judging properly at first.”
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
One aspect of Super Rugby I am interested in this year are the players who will strengthen the Wallabies.
Now that the Australian teams’ involvement in Super Rugby is complete the Wallabies Rugby World Cup 31-man squad is due to be named.
There are four Wallaby Form teams after the semi finals.
Another Roarer wrote an interesting article on Kurtley Beale on the site recently.
Here are my player ratings from the semi-finals of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.
There are four Wallaby form teams after the quarter finals.
I compared the Wallaby train-on squad to a squad that would be picked if you used the Roar form as the selection guide.
Here are my player ratings from the quarter finals of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.
Here are my player ratings from Round 18 of Super Rugby. These rankings are for players who are eligible to be Wallabies.
Here are my player ratings from Round 15 of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.
Here are my player ratings from Round 15 of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.
Here are my player ratings from Round 15 of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.
Very very obvious only someone associated with the squad this year and being familiar with the patterns will be selected at 13. It is that simple.
That means the genuine candidates are Kerevi, Folau, Koirebete, and Maddocks.
JP and English are not familiar with the patterns nor Cheikas way so won’t be selected to start against AB’s. Of course either could be added to the squad with a chance for the 23 or even start at 13 for the eoyt. Have the patterns changed so little that AAC could be considered?
Personally my selection would look at defence first considering it is a done deal 10 Foley 12 Beale.
IMO the best defenders at 13 would be English or AAC. AAC’s being a little bit slower at 35 won’t affect his defence anywhere near as much as his attack.
A major issue with Folau on the wing (and as I expected) is the very little ball or opportunities he gets on the wing. This would be exacerbated by picking no pass AAC. So I would select English disregarding that he would not be that familiar with the various patterns, it is up to the coaches to make it a bit simpler for him and adjust.
I would have Kerevi on the bench as a genuine impact player at either 12 or 13 and sub Beale if he is having another shocker.
I would not consider JP for the test against the AB’s.
I would drop Maddocks for Banks.
Wallabies blow: Hodge breaks ankle
Banks clearly should have been used more especially at times when Maddocks / DHP / Koroiebte were playing poorly.
On Folau I believe it is more a fault of the 1 3 3 1 system with Pocock and Hooper on the wing and Folau passing the ball to them in open space. Also the halves failed to kick well to him.
So he got little ball and when he did was heavily marked.
All the runs DHP did Folau would have done but made more of them.
No World Cup coaching revamp needed: Cheika
Agree and hence my comment, he really isn’t willing to give players a go who he is forced to select due to injury.
Maddocks played poorly yet he kept giving him wraps.
DHP not playing well in a game and not subbed.
On Folau I believe it is a more a case of the backline (with forwards interspersed) rarely getting the ball to him and when they did he was heavily marked. More often the 1 3 3 1 had Hooper and Pocock on the wing in space and Folau inside them passing the ball to them.
The attack really needs to change to 2 4 2 , this is somehting Larkham has really wrong.
No World Cup coaching revamp needed: Cheika
Players who make the bench only due to injury i.e not his preferred selection very very often get no or minimal time. New players brought in as injury cover never get into the 23 i.e Cottrel.
This means one of 2 things , he doesn’t trust them at all, or doesn’t want his starter shown up and his selection proven wrong.
Timani, Gordon / Powell, Timu, Banks and many more are the players to get minimal time and only brought in due to injury.
No World Cup coaching revamp needed: Cheika
It is obvious Cheika is world class in motivation and getting teams / players to believe in themselves initially.
That is why teams improve so much under him initially.
However that can only last so long i.e it has diminishing returns with players getting used to him and desensitised.
Cheika is not a tactical or technical coach but he is a strategic coach with a big picture approach.
This is very similar to Clive Woodward.
They very heavily rely on having very good tactical and technical assistant coaches.
This shows with the Wallabies improvement in the scrum when they has Ledesma.
Also the forwards ball skills especially the tight 5 really improving with Byrne.
IMO the Wallabies COULD improve a lot retaining Cheika s head coach.
Have far better technical and tactical assistant coaches since Larkham and Grey and the new forwards coach leave a lot to be desired.
Also as Castle mooted add a selector to select players based on technical aspects rather than Cheikas feelgood / team harmony which suits his man management approach which is his strength.
Sadly despite so much evidence to the contrary i.e a steady decline after the initial rapid improvement , Cheika won’t accept he has the wrong assistants AND won’t change his selection method or allow an outside selector to be added.
So clearly I see a continuing decline with a rare big performance every now and then.
It would have been better allround that Argentina won big because changes would have been forced.
The only hope is Castle and the board reject the plan Cheika puts forwards for improvement especially since it seems to be based on super rugby cooperation which has shifted the blame to outside areas of his control, i.e doesn’t accept any responsibility himself.
No World Cup coaching revamp needed: Cheika
Thanks to everyone for their condolences and best wishes.
I do appreciate the comments.
My main purpose was to provide clarity on why I have not been as much a prolific poster as was my wont and stillmissit asking how was I going , showing concern was touching.
Tupou’s turn to try to spark Wallabies
thanks, I am not close to suffering depresssion (don’t think I have ever been) just feeling grief and feeling the losses as most people would.
My wife and sons (and their partners) have been great so no worries there.
Tupou’s turn to try to spark Wallabies
thanks for asking stillmissit.
Personally I am healthy but emotionally a bit dark and hence one of the reasons for my lack of visiting roar often.
Last year my mother died in July of a stroke. Then my father died last month of leukemia so I have struggled to find much interest in rugby.
Tupou’s turn to try to spark Wallabies
If Foley or Beale or anyone had proven themselves a good game manager and playmaker for the Wallabies I agree QC should not be mentioned as a candidate.
However since no one has proven to be of sufficient quality and QC has even if he is now past his best of course fans should still consider QC.
I hope QC plays very well for the rebels and then forces his way as the starting 10 for the wallabies.
Why? Easy neither Foley or Beale are good enough as a playmaker or in game management and if QC gets selected he is better in both those areas and would be in form.
We have to talk about Quade
3 articles after the team has been named and all the focus is on Tupou starting.
Sure I agree with him starting, it is overdue considering how strong his scrumaging is. I just hope Garces allows him to dominate, too often the ref has protected his opposite.
To me of bigger concern is the failures in the team selection.
Sure Pooper is back due to lack of options and lack of speed in the alternatives. No issue.
However why on earth select Hanigan? Yes his best year so far and he has finally shown he is up to super rugby standard, but thats all.
Hanigan combined with Pooper has proven to have too many weaknesses and it doesn’t work.
IMO Timu should be given at least half the chances that Hanigan has been given.
Additionally what is the point of Simmons on the bench. He is NOT an impact player , he is a grinder. OK if the lineout goes to shambles he can come in. However there is no reason to have both Simmons and Arnold on the bench, none! You don’t need 2 locks.
OK both Pocock and Hooper will play 80 mins , thats ok if Hooper is over his injury. However it means Hanigan will play 80 OR Simmons who is even worse as a 6 takes over. Is the point to make Hanigan look good in comparison?
At the worst Timu should be on the bench for Hanigan. He at least is an impact player. If the wallabies are struggling with ball carries to get over the add line he could be brought on to provide that. Timu offers the opportunity to change the game , Simmons doesn’t.
To me it shows Timu has been placed in the same bracket as Timani and Higginbotham and others. Only select as a last resort and then give them minimal time.
Tupou’s turn to try to spark Wallabies
Samu is another 7 so it is very much a like for like replacement.
Hooper out, Pocock to captain at No.7
Trouble is the next man chosen would have been Hanigan.
Against Argentina a shorter backrow doesn’t hurt much since the lineout is not a Pumas strength.
What is are athletic fast players across the field.
So in a horses for course selection Pooper is actually good against them and so starting Samu makes sense in this case.
Hooper out, Pocock to captain at No.7
Most balanced team Cheika has named probably ever.
Great that Robertson and Hanigan dropped and Foley remains on the bench.
However props are wrong.
Tupou should start.
Bench LHP should be Alaalatoa and Kepu bench THP.
Hooper should be on the bench just because he has not recovered properly yet and is not as fast as he has been, Jantes easily caught up to him chasing that ball. Pumas lineout not great so Samu could start at 8 and Pocock moves to 7. However not much difference between Hooper and Samu so against Pumas not a big deal.
DHP did nothing much against Boks but Koroibete was poor. Banks should be starting on the wing instead of Koroibete. Koroibete would replace Maddocks on the bench.
TPN’s lineout is the best of the wallaby hookers by a long way. The question mark is he is not handling all the traveling well.
Gordon would be a better bench option with his speed and running game against a tiring Pumas in the last 20 mins. Cheika obviously doesn’t have much faith in Powell given he didn’t get any game time against Boks so use Gordon instead.
Wallabies bring back the big guns for Argentina showdown
QC is probably heading to Rebels as well, so 10 QC 12 Toomua 13 Hodge
Marika Koroibete inks new deal with Rugby AU as he eyes 2019 World Cup
rubbish
extra depth at super rugby level is always welcome.
AAC was a top wallaby and vastly underrated.
Of course he is past his best now at his age, however if he is better than who is available come rwc 2019 I have no issues if he gets selected.
Cheika supports Ashley-Cooper comeback
he hasn’t been invited back into the national team at all
Cheika supports Ashley-Cooper comeback
always good news to get a player who started in rugby back from nrl.
Manly's Tom Wright quits Sea Eagles to join Brumbies
very true
Banks should be provided a genuine opportunity since none of the current back 3 are performing that well.
Folau back on the wing and Banks at f/b would be ideal.
However realistically Folau at f/b and Banks on the wing would be ok as well.
Maddocks will be given a lot of time and excuses like Hanigan was.
Wallabies player ratings vs Springboks Rugby Championship
It looks like on attack Toomua is at 10 and on defence Beale is at 10 most of the time.
Also on attack it seems Beale makes the call when he goes to 1st receiver, if he sees something on.
Two cheers only for the Wallabies' gritty win over the Springboks
DHP nothing much against the boks.
Poor defence as usual. Made 3 tackles missed 2.
He let high balls bounce.
Attack wasn’t much to speak about, 9 runs 41 metres (less than half what Folau gets) 1 cb and 2 defenders beaten , made 3 tackles missed 2 so missed 40% of his tackles.
No playmaking he passed twice.
Also what about the much vaunted kicking for which Folau is unfairly criticised, did DHP even kick once?
Two cheers only for the Wallabies' gritty win over the Springboks
Clearly TPN is the best lineout thrower in the wallabies squad. That could be be a major reason he is still included.
IMO Tupou should start and Kepu on the bench.
A lot of referees form an early opinion on the scrum and the scrum considered weaker cops a lot of unfair decisions, just like Jackson did. Tupou could be instrumental in having those early opinions on the wallabies side for once.
Alaalatoa as the bench LHP replacing Robertson.
I honestly don’t care about Cheika’s antics in the coachs box, Meyer was emotional all the time as well. It seems only one type of personality is allowed.
What I do care about is Cheika’s serious flaws as a coach, in not fixing serious flaws in tactics in the team that have been there for a while, serious flaws in selection and seeming to only allow yes men.
That said I do give credit for finally dropping Foley which helps in fixing the issue with general play kicking and exit kicking.
Also he can hardly be blamed for a new lock combo when Coleman pulls out for family reasons. Just another axe to grind unfairly by Spiro.
Two cheers only for the Wallabies' gritty win over the Springboks
jameswm – That is the backline I would play as well considering how out of form Beale is.
The only question mark is if kerevi is fit enough, depends on how of the field he has to cover form 12.
An emergency Bledisloe Cup recall for Adam Ashley-Cooper? No thanks