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Joined June 2017
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Agree, except for TK. Toomua provides more cover. TK will only make the team if Kerevi or O’Connor have a bad one, and he then gets the 13. He’ll get a game or two against minnows.
Pooper might be fine against Wales as they play 2 x 7s too.
Definitely agree DHP at the back against Wales. Beale on bench for last 20 against everyone from QF onwards.
Surprised Thor not on the bench too, I guess they want to give Kepu time against Fiji for a hit out and to play against his cousins
Wallabies confirm team for first Rugby World Cup pool game vs Fiji
When you say very “disciplined”, what I interpret that as is “they are ALL offside, in one line together”. That’s the “modern” defence. All teams do it, to a greater or lesser degree. It’s killing the game. But they’re clearly not going to address it at this World Cup. And it will be an arm-wrestle-athon. As such, my top 4 are SA, Eng, Wales and Ireland. Final to be decided by penalty goals.
How will the Wallabies unravel Warren Gatland’s Welsh web?
The old underdogs thing is easy to resolve:
Bookies have Wales at 1.75, Wallabies at 2.10
If Gatland thinks he’s the underdog there’s good money for him to earn rather than talk about
How will the Wallabies unravel Warren Gatland’s Welsh web?
Presume you’re unemployed then Jo! Reading rags like the SMH, the Australian etc where the party-line gets trotted out: now that’s tripe!
How will the Wallabies unravel Warren Gatland’s Welsh web?
White was ordinary in 2015. He has improved in many many ways in the UK.
Phipps was good in 2015. Not anymore. And Cheika dropped him.
My toilet paper is thick and fluffy. And very dry.
World Cup hunger in the snubbed Wallabies veterans only a good thing
Spot on mate! OJ is learning so much today!
World Cup hunger in the snubbed Wallabies veterans only a good thing
Jez, just ignore OJ, he stinks the place up. Been doing it for years at The Australian. OJ’s never heard of the pod. Haha!
World Cup hunger in the snubbed Wallabies veterans only a good thing
Spot on B.
Yeah and on White, let’s not give any credit for getting White back from UK to Cheika. Imagine that, Cheika finding a Brumbie… Just like last time when he found Giteau, another non-Tah… Or O’Connor this time… Or maybe the loyalty he shows to other marginal non-Tahs like LSL and Uelese? You’d think the conspiracy boys would be able to join the dots….
World Cup hunger in the snubbed Wallabies veterans only a good thing
Save your taps Brett. OJ is rusted-on, man-on-the-moon conspiracy theorist. You’re being way too smart and reasonable for him!!!
World Cup hunger in the snubbed Wallabies veterans only a good thing
Ironic that having two 7s in the team is listed as a strength for Wales
Rugby World Cup 2019 preview series: Wales
In World Cup big matches we go for Defence, against Fiji and minnows offence. Which keeps Pocock fresh. Dempsey on the bench for specialist finisher with speed and footwork for all matches
Samoan selection Sudoku for Michael Cheika ahead of the Rugby World Cup
Ps I may be a right hander, with a younger (more talented) brother who’s a lefty.
Australia in box seat to retain Ashes today
As poor as Warner is, we should recognise that Broad is the guy just destroying all the left handers. Uzzie, Head, Harris and Wade are all under serious pressure as well when Broad is bowling. Sometimes the other bowlers are cashing in when Broad is bowling.
As mad as it seems, we should consider all right handers just to address Broad. Bancroft and Burns to open. Labs, Smith, Maxwell and Pucovski.
Australia in box seat to retain Ashes today
Starc in for Pattinson
Smith for Harris
Old Trafford fast pitch should suit both Starc and Usman
Weather looks dodgy so I hope Tim Paine calls right and then makes the right call based on overhead conditions
Australian selectors should hold their nerve for the fourth Test
Great analysis.
Very interesting anomalies in there. Second beating first 61% of the time over the past 30 odd years seems amazing. My guess is that it comes down to the mentality of “hunter vs hunted”.
Just how important is ladder position, anyway?
Peter
I get the passion.
I’ll let some of those comments go because they’re not really my bag – Nic White, Sydney Uni etc
But I’ll take you up on the main point about RA strategy. Sure, there have been some exceptions to the rule with the Brumbies, Reds and Tahs having a win each in last 15 years, but let’s not pretend that is good enough to succeed in the Australian sports market.
The Wallabies slide in that time is also pretty obvious. There’s more than a correlation between poor SR teams and poor Wallabies. Crowds, winning habits, pathway aspirations. They are a flywheel of success. All the Australian SR teams have thin squads. We need to go back to go forwards, to earn the right to grow.
The NRC is a marketing wet dream. It doesn’t tap into the tribal identity of clubs so is doomed and a waste of money in its current form. An end of season inter-state club comp would be a better place to start.
I’m guessing you’re from Perth. I remember training there in the 1990s, great club spirit. For the record I wanted the Force over the Rebels because of that grassroots passion. I think it’s tragic that Twiggy’s money didn’t come earlier and couldn’t swing it. Again, I don’t know the details of what happened, but that seemed a crazy outcome to me. But how he’s spending his money now just seems pointless. Passionate but pointless.
As hard as each of those 4 strategies are, there is a consistent logic to them. Focus on getting to winning teams at SR and Wallaby level so we don’t bleed to other sports. In a word: focus.
Is it time to scrap the Giteau law?
For the Samoa game I’d like to see 9 White, 10 Foley, 12 Kerevi, 13 O’Connor starting. Foley has been asked to kick (he can’t, and neither can CLL, but White covers that) and been outside the slow pass of Genia for past 4 years. I think he can add 10% to the backline with speed, pass and backup superior to CLL. We haven’t seen this lineup. As much as CLL is a Cinderella story, we shouldn’t kid ourselves and he has made plenty of mistakes in the 4 tests this year.
31 picked but the Wallabies' XV already looks pretty set
In our crowded sports market in Australia if your team isn’t winning it’s going out of business. Last time Australia were consistently threatening at Super Rugby was when we had 3 teams. 2 core states and one extra (Brumbies). They went on to create a magnificent club that continues to deliver.
No co-incidence that the last time the Wallabies were consistently threatening was also when we had 3 SR teams.
We don’t have the player pool to justify any more than 3 teams. We don’t have the money. Certainly won’t when Foxtel renegotiation comes around.
Rich NH clubs have emerged that have made the above even more acute.
Expanding to extras II and the extras III was/remains dumb.
Strategy should be:
1 Go back to 3 SR teams.
2 Central contracts like NZ, where we can keep a core of players
3 Select Wallaby players from global pool with no restrictions. Why? Because it saves us having to pay for extras II and III. We get a better Wallaby team which is the true funding body for Aus rugby.
4 Focus resources on player pathways from schools and clubs.
I hope we do get rid of the Giteau Law, but we need to do it with the funding and structure to complement it. Let’s make our U20’s success count instead of frittering it away on under-powered teams with no money.
Is it time to scrap the Giteau law?
Spot on
I think the long arm bind is the exception so the burden of proof (that the Joes weren’t at fault) lies with them. If we suddenly get a scrum crabbing sideways, and the Joes still look straight despite boring in, then I’d penalise the guy doing it differently. I have no sympathy for either Joe, they were boring in and trying to camouflage their actions. Penalise them to eliminate it
Perception and reality: The Wallabies and All Blacks scrum from Perth to Eden Park
Barring another Headingly miracle, Roy and Buttler are batting for their spots. I’d add Denly, but he actually looks better than the runs he’s made. He actually looks like a test batsman. Roy and Buttler really don’t.
In any case I’d drop both. I think they need to find the best two openers in county cricket (ie hardest to get out, not highest average, not run rate) and put them in at 2 and 3. Root down to 4, Denly 5, Stokes 6, Bairstow 7.
Anderson in for Woakes.
Suddenly looks much more like a test cricket team rather than a pimped one day team. This business of all-rounders and master-blasters has been exposed.
Australia's new 'Big Three' demolish England
So true.
Add in Marnus and Smith as leggies and we have more than enough bowling options if we need to rest the 4 bowlers.
Australia's new 'Big Three' demolish England
Gee, well appreciate the gritted teeth compliments. But don’t forget YOU’D HAVE BEEN WRONG!
Australia down Fiji to open Rugby World Cup campaign with unconvincing win