Test Rugby Wallabies Rugby World Cup discussion

[Maester]

No I want to play him because he is the best player with the highest potential level in the position. Foley has not been good in the last two matches he's played, so I think it's worth taking the risk on Quade for the next game at least. If he has a shocker I would change my mind. You speak as if you've been anti Cooper forever, yet 3 weeks ago you had him in your starting 15. Talk about inconsistency.

Again, this is just something you've made up with no basis in fact. The sample size of Folau playing with Cooper at 10 is simply way too small to make any sort of judgement on it, and when they did play together against South Africa, Folau was arguably the man of the match. Folau got more ball in attack against Argentina because we were playing a weaker side. And because Argentina kicked poorly at times and gave him heaps of space to counter attack - which of course had nothing to do with the 10.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

No I want to play him because he is the best player with the highest potential level in the position. Foley has not been good in the last two matches he's played, so I think it's worth taking the risk on Quade for the next game at least. If he has a shocker I would change my mind. You speak as if you've been anti Cooper forever, yet 3 weeks ago you had him in your starting 15. Talk about inconsistency.

Again, this is just something you've made up with no basis in fact. The sample size of Folau playing with Cooper at 10 is simply way too small to make any sort of judgement on it, and when they did play together against South Africa, Folau was arguably the man of the match. Folau got more ball in attack against Argentina because we were playing a weaker side. And because Argentina kicked poorly at times and gave him heaps of space to counter attack - which of course had nothing to do with the 10.

Potential lol..he is in his late 20's (27)! He aint improving his consistency. He will at best be a 1 in 4 and that is generous as it is more likely 1 in 6. He has bugger all consistency and it hurts us more than it helps us. I was realistic with my side, did I want Cooper there, no, but he was training at 10, so he was going to be there. Was ordinary, and the whole game was flaky. People just remember the good things, how about the losse passes, wrong options that you won't get away with against NZ.

Folau got more ball as Foley knows him like the back of his hand, and frankly that is reason enough to let Foley be at fly half. Answer WHY Cooper gets a free passage into the team showing squat all form this season? Are we picking a side in form or not? As it is we are punting on a few players that aren't in the best of form, we don't need another. I won't be against Cooper if he goes away and performs for 4-6 consecutive weeks.

 

[Maester]

Again, you picked Naiyaravoro so you weren't being realistic. You're just saying that now to suit your trolling.

All that really counts right now is ability and form for the Wallabies. So far both Cooper and Foley have played one game each at 10 and both played okay. If anything Cooper played a little better. And Cooper has the greater skillset of the two. But we'll see what happens. I like both guys and hope whoever gets picked at 10 against the All Blacks has a blinder.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Again, you picked Naiyaravoro so you weren't being realistic. You're just saying that now to suit your trolling.

All that really counts right now is ability and form for the Wallabies. So far both Cooper and Foley have played one game each at 10 and both played okay. If anything Cooper played a little better. And Cooper has the greater skillset of the two. But we'll see what happens. I like both guys and hope whoever gets picked at 10 against the All Blacks has a blinder.

Naiyaravoro was one of the form wingers, and he was something different, purely would have liked to see what he had at test level. My number 1 belief is that the more out of form players you pick the more you struggle. No surprise that when we had less out of form players in the 2nd test (regardless of opposition), we looked more fluent.

I care very little about skillset, I care about consistency. I would rather have a 6.5/10 fly half rather than have a fly half that is a 3/10 one week then a 8/10 the following week, then a 5/10 the week after. There is no consistency with Quade. Everyone wants to pick him off his 8/10 game...it happens 1 in 4 games. I agree with your last line though, end of the day I will support whoever is at 10, can't wait for the game I hope we get 65,000 to the game.

 

[Maester]

I hope they can get 70k+ ... it's the first big chance in a while for the Wallabies to win a significant trophy. A win would be huge.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I hope they can get 70k+ ... it's the first big chance in a while for the Wallabies to win a significant trophy. A win would be huge.

Just can't see it, ANZ is notoriously bad for attendances. Hope I'm wrong there.

 

[Maester]

Just can't see it, ANZ is notoriously bad for attendances. Hope I'm wrong there.

Last year's ANZ Bledisloe crowd was over 68k and it was the first match of the series. As this is effectively a final I think anything less would be a huge marketing failure.

 

[S120]

Yeh dipping below last year's crowd would be a ridiculous disappointment. I have to think they'll get over 70k for this one. I hope so anyway. I might be able to get out there, not sure at this stage.

Hooper has been named on Manly's bench for their Shute Shield final this weekend in a hope that he can make that his missed game through suspension. A bit of sleight of hand by the ARU here.

 

[Maester]

Oh I don't know about that. I'm sure the selection for Manly is completely above board! If he gets 1 week he'll be very disappointed to miss out on the Shute Shield quarter final that he was always going to play in.

 

[S120]

Oh I don't know about that. I'm sure the selection for Manly is completely above board! If he gets 1 week he'll be very disappointed to miss out on the Shute Shield quarter final that he was always going to play in.

Fair point. Hooper could certainly use a bit of match practice. I mean after months of Super Rugby and a couple of Test matches, he could probably do with playing 15 minutes off the bench against a bunch of accountants, brickies and data analysts.

 

[S120]

http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsAr...ustralian-Rugby-for-the-next-three-years.aspx

Douglas signs for three year with ARU and the Reds.

Now get him into camp and work his arse into the ground to see if he's physically in the place to play Test rugby and World Cup rugby.

 

[Maester]

Fingers crossed he'll be at his best.

One thing I wish we had this year is a couple of Australia A matches. We're not giving enough playing time to fringe players who may have to come into the world cup team at short notice. It'd be great if someone like Douglas had an Australia A match to prove himself in.

 

[S120]

Fingers crossed he'll be at his best.

One thing I wish we had this year is a couple of Australia A matches. We're not giving enough playing time to fringe players who may have to come into the world cup team at short notice. It'd be great if someone like Douglas had an Australia A match to prove himself in.

I guess that concept has fallen by the way side with the ARU under trying financial times, but I'd love to see that reemerge. To have James O'Connor, Dave Dennis, Karmichael Hunt, Mitch Inman, Toby Smith et al plugging away in club footy or in NRC soon is nice for that level of footy but having them together playing under the rules and game plan of Cheika in an A team (a la NZ Maori) would be of great advantage to us. Have them play against Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, NZ Maori. It'd be great.

We almost certainly don't have the infrastructure in all of those nations and unions to make it work but I'd love to see that.

 

[S120]

http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsAr...bies-fold-for-Rugby-Championship-decider.aspx

31 man squad for the Bledisloe tests named.

Toby Smith, Cliffy Palu, Matt Giteau are in with James Hanson, Scott Higginbotham (nice) and Nick Cummins out.

 

[Maester]

I guess that concept has fallen by the way side with the ARU under trying financial times, but I'd love to see that reemerge. To have James O'Connor, Dave Dennis, Karmichael Hunt, Mitch Inman, Toby Smith et al plugging away in club footy or in NRC soon is nice for that level of footy but having them together playing under the rules and game plan of Cheika in an A team (a la NZ Maori) would be of great advantage to us. Have them play against Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, NZ Maori. It'd be great.

We almost certainly don't have the infrastructure in all of those nations and unions to make it work but I'd love to see that.

Surely they could at least break even out of a match between Australia A and the Maori or Samoa for example? There is no top level rugby in Australia this weekend, and if a game like that was being played I think it would get an audience at least comparable to a Super Rugby game. Especially in a world cup year. I hope it's something the ARU think about bringing back because it would be cool to see and it would benefit the Wallabies.

In other news SANZAR are appealing their own judicial officers decision to ban Hooper for 1 week (though he was effectively banned for 2 and it was reduced for good behaviour). What an absolutely ridiculous process. The ARU are counter-appealing to have the sentence abolished completely. All this money and time spent on appeals and counter-appeals could surely be better spent.

 

[Maester]

Very interested to see who is selected to replace Simmons this weekend. I suspect it will be Horwill, and while he played great coming off the bench against the Springboks, his form was poor all year for the Reds and I have doubts he'll be effective for 80 minutes.

Crowd is apparently tracking to be over 75,000 so that's some good news.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

So long as Foley is at 10 I'll be happy. Horwill will replace Simmons unfortunately.

 

[Maester]

Apparently the team is:

1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. James Horwill
5. Dean Mumm
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper
8. David Pocock
9. Nick Phipps
10. Bernard Foley
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Matt Giteau
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Isreal Folau

Reserves
White
McCalman
Polota nau
Slipper
Toomua
Holmes
Skelton
Beale

 

[S120]

Palu was in the supposed team I saw at 8.

Edit: I'll back G&G though. Some surprises in that team for me though.

 

[Maester]

I'm a little nervous about the 2nd row and the Foley/Giteau partnership at 10/12 in defence, but I imagine at least 1 will defend on the wing. I think in attack they should complement each other pretty well. Love that we finally get the POOPER combination. It's definitely worth trying in this match IMO. Also good to see Sio get a start.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Praise the lord no Quade! About time the lemon was dropped!

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I'm a little nervous about the 2nd row and the Foley/Giteau partnership at 10/12 in defence, but I imagine at least 1 will defend on the wing. I think in attack they should complement each other pretty well. Love that we finally get the POOPER combination. It's definitely worth trying in this match IMO. Also good to see Sio get a start.

I would have tried it against Argentina first, makes me a fraction nervous at the lineouts, limits our options.

 

[S120]

Fardy, Horwill and Mumm should be more than competitive at the lineout. Certainly not better than the AB's, but it gives us three genuine jumpers so I don't have too much concern there.

Giteau and Foley in the same backline worries me and Scott Sio at LH worries me. He's been very good coming on against the Boks' and Pumas' 2nd string front row but he hasn't had to take on the best of the best at Test rugby yet. Only one way to find out though and that's this weekend against the likes of the Franks brothers with Brodie Retallick behind them.

I'm intrigued to see how some of the combinations work (the locks, the front row, POOPER, the inside backs) but I'm not near convinced that we'll get within a couple of tries of NZ.

 

[S120]

All Blacks: Ben Smith, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Conrad Smith, Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea, Daniel Carter, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c) , Jerome Kaino, Luke Romano, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Codie Taylor, Ben Franks, Nepo Laulala, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Malakai Fekitoa.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Fardy, Horwill and Mumm should be more than competitive at the lineout. Certainly not better than the AB's, but it gives us three genuine jumpers so I don't have too much concern there.

Giteau and Foley in the same backline worries me and Scott Sio at LH worries me. He's been very good coming on against the Boks' and Pumas' 2nd string front row but he hasn't had to take on the best of the best at Test rugby yet.

I'm intrigued to see how some of there combinations work (the locks, the front row, POOPER, the inside backs) but I'm not near convinced that we'll get within a couple of tries of NZ.

Really don't get why we are benching Skelton, it was his best test last match, and even though I'll support him...what does Horwill offer? Giteau and foley is still better than ever seeing Quade near a test spot this year. Hopefully we persuade Quade to take the deal in Toulon, at least that way he won't be back to stuff us up.

It will be interesting to see how the backrow works together. Disagree on getting within 2 tries, I actually feel this is our best chance in years. Players in form picked, and NZ are not playing great. Even though McCaw is a legend of the game, he isn't the Richie McCaw of 5 years ago.