Test Rugby Wallabies Rugby World Cup discussion

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I'd be a bit surprised by a Phipps and Cooper partnership. Cheika has already said in the media that where possible he wants to maintain existing combinations as there's not a lot of time to develop new ones. And surely he's mainly talking about the halves. So I think it'll either be Genia/Cooper or Phipps/Foley. Apparently Giteau was playing a lot outside Genia and Cooper in training.
 
He's 27. He hasn't been anywhere near career best form in the last couple of years but he's not at an age where you can definitively say that he's done. If he can get back to his form of a few years ago then he'd be a better option than Phipps, primarily because he has a better pass. It could be worth starting him in a test to find out.
 

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Genia was one of the better performed Reds this year to me. They were a mess as a team with Graham still coaching, but I thought Genia had a much better year this season.

I think Phipps will be the first choice guy but Genia is close IMO.
 
S120 said:
Genia was one of the better performed Reds this year to me. They were a mess as a team with Graham still coaching, but I thought Genia had a much better year this season.

I think Phipps will be the first choice guy but Genia is close IMO.
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A lot has to do with the culture at the Reds this year. RG was probably a bit too relaxed with key players. From all reports Genia look really sharp in training, the best he's looked since injuring his knee. Of course, training is nothing like the real thing but I think Cheika will go with Genia.

Team I would go with vs. Springboks:

1. Slipper
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Simmonds
5. Skelton
6. Pocock
7. Hooper
8. Higginbotham
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Mitchell
12. Giteau
13. Kuridrani
14. Tomane
15. Folau

Rush them, dominate the rucks, and let the backs do the rest. AAC and Horne unlucky, but Mitchell and Tomane provide a lot more in counterattack.
 
I like that team but I'd have Fardy in the side at all times, even in an experimenting test as this might be. I love Fardy as a player. I'd be happy to have him at 6 with Pocock at 8 if you really wanted to play him and Hooper together. I doubt that'll happen but I'd be cool with it.

Against a typically big Springboks pack, I imagine Fardy will get picked at 6 with Pocock at 7 and one of Higginbotham or McCalman at 8. I'd always have McCalman over Higginbotham personally.

Tomane is my pick as the second one wing too. I like his style.

When does the team get announced?
 
It'd be pretty risky playing the South Africans with only 2 decent lineout jumpers - but that side could be fun to watch.

And I think the team will be announced tomorrow.
 
Maester said:
It'd be pretty risky playing the South Africans with only 2 decent lineout jumpers - but that side could be fun to watch.

And I think the team will be announced tomorrow.
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Good point with the lineout. Matfield and Etzebeth are very dangerous there. I'd definitely go with Fardy at 6 and McCalman at 8 with that in mind. And Pocock at 7.

I can't wait for this. I have Wallabies v Boks and Swans v Hawks to watch in one night.
 
The rumoured team has Hooper starting at 7. You guys are much more adamant about Pocock starting than I am - I'm unsure and would like to see how they go in the next few tests. I definitely want to see them both get starts. Pocock got outplayed in the Super Rugby semi final by Ardie Savea and is in my mind more containable tactically than Hooper is.

S120 said:
I can't wait for this. I have Wallabies v Boks and Swans v Hawks to watch in one night.
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At my place we set up 2 TV's side by side for these occasions!
 
Maester said:
The rumoured team has Hooper starting at 7. You guys are much more adamant about Pocock starting than I am - I'm unsure and would like to see how they go in the next few tests. I definitely want to see them both get starts. Pocock got outplayed in the Super Rugby semi final by Ardie Savea and is in my mind more containable tactically than Hooper is.



At my place we set up 2 TV's side by side for these occasions!
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I'll head out to the Swans game and hopefully watch a replay of the Wallabies when I get back without knowing the score. Hopefully.

1 Slipper 2 Moore 3 Kepu 4 Skelton 5 Simmons 6 Fardy 7 Hooper 8 Higginbotham 9 Genia 10 Cooper 11 Horne 12 Giteau 13 Kuridrani 14 AAC 15 Folau5 is

That's the reported side (via GreenandGold Rugby).

Given this is the actual team and Cheika will probably give others a shot in the next test, not a bad side. McCalman and Pocock will get their opportunities and I look forward to seeing them play. I'm just not convinced that Higginbotham's game translates to big test matches against the likes of the Boks, AB's, England, Ireland etc. Never been convinced that he's an above average Test player and I'd rather have McCalman's more balanced game, but I hope he proves me wrong.

AAC I don't love on the wing, I'd rather see Mitchell there. Horne deserves his place after a great last 18 months.
 
Boks side named:

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie di Plessis
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Victor Matfield (Captain)
6. Francois Louw
7. Marcell Coetzee
8. Schalk Burger
9. Ruan Pienaar (Vice-captain)
10. Handré Pollard
11. Bryan Habana
12. Damian de Allende
13. Jesse Kriel
14. JP Pietersen
15. Willie le Roux

Bench
16. Adrian Strauss
17. Heinke van der Merwe
18. Frans Malherbe
19. Lood de Jager
20. Oupa Mohoje
21. Cobus Reinach
22. Pat Lambie
23. Lwazi Mvovo
 

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That's a very strong Boks team. Their backrow will be very abrasive and their back line looks dangerous. The de Allende / Kriel centre partnership has a lot of potential.
 
Maester said:
That's a very strong Boks team. Their backrow will be very abrasive and their back line looks dangerous. The de Allende / Kriel centre partnership has a lot of potential.
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Pollard too. That trio are so young and so good. They could legitimately be the 10/12/13 combination for the next decade for the Boks.
 
Team named officially:

James Slipper, Stephen Moore (c), Sekope Kepu, Rob Simmons, Will Skelton, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, Scott Higginbotham, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Rob Horne, Matt Giteau, Tevita Kuridrani, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Israel Folau
Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio, Greg Holmes, James Horwill, David Pocock, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Drew Mitchell

Horwill. Damn.
 
South Africa are dead set laughing to the bank...

Horwill..FMD I would almost rather Dennis and that is saying something
Hooper starting...this will be fun, when exactly are we planning to win a turnover?
Horne over Mitchell...laughable.

South Africa 1-12, could easily be 13+
 
Horne has had a great year and is one of the best defenders. I'm pretty sure, with the back 3 that's been picked that Horne will be doing a lot of defending at 10, 12 or 13 and that Cooper (and perhaps Giteau on occasion) will drop back a bit.

It's a bit of an unknown going into this game, but there seems to be a lot of positivity coming out of the Wallabies squad for the first time in a while. If we can get close to parity up front I think we'll win.
 
Happy with the team. Hooper vs Pocock was a line ball decision for me. I don't think it'll be the difference between the two teams, especially when Fardy is there.

Wallabies by 20
 
I'm just hoping SA are massive outsiders with the TAB, I know who I'm putting money on. Ordinary team, we will hardly get the ball as we have no one who can turn the ball over...and the less said about our kicking options the better...Mitchell is our best in field kicker, WTF is he doing on the bench!
 
Lions1024 said:
Happy with the team. Hooper vs Pocock was a line ball decision for me. I don't think it'll be the difference between the two teams, especially when Fardy is there.

Wallabies by 20
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Fardy, already the number one blindside in the country anyway, has to be in the side if Hooper is there. His skills at the breakdown are so valuable. That may well influence Cheika looking into the RWC. Have Fardy there to be be an influence at the breakdown with Hooper to be everywhere else.

Pocock is still my pick every day of the week but Hooper's influence on a game in the tackle and running the ball is very strong.
 
Relying on Fardy at the breakdown....I can see SA laughing so hard. Why don't we just pick the best number 7 at the breakdown, I know such a novel idea, but how about lets try it. Hooper spends half the time in the centres, how much good is that when we are struggling to get the ball back?
 
Geez, it's a wonder the Waratahs and Wallabies had the ball at all in the last 2 seasons!
 
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