Test Rugby Wallabies Rugby World Cup discussion

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LukeParkerno1 said:
The Rebels must have made the finals with his great play right? Decent does not equal test quality. I have no doubt Harris is a good Super 15 player, so are quite a few others. You need to be more than that though.

I have seen enough to at least trial Hunt in the Rigby Championship. You try playing behind a halfback that can't pass or run, a pack full of spuds and to make matters worse a coach that can't coach.
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So you're saying Harris doesn't deserve to be there because his team (which has only 5 Wallabies) didn't make finals, yet you think Hunt should be there despite his play and his team (containing 12 Wallabies) being considerably worse.
 
S120 said:
I haven't seen Mitchell play in aaaaages, but if he's still playing as well as the last time I saw him, I'd be very happy to see him in the squad and maybe XV.
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I haven't seen him that much, although I did catch one match while I was overseas and he played well. Seems to be over his injuries which plagued him.
 
Maester said:
So you're saying Harris doesn't deserve to be there because his team (which has only 5 Wallabies) didn't make finals, yet you think Hunt should be there despite his play and his team (containing 12 Wallabies) being considerably worse.
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I'm saying he doesn't deserve it because he is average at best. He can goal kick, but even that isn't SA or NZ standard, just slightly better than the trash kickers we normally have. Hunt should be trialled, and I wouldn't have him near a starting spot, I would have him on the bench, covering injuries and positions. You need a utility so you are either playing JOC (if he doesn't start) or Hunt. Every other option is a centre that can be a fullback a little bit, or a centre that can play a bit of wing.
 

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Why have a guy covering several positions who is currently average at all of them? Why trial someone who hasn't shown the form to deserve it. I agree that Harris is average but he's played better than Hunt this year. And I basically dispute the argument that Hunt is cover for 10. He was a worse 10 than Nick Frisby! He would cover 15 okay and be a less than ideal option at 11-14.

I'd rather have guys on the bench who can actually provide an impact. Who I'd pick depends on the bench split you go for. If it's 3 backs then I'd be tempted to have Quade Cooper and a bigger outside back - I think Kerevi is a potential bolter in this scenario. Cooper can cover 10 and 15, Kerevi could cover 11-14. If it's just 2 back reserves then I'd have any of JOC, Beale, Horne and Ashley-Cooper in addition to the halfback. Don't forget the starting backs have plenty of versatility and can shift around if required. For example, we have two guys in the starting line up that can play 10, 2 or 3 that can play fullback, 3 that can play 13 etc.
 
You would have asked the same when Mat Rogers was on the bench. Was never fantastic in any position, but covered them. That is why JOC is going to be on the wing, he is the number 10 coverage. Hunt could do it though, in defence especially.

Cooper should start at 10 if fit, that is the million dollar question, is he match fit? Not just fit, but match hardened. We need big backs who all provide something, and the bench who provide a point of interest. It is why I'm filthy that the big NSW winger is going overseas. Him on the wing would be perfect.
 
JOC won't play 10 for the Wallabies unless Foley (or Cooper) and Toomua both get injured during the same game.

Naiyarovoro would be a risky selection. He is obviously hugely damaging with the ball in hand, but he's not that quick and he's a bit of a liability with the ball put in behind him.

That said, he is still eligible to be picked for this world cup. He's also eligible for Fiji and has said previously that he wants to play for them. Reckon he might change his mind if Cheika comes calling. And he might actually have a better chance of making it in the Wallabies team as a winger than Fiji. Fiji have Nadolo and Nalaga - who are both better than any winger we have. Plus several other good wingers playing in Europe.
 
Maester said:
JOC won't play 10 for the Wallabies unless Foley (or Cooper) and Toomua both get injured during the same game.

Naiyarovoro would be a risky selection. He is obviously hugely damaging with the ball in hand, but he's not that quick and he's a bit of a liability with the ball put in behind him.

That said, he is still eligible to be picked for this world cup. He's also eligible for Fiji and has said previously that he wants to play for them. Reckon he might change his mind if Cheika comes calling. And he might actually have a better chance of making it in the Wallabies team as a winger than Fiji. Fiji have Nadolo and Nalaga - who are both better than any winger we have. Plus several other good wingers playing in Europe.
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Yeh I'm with you on Naiyarovoro. Test teams would be kicking it in behind him all game and make it very difficult for him to attack properly. He strikes me as a dominant Super player who would likely struggle to have the same impact at highest Test level.
 
S120 said:
Yeh I'm with you on Naiyarovoro. Test teams would be kicking it in behind him all game and make it very difficult for him to attack properly. He strikes me as a dominant Super player who would likely struggle to have the same impact at highest Test level.
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How will we know if we don't try him? Honestly we have tried every winger in the book and yet we don't try the most damaging winger in attack that we have, dumb to say the least
 
I don't think he's better in attack than Speight. I think his fairly low work rate and poor defence will count too heavily against him.

Our wingers are decent. We have plenty of depth (at least 6 or 7 test quality wingers) and I don't think we'll be losing any games because our wingers aren't good enough.
 
Squad for RC:

Arnold, Ashley-Cooper, Beale, Cooper, Dennis, Hanson, Fardy, Faulkner, Folau, Foley, Genia, Giteau, Higginbotham, Holmes, Hooper, Horne, Horwill, Kerevi, Kepu, Kuridrani, Leali'ifano, McMahon, Moore, Mitchell, McCalman, Mumm, Naiyaravoro, Phipps, Pocock, Polota-Nau, Sio, Simmons, Skelton, Slipper, T.Smith, Speight, Toomua, Tomane, White
 
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James O'Connor, Luke Jones, Adam Coleman, Nick Cummins, Karmichael Hunt, George Smith, Benn Robinson and Ben Alexander all left out.

Rory Arnold, Samu Kerevi, Greg Holmes, Toby Smith, Dean Mumm, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Dave Dennis, Naiyaravoro all included for the first time or first time in a long time.
 

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S120 said:
Palu is actually in the squad. ARU just made a typo and left him out unintentionally.

Mumm, Horwill and Dennis are my biggest qualms but I like that squad.
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Disagree on Mumm. He is probably our best lock. Horwill..well he is picked off what he did a few years ago. At his best he is worth it. Not as if we have a lot of options at lock. Dennis is horrific, why is he there!
 
Props: Faulkner, Holmes, Kepu, Sio, Slipper, Smith

Hookers: Hanson, Moore, Polota-Nau

Locks: Arnold, Dennis, Horwill, Mumm, Simmons, Skelton

Flankers: Fardy, Pocock, Hooper, McMahon

No.8's: Higginbotham, McCalman, Palu

Halfbacks: Genia, Phipps, White

Fly-Halves: Cooper, Foley, Giteau

Centres: Leali'ifano, Toomua, Kuridrani, Beale, Kerevi

Outside Backs: Horne, Folau, Ashley-Cooper, Naiyaravoro, Mitchell, Speight, Tomane
 
How many matches does Speight miss of the RC? If any

Paul Alo-Emile missing though injury.

Squad cut down again before they go to Brisbane and changes can be made ie. the George Smith rumour plus the final 35 for the RWC will be different depending on form and injury.
 
robbieando said:
How many matches does Speight miss of the RC? If any

Paul Alo-Emile missing though injury.

Squad cut down again before they go to Brisbane and changes can be made ie. the George Smith rumour plus the final 35 for the RWC will be different depending on form and injury.
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Speight misses two I believe.
 
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