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Wallabies 2019 Thread

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Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Good side R3. I wouldn't have Hunt at 13 - he hasn't played any time in the position this year as far as I know. I would also not have Beale in the side at all. He is all reputation these days. He has almost no impact on a game.

13 I would have Kuridrani and 15 would be DHP. I am also a bit surprised that you favour Jones over Philip. To an outsider, it looks like Philip is in better form. What are you seeing that others don't?

I really do like the look of that backrow.
Yes in the backs I’d have:

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi
13. Kurindrani
14. Folau
15. DHP

11 is really up for grabs but I do think Koroibete is a lot better with a proper 10 and he can play a Digby Ioane type role. The dual carriage K train in the centres also works well but you could easily have To'omua at 12 in place of Koroibete. DHP, Folau, and Kurindrani all pick themselves.
 

Rebels3

Jim Lenehan (48)
Good side R3. I wouldn't have Hunt at 13 - he hasn't played any time in the position this year as far as I know. I would also not have Beale in the side at all. He is all reputation these days. He has almost no impact on a game.

13 I would have Kuridrani and 15 would be DHP. I am also a bit surprised that you favour Jones over Philip. To an outsider, it looks like Philip is in better form. What are you seeing that others don't?

I really do like the look of that backrow.

Jones has been immense this year, last week the game changed once he came on (admittedly Philip was carrying an injury) and week 1 dominated a very good Brums lineout, was also fairly decent against a good Highlanders pack.

Philip has been very good as well, but a Jones/Rodda combo has some serious defensive lineout ability.

Beale has been okay, he wasn’t good last night but far from bad. Last week against the reds he played pretty well and was one of the best players on the field against the Sunwolves (he missed week 1). His best is still one of the best in Australia, I’d almost go as far as saying other teams would be laughing with joy if he was dropped.

Kerevi is the best 12 and can bail out the 9/10 with a run at the gain line (plus more than likely to win it) and I like Hunts ability to distribute, he’s also an exceptional defender and can do the hard yards when needed. Placing Kerevi and Kurindrani would be very limited, also allows the outside defenders to rush up and in because they haven’t got the ability to spread the ball over the top, just encourages gang tackles limiting their effectiveness.

Folau for his brilliance and ability to dictate to the opposing team which side of the field is kicked to and Banks on the other wing for pace and the fact he’s also decent under the high ball.

Brums front row is just solid, plus get some work rate out of them.

Back row, despite McCaffreys efforts of late Naisarani is still clearly the best 8 in the country, Pocock obvious at 7 and McCaffrey pips Dempsey because he’s an alrounder that offers some go forward and ability over the ball. Plus he’s more suited to a tighter game

If the starting XV wasn’t available I’d have the following

1. Slipper
2. BPA
3. Tupou
4. Arnold
5. Coleman
6. Dempsey
7. Hooper
8. Higgers/Timu
9. Gordon
10. Foley
11. Koroibete
12. To'omua
13. Kurindrani
14. Maddocks
15. DHP

Yes I am bored
 

Rebels3

Jim Lenehan (48)
If it’s purely on form, then Beale isn’t in the mix.

But surely it’s an objective approach, we can’t simply forget what players have done in the past, Beale is one of the few Australian players who can prove a point of difference at test level. Any test selection without Beale is just crazy, he is 100% in the 23 for any wallabies squad selected.
Beale hasn’t been that bad in his 3 games

Vs hurricanes = DNP
Vs Sunwolves = one of the best on the field - 7/10
Vs reds = one of the best on the field - 7/10
Vs Brums = average game but not bad - 5/10

Not setting the world alight but not ‘out of form’
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Objectivity should come into it, for sure. How far back is "the past"? Last season? The season before?

How about we pick players on current form? Or potential? Or a mixture of both. Not on nostalgia.

Nostalgia would be selecting Giteau, Mitchell and Ashley Cooper. Selecting players based on test performances in the preceding test window months is more to the point.

You obviously find a balance between the two. Reward form where necessary, select on previous performance and experience when warranted. All Blacks have followed a similar mantra for the past decade.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
I think McCaffery could have a role in the Wallabies squad, the whole openside/no.8 is still wide open at this point. Throw in Nasairani and Luke Jones, and it could look drastically different to the back row of 2018.
 

KOB1987

Rod McCall (65)
My team so far for the first wallabies game would be


13. Hunt
14. Banks
15. Beale

I don't get the Banks love, I'm a known sceptic of his ability to step up at international level but as always I'm happy to be proven wrong. However..as it stands at the moment he's done nowhere near enough this season to put himself ahead of any of Koroibete, DHP, or Maddocks, and if there was a raft of injuries I'd still have any of Hodge, Beale, English or Rona on the wing ahead of him.

Hunt no chance for 13, he's an outside chance for 12 depending on how the other 13 options are looking.

I agree with some of the other posters that Beale has been better than an Eastwood 3rd grader but I like him in the 23 jersey.

I really do like the way McCaffrey is playing, I'm just not sure if a RWC year is the right time to ask a 28 year old to step up, through no fault of his own he may have left his run too late. I do hope they give him a shot though.

And I fear for the likelihood of Pocock getting through to Japan. As it stands at the moment Hooper is the form #7, I'd have Samu as the deputy without a fit Poey.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
Naisarani was a beast last night.

Agreed. Was going to say he was a smokie but nothing smokie about that performance.

Actual genuine smokies so far for me would be McCaffery, Rangi and Meakes. None of them will make the XV but they should on form.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
I don't get the Banks love, I'm a known sceptic of his ability to step up at international level but as always I'm happy to be proven wrong. However..as it stands at the moment he's done nowhere near enough this season to put himself ahead of any of Koroibete, DHP, or Maddocks, and if there was a raft of injuries I'd still have any of Hodge, Beale, English or Rona on the wing ahead of him.

Hunt no chance for 13, he's an outside chance for 12 depending on how the other 13 options are looking.

I agree with some of the other posters that Beale has been better than an Eastwood 3rd grader but I like him in the 23 jersey.

I really do like the way McCaffrey is playing, I'm just not sure if a RWC year is the right time to ask a 28 year old to step up, through no fault of his own he may have left his run too late. I do hope they give him a shot though.

And I fear for the likelihood of Pocock getting through to Japan. As it stands at the moment Hooper is the form #7, I'd have Samu as the deputy without a fit Poey.

With you KOB on Banks. His potential is obvious, but there are aspects of his game that still need more polish to be considered at Wallaby level. Decision making at the forefront. I would have him in front of one or two of those you mention, but not yet in the Wallaby 23.

Hunt yet has to prove himself to be better than the alternatives. If he's not playing 13, then he cannot prove to better than others in that spot. I am not yet sold on the reputation he has for being a dominant defender. I reckon you can count on him missing two or three simple tackles each game. He might be a better distributor than some others, but atm he seems to mostly be used as a crash ball No 12 whose main game is quick recycle rather than distribution.

McCaffrey's other attribute that hasn't been mentioned much is his lineout ability. Would sit nicely at No 6. I like the thought of a backrow comprising McCaffrey, Pocock, Naisarani.

I have to say that I would not consider Beale in any capacity at Wallaby level. His negatives outweigh any positives, and he is operating on reputation at the moment.
 

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
Agree about Beale, but I reckon Hunt is better than you say.


Did you see Lukhan yesterday? I would have him at 6 ahead of Mr DLP.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
Thought Jones was the best of the 6s this weekend. Better performance than LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and against better opposition.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
A backrow of LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Pocock and Naisirani would be bloody physical. Covers lineout too. Not that mobile though.

I like McCaffrey, but Reg said it well earlier. There's a chance he's Scott Fardy 2.0, but he also could be Richard Brown 2.0 - nice at Super level but just lacking that physical edge you need in test rugby.

He's been really good thus far though, and worthy of a squad pick at least. Not sure he'll get it though.
.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
A backrow of LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Pocock and Naisirani would be bloody physical. Covers lineout too. Not that mobile though.

I like McCaffrey, but Reg said it well earlier. There's a chance he's Scott Fardy 2.0, but he also could be Richard Brown 2.0 - nice at Super level but just lacking that physical edge you need in test rugby.

He's been really good thus far though, and worthy of a squad pick at least. Not sure he'll get it though.
.

To be honest any backrow including Naisrani feels more balanced already. I'd be happy with your suggestion or Jones in at 6.
 
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