Japan vs Wallabies, Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Sat 4th Nov 4.40pm AEST

[Rugbynutter39]

I'd go further than that. At junior level, he had all of those catch pass skills. He's been moved around so much by professional coaches, he's probably had those skills almost coached out of him, or at the very least allowed to atrophy.

He again proved his goal-kicking ability. As I have pointed out numerous times on these threads, when he kicked for the full season at Manly he had a better goal-kicking average than anyone. Whenever I've suggested he is a better kicker than Foley, misleading statistics are produced to show roughly equal goal kicking stats - misleading because professional coaches have deemed him only worthy of long range kicks and obviously there a few of those so you only have to miss a couple to distort the percentages.

He's the real deal at 10 - and he can actually defend there unlike many of our recent options. A booming punt kick giving at least 10-20 metres more distance than any other option and goal-kicking.

After hodge’s goal kicking performance I would not mind him taking over from foley for kicking duties. In many ways would allow foley to concentrate on other aspects of his game


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[Inside Shoulder]

I'd go further than that. At junior level, he had all of those catch pass skills. He's been moved around so much by professional coaches, he's probably had those skills almost coached out of him, or at the very least allowed to atrophy.

He again proved his goal-kicking ability. As I have pointed out numerous times on these threads, when he kicked for the full season at Manly he had a better goal-kicking average than anyone. Whenever I've suggested he is a better kicker than Foley, misleading statistics are produced to show roughly equal goal kicking stats - misleading because professional coaches have deemed him only worthy of long range kicks and obviously there a few of those so you only have to miss a couple to distort the percentages.

He's the real deal at 10 - and he can actually defend there unlike many of our recent options. A booming punt kick giving at least 10-20 metres more distance than any other option and goal-kicking.

If you say thats all it is then he’ll presumably get it back but his hands either way looked like he had heavy work gloves on.
His goal kicking looked far superior to the ice man’s.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Impressed by Phillips - reckon he would be better starting with Simmons dropping to the bench.




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I was thinking the same but thought I might be biased.
Simmons is a passenger.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

How much correlation between the likely Japanese team and the Japanese team that beat the Bokke at RWC2015?

Have to say I still remember the Japanese game against bokke at rwc2015 as one of the great games for the minnows. As the japs played up tempo rugby with next to no errors and got the ball out of the scrum at speed to compensate for being dominated there. That game was pretty much where Eddie Jones would have sealed his job application for the England job.


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[Rugbynutter39]

I remember only year ago the constant complaints about lack of depth in key positions yet now we are spoilt for choice. Locks being one of those positions where now so many good options.


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[KOB1987]

I was thinking the same but thought I might be biased.
Simmons is a passenger.

Agreed but Simmons is a gap filler. Rodda and Arnold are still ahead of both players.

 

[KOB1987]

I remember only year ago the constant complaints about lack of depth in key positions yet now we are spoilt for choice. Locks being one of those positions where now so many good options.


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Yes but some people are still whinging about the 'chockie wheel' in the 4 and 5 jerseys despite the early claims by the coaches that it was to create depth. And that it has clearly been successful in doing that.

 

[dru]

He's the real deal at 10 - and he can actually defend there unlike many of our recent options. A booming punt kick giving at least 10-20 metres more distance than any other option and goal-kicking.

Well that's a stretch. FWIW Hodge will get my 3 points and had a fine game debuting in a very difficult role. He is certainly worth persisting with and his kicking and defensive strengths give him a marked advantage over any other current application for the job (I haven't really been watching the youngsters people have been talking about yet.) He is not "the real deal". Yet. But I'm completely happy with the concept of him taking over in the role in time. As I mentioned earlier - he should start every game on the basis that his basic strengths let him fill pretty much everywhere and his boot needs to be on the field.

 

[RugbyReg]

I think our tackle success rate was about 76% which is pretty terrible.

Shows that most of defence is attitudinal and we had our attitude right v the ABs and perhaps not so yesterday.

TPN missed 3 of 7 tried
Simmo 2 of 7
Ned H 3 of 10
Koro missed 5 of 14
Samu missed 3 of 11
AA missed 2 of 4
Lopeti missed 4 of 8
Rona missed 2 of 2

 

[dru]

I think our tackle success rate was about 76% which is pretty terrible.

Shows that most of defence is attitudinal and we had our attitude right v the ABs and perhaps not so yesterday.

What is your stats site, Reg? Agreed, hopeless and will not work against tier 1.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Yes but some people are still whinging about the 'chockie wheel' in the 4 and 5 jerseys despite the early claims by the coaches that it was to create depth. And that it has clearly been successful in doing that.

And has completely vindicated Cheika's revolving door selection policy to build depth. I think the armchair critics have proven they were really wrong in their criticisms here.

 

[RugbyReg]

Rugby.com.au

 

[TSR]

I remember only year ago the constant complaints about lack of depth in key positions yet now we are spoilt for choice. Locks being one of those positions where now so many good options.


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I am genuinely excited about some of the talent coming through, but I am not sure we have turned the corner yet.

Our depth is significantly better at lock, wing, 12 & 15. Lock has potential to be a real turn around with the emergence of Tui & Rodda and now, hopefully, Philip. I thought Ritchie Arnold was outstanding yesterday too. But, apart from Coleman, no one else has actually made the position their own yet and proved without doubt they will be better over an extended period than our locks of the last 5 years.

In a lot of other positions, our depth is still very shallow, or is based on presumptions that players will go to the next level. The likes of Ainsely, Tupou, Vui, Ulese, Mafi, Fainga'a, Valetini, Naisarani & (I hope) Timu all look like they are potential test level.

At 9, 10 & 13 there is still a very clear gap between the incumbent and the next best. Hodge was promising yesterday, but I wouldn't be feeling great if he has to run out against England. If Kerevi can fix his defence than 13 is fine. 9 & 10 has a bevy of youngsters coming through, but the reality is none of them are near the same level as Genia & Foley.

I don't mean this to be overly negative. As I said, I am genuinely excited - I think there are some guys in the pipeline that are as good as we have had coming through for a long time. It'll be interesting what our test team looks like in 18 months.

 

[Akula]

Japan played well for patches but their lack of size from jerseys 4-8 and 11-15 was cruelly exposed. That said, I don't recall Kotaro Matsushima ever being that slippery. Wallabies struggled to put him on the ground time after time.

 

[TOCC]

And has completely vindicated Cheika's revolving door selection policy to build depth. I think the armchair critics have proven they were really wrong in their criticisms here.

Said armchair critic right here.. Some would say that Cheika making selections which reflect comments made months ago vindicates their criticism, not prove them wrong.

Philips and Carter demonstrated more this season then Douglas and Simmons.
.

 

[Up the Guts]

Koro missed 5 of 14

I assume most of his misses were from him deliberately leaving the outside man free and rushing up at either the 13 or 15 to prevent them getting the ball away. I've always felt it was a bit harsh to count these attempts because it's clearly a deliberate defensive strategy to try and stop the play before they can make metres out wide and also potentially force a turnover by blindsiding the guy making the pass. If it doesn't work out then the fullback simply takes the last man with assistance from the cover defence tracking across.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I am genuinely excited about some of the talent coming through, but I am not sure we have turned the corner yet.

Our depth is significantly better at lock, wing, 12 & 15. Lock has potential to be a real turn around with the emergence of Tui & Rodda and now, hopefully, Philip. I thought Ritchie Arnold was outstanding yesterday too. But, apart from Coleman, no one else has actually made the position their own yet and proved without doubt they will be better over an extended period than our locks of the last 5 years.

In a lot of other positions, our depth is still very shallow, or is based on presumptions that players will go to the next level. The likes of Ainsely, Tupou, Vui, Ulese, Mafi, Fainga'a, Valetini, Naisarani & (I hope) Timu all look like they are potential test level.

At 9, 10 & 13 there is still a very clear gap between the incumbent and the next best. Hodge was promising yesterday, but I wouldn't be feeling great if he has to run out against England. If Kerevi can fix his defence than 13 is fine. 9 & 10 has a bevy of youngsters coming through, but the reality is none of them are near the same level as Genia & Foley.

I don't mean this to be overly negative. As I said, I am genuinely excited - I think there are some guys in the pipeline that are as good as we have had coming through for a long time. It'll be interesting what our test team looks like in 18 months.

I don’t think we have solved all the depth problems - 10 most notable - but certainly in better position for couple of positions than a year ago.


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[Brumby Runner]

TOCC I may be taking this post out of context, sorry. I dont think Foley is a play maker. Beale is. It looks to me like the WB coaching plan is happy with a distributing 10 and a playmaker out wider. (WHich by the way would not be Kerevi, no matter how well he played.) Hodge in this non-playmaker 10 role would still need to develop a couple of things. he goes into contact and gets caught in the ruck way too much. It's Ok for a bit, but generally he needs to be ready for distribution. He also supports in the ruck more than a 10 should. Again it's about context and quantity. It's also something that can be sorted in training. Personally I'd like a playmaker at 10, and no that's not Foley. But follow the WB thinking for a solid distributor and Hodge has shown real opportunity. Done his cause all sorts of good things on this performance. And whatever number he wears on his back, he needs to be in the 15 (not just the 23) simply for his kicking.

I agree Dru that the Cheika way in not necessarily to have the primary playmaker at 10, therefore Beale plays 12 to Foley and 15 to anyone else in the 10 spot. What Hodge brings to the game that Foley doesn't is a huge boot, and better defense. Goal kicking is probably on a par but Hodge gives us more options further from the try line. Foley is probably better atm in running to the line in the 10 spot, but that's just about it. It is feasible that a 10, 12, 13, 15 combination of Hodge, Kerevi, Kuridrani, Beale is a better attacking unit than Foley, Beale, Kuridrani, Folau. Foley and Folau are very much in the firing line if Hodge or anyone else makes a good fist of 10. Presumably, then, we won't see Hodge at 10 again in Cheika's time in charge.

 

[Up the Guts]

I agree Dru that the Cheika way in not necessarily to have the primary playmaker at 10, therefore Beale plays 12 to Foley and 15 to anyone else in the 10 spot. What Hodge brings to the game that Foley doesn't is a huge boot, and better defense. Goal kicking is probably on a par but Hodge gives us more options further from the try line. Foley is probably better atm in running to the line in the 10 spot, but that's just about it. It is feasible that a 10, 12, 13, 15 combination of Hodge, Kerevi, Kuridrani, Beale is a better attacking unit than Foley, Beale, Kuridrani, Folau. Foley and Folau are very much in the firing line if Hodge or anyone else makes a good fist of 10. Presumably, then, we won't see Hodge at 10 again in Cheika's time in charge.

Hell will freeze over before Cheika drops Folau. I think the record try scorer is pretty safe at this point in time. If Hodge can develop a left to right pass and really does make himself an option at 10 then I'd prefer Foley dropped for Hodge, Kerevi at 12 (provided his defence is good enough) and Beale and Folau taking wing or fullback.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Hell will freeze over before Cheika drops Folau. I think the record try scorer is pretty safe at this point in time. If Hodge can develop a left to right pass and really does make himself an option at 10 then I'd prefer Foley dropped for Hodge, Kerevi at 12 (provided his defence is good enough) and Beale and Folau taking wing or fullback.

Yes have to laugh about Folau in the firing line. Folau is world class player and proved it with his form over last 6 months, so you would always find a place for him in the team on his current form and indeed form since been in the game, as even when his own form been down, still been test standard play from Folau. I really do get trying other leading high quality players like Hodge at 10 where given other pure 10 options which are limited and so behind test standard makes sense. Hodge to my mind showing what a quality footballer he is to have played centre, wing and now 10 at very good test standard. Yes his left to right passing needs work but otherwise had a very good game I thought in a new position. I don't think people are giving enough credit for Hodge the way he played in a position he has not played since u20's. I am impressed in how Hodge has come on since taking his opportunities with DHP injury. With DHP coming back we have plenty of depth on wing and obviously not at 10. Now makes sense why Wessel's had as reported approached Cheika about Hodge playing 10 at rebels next season.