Ireland v Australia

[KOB1987]

PT, no-one has been able to agree on what the best lock pairing is..in fact, a common theme on here throughout this international year is that it's open season on the locks the week after every test! E.g. after the Wales game a lot on here were calling for Carter to be dumped, and now after the France game everyone was calling for his return.

The 3 locks this weekend are Simmons, Carter & Skelton, expect at least 2 of them to be poleaxed from 5am tomorrow onwards!

Re Horwill, I don't think he has been dropped, just rested before the soap dodgers.

 

[Gillys_ghost]

Wadda ya really mean Pete ?

The size of the font was impressive

i dont know why that happened, i think i fixed it?

 

[Gillys_ghost]

PT, no-one has been able to agree on what the best lock pairing is..in fact, a common theme on here throughout this international year is that it's open season on the locks the week after every test! E.g. after the Wales game a lot on here were calling for Carter to be dumped, and now after the France game everyone was calling for his return.

The 3 locks this weekend are Simmons, Carter & Skelton, expect at least 2 of them to be poleaxed from 5am tomorrow onwards!

Re Horwill, I don't think he has been dropped, just rested before the soap dodgers.

The problem is i dont think chopping and changing is ever any good, i think we need to settle with a pairing and stick with it. and its not like we need to keep changing them due to performance cause they have all been pretty much equally shit

 

[tragic]

Been watching a few of last year's EOYT games as a warm up for this year's games.

As a result, here are five guys who are starting that I think need some big games. Others I could have mentioned, like Folau and the locks, but those five I think either need, or are due, a big one.

Reckon you could have included AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) as well.
He's lost the starting 13 position to Kuridrani for the foreseeable future. With Speight/JOC (James O'Connor) the likely wingers for RWC he's potentially competing with Beale for the utility bench spot. Needs a few blinders to keep himself in the 23 unless Beales texting fingers get twitchy again.

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

Others I could have mentioned, like Folau and the locks, but those five I think either need, or are due, a big one.

Have watched most of the highlight clips of last year's 2013 as well as the Argie game at Rosario and it's noticeable how prominent Folau was in those games and the amount of opportunities created by him. Makes the John Eales medal win more understandable.

Hopefully he has a great game against the Irish (like he did last year) and returns to form, but it does feel like he needs a rest.

 

[KOB1987]

The problem is i dont think chopping and changing is ever any good, i think we need to settle with a pairing and stick with it. and its not like we need to keep changing them due to performance cause they have all been pretty much equally shit

I agree but to a large extent that is happening. This is the way I see it:
- Horwill is the only available lock in the entire the country who offers a huge amount of experience, plus is a former captain..for those 2 reasons alone he is in the squad even if he is not playing at his best
- Simmons and Carter are both 25, physically similar, and are being groomed as the guys to take us beyond RWC 2015 and through to RWC 2019. Both need experience , hence the chopping and changing. Add Kane Douglas to this category if Cheika can lure him back, which I am sure he is trying to do.
- Skelton is a bit of a 'work in progress', he has the most flaws of the 4 specialist locks in the squad but if they can get him right he has the potential to oust any of the above 3 names and be a world class lock.
- Fardy and Jones can also cover lock but are both more value as back rowers
- Pyle & Neville are probably the next in the queue

I would tend to agree with you that currently the Reds pairing is the best of a not so great lot.

 

[Gillys_ghost]

I agree but to a large extent that is happening. This is the way I see it:
- Horwill is the only available lock in the entire the country who offers a huge amount of experience, plus is a former captain..for those 2 reasons alone he is in the squad even if he is not playing at his best
- Simmons and Carter are both 25, physically similar, and are being groomed as the guys to take us beyond RWC 2015 and through to RWC 2019. Both need experience , hence the chopping and changing. Add Kane Douglas to this category if Cheika can lure him back, which I am sure he is trying to do.
- Skelton is a bit of a 'work in progress', he has the most flaws of the 4 specialist locks in the squad but if they can get him right he has the potential to oust any of the above 3 names and be a world class lock.
- Fardy and Jones can also cover lock but are both more value as back rowers
- Pyle & Neville are probably the next in the queue

I would tend to agree with you that currently the Reds pairing is the best of a not so great lot.

If cheika settled with Simmons and Carter i would be happy, as long as they get more game time and time to develop their partnership they will only get better, but i think the chopping and changing is really hindering our progress. I really hope cheika geta Douglas back but i doubt it.

 

[Forcefield]

- Pyle & Neville are probably the next in the queue

Pyle has gone unfortunately. Reckon Adam Coleman can move in alongside Neville as the possibles on the fringe. After that we are scraping the barrel pretty thin at the moment.

 

[Gillys_ghost]

Pyle has gone unfortunately. Reckon Adam Coleman can move in alongside Neville as the possibles on the fringe. After that we are scraping the barrel pretty thin at the moment.

I really excited to see how Adam goes, hes looks very promising

 

[Forcefield]

Hopefully he'll be good to go at the start of the year after surgery.

He'll need to work a bit on reducing the number of yellows he gets- even if a couple were more "team cards". But he has the frame and played a few really good matches last season.

 

[Lee Grant]

2015 is not a great year to be blooding new players but it is what it is.

 

[Gillys_ghost]

the problem is the only players who have locked down positions for the world cup are the front row of slipper, Moore, Kepu, Tevita Kuridrani, and Israel Folau. whereas the All Blacks have a settled front row, Second row, Back Row, Centres, Halfback, and Winger. We dont know who alot of our best players are yet.

 

[MarkJ]

I'm a little bit concerned about the lack of openside cover, but I guess Hooper is an 80 minute player.

No worries, McCalman could move into openside against Irish. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[wamberal]

No worries, McCalman could move into openside against Irish. What could possibly go wrong?

Especially if our inside centre trucks it up into contact, staying upright and pumping his little legs, everything will be just great.

 

[Hawko]

the problem is the only players who have locked down positions for the world cup are the front row of slipper, Moore, Kepu, Tevita Kuridrani, and Israel Folau. whereas the All Blacks have a settled front row, Second row, Back Row, Centres, Halfback, and Winger. We dont know who alot of our best players are yet.

I think you'd want to add Fardy and Phipps to that list and probably Hooper. If Hooper is not a certainty then only Pocock will displace him so its not too big an issue. I would think its between Macca and Palu for 8 and Simmons as one of the locks. Lots of positions are a choice in two (like hooker where TPN is the alternative and Fainga'a if either are injured.)

You're right that we are a lot less settled than NZ but its not quite as bleak as you suggest. And there will be injuries pre-World Cup, we are not going to go through the season without losing one or more starters come September. Where we are in trouble is where we don't have three GOOD options for each position and I don't think there is one position where NZ doesn't have at least three good options to call upon. Australia on the other hand..

 

[Sully]

This is a match thread if you want to talk about the world cup squad there is a thread for that!

 

[Gillys_ghost]

I think you'd want to add Fardy and Phipps to that list and probably Hooper. If Hooper is not a certainty then only Pocock will displace him so its not too big an issue. I would think its between Macca and Palu for 8 and Simmons as one of the locks. Lots of positions are a choice in two (like hooker where TPN is the alternative and Fainga'a if either are injured.)

You're right that we are a lot less settled than NZ but its not quite as bleak as you suggest. And there will be injuries pre-World Cup, we are not going to go through the season without losing one or more starters come September. Where we are in trouble is where we don't have three GOOD options for each position and I don't think there is one position where NZ doesn't have at least three good options to call upon. Australia on the other hand..

You're Right that Fardy is a certainty but i dont think phipps is a certainty for his starting spot, right know hes our best by a fair bit, but genia at his best trumps him imo. Hooper can only be displaced by Pocock but because of that hes not a Certainty. Im not saying its bleak but having a settled side with strong partnerships was where we should have been looking back to this time last year. I was sure that Cooper-To'omua combo was a certainty, that a backrow of Fardy/Hooper/Palu was looking likely, and that Genia/Cooper would be our halves. Everything seems uncertain now

 

[Gillys_ghost]

This is a match thread if you want to talk about the world cup squad there is a thread for that!

Sorry, Will try to stay on topic

 

[Biffo]

This is a match thread if you want to talk about the world cup squad there is a thread for that!

ooooohhhh.

Wallabies by 12

i am looking forward to this game immensely, with several great questions:
- can Jones crack it and prove he is the muscle at 6? i think he can
- can To'omua show he can run and tackle in the varied systems of TGC and Nathan Grey? i think he can, terrific young player
- can Henry Speight show he is test class? Go Henry, good luck and please try to turn on a spate (sic) with your big mates at 12, 13, 14 and 15.
- can Beale show he is up to the back-up role for Izzy?
- can QCoop stand up (sic) as a real contributor to a positive, running attack? Quade, if you are reading this, maximum five metres behind the gain or offside line, ok?
- can Genia continue the baby steps towards full resurrection that he has been making so far with tutelage from TGC? i think he can.

and

the Wallabies to show they are on the way to being a serious force at RWC 2015.
i am serious
for the first time in many long years, i believe we can win the thing.

if any of the Wallabies are silly enough to look into GAGR on a game day, good luck to you all and give 'em hell.

is that OK for Ireland v Australia content, Mr Sully?

 

[It is what it is]

2015 is not a great year to be blooding new players but it is what it is.

Please keep me right out of this LG.