Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[Slim 293]

Don't get too despondent Seb. Phil Waugh was VC during the 2007 RWC despite being 2nd choice.

Waugh was actually named co-captain with Mortlock at the start of that year............

 

[Viking]

So there is still hope. I guess naming VC's is more about the leadership!

It makes sense to have the incumbent Captain as a VC. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) deserves it too. I'd say Slipper and Pocock would make up the rest of the "leadership group".

 

[Dave Beat]

So I guess that means Hooper is first choice over Pocock.

You will regret this Cheika!

I don't think it does.
I don't think you will.
I think we will see both 7s playing rugby in 7 and thinking good selection.
My concern isn't 7, it is the rugby that I watched on Saturday night.

 

[Groucho]

You have to take risks when you're not the better team. That's not flawed logic: it's elementary game theory. You have to establish a point of difference that's not based in superior execution of the details. Otherwise you're playing to lose.

 

[Dave Beat]

You have to take risks when you're not the better team. That's not flawed logic: it's elementary game theory. You have to establish a point of difference that's not based in superior execution of the details. Otherwise you're playing to lose.

The riddler

 

[Cpt Crow Eater]

So I'm preparing an article based on statistics on what a successful pack yields per game and on that basis looking at what combinations we can use to achieve as close to that as possible.

NZ
1. Crockett
2. Coles
3. Franks
4. Retallick
5. Whitelock
6. Kaino
7. McCaw
8. Read

SA
1. Mtawarira
2. Du Plesis
3. Du Plesis
4. Etzebeth
5. Matfield
6. Coetzee
7. Burger
8. Vermuelan

Anyway what the statistics say is that for NZ's preferred pack only Whitelock (857) and McCaw (911) have played over 800 mins in the regular season.

For SA only Coetzee has with 1167 and he is unlikely to be a first choice player.

Compare that to Australia and despite only tabulating data for about half the top contenders the following players have played more than 800 minutes:

Mccalman - 1156
Higginbotham - 1199
Palu - 875
Vaea - 903
Alexander - 872
Moore - 934
Pocock - 955
Fardy - 1280 (every minute of every game)
PAE - 939
Toby Smith - 1040
McMahon - 1086
Jones - 1232
Timani - 879
Skelton - 1030
Dennis - 1159
Horwill - 855
Sam Carter - 972

All of our players are playing more than their counterparts. What's even more alarming is many of these players are only under 1000 minutes (of a possible 1280) because of injury, injury recovery or suspension and without that, many likely would have pushed up around 1100 minutes.

I haven't even gotten to comparing output, but if Australia performs poorly and you are looking for a reason, I'd be looking at provincial coaches who have given top line players very little respite in 2015.

Great subject TWAS.

Would love to know the numbers for the previous years also. There is a perception (probably true) that New Zealand can seamlessly replace one player with another and have little impact on the teams performance.

Are our reserves really shit?? Those numbers tell me the coaches have no faith in the bench players. perhaps the NRC will help bridge that gap and coaches will use those guys more.

I have always hoped that soon , with all the travel and extended games the players play, the Soup teams would be allowed to increase the squad sizes significantly. From what I hear about France and England is that this is the case. I think this has a positive effect of minimising injury risk, creating depth and can reduce player burnout and massive drops in form.

Great discussion point.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Yep, I do wonder whether they are trying to actually get him back playing in Aus as well ie signed with a S15 club for 2016, it then becomes within the rules'ish

Re Kane Douglas. There's a story in the Courier Mail up now that the Reds are looking to sign him for next year pending a release from Leinster.


There was this little snippet in an article I read as well. He couldn't get a top up out of McKenzie

"I only know what I'm hearing ... I'm hearing there's some noise he wants to come home," Cheika said. "If he is coming back to Australia to play and signs with an Australian Super Rugby team, of course we'd be interested in providing a top-up. But I think he's still in contract in Europe."

 

[mudskipper]

Congrats to Moore.... Much prefer him over, hopper & ACDC ...

 

[ACT Crusader]

Moore is a great choice for captain. Guaranteed starter, he's a Super rugby team captain, rarely plays a poor game and seems to have a decent no nonsense way about him without being full of himself.

VC's meh......

 

[nick_]

I don't understand the Douglas move.
...
Way more deserving players in better form, like Jones, didn't make the squad.

It's all a bit of a circus.

I think Chieka is Frank Underwood and is sneaky. Convincing/deceiving (too harsh?) blokes into signing back in AUS and having a strong stable to choose from in 2016...

 

[nick_]

Have captains been chosen to work on off field behaviour as much as on field performance or just Moore?

 

[topgun]

Great subject TWAS.

Would love to know the numbers for the previous years also. There is a perception (probably true) that New Zealand can seamlessly replace one player with another and have little impact on the teams performance.

Great discussion point.

I seem to remember the Wallabies Springboks game in Cape town last year where the wallabies were inseparable from the Boks until the last 15 mins. Our reserves came on and copped one of the swiftest most brutal bollockings in memory

 

[qwerty51]

If Cheika was so keen on locks he should've called up Chsiholm over Douglas.

 

[saulityvi]

http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=46913&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

 

[qwerty51]

It doesn't make any sense, one of the articles said he won't even be doing contact training until next month. How can be fit for a Test match, he hasn't played a game in months. No way he plays before the RWC and then he'd struggle to make the squad without game time.

 

[fatprop]

Re Kane Douglas. There's a story in the Courier Mail up now that the Reds are looking to sign him for next year pending a release from Leinster.


There was this little snippet in an article I read as well. He couldn't get a top up out of McKenzie

Yep. it appears Cheika is keen to get him back

"I only know what I'm hearing ... I'm hearing there's some noise he wants to come home," Cheika said. "If he is coming back to Australia to play and signs with an Australian Super Rugby team, of course we'd be interested in providing a top-up. But I think he's still in contract in Europe."
Cheika said it would be up to Leinster to grant a release and there may be an appetite given the red-tape surrounding the use of foreign players.

How quickly after signing for the Reds does he change from being overrated to underrated?

 

[qwerty51]

Leinster have said they've released him already (to the ARU to train, not from his Leinster contract). It's a pretty strange situation, someone needs to clarify it from either Douglas' side or the ARU's.

 

[KOB1987]

Reading between the lines - Douglas is seeking a permanent release and Leinster have said they are happy to give him a reg 9 release, knowing full well he is of no use to the wallabies this season. They are playing games.

Either way, the aru need to clarify the position.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[wamberal]

I don't think it does.
I don't think you will.
I think we will see both 7s playing rugby in 7 and thinking good selection.
My concern isn't 7, it is the rugby that I watched on Saturday night.

One thing we know about Cheika is that he makes the rules. He will pick the 23 that he wants for each game, and titles will not matter at all.

 

[Scrubber2050]

I wonder if Moore will get the chance to say "f*ck off I'm the Captain" to Giteau.

Reckon he can say that to Pocock.

Anyway - congratulations to Moore - well deserved and a great choice - cannot imagine ANY criticism from anywhere.

Congrats also to Hooper and Adam. Hooper obviously being groomed for the future,