Australia Vs. England, Twickenham, 2nd November 2013

[Brumbieman]

Having seen To'omua play 12 last game, fuck I hope the Brumbies recognised that and switch him and lealiifano around next year.


Lealiifano is a very adaptable player but his best position is by far, flyhalf. The extra responsibility of game management and being the flyhalf brings him out of his shell much, much more than he does at 12. A little like giving Higgers the captaincy at the Rebels, Lilo just ignites in the 10 jersey. It will take me a very, very long time to forget his form there last year.

To'omua also, for mine, just doesn't inspre me as a 10. I've watched him for years, and i've never seen him play as well, or suit a role more perfectly, than he did the aggressive straight running inside centre against the Kiwi's. Kuridrani stepped it up too with the extra room created by To'omua running so directly and hard, and he carved up.

Cooper/Lealiifano are our best 10's, with Foley just behind. I love To'omua as a 12, though Dwyer also has a good idea with Kuridrani there. With Cheika proposing Folau's move to 13, i'm getting a semi at the way everythign seems to be falling into place.

10's: Lealiifano, Cooper, Foley

12's: To'omua, Kuridrani, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (moving in one for Folau at 13), Fainga'a Horne and Godwin give us one hell of an impressive selection at 12, all of them hard, aggressive and direct, which is exactly what we need right now.

13's: Folau (where he is going to utterly destroy teams, hitting a long flat ball at pace and right on the defensive line), and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Kuridrani, Fainga'a and even Tapuai are all excellent 2nd options to play a similar role.

Wings: Speight, Tomane, Betham (had an excellent debut i thought), Cummins, and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)/Folau as well are all excellent wingers.

Fullbacks: Beale, Mogg, and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)/Folau is needed.

I really, really hope Larkham and Gandalf recognise how well To'omua suits the 12 role, and Lealiifano the 10.

 

[Jets]

I'm actually not that confident going into this. The Wallabies have had a real issue with consistency over the last 10 years. We've had one good win over a team that was probably on its last legs having played in a tournament against the best teams in the world. We then were out of the game against the All Blacks for the entire game and they played around with their line-up and cleared their bench by the 50th minute.

England might be a little underdone for this one but they will look to bash our under performing forward pack off the ball and if they get some success early then I think we'll be in trouble.

Our back line is better than it has been but if Genia is pressured it could change everything.

We need a good start for the tour but if we loose this I think it won't be our only loss on tour.


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[Brumby Jack]

Looks like Robshaw retains the England captaincy

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...inst-Australia-Argentina-and-New-Zealand.html

 

[Ruggo]

1/ Robinson
2/ Moore
3/Slipper
4/Simmons
5/ Horwill
6/ Fardy
7/ Gill
8/ Mowen

 

[lewisr]

I really, really hope Larkham and Gandalf recognise how well To'omua suits the 12 role, and Lealiifano the 10.

I think this is a key point. Interestingly enough it may be the age old size/ appearance over ability which dictated their 10/12 combo this year. To'omua looks like more of a 10 than Lealiifano and Lealiifano the more appropriate inside.

Not saying it didn't work, they had a fantastic season but To'omua looked completely at home in the 12 jumper on the weekend. Hes a tough bastard in defence, runs hard with a good simple step and can kick/ pass/ be a playmaker. Pretty much what we've always wanted from our 12s. He is the perfect player to compliment quade and they looked like a combination ready to get shit done on saturday.

 

[BDA]

Seriously guys picking Gill over hooper, do you realise how stupid you sound to the rest of us.The whole world is singing his praises and heaping awards on him, tomorrow night it will be his Wallaby team mates selecting him for our highest honour the John Ealse medal to go with his player of the rugby championships, super rugby player of the year and Waratah of the year not to mention man of the match performances. Gill wasn't even the best at the reds. But the most stupid comment selecting gill over hooper is saying its because he is to small. Check the Waratah and reds stats, hooper is 101kg Gill 96kg
I also happen to agree with SANZAR, fox sports, planet rugby, rugby365 who all picked hooper as the best openside of the rugby championships, if I remember correctly gill was dropped out of the squad after failing to impress off the bench.
I wasn't going to waste my time with this post but it annoys me to see a guy that gives his all for the team disrespected. By the way I'm a brumbies fan and think pocock will need to add more to his game in super rugby next year to challenge hooper, he is by no means a walk up start.

i actually picked Hooper, but I have my concerns about the effectiveness of our backrow at the ruck. Hooper's an awesome player, but one trait which the current Australian side appears to be lacking a bit is organised defense and the ability to turn over the ball and/or pressure the opposition at the breakdown. Go back 2 years and a Wallabies team without Pocock was a different beast; nowhere near as effective in defence. Same goes for Goerge Smith 5 years ago. I think we can benefit from having a no.7 who forces the attacking side to commit numbers to the breakdown; a no.7 who slows the attacking ball considerably. I'm not sure Hooper gives us that. He certainly give us many other wonderful traits. I'm not sure Gills can provide that yet either.

If we are to win a world cup in 2015 my gut says it would be with pocock at 7.

 

[ChargerWA]

Pocock walks back into 7, it's that simple.

 

[BDA]

theyre not my words. how about you add to the debate

 

[ChargerWA]

I was more responding to the post you responded to. I think we're both swimming in the same direction.

 

[BDA]

sorry. a few too many wednesday night scotches

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think the Wallabies are shaping up with a great chance of beating England on Nov 2. Pulver and Link are talking about the grand slam, and they might go close if they start with a win, but 5 tests is a long way to go. To have the best chance, I'd go against Italy with most or all of the reserves/second stringers to give the main team a break. It won't really matter if we go down to Italy if it gives us the best chance of the grand slam, and it just might help confirm a few of the SSs as real test prospects (thinking Ryan, Douglas, F'Sautia and Foley).

 

[terry j]

He is the perfect player to compliment quade

with things like 'that was a well done pass'??

 

[Zander]

How can you persist with Slipper, Alexander and Horwill after such woeful, inept tight 5 performances last week? Up against England, they are not good enough.

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Timani
5. Simmons
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Mowen (c)
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Tomane
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. Ashley-Cooper
15. Folau

16. Fainga'a
17. Slipper
18. Alexander
19. Horwill
20. McCalman
21. White
22. Lealiifano
23. Foley

 

[Tip]

1. Slipper
2.Moore
3.Alexander
4.Simmons
5.Horwill (c)
6. Fardy
7. Gill
8. Mowen
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Tomane
12. To'omua
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Betham
15. Folau

Kuridrani doesn't know the concept of "jockey", which is an Outside Centres best friend. Until he learns to use this, instead of his stock-standard Jam, he shouldn't be anywhere but the wing. His poor defensive reads last week lead to 2 of the AB's tries. (and he still gets an 8 in player rankings!??!??!)

Some are suggesting that we should Horwill due to poor form... and give the captaincy to who, Mowen? He's had a poorer run of form throughout the RC!

Hooper looks tired and needs a break. Very average (dare I say lazy) at the ruck, and I can't think of any other reason as to why he's seagulling and disrupting backline moves. I would rather see Hooper run a decoy line infront of the backline, keeping defences square and creating space wide for the likes of Betham & Tomane who deserve their respective shots on the wing.

Simmons was actually our best forward on the weekend and definitely shouldn't be dropped(better than Moore, IMO) if anyone bothered to watch the game twice.

 

[Bullrush]

Seriously guys picking Gill over hooper, do you realise how stupid you sound to the rest of us.The whole world is singing his praises and heaping awards on him, tomorrow night it will be his Wallaby team mates selecting him for our highest honour the John Ealse medal to go with his player of the rugby championships, super rugby player of the year and Waratah of the year not to mention man of the match performances. Gill wasn't even the best at the reds. But the most stupid comment selecting gill over hooper is saying its because he is to small. Check the Waratah and reds stats, hooper is 101kg Gill 96kg
I also happen to agree with SANZAR, fox sports, planet rugby, rugby365 who all picked hooper as the best openside of the rugby championships, if I remember correctly gill was dropped out of the squad after failing to impress off the bench.
I wasn't going to waste my time with this post but it annoys me to see a guy that gives his all for the team disrespected. By the way I'm a brumbies fan and think pocock will need to add more to his game in super rugby next year to challenge hooper, he is by no means a walk up start.

I was in full agreement until that last line.

Pocock is streets ahead of Hooper. Before injury, Pocock was talked about being the best 7 on the planet - including McCaw - even by true-blue Kiwis. Pocock is your walk-up starter and the only he won't be is if he plays his way out of it during the Super Rugby 2014. Simple as that.

Hooper may have been deservedly picked as the best open-side in the RC but I'd say some of that was due to him consistently being picked there and not injured. And even in the last Bledisloe he was out-played by by Cane.

To me, Hooper is warming Pocock's spot until he's fit. As an AB fan I wish you were right about Hooper but as a rugby fan, I can't wait to see Pocock back to full fitness and form playing Tests again.

 

[Ash]

I'm very doubtful about starting Timani, particularly with a more up-tempo game plan. Off the bench for 20 is Timani's limit for me. Timani is just too lazy in some of his applications, too often you see him exploited defensively in the backline where our props do better, too often you see him with a lazy cleanout. I don't mind his impact off the bench - a big hit or two, but even his running hasn't been effective for a guy of his size. Starting Timani, you will lose an effective lineout jumper and a harder worker around the ruck (I believe all of the locks in our squad work harder than Timani, my personal opinion), and I think you'd likely need to sub him by 50 minutes.

If you want to replace Horwill, I'd actually go with Douglas. Despite Douglas' shocking form (I thought it was as bad, or even worse, than Horwill's), he's at least had a rest. Douglas is more of a like-for-like replacement for Horwill than Timani.

If a second row of Fardy and Simmons would work, that's the best option I think. The problem is, who would be tight head lock. That's the worry.

Otherwise, persist with Horwill and hope he turns it around - but I wonder if he is carrying too much injuries since his return from his hamstring problem.

 

[Blue]

Slipper and Alexander. Jaysus. Some people just don't seem to get it.

My grandfather once told me that if you're stupid and keep doing the same dumb thing over and over you deserve to suffer.

 

[Tip]

Slipper and Alexander. Jaysus. Some people just don't seem to get it.

My grandfather once told me that if you're stupid and keep doing the same dumb thing over and over you deserve to suffer.

I think we'd all like to see how a front row of Robinson, Moore & Slipper would go, after all Slipper was the form THP during the Super XV season in Australia. We'd all agree that the wrong prop was dropped post B&I Lions series.

I think Link is trying to gain some consistency in the front row. Slipper & Alexander didn't fail last week, and barely failed the game before against the Argies. (I thought the scrum problems were more of a 4, 6, 7 & 8 problem against Argentinia. Mowen, Fardy, Hooper & Simmons were all guilty of ''chilling owt'' at scrum time.)

 

[Braveheart81]

I think Link is trying to gain some consistency in the front row. Slipper & Alexander didn't fail last week, and barely failed the game before against the Argies. (I thought the scrum problems were more of a 4, 6, 7 & 8 problem against Argentinia. Mowen, Fardy, Hooper & Simmons were all guilty of ''chilling owt'' at scrum time.)

Let's agree to disagree.

 

[Ignoto]

Gill wasn't even the best at the reds. But the most stupid comment selecting gill over hooper is saying its because he is to small. Check the Waratah and reds stats, hooper is 101kg Gill 96kg

Those player weights aren't right at all, the ARU have Hooper at 97 and Gill at 96. But then reckon Foley is the same height as Hooper? I'd imagine a few players are on their tippy toes and have a belly full of water!