Steve Hansen is predicting the Wallabies leave out Cooper and play Foley at 10.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11732705
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11732705
New Zealand v Wallabies, Eden Park, Sat 22nd October
- Thread starter KOB1987
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Simon.
Bob Loudon (25)
I do think this stuff about the team announcement being delayed for Pocock's fitness is smoke and mirrors from Cheika.
I reckon there is a good chance the real reason is because he wants to spring a selection surprise in the backs and doesn't want to give the ABs time to train for it.
I wouldn't be surprised to see something like Foley-Kerevi-Folau, or Foley-Hodge-Kerevi with Cooper on the bench. While I agree Foley has done nothing to deserve starting over Cooper recently, this is Eden Park and Cooper tends to fall apart under the boos.
I reckon there is a good chance the real reason is because he wants to spring a selection surprise in the backs and doesn't want to give the ABs time to train for it.
I wouldn't be surprised to see something like Foley-Kerevi-Folau, or Foley-Hodge-Kerevi with Cooper on the bench. While I agree Foley has done nothing to deserve starting over Cooper recently, this is Eden Park and Cooper tends to fall apart under the boos.
dru
Tim Horan (67)
While I dont like Foley over Cooper, I have never understood the belief of some fans that Cheika rates Cooper as a better 10 than Foley. There has been exactly zilch evidence of this. Plenty of evidence that Cheika thinks Foley is a better 12, but thats an entirely different matter.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
Foley v Cooper at flyhalf is an easy decision. Foley is out of form and Cooper is playing well. Our attack has looked better of late with Cooper at 10 when compared to Foley.
To say that Cooper hasn't performed well at Eden Park is a silly thing to say. Quade's win ratio there is the exact same as Foley's. Funnily enough it's the exact same as every player in the squad: 0%.
With regard to the boos, the most prominent match in my recent memory in terms of loud booing was the one at Forsyth-Barr which is the only one we've won in NZ lately. Quade played extremely well that night!
To say that Cooper hasn't performed well at Eden Park is a silly thing to say. Quade's win ratio there is the exact same as Foley's. Funnily enough it's the exact same as every player in the squad: 0%.
With regard to the boos, the most prominent match in my recent memory in terms of loud booing was the one at Forsyth-Barr which is the only one we've won in NZ lately. Quade played extremely well that night!
Brumby Runner
David Wilson (68)
If the reports of Foley starting at 10 and Cooper rides the bench are true, then I feel sorry for whomever plays 12, be it Kerevi or Hodge. They will be easy meat for the rush defense that doesn't have to worry about variety causing them problems at 10. Both Kerevi and Hodge could do well at 12, but it needs Quade at 10 to provide them with the options they would thrive on.
Foley's form has picked up in the last few games but Cooper has played better at 10 than Foley has this test season.
I wouldn't be dropping Cooper.
Surely Foley's goalkicking can't be going that much better than Cooper's that it is a major reason for him being in the starting XV.
I wouldn't be dropping Cooper.
Surely Foley's goalkicking can't be going that much better than Cooper's that it is a major reason for him being in the starting XV.
A
All Black Magic
Guest
The last time the Wallabies beat the All Blacks
at Eden Park was in 1986
30 years ago...
Here I was totally unaware that we had a problem beating the All Blacks at Eden Park.
No shit.
Simon.
Bob Loudon (25)
Win ratio does not equal performance. Are you suggesting that every flyhalf over the last 30 years has performed to the same standard because none of them won at Eden Park?
I know it's a difficult to thing to measure objectively, but I don't think it's a controversial statement to say Cooper has generally crumbled under pressure in NZ, that 2013 game excepted. Last year he was terrible AND got a YC. 2011 RWC his first kickoff of the game went out on the full.
The ABs and their fans know this. And if the only one you can remember booing is Forsyth-Barr, maybe that's because it's enclosed and sounds louder on the mics. Cooper gets booed every time he touches the ball in NZ, and I think will do so as long as he plays there.
Regardless, I don't really care who plays at 10, it's the centres I'm more interested in. I'm predicting a surprise.
I know it's a difficult to thing to measure objectively, but I don't think it's a controversial statement to say Cooper has generally crumbled under pressure in NZ, that 2013 game excepted. Last year he was terrible AND got a YC. 2011 RWC his first kickoff of the game went out on the full.
The ABs and their fans know this. And if the only one you can remember booing is Forsyth-Barr, maybe that's because it's enclosed and sounds louder on the mics. Cooper gets booed every time he touches the ball in NZ, and I think will do so as long as he plays there.
Regardless, I don't really care who plays at 10, it's the centres I'm more interested in. I'm predicting a surprise.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
A
All Black Magic
Guest
Go to Mt Eden Rd
There are 4 pubs in a row
All of them will be on fire
1km walk to Eden Park
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
I've been to The Dominion before a game before and liked it. Should be heaving before a test match.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
I'll be buggered. I was sure we'd won that one but you're right.
It was our highest score in NZ in the last 10 years though (could be more but that was the extent of my search query) and our only single digit margin (-8) since 2009.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
Of course I'm not suggesting that. But I do think it's a little controversial to say that Quade has 'generally crumbled under pressure in NZ'. He's had some crap games but he's had some good ones and some average games. The point was, he's not the only one to have had a tough time against the abs at Eden Park but because he gets singled out by the crowd, he tends to get singled out by the fans a bit more than is probably fair.
waiopehu oldboy
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Did The Kiwi survive the god-awful Britomart development? Was a bit of a rathole as I recall & probably not for those of the Strayan persuasion pre- or post-match but was always one of our stops on the annual Cossie Tours trip to Auckland back in the mid- & late-90's.
The torpedo
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Get arrested
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