The Wallabies Thread

Do they pay him in cash too?

Anyways, who gives a toss about the next RWC....

How about we win back the Bledisloe first.

I think he's got three years after this one. If we're going OK into 2019 I'd be very surprised if he didn't take us to Japan and maybe beyond.

That's objective No. 1 and it will do a lot to ease the hurt I think.

I can't remember if it is you or someone else who keeps shaking this can, hoping money will fall out, but let me ask - for the record, you understand:

Why, for the love of porn, would we move our best blindside, who has shown he is an 80 minute player for two seasons, to lock at any point except where everyone else available fell down a flight of explosive razor wire into a fucking meat grinder?

Answer at least one paragraph or three bullet points. Preferably to make sense.

We've got locks coming through. Big, angry ones. If Caydern Neville didn't have a brain the size of a walnut he'd already BE a Wallaby instead of just cruising at the Rebels.

What we need is (are?) more locks who can call lineouts, because apparently Simmons is the only one in the country capable of doing it

That kid from the Force (Coleman) and a couple of others show real promise. We just need to get them fit and hungry, and let Fardy do what he does best.

I'd like to see Kerevi, Alaalatoa(allan), Arnold, Coleman, Timani (as an 8), Vaea, Debreczini, Stirzacker all given some time in the gold jersey in the next few seasons. There is a surprising amount of depth in the conference at the moment that we have been lacking for a while now.

1. Simmons and Mumm lack impact in general play. Playing Fardy at lock has many benefits for this reason:
2. Fardy can play the exact same role as Blindside that he does at lock, only difference being scrum. he fullfills the primary role of lock being an effective line-out worker and playing tight.
3. I don't believe we have "locks coming through". Neville , Arnold, Jones, Coleman are years away from being world class locks. Whereas players like McCalman, Higgers, McMahon already offer more impact around the park OR are just a step-or-two away.

I guess the main point is our current blindside flanker stocks potentially offer more impact in general play then either Simmons or Mumm or current up and coming locks.

I'm sick of locks being line-out specialists and being average around the park. What we need is a lock who can do both - Fardy can potentially do this.

Also, I was kind of sucked into this argument by your post, I don't think this is the be all end all idea. As Simmons is a good option, much like Slipper is a good option at prop until Sio came along and offered something more. So in Fardy's case It would just be a very handy option to have if he could play lock and it's not far from a reality, allowing possibly a better impacting back-rower to come through.

And playing all our best players on the park at one time has worked well - you know like playing Hooper and Pocock together.

I agree we need to train some-else to call line-outs.

Absolutely agree with every point made here @Pfitzy.

Moore's throwing has been too low and has allowed opposition jumpers to get up in front of ours. I was most disappointed in his lineout work.

Will Genia is playing a lot better than he has for quite a few years, but his box kicking usually turns out bad for us. Why doesn't he get the protection from the forwards that the ABs' forwards give Smith?

TK has looked out of sorts for most of this year. Early on, definitely due to injury, but like you I think he has just not had a role to play in the game plan. And despite the accolades Matt Giteau gets here, he didn't once that I recall put a player through a gap by dent of his own creative play. He mostly just trucked the ball up into the defense, and if that was the game plan then Matt Toomua would have been a far better option.

Rob Simmons was especially disappointing. He does not play with the aggression that we'd like to see in our locks and he didn't efficiently carry out the role for which he was most noted, ie lineout general. We really need to find and develop some hard men as locks. Maybe by 2019, Tom Staniforth will be in the picture. Meanwhile, I am hopeful Coleman will step up.

Cheika's/Larkham's use of Toomua has left me dumbfounded. Finished at least two, maybe more, games sitting on the bench. Just no sense to thast at all, especially given the dominant defense he brings to the game.

Yep - game plan needs to be a whole lot more adventurous. Forwards need to learn to attack in waves with short passing to supports. Backs need to be able to play with some creativeness to undo the defensive lines. My worst fear is that the way they play is largely due to Steve Larkham's influence, and if so it doesn't bode well for the Brumbies.

As you say, a lot to work on.

Question: have you ever played second row?

Our locks have to be ball carriers, too.

Along with a fuck-ton of other things. @RugbyReg 's article weaved a merry tale of where we all thought shit was about to explode on the way to Twickers. We were all chewing glass there for a while, but it worked out.

Well it would be nice, but as long as you've got 4-5 in the pack somewhere, that would be good. You need people to cover rucks, and if the giraffes are doing the donkey work, someone else needs to step up.

Its difficult with the Pooper because then you need at least one of your locks to be a devastating contact ball carrier along with one of your props and hooker. Can Skelton do this after his injury? Not sure at this point.

I'd love if Coleman and Skelton could get themselves up a few levels. Would not want for size, skill, or ball running there. But if you're carrying a lock and the Pooper? Hmmm.

We need a traditional number 8 - big, line-bending, soft hands.

I think for this 12 month period, Cheika's plan was to get the team together that he could. And I would not be surprised to see things change significantly in terms of personnel and game plan next year.

And I meant to say that as far as the backline goes, I hope Kerevi continues to show the sort of improvement he has since coming into Super XV. He looks to be the type of centre we will need to challenge the best of defensive lines.

Just described Ita Vaea. It will be time next year to give him a go in place of one of the current players who have difficulty getting over the gain line (we all know who they are). After Ita, I'd like to see Holloway come in also. These are the future and need to be brought into the Wallaby fold in 2016.

I have always liked Holloway, but he is not a line bender. -- he is more the classic old school number 8, lots of skills for sure.

I like all of this but it is also a bit mystifying BR because to my eye it was very similar to what the Brumbies have played under Larkham. I just don't think Larkham has earnt his stripes as a coach at any level yet. That said this year the Tahs were extremely one dimensional with no reliable kicking options in the back three and that killed them against the kick chase sides who displayed a good defence. ie Stormers and Force.

I would also be looking at the forwards coaching and rue the fact that Fischer left Australia at the same time that Mackenzie retained the underperforming Blades. The general forwards play whilst greatly improved under Chieka would have been far better with his input. I also thought that the Brumbies forwards fell away a lot this year without him.

Moving into 2016 I would really like to see dedicated coaching for kicking from hand and tee, and a lineout/forwards coach. These areas are critical to the games that Australia lost or came close to losing this year. Without addressing them I think the Wallabies will not improve on what we saw at their best this year.

In terms of player changes, I hope to see some real pace on the wings now that the easy option of AAC is gone, but if Tomane or Speight want to fill those roles they have to learn how to kick and catch the high ball consistently and dominantly. I really hope that Stirzacker comes along at 9 and am really very happy that I'll never have to see a Genia box kick again in Wallaby colours.

The key loss for me is the Kepu. He has been in the best form of his career and nobody is close to him at THP as a complete package in Australia. Holmes is very good and his renaissance has been a great story but he is almost as old as I am, he will and should be number 1 THP next year but who is next in line, Toby Smith? I'm not sure I'm convinced.

Locks, well I don't care who is slected and it won't matter a jot until they get some serious coaching in the technical aspects.