Wallabies 2018 Spring Tour

[Strewthcobber]

JP Smith played as a sub for Western Province against the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup semi on 15/10/2016.

Is it 3 years from then?

 

[Up the Guts]

Wouldn't mind seeing Matt Philip, we've really lacked a bit of mongrel in the pack and he has a bit of rabid dog in him when he plays.

 

[KOB1987]

Isn't Brynard Stander a Saffer? Or has he qualified for residency?

 

[dru]

What I like from Reg's selection is that it tells teh current squad that we are simply not interested in having to gee them up for the jersey. I like the proposed squad from start to finish.

I doubt it reflects what Cheika is thinking though.

 

[Ignoto]

So a "first string" team of:

15 Tom Banks
14 Jack Maddocks
13 Tevita Kuridrani
12 Matt To'omua [c]
11 Jordan Petaia
10 Quade Cooper
9 Jake Gordon
8 Angus Cottrell
7 Chris Alcock
6 Matt Philip
5 Rory Arnold
4 Rob Simmons
3 Taniela Tupou
2 Tolu Latu
1 James Slipper

The Queensland Motherland applauds your selections Reg!

 

[RugbyReg]

So are you suggesting our key players be rested, or dropped? Or are you just suggesting they would get tired and their play would further deteriorate?

Of the players you suggest, I'd think that most have actually logged more minutes than Hooper, Pocock and Genia this season.

mostly it's fatigue, and I think mental fatique. Like I said on the pod, the inside word is these guys are feeling the pressure for the first time under Check. I think and extended off-season away from that pressure would be good for them.

In saying that I also think this has been the poorest form we have seen from the likes of Foley, Hooper, Coleman etc

 

[Brumby Runner]

Isn't Brynard Stander a Saffer? Or has he qualified for residency?

Signed with the Force in 2014 and has been there since. I am not aware of any previous representative honours that would disqualify him from the Wallabies, and he looks to easily meet the 3 year qualifying period.

Has been in really good form for the Force in the NRC and imo would not disappoint with if given an opportunity in the Wallaby squad.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Hookers: Tolu Latu, Folau Fainga'a, BPA
Props: Taniela Tupou, Allan Ala'alatoa, Fereti Sa'aga, James Slipper, ??
Locks: Rory Arnold, Darcy Swain, Rob Simmons, Matt Philip
Backrow: Chris Alcock, Ben Hyne, Brynard Stander, Caleb Timu, Angus Cottrell, Jack Dempsey
Scrumhalves: Jake Gordon, Tate McDermott, Ian Prior
Flyhalves: Quade Cooper, Hamish Stewart
Centres: Billy Meakes, Duncan Paia'aua, , Matt To'omua, Karmichael Hunt, Tevita Kuridrani (is he back?)
Wings: Rod Davies, Jordan Petaia, Sefa Naivalu
Fullback: Tom Banks, Jack Maddocks

Reg, good to see you putting a lot of store on NRC form. Sadly, I don't think that will be the way Cheika goes with the EOYT squad. He will want wins, as Barabarian says above. I expect he will pick pretty much what he sees as being the strongest squad as I believe that he hasn't shown any interest in the past for developing players, not even as backup in positions where we are especially weak.

I don't think Sa'aga will make the squad, with the other two props being Kepu and Ainsley. Cheika might intend to rest Kepu as much as possible on tour but will want him there in reserve in case of injury to his other front line props. Ainsley seems to be the next annointed despite some less than convincing appearances at Super level.

Much as I'd like to see Swain make the trip as a development player, I don't hold out much hope. I do think Coleman and Rodda will both be there.

In the backrow Alcock, Stander and Cottrell would all give a good account, but I'm not so sure that Ben Hyne has the game to make it at test level. Alcock is very good over the ball and carries good, and the other two both have a lot of abrasiveness about the way they play. Would be good to see them, or a couple of them, given an opportunity.

Really like the inclusion of Ian Prior. His play and goal kicking has been outstanding in the NRC. Wouldn't disappoint, I'm sure. But really too soon for the likes of McDermott. Surely both Powell and Ruru would be on the plane before Tate. But, of course, Genia and Phipps will beat them all to seats.

You're brave nominating Quade for a spot. Foley will be there for sure, and Stewart and Deegan would battle out the backup spot if Cheika relents and finally accepts that Beale is not a No 10.

Couldn't find a spot for Kerevi? I see there's some thought that he might be right for next weekend's game against the Vikings.

Rod Davies is simply yesterday's man. He still has some good pace but I have not been impressed with his involvements in the NRC. Sure, he can still score tries, but he doesn't impose himself in any of the tight stuff.

I like a lot of your fringe selections but despair that none of them will get a gig in the forthcoming tour.

 

[Joe Blow]

I thought I read somewhere that Slipper will not be considered? Quade is a good call if To'omua is rested. Dempsey and Cottrell should both go. Not sure about Timu.

Would like to see a Cottrell/Pocock/Dempsey combo with Hoops on the bench.

 

[Joe Blow]

Oh yes........and Jordan Petaia is a must even if Kerevi does go

 

[Slim 293]

Swain and Philip have both been impressive in the NRC, but I'm not sure if they'd be improvements on the locks that are already in the squad...............

I also don't think Cheika has worked out what his best locking combination is yet, which is made difficult by none of our locks really playing all that well.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Refs for the Wallabies games on the EOYT

Vs NZ: Romain Poite
Vs Wales: Ben O'Keeffe
Vs Italy: Pascal Gauzere
Vs England: Jaco Peyper

 

[Wilson]

JP Smith played as a sub for Western Province against the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup semi on 15/10/2016.

Is it 3 years from then?

There's another consideration for longer periods of interrupted time:

21/04/2016 13:33​

REGULATION 8. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS
8.1 Subject to Regulation 8.2, a Player may only play for the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team, the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team and the senior National Representative Sevens Team of the Union of the country with which the Player has a genuine, close, credible and established national link in which:
(a) he was born; or
(b) one parent or grandparent was born; or
(c) he has completed sixty¹ consecutive months of Residence immediately preceding the time of playing; or

(d) he has completed ten years of cumulative Residence preceding the time of playing.

https://www.world.rugby/handbook/regulations/reg-8/reg-8

18. Does the period of 10 years of cumulative Residence set out in Regulation 8.1(d) begin at birth?

Yes. Players who have established themselves on a permanent basis in a country through living there for lengthy periods during their lifetime may be deemed to acquire a credible, close and established national link with a country or Union that entitles him to participate in sporting competitions for that Union. The Player may add together the periods, from his date of birth, during which the country has been his primary and permanent home in order to calculate the 10 years of cumulative Residence.

https://www.world.rugby/handbook/regulations/reg-8/explanatory-guidelines

Based on his wiki he moved to Australia in 2010 after playing for western province. Additionally he is a TGS old boy, and was there for two years:

Smith started out his career playing forWestern ProvinceinSouth Africa, where he was a member of their youth system between 2009 and 2010 and also made 5 appearances during the2010 Vodacom Cupseason.[2][3]
He emigrated toAustraliaalong with twin-brotherRuanat the end of 2010 and were initially based inBrisbane,Australia. Both brothers linked up with theAustralian National Academy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JP_Smith_(rugby_union)

... Former TGS prop JP Smith (2006-07) is one of the Reds' surprise signings.

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/tgs-old-boys-in-qld-reds-squad/3277946/

The question becomes where was he pre-2006 and from finishing at TGS in 2007 to starting at WP in 2009. By my count he needs about 2 more years from these periods to hit the 10 year mark. It may be significant that this period is defined in years while the cumulative period is defined in months, it may mean there's a bit more flexibility in how it's counted.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Surely he doesn't get to count 2015 & 2016 when he was playing rugby in South Africa though?

In any case, don't think he's going to be eligible by the world cup by the look of things

 

[Wilson]

I have him being in Australia for some portion of 2006,2007,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 and 2018. That's 9 years and 2019 or any others he may have been here for make 10, possibly in time for the world cup (though he wasn't here for the entirety of each of those years, so it really depends on how they count them). I'm not sure this rule has been ever used as I've only seen it appear alongside the new 60-month regulation 8, not the old 36-month one, so there maybe room to test it if we're inclined. I didn't really expect them to, but with the Robertson injury they may start to look at it.

Pretty sure they'd leak a story about it out through rugby.com.au/rugby confidential/the cauliflower/etc. and use that to see how world rugby would take an application first though, so I'm guessing it's not yet in the works.

 

[Derpus]

So are you suggesting our key players be rested, or dropped? Or are you just suggesting they would get tired and their play would further deteriorate?

Of the players you suggest, I'd think that most have actually logged more minutes than Hooper, Pocock and Genia this season.

Rotated, like the All Blacks have been doing.

 

[Derpus]

I thought I read somewhere that Slipper will not be considered? Quade is a good call if To'omua is rested. Dempsey and Cottrell should both go. Not sure about Timu.

Would like to see a Cottrell/Pocock/Dempsey combo with Hoops on the bench.

He won't bench Hoops.......

Why not just Hooper, Pocock and Dempsey?

 

[Up the Guts]

Indigenous jerseys likely to be worn at Twickenham.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

mostly it's fatigue, and I think mental fatique. Like I said on the pod, the inside word is these guys are feeling the pressure for the first time under Check. I think and extended off-season away from that pressure would be good for them.

In saying that I also think this has been the poorest form we have seen from the likes of Foley, Hooper, Coleman etc

With only seven tests before the RWC I highly doubt many players would be rested. Give them the first month of super rugby off if you want to rest them.

 

[fatprop]

Rotated, like the All Blacks have been doing.

Our Japan game vs the ABs maybe quite experimental from the ABs

While in Japan, the All Blacks plan to fly 22 players early to London to prepare for the Test against England.