Wallabies 2019 Thread

[RoffsChoice]

I'm one of the biggest White fans you'll find (hence having to sort of viewing rights for Top 14 and the Premiership while he's been overseas), and I think it's a travesty to pick him over McDermott or Powell. Not because those guys are better players than White, but because they're here in Aus and playing well. Nic White left, and, while I'm not judging him for that, it should rule him out of Wallabies contention.

 

[Benaud]

I was including White as one of my three.

Powell has had a really good season and his form recently has been great. He's playing behind a pack that is substantially ahead of the other Australian teams.

Powell should certainly make a 40 man squad. I'd guess there will be four halfbacks in it. I still wouldn't consider his chances of being in the RWC squad as being very high.

I can't see any way they could leave him out. Would just make a complete mockery of the selection process. No-one in their right mind would ever dream of picking Phipps over him, which means he's in regardless of what happens.

Personally, I reckon he's neck and neck with Genia for the starting spot, the other gets the bench spot and there's daylight to the rest, at least of the Super Rugby options (I have no idea how well White is going).

 

[Derpus]

I can't see any way they could leave him out. Would just make a complete mockery of the selection process. No-one in their right mind would ever dream of picking Phipps over him, which means he's in regardless of what happens.

Personally, I reckon he's neck and neck with Genia for the starting spot, the other gets the bench spot and there's daylight to the rest, at least of the Super Rugby options (I have no idea how well White is going).

I don't think he's in form and probably wouldn't pick him but i can see the rationale behind picking Phipps on the bench.

There is no way Cheika will pick anyone but Genia for starting half. He's the best option by far.

 

[Dctarget]

Genia will start, no questions asked. He's been top 5 Australian players for a decade and time & time again he's proven himself on the world stage. The Rebels are a shitshow and a proven blackhole for talent. When you've reached 100 caps for your country you've earned some slack on form, just ask TK and Ma'a Nonu.

People here have very short memories, for many of the Rebels games this year he's been their only shining light. Yeah, he's been absolute dog shit in the past month or two, but you don't throw away one of your few World XV contenders too quickly.

 

[Derpus]

People here have very short memories, for many of the Rebels games this year he's been their only shining light. Yeah, he's been absolute dog shit in the past month or two, but you don't throw away one of your few World XV contenders too quickly.

Genia and Naisarani.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Genia will start, no questions asked. He's been top 5 Australian players for a decade and time & time again he's proven himself on the world stage. The Rebels are a shitshow and a proven blackhole for talent. When you've reached 100 caps for your country you've earned some slack on form, just ask TK and Ma'a Nonu.

People here have very short memories, for many of the Rebels games this year he's been their only shining light. Yeah, he's been absolute dog shit in the past month or two, but you don't throw away one of your few World XV contenders too quickly.

Coinciding with getting knocked out I reckon.

 

[dru]

Powell and Genia then daylight.

 

[RugbyReg]

Assuming Kerevi is 12 and Banks or DHP is 15 (ie no Beale starting) you need Genia at 9. He's the 2nd playmaker.

Powell is getting a massive list by the quality of the team around him at the moment, which is helping. But I am not convinced he has proved any closer to being test quality. He barely runs. In fact his try on the weekend is close to the first time I've seen him bust a line.

There are always players who benefit from a successful Super Rugby season. The likes of Rod Davies, Beau Robinson and the Fainga'a (to a lessor degree) in 2011. Similarly Will Skelton was promoted quickly in 2014 and Nick Phipps probably prolonged his rugby career on the back of it.

While the Brumbies are long odds to take the premiership, but Powell is getting a boost from playing with a dominant pack and a smart 10 (and quality outside backs).

I still think McDermott is a better player.

 

[Braveheart81]

It definitely won't be ignored that Powell is playing behind easily the best forward pack out of any of our teams. It will also be obvious that he too has produced his best form at the back end of the season which works in his favour substantially (whilst Genia and Phipps weren't good).

He's trying to surpass players who are realistically a long way ahead of him based on their international experience. Nic White being brought back from overseas throws another significant obstacle in his way. It's hard to imagine White was lured back without a reasonable intention to select him. There's bugger all tests to do it in as well. I seriously doubt Cheika will be having many playoffs for positions. There just isn't time.

Powell's problem is that he has clearly not been a preferred option for Cheika in the past given he has played almost no minutes of test rugby despite being on the bench for a number of tests. Hard to imagine he'd now become Cheika's go to bench option to try and inject speed off the bench etc.

 

[Tomikin]

It definitely won't be ignored that Powell is playing behind easily the best forward pack out of any of our teams. It will also be obvious that he too has produced his best form at the back end of the season which works in his favour substantially (whilst Genia and Phipps weren't good).

He's trying to surpass players who are realistically a long way ahead of him based on their international experience. Nic White being brought back from overseas throws another significant obstacle in his way. It's hard to imagine White was lured back without a reasonable intention to select him. There's bugger all tests to do it in as well. I seriously doubt Cheika will be having many playoffs for positions. There just isn't time.

Powell's problem is that he has clearly not been a preferred option for Cheika in the past given he has played almost no minutes of test rugby despite being on the bench for a number of tests. Hard to imagine he'd now become Cheika's go to bench option to try and inject speed off the bench etc.

Yep, he is probably going to be unlucky, as Genia/Phipps and probably White get the crack at the world cup, it's the last roll of the dice for Cheika, his got Genia at number 1, Phipps he has been a favorite for a while and is great at speeding up games, and White who he just bought back from oversea's who's experienced.

 

[Benaud]

They've gotta at least consider Super Rugby form to some extent. The same line of reasoning rules out any hope of Naisarani making the squad.

 

[fatprop]

It definitely won't be ignored that Powell is playing behind easily the best forward pack out of any of our teams. It will also be obvious that he too has produced his best form at the back end of the season which works in his favour substantially (whilst Genia and Phipps weren't good).

He's trying to surpass players who are realistically a long way ahead of him based on their international experience. Nic White being brought back from overseas throws another significant obstacle in his way. It's hard to imagine White was lured back without a reasonable intention to select him. There's bugger all tests to do it in as well. I seriously doubt Cheika will be having many playoffs for positions. There just isn't time.

Powell's problem is that he has clearly not been a preferred option for Cheika in the past given he has played almost no minutes of test rugby despite being on the bench for a number of tests. Hard to imagine he'd now become Cheika's go to bench option to try and inject speed off the bench etc.

Genia & White are both playmaking 9s, it means you can run the 10 and two running centres (Kerevi & Kuridrani) and pace on the edges


Genia \ White
Foley\ Lilo
Koro \ Pulu
Kerevi \ To'omua
Kuridrani \ F-Sautia
Maddocks \ Banks
DHP

Big Centres fast outsides

 

[RoffsChoice]

Naisarani is the best 8 in the country, and it's only close because of a rampaging McCaffrey and Samu.

 

[Benaud]

Naisarani is the best 8 in the country, and it's only close because of a rampaging McCaffrey and Samu.

Hard to argue. Which would make it a real shame to leave him out, like Powell, because Super Rugby form is irrelevant and we only want experienced test players.

 

[Benaud]

Incidentally I don't think either will happen, the argument just seems absurd to me. Powell and Naisarani are sure things.

 

[Braveheart81]

They've gotta at least consider Super Rugby form to some extent. The same line of reasoning rules out any hope of Naisarani making the squad.

And they will. But they know that being a halfback is considerably easier behind a pack that is bettering their opposition than one going backwards.

What is his passing/kicking/box kicking/running/defending/decision making like?

Naisarani has been consistently good for the Rebels. I think he's the red hot favourite to start the first test at number 8 (and probably stay there). Naisarani is also in a position with far less competition.

I think it is pretty clear how strong the Brumbies forward pack are and how important that has been to their season. They are an almost certainty to have 3 front rowers starting and one on the bench, one lock starting and a couple of backrowers in the 23 or slimmed down RWC squad.

I'm still not convinced that any Brumbies backs aside from Kuridrani will be in our best 23. Lilo is definitely the one who is closest. I still think Banks has to be considered ahead of Maddocks to play on the wing to be a chance. I think Beale and DHP will both be preferred as fullback options. For the record I would pick Banks ahead of Maddocks on the wing (and would have last year as well).

 

[Dctarget]

Yeah, where's our Wallaby centurion no.8 that Naisarani is displacing? We got jack all.

Forgive me if this is a bit of poor logic, but I like the idea of White playing. I like that he's adapted to NH rugby. IMO scrumhalf is one of the positions that the NH do better, and having a NH style scrumhalf in Japan will be very useful. Contestable box kicks ya know.

 

[fatprop]

Naisarani is the best 8 in the country, and it's only close because of a rampaging McCaffrey and Samu.

These are the Pigs I would be taking

1) AAA / Slipper or Robertson
2) Fainga’a / Mafi / Ulese
3) Sio / Thor /Kepu
4) Rodda /Coleman
5) Arnold / Philip
6) Salakai-Loto / Jones
7) Hooper /Pocock or Samu

8) Naisarani / Dempsey

 

[Benaud]

And they will. But they know that being a halfback is considerably easier behind a pack that is bettering their opposition than one going backwards.

What is his passing/kicking/box kicking/running/defending/decision making like?

Naisarani has been consistently good for the Rebels. I think he's the red hot favourite to start the first test at number 8 (and probably stay there). Naisarani is also in a position with far less competition.

I think it is pretty clear how strong the Brumbies forward pack are and how important that has been to their season. They are an almost certainty to have 3 front rowers starting and one on the bench, one lock starting and a couple of backrowers in the 23 or slimmed down RWC squad.

I'm still not convinced that any Brumbies backs aside from Kuridrani will be in our best 23. Lilo is definitely the one who is closest. I still think Banks has to be considered ahead of Maddocks to play on the wing to be a chance. I think Beale and DHP will both be preferred as fullback options. For the record I would pick Banks ahead of Maddocks on the wing (and would have last year as well).

Well that's what we need to find out - whether he can do the same thing on the back of a pack which is less dominant. Currently he seems a step faster than every other halfback in the country, both in arrival and delivery. Assuming Genia starts, that's a pretty significant boost at the back end. We know what Phipps offers, and Powell's form would have to drop off a cliff to get to that level. Maybe it will happen without the pack advantage, but it has to be tested.

 

[RugbyReg]

Hard to argue. Which would make it a real shame to leave him out, like Powell, because Super Rugby form is irrelevant and we only want experienced test players.

no one is saying Super Rugby form is irrelevant.

Ability is relevant.