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Wallabies 2020

Blue

Blue

Andrew Slack (58)
rodha said:
We lost the semi-final because of tactically inept Hansen, it had nothing to do with the players, anyone with a brain could see that. Put Scott Robertson (the best breakdown & defense coach in the world) in charge of the All Blacks and see what happens then.
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You're gonna make lots of friends here :rolleyes:

Super Rugby Aotearo was great. The skills levels were amazing. The defense was very good but nowhere near as marvellous as you suggest. The way the refs policed the breakdown made defense stand off the contact a lot of the time, resulting in a lot more quick ball than usual and hence space.

As for the RWC. The AB's got beat up by the Poms. Good and proper. The AB's were terrible. The Poms built up to that game for 4 years and were at a different level of intensity. Just accept it. Yeah Scott B was a poor decision at 6 but your lot got blasted off the tackle and driven back in defense and had no answers. Zilch. No amount of Scott Robertson was going to make a difference on the day other than perhaps a breakdance to gee them up.
 
Dctarget

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
drewprint said:
Powell has barely more international experience than McDermott. I’m thinking it’d be important to pair a rookie in that halfback/fly half position with an experienced head.
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Good point, I thought you meant more through experienced pairings.

Can't wait till we get a 23, all these theorising has got me hungry.
 
zer0

zer0

Jim Lenehan (48)
qwerty51 said:
And you replaced him with.. Ian Foster.

The key reason the Wallabies can win.
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True. Foster is hardly an inspiring choice at this stage.

However, the other significant coaching change is Plumtree replacing Hansen as forwards coach. He's not going to let standards slip as Hansen did many times (both as assistant and head coach), and has openly talked about being far more confrontational with the forwards. He's definitely the highlight of the current coaching team for me.
 
rodha

rodha

Dave Cowper (27)
wamberal said:
They're all playing league, I assume.
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Where have all the big Australian centres gone?

Irae Simone is the only midfielder in Rennie's squad over 100kgs.

Matt To'omua: 91kg

Hunter Paisami: 90kg

Len Ikitau: 90kg

Reece Hodge: 94kg

James O'Conner: 93kg

In comparison with NZ midfielders:

Peter Umaga-Jensen: 102kg

Jack Goodhue: 102kg

Anton Leinert Brown: 103kg

Ngani Laumape: 103kg

Reiko Ioane: 105kg
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I was going to say surely this is a consequence of Australia's top athletes playing other codes?
 
Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Most of those NZ players are taller, particularly Ioane and Goodhue. They might be a bit heavier but it is mostly a result of the extra height than anything else.

Laumape is the most physical of those players because he's carrying a similar amount of weight but he's a chunk shorter.

Irae Simone is also tall. I wouldn't really consider him a big centre though.

In terms of playing bigger, I don't really think the taller player that is a few more kgs is necessarily a "bigger centre" than a shorter guy who is a few kg lighter.
 
KiwiM

KiwiM

Trevor Allan (34)
Rieko is about 102kg-103kg this year - down from 105kg-106kg last year.

From an article in January

"I'm the lightest I've been in a while," he said, confirming he'd gone from 105-106kg down to 102-103.
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Zero_Cool

Zero_Cool

Arch Winning (36)
Hey! Hunter plays like he's a good 10 maybe 20 Kg bigger than he is!

I don't think we can throw Lolesio to the lions -- game 1 against the AB's starting at flyhalf. He was good against the Reds and he was good to start the season, but it's not like a McDermott situation where Tate has forced his selection by being the best halfback in the comp basically every round. Had Lolesio played the whole AU season then maybe we have that conversation but he's not got the body of work -- he could come off the bench, or you could easily start him against anyone else we will be playing in the Rugby Championship but game 1 against the All-Blacks is ONE bridge too far. As for who you pair with him -- IMO given the context I'd argue he's got no significant combinations with anyone really so you start your best halfback of the future with him, against Argies & SA, with O'Connor on the bench as your 23 swiss army knife, as 'oh shit' cover if he's out of his depth.
 
rodha

rodha

Dave Cowper (27)
Plumtree replacing Hansen as forwards coach. He's not going to let standards slip as Hansen did many times (both as assistant and head coach), and has openly talked about being far more confrontational with the forwards. He's definitely the highlight of the current coaching team for me.
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This right here. Hansen was probably the most inept forwards coach the All Blacks have ever had. It's no wonder the Poms blasted us off the park. Hansen had been found out time and time again for his ineffective strategy and selections in the forwards. So glad to see the back of him, no more weak-ass soft All Black forward performances getting bullied by Northern Hemisphere sides.

Unfortunately for Wallabies fans the All Blacks with Plumtree and a renewed forward emphasis and additionally intelligent tactics installed from Moar and Foster (something which Hansen never provided) are destined to go through another golden period.

I know most of those on here won't like to hear it.
 
Up the Guts

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Braveheart81 said:
Most of those NZ players are taller, particularly Ioane and Goodhue. They might be a bit heavier but it is mostly a result of the extra height than anything else.

Laumape is the most physical of those players because he's carrying a similar amount of weight but he's a chunk shorter.

Irae Simone is also tall. I wouldn't really consider him a big centre though.

In terms of playing bigger, I don't really think the taller player that is a few more kgs is necessarily a "bigger centre" than a shorter guy who is a few kg lighter.
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Kerevi is a big centre at ~110kg.

~100kg on guys that are 6 foot 1 or 2 isn't big.
 
KiwiM

KiwiM

Trevor Allan (34)
if Rennie wants to play a fast paced game (I saw some comments by Lolesio I think mention this) then to me that leads to moving away from Powell. I just don't see him suited to playing an up tempo style - long term McDermott seems far better suited to such a role.
 
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