Wallabies 2023

[SouthernX]

So what worked well in that match that you've decided Gordon out of position is worth a go again?

I thought Carter looked great at 12. Very serviceable, there was some awesome phase play second half where tate was servicing Quade but then Carter we moving into first receiver on the next breakdown… inside centre might not be his preferred position but if you’re hell bent on Quade at 10 how about finding a spot for one of the super rugby MVPs of the year.

It’s dumb keeping a player like Gordon on the bench when he’s clearly one of the best athletes and footballers on the team. #my2cents

 

[Ignoto]

The Lord Laurie echoes everything I have said earlier on here:

“From watching the game, I don’t know that they have great clarity themselves at the moment,” Fisher told The Roar Rugby Podcast on Tuesday of the Wallabies.

The Wallabies shipped over 100 points across three games in Lauries first three games as defence coach. Wonder what clarity he was passing on then?

 

[griffins]

The Wallabies shipped over 100 points across three games in Lauries first three games as defence coach. Wonder what clarity he was passing on then?

AND HARRY WILSON SHOULD BE THE WALLABIES NUMBER 8

 

[HogansHeros]

I thought Carter looked great at 12. Very serviceable, there was some awesome phase play second half where tate was servicing Quade but then Carter we moving into first receiver on the next breakdown… inside centre might not be his preferred position but if you’re hell bent on Quade at 10 how about finding a spot for one of the super rugby MVPs of the year.

It’s dumb keeping a player like Gordon on the bench when he’s clearly one of the best athletes and footballers on the team. #my2cents

Not a fan of just putting blokes on the field out of position, "cause they're good".

He was MVP at 10 not at 12 or 13 or 6 or 3. We need the best combination of players with the best game plan suited to those players. Not necessarily the best 15 individual players.

 

[SouthernX]

Not a fan of just putting blokes on the field out of position, "cause they're good".

He was MVP at 10 not at 12 or 13 or 6 or 3. We need the best combination of players with the best game plan suited to those players. Not necessarily the best 15 individual players.

Eddie just talked about Josh Kemeny potentially playing on the wing.

I understand the point you’re making about best combination. Thought Carter looked good at 12.
Will be interesting to see if he cracks starting lineup at MCG.

 

[Slim 293]

The Wallabies shipped over 100 points across three games in Lauries first three games as defence coach. Wonder what clarity he was passing on then?

Do you mean first four games?

Laurie joined the Wallabies coaching staff on the Friday a week before the Bok test in Adelaide which we won…

He does have a point though in that we have an entirely brand new coaching staff across the board, and a defensive coach without much of a CV… but this was always the risk in firing Rennie the year of the RWC - do we have a good coaching team, or just the best team available?

 

[Mr Pilfer]

Predicted 33 man squad for Bledisloe:

Props - LH - Slipper, Bell, Gibbon, TH - AAA, Topou, Fa'amausili
Hookers - Porecki, Fainga'a, Faessler
Second Rowers - Skelton, Arnold, Frost, Phillip
Back-rowers - Blindside - Leota, Holloway, Openside - Hooper, McReight, No. 8 - Valentini, Gleeson, Utility - Samu
Halfbacks - White, McDermott
Flyhalf's - Cooper, Gordon
Centres - Foketi, Perese, Kerevi
Outside Backs - Nawaqanitawase, Kellaway, Hodge, Petaia, Wright, Korobiete

Likely 23:

1 - Slipper
2 - Porecki
3 - AAA
4 - Arnold
5 - Skelton
6 - Holloway
7 - Hooper
8 - Valentini
9 - White
10 - Cooper
11 - Korobiete
12 - Kerevi
13 - Petaia
14 - Nawaqanitawase
15 - Kellaway

16 - Fainga'a/Faessler
17 - Bell
18 - Topou
19 - Frost
20 - Samu
21 - McDermott
22 - Gordon
23 - Hodge

I am 100% in agreement with your squad and 23.
My concern is whether Eddie is too stubborn to not drop Vunivalu and Uelese completely out of the squad.

 

[qwerty51]

Eddie just talked about Josh Kemeny potentially playing on the wing.

I understand the point you’re making about best combination. Thought Carter looked good at 12.
Will be interesting to see if he cracks starting lineup at MCG.

Kemeny playing on the wing is a last resort if we were dealt injuries with a 6/2. It would’ve happened if we had another backline injury but in no way would he ever be selected there if not a last resort. Just like Carter is no chance of ever playing anything but 10 unless last resort.

 

[eastman]

Kemeny playing on the wing is a last resort if we were dealt injuries with a 6/2. It would’ve happened if we had another backline injury but in no way would he ever be selected there if not a last resort. Just like Carter is no chance of ever playing anything but 10 unless last resort.

I agree about Kemeny but not so sure about Carter to be honest. I think he showed enough that he might be considered before a Paisami or Hodge (obviously not Kerevi or Foketi though).

 

[Namerican]

They lost 9 tests last year
Context matters.

First off, they also beat South Africa, Argentina, Scotland, Wales and England.

Second, they were beset with injuries and lack of availability of key players due to being overseas.

Third, they would have beaten NZ if not for the Reynauld controversy/timewasting. Similarly they lost to full-strength Ireland/France squads, on the road, by a combined 4 points. Include the loss to NZ and that's 3 losses to 3 of the top 4 teams by a combined 6 points. Yes, the point is to win the game, but margin of victory is an indicator of overall performance.

Fourth, if you watched the games you could see they were playing better and improving as the year went on.

Fifth, who cares about the Italy game when it is effectively an Australia XV.

Sixth, who gives you a better chance at winning? The team that lost by 3 points to Ireland, in Ireland, or the team that lost 43-12 to South Africa's B Team?

 

[Namerican]

I thought Carter looked great at 12. Very serviceable, there was some awesome phase play second half where tate was servicing Quade but then Carter we moving into first receiver on the next breakdown… inside centre might not be his preferred position but if you’re hell bent on Quade at 10 how about finding a spot for one of the super rugby MVPs of the year.

It’s dumb keeping a player like Gordon on the bench when he’s clearly one of the best athletes and footballers on the team. #my2cents

The only issue is that Kerevi looked horrific at #13 and should theoretically be (if fit) the better 12 between him/Carter. So if you select Carter at #12 you also have to consider benching Kerevi. I agree with your sentiment though and it is too bad Carter hasn't played 15 or 13 enough to jump in at test rugby in those positions. Get the best guys on the field.

 

[Chucamuca]

How long is 2 weeks really to build structures and shapes? Between the Boks game and Argentina I thought we improved quite a bit. Do we actually have a chance against the ABs under the assumpion that Eddie ISN'T keeping his cards close to his chest, or are we in for a wholloping?

 

[Tomthumb]

They lost 9 tests last year

Context matters.

First off, they also beat South Africa, Argentina, Scotland, Wales and England.

Second, they were beset with injuries and lack of availability of key players due to being overseas.

Third, they would have beaten NZ if not for the Reynauld controversy/timewasting. Similarly they lost to full-strength Ireland/France squads, on the road, by a combined 4 points. Include the loss to NZ and that's 3 losses to 3 of the top 4 teams by a combined 6 points. Yes, the point is to win the game, but margin of victory is an indicator of overall performance.

Fourth, if you watched the games you could see they were playing better and improving as the year went on.

Fifth, who cares about the Italy game when it is effectively an Australia XV.

Sixth, who gives you a better chance at winning? The team that lost by 3 points to Ireland, in Ireland, or the team that lost 43-12 to South Africa's B Team?

Why are we still doing this?

Last year included an embarrassing series loss to an England team badly out of form, a 40-14 loss to NZ, 48-17 to Argentina, 24-8 to South Africa, lose 4 out of five on the spring tour, with the only win being against a woeful Welsh side that sacked their coach straight after the game

3 years and a 35% win record isn’t improving

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

I agree about Kemeny but not so sure about Carter to be honest. I think he showed enough that he might be considered before a Paisami or Hodge (obviously not Kerevi or Foketi though).

We finally find a great 10 and we want to play him at 12?

 

[Marce]

We finally find a great 10 and we want to play him at 12?

A great 10? Slow down. A good prospect for the coming years. That's all, he isn't the saviour

JOC (James O'Connor) was a dam good prospect in his first years. He was eligible for NZ, SA and OZ and all wanted him. Look at how his career was developed

 

[Ignoto]

Do you mean first four games?

Laurie joined the Wallabies coaching staff on the Friday a week before the Bok test in Adelaide which we won…

Ah your right, the first four games, I missed that he joined before and not after the first Boks game.

I'm any event, we would have lost that game if whoever was kicking at the time for the Boks could kick....

Point still stands, Laurie taking pot shots from the side isn't the wisest decision when he and the Wallabies were just as bad under his reign.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

A great 10? Slow down. A good prospect for the coming years. That's all, he isn't the saviour

JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) was a dam good prospect in his first years. He was eligible for NZ, SA and OZ and all wanted him. Look at how his career was developed

restated - we have the best prospect of a great 10 since quades early days (and where that went...) and we want to stick him at 12. let's develop him into a great 10!

10's don't grow on trees (or anything it seems) in Australia

 

[dru]

Ah your right, the first four games, I missed that he joined before and not after the first Boks game.

I'm any event, we would have lost that game if whoever was kicking at the time for the Boks could kick....

Point still stands, Laurie taking pot shots from the side isn't the wisest decision when he and the Wallabies were just as bad under his reign.

I don't see it as "pot shots". The bloke is talking rugby, he's probably more entitled to do that than we are. He is also widely recognised as a very rare thing - an effective rugby coaching resource in Australia. [Now I'm not necessarily saying that it is helpful input right now, but I do think we aught listen to the bloke.]

 

[HogansHeros]

Eddie just talked about Josh Kemeny potentially playing on the wing.

I understand the point you’re making about best combination. Thought Carter looked good at 12.
Will be interesting to see if he cracks starting lineup at MCG.

Off the bench is a completely different ball game as you cant have a specialist for each position so having players that can play across 2 or more positions is important.

Happy to play Gordon at 12 off the bench like last game if needed. Same with Kemeny out on the wing. This is why Hodge is an ideal bench player.

 

[TSR]

I thought the really positive thing out of last game is that Carter showed he can cover 12 adequately in need. He already has experience at 15 in Super rugby, doesn’t he? In which case one of the potential risks of having him on the bench - that he only plays one position effectively - is reduced.

At this stage continuing to blood him from the bench behind experienced players and give him time to get comfortable at test level seems perfect to me.

Australian development of players is often criticised but we seem to be doing the right thing in this case.