Wallabies 2023

[Dctarget]

So I guess we are looking at:

LHP: Bell, Slipper, Schoupp
Hooker: Porecki, Faessler, Ulese,
THP: Tupou, Fa'amusili, Nongorr,
Lock: Frost, Arnold, Skelton, Phillip
Backrow: T Hooper, McReight, Valetini, Gleeson, Leota,
Halfback: McDermott, White, Lonergan
Fly Half: Gordon, Donaldson,
Centers: Kerevi, Petaia, Foketi, Perese,
Outside Backs: Koroibete, Nawaqanitwase, Kellaway, Vunivalu, Jorgensen,
Utility: Petisch

Shocked at some of those calls...

Pietsch confirmed not going too. Apparently doubt on Longeran as well.

 

[Dctarget]

At this stage I wouldn't be surprised to see Sua'ali'i

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I think Eddie is trying to get sacked at this point.

 

[Braveheart81]

What? Here comes Max Jorgensen.

 

[Froggy]

It remains to be seen how many of these leaks are accurate, but if they are this looks to me a team one injury away from a disaster. I am fine with McReight starting ahead of Michael Hooper, but if McReight gets injured we have a real problem (unless he's selected Wilkin out of left field, but there's been no talk of that). Gleeson or Tom Hooper can play 7 against Portugal or Georgia, but we saw you need a proper 7 against a top side. That's not slagging off at Tom Hooper, with no Holloway he starts at 6, but he's not a 7.
Likewise at 9 if he leaves Lonergan out, or 10 if Cooper doesn't come. We simply don't have a third 9, and Donaldson played one good game of Super rugby all season, and now could start in a WC quarter final if Gordon gets injured. Let's see the reality of the side, but on these leaks it's crazy stuff.

 

[Wilson]

Pietsch confirmed not going too. Apparently doubt on Longeran as well.

I can definitely see why Isaac Fines-Leilewasa has come into the frame - if Tate is the starting halfback than Isaac is the alternative most able to bring the same style in the event of an injury. At this point though he may as well go all in on youth and drop White instead of Lonergan.

 

[dillyboy]

I think Eddie is trying to get sacked at this point.

I also wonder if Eddie is feeding Doran shit to build up the hype on the announcement tonight

 

[eastman]

I’ll respond with a longer comment later but if this is true he’s going to have QC (Quade Cooper) and MH sniping at him for the rest of his career because both of them will be involved in media.

 

[Eddie's Eyebrows]

Apparently not included...

I wonder if Hodge comes back in as the utility then? or perhaps another forward in Samu.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

can’t imagine Eddie (or anyone else) cares about that

 

[Dctarget]

It remains to be seen how many of these leaks are accurate, but if they are this looks to me a team one injury away from a disaster. I am fine with McReight starting ahead of Michael Hooper, but if McReight gets injured we have a real problem (unless he's selected Wilkin out of left field, but there's been no talk of that). Gleeson or Tom Hooper can play 7 against Portugal or Georgia, but we saw you need a proper 7 against a top side. That's not slagging off at Tom Hooper, with no Holloway he starts at 6, but he's not a 7.
Likewise at 9 if he leaves Lonergan out, or 10 if Cooper doesn't come. We simply don't have a third 9, and Donaldson played one good game of Super rugby all season, and now could start in a WC quarter final if Gordon gets injured. Let's see the reality of the side, but on these leaks it's crazy stuff.

I think Eddie is banking a lot on his shadow squad and hoping that any injuries happen more than 48 hours out of game day.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Hooper, Ikitau, Holloway, Cooper all playing against Portugal in that warm up game.

 

[Slim 293]

I wonder if Hodge comes back in as the utility then? or perhaps another forward in Samu.

Apparently no Hodge either...

 

[Slim 293]

I think Eddie is banking a lot on his shadow squad and hoping that any injuries happen more than 48 hours out of game day.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Hooper, Ikitau, Holloway, Cooper all playing against Portugal in that warm up game.

I doubt we'll see Ikitau there... I would assume he's only being excluded because of his injury.

 

[barbarian]

Putting aside the relative merits of Donaldson and Cooper, I find it so strange that Eddie has gone with someone who hasn't played a minute of test rugby this year.

Surely if he even has an inkling that he might want Donaldson, he throws him in off the bench against the Argies?

 

[Lorenzo]

I like Quade but has he been any better than just-good-enough at any point in the last few years? If the objective is to win the world cup then it's not hard for me to understand his omission, as unlikely as it is either with or without him.

 

[dusk]

If Jorgensen plays for the Wallabies, will he be the youngest wallaby of all time?

 

[rugbyAU]

So I guess we are looking at:

LHP: Bell, Slipper, Schoupp
Hooker: Porecki, Faessler, Ulese,
THP: Tupou, Fa'amusili, Nongorr,
Lock: Frost, Arnold, Skelton, Phillip
Backrow: T Hooper, McReight, Valetini, Gleeson, Leota,
Halfback: McDermott, White, Lonergan
Fly Half: Gordon, Donaldson,
Centers: Kerevi, Petaia, Foketi, Perese,
Outside Backs: Koroibete, Nawaqanitwase, Kellaway, Vunivalu, Jorgensen,
Utility: Petisch

Shocked at some of those calls...

I don't think Peitsch will make it, Samu instead

 

[dusk]

I like Quade but has he been any better than just-good-enough at any point in the last few years? If the objective is to win the world cup then it's not hard for me to understand his omission, as unlikely as it is either with or without him.

But Donaldson hasn't played a minute of test rugby. You can't logically think that Donaldson earns the ticket to france over Quade

 

[KevinO]

I like Quade but has he been any better than just-good-enough at any point in the last few years? If the objective is to win the world cup then it's not hard for me to understand his omission, as unlikely as it is either with or without him.

Or has he decided they can't win the world cup, and I'm going to bring guys who will be in the mix for Lions and RWC27?

 

[barbarian]

I like Quade but has he been any better than just-good-enough at any point in the last few years? If the objective is to win the world cup then it's not hard for me to understand his omission, as unlikely as it is either with or without him.

It's not so much that Quade has been robbed of selection, it's they seem to be preferring an untried Donaldson ahead of him. And I struggle to see the justification for that call.