Wallabies v All Blacks Saturday 26th August at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

[KOB1987]

I think we'll see a few key changes this weekend but not a massive number:

1. Sio
2. TPN
3. AAA
4. Coleman
5. Arnold
6. Hanigan
7. Hooper
8. Timani
9. Genia
10. Foley
11. DHP/Rona
12. Beale
13. Kuridrani
14. Speight
15. Folau

16. Uelese (hopefully Moore doesn't hang on. He is so past it).
17. Robertson
18. Kepu
19. Simmons (although maybe Rodda gets a crack)
20. McMahon
21. Phipps
22. Hodge
23. Rona/Meakes/Korobeite

I think this will be pretty close to it although personally I'd like to see:

11. Folau
12. Hodge
13. TK
14. Speight
15. Beale

 

[jimmydubs]

No I'm not saying that, and all coaches have favourites. Point is that they make selections for reasons, often that we don't know about or understand. There are selections that I'd make differently as well, but what do I know?

Going by the backline you've picked above, you know a fn lot more than the current Wallaby coach/selector/motivator

 

[Inside Shoulder]

No I'm not saying that, and all coaches have favourites. Point is that they make selections for reasons, often that we don't know about or understand. There are selections that I'd make differently as well, but what do I know?

You sell yourself short.
In some ways selecting is the easy part - partly for the reasons you say.
Where the ABs really kill us is in man management: and I mean that in the broadest sense.
Aaron Smith d'alliance in the crapper and Kaino fooling around have their parallels in the Wallabies: the late night burger run; O'Connor being late for team photos; Beale en route to Argentina.
ABs kill the problem at its source: smith and kaino sent home. No sacked coaches or wrongfully dismissed employees.
They looked like they'd fucked up the bugging - but bugger me the guy was acquitted!
It's not luck they have on their side it's subservience to a higher law: the black jersey.
We can't even decide what shade of *gold* ours is meant to be.

 

[Braveheart81]

I go along with your tight five BH, but there is a lot to dislike about the rest, including the bench.

So you've effectively offered one change. Hodge to start at 12.

What is the rest of your team?

Let's work within some semblance of reality here. You can only include players currently in the squad.

 

[Derpus]

As absolutely dire as Moore is, Uelese to debut from the bench agains the ABs in Dunedin? Not a snowflakes chance in hell.

Maybe we can ask TPN to do the full 80 heh.

 

[Joe Blow]

How far off is Naivalu and is DHP good for the weekend?
Why is Uelese in the squad if he is not ready to play?

Mind you, I would not like to see him thrown in at the deep end a la Hanigan.

 

[Braveheart81]

How far off is Naivalu and is DHP good for the weekend?
Why is Uelese in the squad if he is not ready to play?

Mind you, I would not like to see him thrown in at the deep end a la Hanigan.

Naivalu is still injured. I think they were hoping he may be able to rejoin the squad after the second Bledisloe. That was a while ago though so no idea how his rehab is going.

DHP did a full contact session yesterday. How he got through that should determine whether he is available for selection this weekend.

 

[Scrubber2050]

As absolutely dire as Moore is, Uelese to debut from the bench agains the ABs in Dunedin? Not a snowflakes chance in hell.

Maybe we can ask TPN to do the full 80 heh.

Taf playing 80 would be terrible. He does not have the motor or the straight throwing capabilities.

Taf is an impact bench player.

As much as I have advocated for ages that Moore's form is poor (and he has always been a shit scrummager when compared to TPN) it is a better option for Moore to start and be replaced by Taf at 50 minutes

 

[Derpus]

Taf playing 80 would be terrible. He does not have the motor or the straight throwing capabilities.

Taf is an impact bench player.

As much as I have advocated for ages that Moore's form is poor (and he has always been a shit scrummager when compared to TPN) it is a better option for Moore to start and be replaced by Taf at 50 minutes

Joke, it was a joke.

 

[Brumbieman]

Sio
TPN
AAA
Coleman
Arnold
Hanigan
Hooper
Timani

Phipps
Foley
Speight
Meakes
TK
Folau
Beale

Alexander - fuck it, he was really good at loosehead this year and is an experienced test prop. Fuck Robertson
Kearns - at least I wont have to listen to his commentary and he couldn't be worse than Moore is these days
Kepu
Douglas
Rodda
Powell
DHP - Beale moves into 12 late in the game and ups the ante from there while DHP takes over at 15
Hodge

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't really get the resounding criticism of Robertson. He played 19 minutes on Saturday and went fine. His ruck involvements were solid based on Force Fan's stats and I think the only scrum that happened in that time was the All Blacks feed on our 5m line after the charge down which we pressured them well on.

I agree that he is far from excellent and it would be good if he had more bulk.

We are lacking outstanding LHP candidates to backup Scott Sio at the moment. I think Jermaine Ainsley will be a shot at the matchday 23 when he is healthy but he isn't there yet.

 

[gel]

^^^

hahahah - as regular as clockwork.

 

[Braveheart81]

^^^

hahahah - as regular as clockwork.

Who would you pick? What suggests they would be much better?

It seems like a lot of focus on a position that was one of the least problematic on Saturday night.

 

[Derpus]

BH, he's been pretty terrible all season. I don't think he'd make it many more minutes against the AB's without being exposed.

 

[Braveheart81]

BH, he's been pretty terrible all season. I don't think he'd make it many more minutes against the AB's without being exposed.

That doesn't really provide much suggestion of what to do instead.

As I said, once Ainsley is fit, I think he will come right into the reckoning.

Slipper is injured otherwise he'd probably be there.

Toby Smith got dished up in June against Italy (I think the same would have happened to Robertson) and has gone overseas. I don't think there was a compelling reason to keep him around for these tests.

Tom Robertson, Tetera Faulkner and Pek Cowan were all amongst the most penalised props at scrum time in Super Rugby this year. I don't think any of them are compelling options. Opting for the younger option who has spent more time with the squad in the last year doesn't seem like a terrible option.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Robertson just shouldn't be there at all - he does not deserve it

If there was ever a case backing up posters who say that if you are a Tah you get a very easy run into the Wallabies (particularly now with Cheika) Robertson is case in point.

 

[Up the Guts]

I think this will be pretty close to it although personally I'd like to see:

11. Folau
12. Hodge
13. TK
14. Speight
15. Beale

Like this backline a lot. At this stage Hodge gets the nod over Meakes, who is probably more abrasive in attack, because of the value of his boot. Only slight change I would make is shifting Folau to the right wing because I think it suits his right foot step and that huge head fake that he uses.

 

[Braveheart81]

Who should be there?

There's a lot of criticism of the guy picked without offering many solutions.

 

[Derpus]

That doesn't really provide much suggestion of what to do instead.

As I said, once Ainsley is fit, I think he will come right into the reckoning.

Slipper is injured otherwise he'd probably be there.

Toby Smith got dished up in June against Italy (I think the same would have happened to Robertson) and has gone overseas. I don't think there was a compelling reason to keep him around for these tests.

Tom Robertson, Tetera Faulkner and Pek Cowan were all amongst the most penalised props at scrum time in Super Rugby this year. I don't think any of them are compelling options. Opting for the younger option who has spent more time with the squad in the last year doesn't seem like a terrible option.

I have no solutions i can only lament our lack of depth in key positions. I suppose i was trying to explain the criticism.

 

[Ignoto]

Korczyk for Hanigan
TK for Kerevi