Wallabies v Barbarians - 1/11/14 (Twickenham)

[exISA]

When you're on a 5 game tour in 5 weeks you don't purposely play extra minutes.

Such a glass half empty man . Extra 5 minutes of fitness and "don't let them score to win" mentality that just may help in the final minutes of the upcoming games. pfffft. Can't coach that experience when the time comes - perfect opportunity for it to happen in a live situation.

 

[Snotterbox]

3: Cooper. This is what we've been missing! Clinical passing to attacking runners in the deep.
2: Genia. Composure personified.
1: Horwill. A captain's knock.
I hope next week's team reflects form.

 

[Joe Blow]

I

Yeah Higgers to start for sure if he's fit but hamstring is usually a week minimum. One would expect McMahon will become the backrow replacement in the future for a long time.

It was a hammy. I missed that. Hope he's OK.

 

[Joe Blow]

Foley and Phipps will start next week without doubt. They are just so in the zone right now. Hopefully Genia and Cooper will be on the bench.
White wasn't bad when he came on but Genia has many more strings to his bow when in form.

 

[Gillys_ghost]

So this might have its own thread im not sure, But if everyone had to choose between Cooper or Foley, who would it be and why?

 

[Joe Blow]

Got to be Foley right now as he is playing with such confidence and making good decisions. Quade needs to be in the 23 as the back-up next week.
4 tests is a long time and the pecking order could easily change at 9 and 10.

On todays performance Cheiks would have to go with Phipps and Foley next week. And I am an unabashed QC (Quade Cooper) supporter.

 

[Gillys_ghost]

Got to be Foley right now as he is playing with such confidence and making good decisions. Quade needs to be in the 23 as the back-up next week.
4 tests is a long time and the pecking order could easily change at 9 and 10.

On todays performance Cheiks would have to go with Phipps and Foley next week. And I am an unabashed QC (Quade Cooper) supporter.

I think that foley played well when he came on but he hasnt been anything more than solid in the rugby championship and a couple of games hes probably been poor but he should start next week

 

[Tomikin]

3: Cooper. This is what we've been missing! Clinical passing to attacking runners in the deep.
2: Genia. Composure personified.
1: Horwill. A captain's knock.
I hope next week's team reflects form.

Its the Wallabies not the Reds

 

[Biffo]

3: Cooper. This is what we've been missing! Clinical passing to attacking runners in the deep.
2: Genia. Composure personified.
1: Horwill. A captain's knock.
I hope next week's team reflects form.

so do i, devoutly.
your nominees will be gone, gone, gone.

Genia on the bench.
the other best go sit on a beach somewhere and reminisce about when they were Wallabies.

 

[Biffo]

Anyone watching Hong Kong 2010 Test? Pretty much Beale and JOC (James O'Connor)'s pinnacle. Fuck me they were good, where did it all go wrong..

simple:
Beale, Cooper, O'Connor.
anything else you want/need to know?

 

[ChargerWA]

Higgers will start at 6(if fit) with McMahon on the bench one would think.
Hodgo was invisible.
Great game to watch.

Hodgo actually topped the tackle count with 14 tackles.

 

[Dctarget]

Hodgo actually topped the tackle count with 14 tackles.

Horwill would've been up there surely? He was everywhere round the field.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Horwill would've been up there surely? He was everywhere round the field.

Totally agree - made me wonder if there was more to his recent lack of from than old age.

 

[Joe Blow]

Hodgo actually topped the tackle count with 14 tackles.

Well, that is good. However, I think he remains well down the pecking order.

 

[Ulrich]

How long since Izzy has scored a try?

He scored one against SA at Newlands within a few minutes.

In the spirit of the game and to preserve the Barbarians tradition I also think it's good to play an attacking brand of rugby and beyond the hooter as the opposition.

The Barbarians will never be as good as most top teams for a one-off game. If, however, a Barbarians team of the calibre that played Fiji when Hansen coached them took to the field on a tour against provincial sides and then facing the national team you would struggle to beat them.

Hansen gave account of how Burger who had played for the Barbarians before brought a lot of emotional energy and input to the rest of the playing group. As a kiwi coach he made JDV his captain and that to me is simply magnificent and shows the true value of this amazing sport.

John Smit and Richie McCaw were bunked together. It's about people also and not just the sport. It would be wise to continue in this vein for the good of the game.

I firmly believe that the limited preparation time as much as the Barbarians tradition in simply embodying the spirit of the game has a lot to do with how they play. For a completely random team to throw the ball around and enjoying themselves and taking risks gives them a better chance of winning as there's no time for structure.

They get one coaching session in the lead-up so they might as well enjoy themselves.

A loss to any national side against the Barbarians isn't a train smash either as it's not reflective on playing or coaching records.

For those that may use this game as a yardstick for the expected performance and results on tour are mistaken. Just a few weeks ago you almost beat the All Blacks.

The Springboks were world champions in 2007 and lost to the Barbarians.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Well what I learnt from todays game...phipps would not be threatened by Genia....and Foley as well but he would be more nervous knowing talent Cooper is..

Impressed with Mcmahon....and unfortunately Hodgo well down the order..he is solid...but does not offer the extra x factor mcmahon offers around the edges on attack...so mcmahon probably pushing for bench spot with higgers who offers multiple options in terms of position backup....also despite hype about Spreight I have yet to be convinced on recent games.....thought horne played one of his better games....

Kud's just turning out to be the no.13 we always wanted and one of first selected based on recent form....

 

[Dave Beat]

Some real youth in Skelton, Luke Jones, Hooper, McMahon, really like the future there.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I unfortunately missed the first 56 minutes cause i was looking after some drunk mates, How was speight, Horwill, Genia, Cooper? I dont need to ask about Mcmahon cause in the 20 mins or so i watched he killed it.

Mcmahon absolutely killed it in NRC and why was player of the tournament.....so in many ways his debut for wallabies was not that surprising....

 

[Dave Beat]

So this might have its own thread im not sure, But if everyone had to choose between Cooper or Foley, who would it be and why?

Interesting question, now Foley, but with a season under his belt Cooper, when players start reading his game I think he creates more space and attacking options.
Ie it is the growth of the team.

 

[Ulrich]

Well what I learnt from todays game.phipps would not be threatened by Genia..and Foley as well but he would be more nervous knowing talent Cooper is..

Impressed with Mcmahon..and unfortunately Hodgo well down the order..he is solid.but does not offer the extra x factor mcmahon offers around the edges on attack.so mcmahon probably pushing for bench spot with higgers who offers multiple options in terms of position backup..also despite hype about Spreight I have yet to be convinced on recent games...thought horne played one of his better games..

Kud's just turning out to be the no.13 we always wanted and one of first selected based on recent form..

Speight requires some game time at the top.

Hopefully he will get some game time during this tour which should give a better indication of where he is at.

Australia may not be dominant in the forwards as England, NZ, France or SA but if they can maintain something resembling parity as they have done during this year while mixing it up with big blokes at the back such as Kuridrani and Speight they will create enough problems.

EDIT: I should add Argentina to this list of teams that have had monster packs traditionally.

Big players in the backline can help create momentum and go-forward. In a sense if they dominate their opposite number physically the job is easier for the pack so it levels it out.

By no means am I suggesting you can have a pussy pack. I still maintain that the game is won there first and foremost, but if your pack is not completely dominated in all facets and hold their own, albeit marginally, then the big blokes in the backline can be a leveller.