Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[Braveheart81]

I tend to think Giteau as the third halfback is really just a stop gap measure that would be used for one or two games maximum because you'd lost one of your halfbacks either for a short period of time or because it was too close to the match to get a replacement in.

 

[Lindommer]

Isn't there a time limit on replacements joining an RWC squad? IIRC, it's a day or so, which allows countries far distant (eg, Fiji) the same opportunity as one close by (eg, Ireland) to replace an injured player. There's little advantage with Giteau stationed in Europe, other than he wouldn't have jetlag.

 

[Braveheart81]

Isn't there a time limit on replacements joining an RWC squad? IIRC, it's a day or so, which allows countries far distant (eg, Fiji) the same opportunity as one close by (eg, Ireland) to replace an injured player. There's little advantage with Giteau stationed in Europe, other than he wouldn't have jetlag.

I'm talking about having Giteau in the squad as the third halfback (and mostly as a 12).

If you lost one of your first two halfbacks for anything more than a week or two you'd definitely have to pull them out of the squad and fly over another specialist halfback.

I'd only want to be using Giteau as a halfback in a test match as a last resort.

 

[Scrubber2050]

The tird halfback will be the pickle - Frisby

Phipps is a certainty. The question will be who is the second halfback - Genia or White.

Both are pissing off anyway, both have not played very well at wallaby level. Therefore we should only be picking one of them.

Go the Pickle.

 

[Slim 293]

Frisby might want to be playing halfback to even get a look in.........

And hes still probably 4th in line at best.

 

[KOB1987]

Frisby might want to be playing halfback to even get a look in...

And hes still probably 4th in line at best.

agreed, if there's a smokey for the 3rd halfback spot it would be Stirzaker..I think for a world cup campaign though Cheika will stick with what he knows in terms of 9s, injuries aside..

 

[BDA]

I'd maybe like to see Cheika bring Giteau into the RC squad and see how useful he is at 9.

 

[No4918]

I don't want Giteau anywhere near 9. When did he last play there - 2007 or something?

 

[Lindommer]

What #4918 said. If Gits gets a guernsey it's gotta be at 12, nowhere else.

 

[BDA]

I don't want Giteau anywhere near 9. When did he last play there - 2007 or something?

Nor do I. I'm not suggesting he should be in the squad as a 9. I'm simply saying it's probably worth Cheika running him at 9 at a few training sessions during the RC to see how comfortable/effective he is there.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe the 3rd halfback in the RWC squad is almost superfluous. I'd probably prefer to see Giteau get the final spot, and have him act as a, I believe BH used the word 'Stopgap'

 

[Viking]

Nor do I. I'm not suggesting he should be in the squad as a 9. I'm simply saying it's probably worth Cheika running him at 9 at a few training sessions during the RC to see how comfortable/effective he is there.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe the 3rd halfback in the RWC squad is almost superfluous. I'd probably prefer to see Giteau get the final spot, and have him act as a, I believe BH used the word 'Stopgap'

Can't we just fly in the third choice halfback if one gets injured?

 

[qwerty51]

Can't we just fly in the third choice halfback if one gets injured?

Yeah seriously, the 3rd halfback is only getting into the 23 via injury, and halfbacks don't really get injured (yes White is injured atm but before that did he ever miss a game? Same too for Phipps). Don't think it's necessary to waste a squad spot on a halfback, Giteau could fill there if we have a crisis just before a game but if one goes down just fly someone over.

 

[USARugger]

Seriously, when was the last time a RWC squad had to trot out the 3rd halfback for anything other than a 'minnows' game?

I don't see any reason to bring a third specialist halfback on the plane in place of another forward, or even back three player. A good chunk of the squads in 2011 brought three halfbacks - but many of those players were multi-positional options (just like Giteau would be, a stop-gap) or players with few-to-no caps who the head coaches wanted exposed to a RWC environment.

I don't think we can afford to carry an inexperienced player in any position going into this RWC if we even want a sniff at the semis - much less one that is almost guaranteed to never see the pitch. We have far too many players that are likely to be in the squad who are almost definitely going to have to miss a game or two at some point during the tournament.

 

[qwerty51]

It will be a big decision for Cheika to pick his team vs Uruguay and Fiji. Whilst I don't think we'll lose to Fiji even with our worst possible 23, he'll want to rest the big guns vs both but it's possible the pool could be decided on F/A. A score of 70-0 vs Fiji could mean a lot more than 50-12.

 

[Omar Comin']

I think we'll be playing our best team against Fiji as it's our first match. Uruguay is the obvious game to rest everyone as it's only 4 days later.

70-0 vs Fiji is pretty unlikely, they're not exactly a minnow. They were missing some players and had a terrible build up in 2011. I think we'll see a more 2007 esque Fijian team this time around and we can't treat them lightly. They only lost to Wales by 4 points last November at Millenium Stadium. And with no where near the preparation they'll have at the world cup.

 

[Tip]

Nah, Giteau is the 2nd choice halfback no matter what.

He enables a 6/2 bench split.

I'm pretty sure he's skillful enough and more than capable of slotting into 9 off the bench if Genia goes down injured

 

[Westie]

Don't mind it at all. Would have Beale at fullback though.

HAHAHA

You're funny. ..

 

[Bobby Sands]

6/2 split is mightily enticing. Giteau gets a spot in the squad forsure in my opinion. Jury is still out if he is our 'Horan' for the RWC, but that aside he makes a bloody good bench option. Now how do we fit 6 seven's into the side?

 

[Dave Beat]

I think we'll be playing our best team against Fiji as it's our first match. Uruguay is the obvious game to rest everyone as it's only 4 days later.

70-0 vs Fiji is pretty unlikely, they're not exactly a minnow. They were missing some players and had a terrible build up in 2011. I think we'll see a more 2007 esque Fijian team this time around and we can't treat them lightly. They only lost to Wales by 4 points last November at Millenium Stadium. And with no where near the preparation they'll have at the world cup.

I'm hoping we are playing clinical rugby, and put on better than 70 - 0 against teams like Fiji. Whilst the game has changed a considerable amount if you look back the the "pre" WC games of 91 we put big scores on against the NH teams and that is because we built and were clinical.
V England 40 - 15.
V Wales 63 - 6.

Whilst we have a truck load of rugby now with S15, mid year tests, RC etc I'm thinking attitude, the mind, and confidence needs to be building.

A confident team will win the WC - I think we have the players to do it, but you don't just run out and have confidence in your self and team mates it is built.

 

[USARugger]

It doesn't hurt that Wales were sort of really shit at that point in their history.