Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[cyclopath]

Horne can play 12 too. A bash and crash 12 albeit. If we needed a filler there especially defensively, Horne would do alright. Like To'omua but less creative!

 

[BDA]

One area we really need to improve fast is the in game kicking. We just seem to have no idea how put pressure on teams with our kicking game. We rarely have more than 1 chaser and the kicks are always too long and there is zero pressure on the catcher. That type of kicking will simply play into the hands of teams that want to play territory.

By comparison I watched the Ireland v England game last night and nearly every kick was a perfectly placed contestable kick with 3 or 4 chases right on top of the catcher.

 

[KOB1987]

Yes Horne could fill in at 12 but I think after the Mendoza debacle last year it was universally agreed never to play him there at test level again!

My thoughts on Beale are that he isn't the first choice in any particular position but he is the first benchie picked.

 

[swingpass]

for me today highlights that Palu is way past his best. can play 8 against Uraguay but thats it, injury permitting. McCalman was much better, (more efficient/effective). Mc Mahon could well have played himself onto the reserves bench. Simmons and Douglas i think will start the big games, Mumm will certainly be on the bench and then one of Skelton, McCalman or McMahon. i think the reserves backs will be Genia/Phipps, To'omua/Giteau (whoever is not in the 15) and Beale. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Mitchell to start on the wings. can't see either Tomane or Speight being selected if the others are fit. however i would not be at all surprised to see Horne in the starting team, standing at IC in defence.

 

[Dctarget]

Thankfully Pocock decided to not only be our best 7, but also our best 8 this year.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Prefer to see Mumm start with Simmons and Douglas or Skelton as reserve lock.

McMahon with his game against USA and ability to cover all backrow positions did his chances of bench spot no harm. Would need a 6/2 bench to have any chance though...

 

[Rugbynutter39]

So down to really couple of key selection dilemma's

Front row starters and finishers are sorted
Who will partner Simmons? Douglas more likely (would like to see Mumm but reckon will be dreamin') - Bench reckon will have Skelton and also Mumm as lock/flanker cover
Backrow starters sorted....
Who will be bench backrow cover: Mumm and possibly between McCalman/McMahon covering flanker/8 but latter only if 6/2 bench
Half - reckon Genia will partner Foley
Flyhalf - Foley with Cooper out of match 23
Inside Centre - Giteau starter - To'omua finisher (and cover for 10)
Other wing to partner AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - Mitchell or Horne to start - whoever misses out may be out of 23 as think Cheika prefers Beale as bench option here

 

[Lindommer]

Heartening to see Douglas nail his lineouts, has he played his way on to the starting list? Mumm has now scored two tries coming on late, that looks like the best spot for Dean ATM. Question: both Mumm and Carter were on at the end, whom did they replace? I thought Kane played 80 minutes but I could be wrong.

McMahon's powerful performance bodes well for the B team's matches against Uruguay and Wales. Hasn't Sean got a magnificent motor?

The 9/10 starting pair will be state-based: either Phipps/Foley or Genia/Cooper. ATM Foley's got his whole head and neck in front of Cooper, I thought Genia went rather well as a finisher this morning. Cheika wants urgency from his scrummy for most of the match, this is more than likely why Phipps will start.

The 12 jumper? MMmm..... Hard to see Giteau not starting, but the way the big Septic IC rushed up and flattened him a few times will certainly interest opposing coaches. To'omua's performed ably as a finisher this year, and he does cover 10 much better than Giteau.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think Kane went off for a short while, and later on Palu was off too. So I think Sam initially replaced Douglas while he was off and Mumm was on the side of the scrum on the occasion the Eagles' made about a 15m dash down the blindside from the scrum. I assume McCalman moved to 8 when Palu went off and Sam probably stayed on to replace Simmons after Douglas came back on. It was all a bit confusing and there was no guidance given by the telecasters or the commentators.

 

[KOB1987]

@lindo I don't think the B team will run out against Wales. They'll play Uruguay and then the squad will become 23 plus 8 journeymen


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[Groucho]

FP, Cheika thinks of his bench as "finishers". Any time the term is mentioned people south of the Tweed jizz their pants. This risk affects the bench in the case of one minor injury, and leaves you planning not to replace your hooker.

We have 2 hookers. One has missed 50% of the tests since his debut, the other about 33%. Both have averaged playing less than 60 minutes per game all season.

So now in the event of a very likely injury you are going to expect a guy who hasn't played 80 all year at Super Rugby level to do so at test level, or you lose work rate around the ground, line out and potentially hurt the scrum due to players shuffling out of position (I'm sure that Sio, Moore, Kepu is a strong row than Slipper, Sio, Kepu for example).

And what for? To apparently have 2 full teams for opposed training. First game is played and like every game, a couple of guys pick up niggles and they can't train anyway. There goes your whole benefit.

Either that or it it's about backing up for short turn arounds your still stretching both the hookers anyway because neither have been 80 minute players recently.

TWAS, in a World Cup year, on the cusp of the tournament, with the Wallabies together as one team now, why does the location of the Tweed have anything to do with anything worth discussing on here? It's time to lose the rage man.

Don't worry. It won't go away. It'll be as good as new next year, and better for the rest.

 

[Braveheart81]

Question: both Mumm and Carter were on at the end, whom did they replace? I thought Kane played 80 minutes, but I could be wrong.

Mumm replaced Simmons and was playing lock. Then Carter replaced Palu and McCalman went to 8 and Mumm to 6.

Douglas played the whole game.

 

[cornetto]

TWAS, in a World Cup year, on the cusp of the tournament, with the Wallabies together as one team now, why does the location of the Tweed have anything to do with anything worth discussing on here? It's time to lose the rage man.

Don't worry. It won't go away. It'll be as good as new next year, and better for the rest.

Because the constant whining about anything to do with Beale and Cheika (or anyone "south of the Tweed") by someone who doesnt even support the wallabies is what he does. Really very tiresome.

Maybe with the world cup so close it is time to throw some support between the whole team and coach and put state biases aside.

 

[Train Without a Station]

No Cornetto. I objectively criticize. I was very complimentary of Cheika's job in the rugby championship.

I also was one of the strongest supporters of Hooper, and strongest criticizers of Genia.

I just find the Cheika can do no wrong attitude of many supporters from a certain state to be tiresome.

 

[Braveheart81]

I just find the Cheika can do no wrong attitude of many supporters from a certain state to be tiresome.

Likewise reading the 100th post about why it's an unnecessary risk to only take two hookers to the RWC.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Likewise reading the 100th post about why it's an unnecessary risk to only take two hookers to the RWC.

Well people are happy to continually say it's not.

 

[daz]

I know this is the internet, and debate on things like rugby selection is what fuels the federal push to get the NBN up and running in households across the country urgently, but the 31 man squad is picked and Cheiks is the man calling the shots, for better or worse.

On the cusp of RWC '15, there is no more red, blue, green, purple bias. It's Gold all the way, baby.

Time to let the 100 Year War have a back-seat for now, and get behind all the team, not just parts of it.

C'mon Wallabies, get it done!

 

[Braveheart81]

It will be interesting to see where our locks sit now in the pecking order.

You'd have to think that Pocock and Hooper are odds on favourites to start together in our key games. On that basis you'd expect that Skelton doesn't start.

Douglas went surprisingly well in his first start and certainly looked a long way ahead of his short stint against the All Blacks last month. Whether he is now in the box seat to start with Simmons is another question. On paper, I think that pairing has the best balance and should work well with the Pooper combo.

Does Mumm remain the bench lock/6 option or will we see Skelton on the bench?

I tend to think we're going to play a 5:3 bench (with halfback, To'omua, Beale on the bench).

 

[kiap]

McMahon's powerful performance bodes well for the B team's matches against Uruguay and Wales. Hasn't Sean got a magnificent motor?

Faint praise indeed for the man of the match performance when some of Saturday's clodhoppers are being touted as Wallaby starters.

Sean, as you condescended, isn't threatening the incumbents—so far. And he's a top bloke too. Everyone can get behind him alongside parochial Rebels' fans and Queenslanders.

That's great.

But, as per your post, there's no getting genuine wood for another seven/short-arse six that can slot in and play for Australia. What are they, four for a dollar?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

It will be interesting to see where our locks sit now in the pecking order.

You'd have to think that Pocock and Hooper are odds on favourites to start together in our key games. On that basis you'd expect that Skelton doesn't start.

Douglas went surprisingly well in his first start and certainly looked a long way ahead of his short stint against the All Blacks last month. Whether he is now in the box seat to start with Simmons is another question. On paper, I think that pairing has the best balance and should work well with the Pooper combo.

Does Mumm remain the bench lock/6 option or will we see Skelton on the bench?

I tend to think we're going to play a 5:3 bench (with halfback, To'omua, Beale on the bench).

If Douglas or Mumm continue to step up and improve you'd think it solves a pretty major problem for us. Ideally we want two locks who are secure in the line out, with one who can carry the ball up and another who can smash opposition bodies off the ball at the breakdown. If that's the case then playing the two opensides allows us to exploit a significant advantage we have in the back row. We then have the luxury of bringing Skelton on to hit the gain line hard one off the ruck and do the hard metres that open up opportunities for To'omua and co late in the game.

For my money the perfect game against the Poms would be to absorb the tight five punishment for 50-60 minutes and then empty the bench to allow Skelton, To'omua and possibly Beale to create all sorts of line busting mayhem.