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Wallabies 2023

Lightblue

Lightblue

Arch Winning (36)
TSR said:
Happy to agree to disagree.

Vunivalu has been off the pace but he’s still done some things that are beyond the capacity of our other wingers.

He’s deservedly down the pecking order at the moment and he has it all to do. Nothing short of being outstanding at Super Rugby will change that.

Jones won’t be shy to touch base tell him in exact terms what he needs to do - it is a no lose scenario for Jones.
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He’s on $800000 and has been pretty ordinary. Australia A games he was no where… and I too have heard he is a poor trainer. Eddie won’t tolerate that.
 
Lightblue

Lightblue

Arch Winning (36)
rodha said:
Stewart and Edmed are the two best defensive 10's, they are tackle machines alright.

I think Stewart could well be the 10 Eddie goes for post-Cooper, he controls a game & can impose himself on defence. He's in a similiar mold to Owen Farrell.
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Is a 10’s job to defend primarily or to run a backline and get the ball to space? Cooper is a great talent but not necessarily a great defender…he is the type of 10 I would rather see, not some solid defending 10? Stewart and Edmed don’t look to have the spark imho…. both would be better at 12. As you say though Eddie liked Farrell who I personally don’t think is a great 10… better at 12 with the young X factor Smith at 10.
 
rodha

rodha

Dave Cowper (27)
Lightblue said:
Is a 10’s job to defend primarily or to run a backline and get the ball to space? Cooper is a great talent but not necessarily a great defender… Stewart and Edmed don’t look to have the spark imho…. both would be better at 12.
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Eddie will pick him, Hamish Stewart is basically Matt Giteau V2, with better defense. both are same height, both wear scrum caps, etc..

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TSR

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
Lightblue said:
He’s on $800000 and has been pretty ordinary. Australia A games he was no where… and I too have heard he is a poor trainer. Eddie won’t tolerate that.
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Agree with your view (although the figure of $800k had been debunked to my understanding).

In the Australia A games he was generally poor. But there was one try we score off three quality contributions from him in the space of about 30 seconds.

Which means nothing if you’re poor for the rest of the time - right? That’s the point you & JB are trying to make, isn’t it? Which I 100% agree with.

I’m pretty removed from this so what I hear may be rubbish. But what I heard is that even at the Storm he was on a very specific program to manage his body aimed at allowing him to perform on game day. At the Reds and at the Wallabies he has been treated differently and it has hindered his performance. Again - I am not close to this so this could all be complete rubbish (and if anyone knows better happy for you to shoot me down on this). But if you watched him move for Australia A he certainly wasn’t running confidently.

He is a very long shot to make if - I 100% agree with that.

But all I am saying is Jones is a very savvy coach and is very diligent in all parts of his prep. He is the sort of guy I can see would have no problems overhauling a players training regime. I also don’t see any logic in him not investing in a couple of calls to Vunivalu to try and get the best out of him. He will be visiting Reds training anyway. What’s he got to lose?

Will Vunivalu make the cut - extremely unlikely. Would Jones have ruled him out already. I find that even more unlikely.
 
stillmissit

stillmissit

Chilla Wilson (44)
Harrison has the spark but seems injury prone. I thought he would take over from Lolesio but the Tahs woeful 21 put paid to that idea.

I still expect Carter Gordon to impress this year, may be a long shot for this RWC but might make the initial squad if he continues to improve.
 
TSR

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
stillmissit said:
Harrison has the spark but seems injury prone. I thought he would take over from Lolesio but the Tahs woeful 21 put paid to that idea.

I still expect Carter Gordon to impress this year, may be a long shot for this RWC but might make the initial squad if he continues to improve.
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There was an interview with Kevin Foote on The Roar where he mentions Wallaby staff have said Gordon is on the Wallabies radar. Whether that was before or after recent changes, I don’t know.
 
rodha

rodha

Dave Cowper (27)
Lightblue said:
Giteau was light years ahead of Stewart… as soon as Giteau went off injured in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, we were toast.
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Giteau was in his 30's by then & Stewart is only 24. Plenty of time to become a Wallabies mainstay.
 
TSR

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
I’m with Adam. Love Hamish as a player - but don’t see him close to Giteau in ability. His age isn’t the issue.

Will be very happy to be proven wrong.
 
stillmissit

stillmissit

Chilla Wilson (44)
Lightblue said:
Giteau was light years ahead of Stewart… as soon as Giteau went off injured in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, we were toast.
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I agree, Stewart is an extremely useful tradesman but no Cooper or Giteau. We need a dedicated 10 and Stewart to my mind should have remained at 7 (school or early period) where his skill set would have given him a far better chance at a wallaby position.

I take that back! - I thought he was bigger than he is at 5' 11" and 92 kgs he is smaller than Hooper.
 
dru

dru

Tim Horan (67)
I have huge respect for Stewart. In some ways he isn't that far from Jones supposed experiment with a loose forward/centre hybrid. For starch in the D in the backline it's hard to imagine anyone better, but as Lightblue says - it's not exactly the first KPI for a game controlling 10. Definitely Jones could look at how he might use Stewart at 10 - but I'll bet there would be some adjustment in game play and selections to tie it together.
 
rodha

rodha

Dave Cowper (27)
Adam84 said:
I mean I really like Hamish…. But he is not Giteau 2.0
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He may not be right now, but he's potentially the archetypical Eddie Jones No.10 or 12.

Combining different characteristics & attributes of Matt Giteau, George Ford, Owen Farrell, the closest thing you get in Australia currently is Hamish Stewart followed closely by Tane Edmed.
 
stillmissit

stillmissit

Chilla Wilson (44)
rodha said:
He may not be right now, but he's potentially the archetypical Eddie Jones No.10 or 12.

Combining different characteristics & attributes of Matt Giteau, George Ford, Owen Farrell, the closest thing you get in Australia currently is Hamish Stewart followed closely by Tane Edmed.
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The whole 10 situation will be fascinating to watch in Super Rugby this year. If anybody is going to step up then this year is the one to do it, because if Lolesio develops and becomes the default 10 after the cup then it will be hard to move him.
 
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