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Bledisloe 1: 29 July @ MCG

KOB1987

KOB1987

Rod McCall (65)
Derpus said:
There is no way Jones has any idea what he's doing.
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Yes, the people on the internet have a much better idea.

Speaking of people on the internet having more idea than the national coach, the interview with Cheika on the GBR-au podcast today was enlightening
 
Drew

Drew

Bob Davidson (42)
RugbyReg said:
I think there is uncertainty around:

- who of Slipper or Bell starts and who finishes
- who of AAA or Tupou starts and who finishes
- who plays hooker
- who are our best locking combos
- who plays 6 and 7
- who plays 9
- who plays 10
- who is the other winger to Marika
- is Samu fit enough to last?
- who plays 13 if Ikitau is out longer term
- who is our best 15
- do we got a 6/2 or 5/3 bench split
- who is captain
- who is kicker
- whats our game plan

Other than that I think we are pretty well clear
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I like Slipper/Tupou and Bell/AAA combos as you get a grafter and ball runner
 
TSR

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
RugbyReg said:
I think there is uncertainty around:

- who of Slipper or Bell starts and who finishes
- who of AAA or Tupou starts and who finishes
- who plays hooker
- who are our best locking combos
- who plays 6 and 7
- who plays 9
- who plays 10
- who is the other winger to Marika
- is Samu fit enough to last?
- who plays 13 if Ikitau is out longer term
- who is our best 15
- do we got a 6/2 or 5/3 bench split
- who is captain
- who is kicker
- whats our game plan

Other than that I think we are pretty well clear
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I guess it depends how granular you want to get.
My general point was
- it’ll be one of the other
- Porecki
- it’ll be one or the other
- two of Skelton, Arnold, Frost & Phillip
- Holloway or Leota
- 7 unsure but it does sound like Hooper is still favoured. The point of interest is whether McReight gets selected tomorrow as, if not, it will be a notable change in direction
- one of Tate or White with the other on the bench
- one of Gordon or Cooper
- Not sure but Nawaqanitwase appears up to it and Vunivalu is still in the mix
- He’s okay at 12 but not at 13
- Whoever gets named this weekend I assume is favourite
- Kellaway
- I’m guessing 5/3 or they would have retained Kemeny
- not sure but sounds like Jones will pick his team first so the leadership group will be more important than the person with C next to their name
- I’m guessing Gordon
- I’d be surprised if Jones isn’t being very clear in what he wants and I wouldn’t necessarily assume what we are seeing now or what he is saying in public is completely instructive but our set piece and kick chase is going to be critical. I’m a lot less clear on whether the players are able to execute the strategy to a level which is competitive with the best.

Again - if the point is that we don’t know the team from 1 - 23 then I definitely agree.

Anyway - this time tomorrow I might be shown to be completely wrong.
 
Mr Pilfer

Mr Pilfer

Bob Loudon (25)
If these rumours of Tate being captain are true I don’t think it is great. I think he has enough to worry about, with focusing on his main job especially with Gordon outside him.

Think he should just go with AAA, seems to work ok for the Brumbies
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Mr Pilfer said:
If these rumours of Tate being captain are true I don’t think it is great. I think he has enough to worry about, with focusing on his main job especially with Gordon outside him.

Think he should just go with AAA, seems to work ok for the Brumbies
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Just seems like the same issues with AAA not guaranteed starter.

If he makes Tate captain, he probably sees him as the starter going forward.
 
The_Brown_Hornet

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
TSR said:
How much uncertainty is there really. To me there are three main questions -
- is Tupou fit enough to make an impact?
- who is out 7?
- Is there a changing of the guard in the halves (beating in mind that White and Cooper can come straight back and and/or are good enough to play as closers from the bench).

Maybe the only other question is whether Ikitau will make it back but Petaia has plenty of experience at 13 and I feel like Kellaway was always our fullback in waiting.
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For mine there are questions around our locking combo, our 6 and 7 and our best outside backs combo, as well as how right are Cooper and Kerevi. Compared to other RWC's this is one of the most unsettled squads I can remember.
 
Marce

Marce

John Thornett (49)
I imagine the Victorians asking:
WTF are these lads? The Socceroos?


Vunivalu the only one recognized by Storm supporters I think
 
L

Linerunner2023

Fred Wood (13)
Our current issues
NZ 4th best hooker in aumua is well above our first
We don’t have locks as good as retalick, whitelock and Barrett
NZ have 3 better 9s in smith, Perenara and Webber
They have 3 10s above ours in Barrett, mounga and McKenzie
Apart from that most match ups are pretty close

I am excited in this back like with
11. Koribete
12. Kerevi
13. Petaia
14. Marky N
15. Kellaway
Only part is as long as they can gel together. They are great athletic indivuduals
If they click as a backline they will be hard to stop
 
L

Linerunner2023

Fred Wood (13)
Getting the feeling over the next 2 weeks both Aus and NZ will switch guys around as they are now looking to finalise there 33 man squads for RWC
Nz will make sure their players leaving all play the final game in nz at home

does anyone else think
Players have played themselves out of the squad but some training that were behind them are still there but not played!
eg Samu
Hodge who was in front of Donaldson - still think hodge could and should be in front of Donaldson
Wright - still should be on the squad over pietsch and Suli as a winger

these 3 I can see coming back into the squad and should
Samu a tough one as plenty of Backrowera
But hodge who can cover 3rd 10, 4th centre and 6th outside back instead of Donaldson
And Wright over Suli and pietsch who can cover wing, fullback and centre

you wonder if bell and tupou played v SA would nongurr and gibbon have not been found out and still be in the squad like Donaldson and pietsch are?
still plenty of questions but maybe it seems being in the squad and not playing is better then playing and potentially getting dropped ?
 
Bullrush

Bullrush

John Hipwell (52)
Will Genia was the guest on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod this week and he had, what I thought, were some excellent insights and thoughts about the Wallabies. He talked about the 9/10 positions and the differences between White and McDermott. He didn't say it outright but my impression is that he thinks that Australia plays too much from 9 when White is on and QC (Quade Cooper) is a player who needs the ball in his hands.

Good interview with Samisoni Taukei'aho as well.
 
Dctarget

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
I love those photos of them on the tram, it's new, different and doesn't look like the other 1000 photos of them puffing their chest up underneath the posts of a generic sports ground. These photos would've taken the exact same effort, fairly sure outside the front gate of the MCG on the number 48.
 
Dctarget

Dctarget

John Eales (66)

Wallabies team to play New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne on Saturday 29 July, 7:55pm AEST​

1. Angus Bell (21 Tests)

2. David Porecki (12 Tests)

3. Allan Ala'alatoa (acting captain) (66 Tests)

4. Nick Frost (10 Tests)

5. Will Skelton (26 Tests)

6. Jed Holloway (11 Tests)

7. Tom Hooper (1 Test)

8. Rob Valetini (32 Tests)

9. Tate McDermott (23 Tests)

10. Carter Gordon (2 Tests)

11. Marika Koroibete (53 Tests)

12. Samu Kerevi (43 Tests)

13. Jordan Petaia (25 Tests)

14. Mark Nawaqanitawase (4 Tests)

15. Andrew Kellaway (21 Tests)

Finishers

16. Jordan Uelese (17 Tests)

17. James Slipper (129 Tests)

18. Taniela Tupou (47 Tests)

19. Richie Arnold (2 Tests)

20. Rob Leota (14 Tests)

21. Nic White (61 Tests)

22. Quade Cooper (78 Tests)

23. Izaia Perese (3 Tests)
 
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