• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

Bledisloe 2 2023 @ Dunedin 12:35PM Sat 5 Aug

rugbyAU

Dick Tooth (41)
Tonight was just terrible, so surely can't get much worse, ABs will likely field a new team with returning injured players, we need to nail our 7 for the WC. If Top is out then Pone and Talakai come in for THP.

1 - Bell
2 - Porecki
3 - Slipper (c)
4 - Frost
5 - Skelton
6 - Hooper
7 - McReight
8 - Valetini
9 - Lonergan
10 - Gordon
11 - Marika
12 - Foketi
13 - Perese
14 - Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase)
15 - Kellaway

16 - Faesslar
17 - Schoupp
18 - Pone
19 - Phillip
20 - Leota
21 - McDermott
22 - Cooper
23 - Petaia
 
Last edited:

zer0

John Thornett (49)
Tonight was just terrible, so surely can't get much worse, ABs will likely field a new team with returning injured players, we need to nail our 7 for the WC

Kinda hope there's not too much tinkering tbh. It's still a home test and a loss would certainly be sub-optimal. The RWC draw also means we're going to have to play a bunch of tough matches, so might as well get the collective practice in.

Jacobson at #8, Roigard at halfback, McKenzie at fullback, and maybe a look at someone else on the left wing. Then pack the bench with Taukei'aho, Newell (believe he should be available again), Williams, Whitelock, Savea, and Smith.
 
Last edited:

Froggy

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I think we need to start the front row as we finished last night, with Slipper going to THP and Bell at LHP. Pone and Schoup on the bench. No problem with Tom Hooper as a player, but he's a 6, we need the speed and energy of Hooper or McReight at 7. If we are going to start Gordon at 10 again (I would, despite his awful night with the boot) I would start Lonergan at 9. His passing will be more accurate than Tate, and he can kick goals. I would go with the same for the rest of the backs, although someone needs to have a chat to MK about his positioning in defence. Faessler to replace Uelese on the bench, and Tate to cover 9. Phillip to replace Arnold, I don't think the big bloke is offering anything.
 

rugbyAU

Dick Tooth (41)
Do we really need to keep Richie Arnold? What’s he done to deserve a ticket to the France junket? Matt Philip, Caderyn Neville, even Darcy Swain are more deserved.
No we don’t an OS selection is supposed to really demand that spot, Skeltons been well worth it but Arnold’s offered nothing, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Neville would be better particularly the latter after a strong SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) season and SF v the Chiefs which has to count, but even though Eddie likes him a spot for Sio or Rory would be better
 

KOB1987

John Eales (66)
No we don’t an OS selection is supposed to really demand that spot, Skeltons been well worth it but Arnold’s offered nothing, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Neville would be better particularly the latter after a strong SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) (Super Rugby Pacific) season and SF v the Chiefs which has to count, but even though Eddie likes him a spot for Sio or Rory would be better
The THP issues may Force Eddies hand here with the need for Slipper to potentially cover both sides. Maybe not for this week but for the RWC squad
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
I think we need to start the front row as we finished last night, with Slipper going to THP and Bell at LHP. Pone and Schoup on the bench. No problem with Tom Hooper as a player, but he's a 6, we need the speed and energy of Hooper or McReight at 7. If we are going to start Gordon at 10 again (I would, despite his awful night with the boot) I would start Lonergan at 9. His passing will be more accurate than Tate, and he can kick goals. I would go with the same for the rest of the backs, although someone needs to have a chat to MK about his positioning in defence. Faessler to replace Uelese on the bench, and Tate to cover 9. Phillip to replace Arnold, I don't think the big bloke is offering anything.
I think you have nailed the front row. The only improvement come RWC time if Tupou and Ala'alatoa don't make it back would be to bring Scott Sio into the squad.

After his defensive efforts last night, I can see Eddie persisting with Tom Hooper at 7. This is the way the game is going internationally, and the pack last night was more effective than it has been for quite some time.

I also agree with your questioning of Richie Arnold, but on statistics, Will Skelton offers very little more than Richie too. However, Skelton probably should be retained but I'd certainly favour either Philip or Neville as the backup.

I hope Gordon is retained at 10. His kicking game was poor last night but out of character with the way he has controlled the game for the Rebels. I put it down to nerves, and expect he will show decent improvement in his next games. Lonergan needs to be there if only for his goal kicking, although he offers a lot more than that.

Good to see someone else having the balls to call out Marika for his poor defensive positioning. I am sick of seeing him attempting big hits on his opposite only to miss completely and finish up rolling on the ground because he was no where near close enough to make the tackle in the first place.

We do not yet have the backline sorted. Kerevi is a shadow of his former self and he, along with Pataia if he stays at 13 need to have their kicking feet amputated. They are both there to break up the defensive line with hard straight running or with footwork but neither are doing that with consistency or impact at the moment. For next week, I'd ;like to see Foketi at 12 and perhaps Kellaway at 13, but I wouldn't be against Flook also being parachuted in to see how he goes as a proper 13.
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
No we don’t an OS selection is supposed to really demand that spot, Skeltons been well worth it but Arnold’s offered nothing, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and Neville would be better particularly the latter after a strong SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) (Super Rugby Pacific) season and SF v the Chiefs which has to count, but even though Eddie likes him a spot for Sio or Rory would be better
Has Skelton been worth it? Even with one of the biggest packs the Wallabies have ever fielded, the ABs were able to win the scrum battle. Is this an indication that Skelton still doesn't use his weight to good effect in the scrum? And where is his much vaunted maul destruction involvement? Four mauls last night all ended in ABs wins. And he certainly is not lighting up the game in either attack or defence - look at his stats for the game.
 

KOB1987

John Eales (66)
Has Skelton been worth it? Even with one of the biggest packs the Wallabies have ever fielded, the ABs were able to win the scrum battle. Is this an indication that Skelton still doesn't use his weight to good effect in the scrum? And where is his much vaunted maul destruction involvement? Four mauls last night all ended in ABs wins. And he certainly is not lighting up the game in either attack or defence - look at his stats for the game.
He is chief disruptor, that doesn’t show up in the stats but was pretty noticeable watching. Arnold is the chief tall bloke.
 

KOB1987

John Eales (66)
This'll be a contractually-obligated dead-rubber DMac soup-style fuck-around that'll prolly wind up with a soup-style score of 41-30.
That’s all you need to do. You’ll rollout your 2nd XV with one of those ridiculously strong ‘just in case’ benches to come on and put us out of our misery when we’re all getting excited that we’re in with a chance with 20 to go.
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
He is chief disruptor, that doesn’t show up in the stats but was pretty noticeable watching. Arnold is the chief tall bloke.
I know that's supposed to be his role KOB, but how many ABs mauls did he disrupt and how many Wallaby mauls did he dominate to see a try scored? The ABs maul was all over ours right throughout the game. He then has so few involvements in other aspects of the game, and if his impact at scrum time is poor or at least ineffectual as it appears to be, then he is not of any real value to the team. It seems really clear to me that we have better locks playing here and that we really don't get much out of either of Eddie's overseas picks in the second row.
 

LeCheese

Greg Davis (50)
While Kerevi probably hasn't put in a 'droppable' performance, even if off the pace, I wouldn't mind seeing someone else at 12 this week. Be it Foketi, Paisami, or even O'Connor, I think we need more attacking flexibility in the backline to unlock our firepower outside. Kerevi led the number of carries last night at 16, for only 21m (he did also have 10 passes though, to be fair).

I fear the Wallabies are beginning to slip into playing Kerevi-ball in a manner not dissimilar to the Reds when he was around, and it just doesn't work when he isn't at his best.
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
I got to make a rare trip to watch Brisbane Brothers play Wests yesterday.

JOC (James O'Connor) was out - due to injury I was told. Paisami played but was pretty well contained overall by Hamish Stewart & Josh Flook (I thought Flook in particular was excellent I thought).
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
I think at this point we should persist with Kerevi though. He isn’t 100% but I thought he still showed enough to hold hope it is just a bit of time in the saddle.
 

LeCheese

Greg Davis (50)
I got to make a rare trip to watch Brisbane Brothers play Wests yesterday.

JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) was out - due to injury I was told. Paisami played but was pretty well contained overall by Hamish Stewart & Josh Flook (I thought Flook in particular was excellent I thought).
Fuck somehow I forgot about Flook - get him back in the mix immediately.

The JOC (James O'Connor) injury also slipped my mind - do we know what it is? Re: Paisami - par for the course this year for him really.
 

dru

David Wilson (68)
I thought Kerevi was coming back into his stride. I wouldn't change anything at 12.

On another note, We have some real issues coming at tight head.
 

LeCheese

Greg Davis (50)
I thought Kerevi was coming back into his stride. I wouldn't change anything at 12.
Even when we the pack had us going forward, the backline just didn't look threatening imo. That isn't solely on Kerevi, but I do feel he can limit our attacking options at times - particularly when he isn't breaking the defensive line like we know he can.
 

SouthernX

John Thornett (49)
I suspect the lineup in Dunedin is going to have a few more head scratching selections. Eddie is tinkering and experimenting with nothing else to play for in TRC.

Maybe not any new names being introduced into team but more around combinations.

There could be a shock dropping. My prediction : Koribete will be a healthy scratch (rest) and someone else will be trialed on the wing.
 
Top