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

Tomthumb

Chilla Wilson (44)
I mean Holloway looks 6-7kgs heavier but is well known as a good maul operator in attack and defence.

I don't think our maul was that bad, we should've had a penalty try and yellow. Would've changed the whole game.

Jason Ryan is a complete guru though, he's transformed them.
Would be great if he showed us sometime
 

scrans21

Ted Fahey (11)
Considering the Bledisloe is locked away for another year I think we should be using this game to get some minutes in the remaining squad members before the world cup. My team would be:

1. Bell
2. Porecki
3. Fa'amausili
4. Frost
5. Skelton
6. Leota
7. T Hooper
8. Valetini
9. Lonergan
10. Gordon
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi (cc)
13. Petaia
14. Nawaqnaitawse
15. Kellaway
16. Faesslar
17. Slipper (cc)
18. Tupou/Nonggorr
19. Arnold/Philip
20. Gleeson
21. McDermott
22. Cooper
23. Perese/Pietsch

Fa'amausili needs to be given a start if he's going to be on the plane, especially considering he'll most likely be wearing the 18 jersey for most of the world cup with Ala'alatoa out. If Tupou isn't fit then Nonggorr comes onto the bench. Arnold and Philip is a toss up for 19 and I'm happy with either. I've been a big fan of Holloway for a long time but he just isn't bringing anything and I've been really impressed with Leota's contributions off the bench so I'm dropping Holloway for him. Tom Hooper impressed me and is worth persisting with at this stage. Ditto for Gordon. Lonergan needs to be capped before the world cup and his passing and kicking game could work well with Gordon, especially as he will become the main goal kicker. The rest of the backline doesn't need changing IMO. They weren't our main issue (barring some shit kicks). 23 is a toss up between giving Perese more gametime or capping Pietsch is Eddie plans on taking him to France.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
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.
As opposed to how I saw him used by La Rochelle (esp in the final against Leinster) Skelton was not being used to build the maul around so much, which was curious as it seemed to be very effective in that match. It did not look to me that they were constructing the maul as well as they could, hence the ABs being able to disrupt it so well. Not sure why.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
I was as far back from the action as you could be on Saturday night plus a heavy handicap of cans but I seem to remember our maul making quite a few metres?
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Skelton has gone from decent in the first test, good in the second test and then was across the board ranked as our 2nd or 3rd best player in the third test. I think it's pretty unequivocal that he's been a good addition to the squad. He's absolutely locked in as a starting lock now.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
I was as far back from the action as you could be on Saturday night plus a heavy handicap of cans but I seem to remember our maul making quite a few metres?
Yeah, but we got turned over 4 times from mauls, from memory. As mentioned above I thought at least 2 of those were dubious calls, with one fairly obviously collapsed and another looked like a disruptor in from the side.
But that's mauling. Very hard to officiate accurately with so much shithousery going on in most!
 

Bullrush

Geoff Shaw (53)
I'd like to see Tate start with QC (Quade Cooper).

Listening to Will Genia last week, he thinks that the Wallabies do not have the balance of playing off 9 and 10 right. In his opinion, QC (Quade Cooper) is a guy who needs the ball in his hands and he thinks that Tate gets the ball to him better than White. If that's true, then possibly Kerevi will also play better - but that's just a complete guess LOL.

Anyways, the guy in bold are the guys I think absolutely have to play to have any chance and to start building good combination for the RWC.

1. Bell
2. Porecki

3. Fa'amausili
4. Frost
5. Skelton - I still don't know how this guy is considered the best lock in Europe. He would be the 4th or 5th best lock in Aotearoa AT BEST. But none of the other Wallaby locks are really stamping their name in stone here.
6. Leota

7. Gleeson -
8. Valetini
9. Lonergan
10. Gordon
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi
13. Petaia
14. Nawaqnaitawse
15. Kellaway
 
Last edited:

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Yeah, but we got turned over 4 times from mauls, from memory. As mentioned above I thought at least 2 of those were dubious calls, with one fairly obviously collapsed and another looked like a disruptor in from the side.
But that's mauling. Very hard to officiate accurately with so much shithousery going on in most!
But ultimately was easily dismantled by the AB's pack...
So hopefully a quick fix at training on getting the ball out, too easy. Staying positive here.
 

SouthernX

John Thornett (49)
I'd like to see Tate start with QC (Quade Cooper) (Quade Cooper).

Listening to Will Genia last week, he thinks that the Wallabies do not have the balance of playing of 9 and 10 right. In his opinion, QC (Quade Cooper) (Quade Cooper) is a guy who needs the ball in his hands and he thinks that Tate gets the ball to him better than White. If that's true, then possibly Kerevi will also play better - but that's just a complete guess LOL.

Anyways, the guy in bold are the guys I think absolutely have to play to have any chance and to start building good combination for the RWC.

1. Bell
2. Porecki

3. Fa'amausili
4. Frost
5. Skelton - I still don't know how this guy is considered the best lock in Europe. He would be the 4th or 5th best lock in Aotearoa AT BEST. But none of the other Wallaby locks are really stamping their name in stone here.
6. Leota

7. Gleeson -
8. Valetini
9. Lonergan
10. Gordon
11. Koroibete
12. Kerevi
13. Petaia
14. Nawaqnaitawse
15. Kellaway

Genia and Cooper are thick as thieves…

I’m not saying it’s not the right call but Genia probably doing his buddy a favour who’s clearly on the outer.
 

KevinO

Geoff Shaw (53)
5. Skelton - I still don't know how this guy is considered the best lock in Europe. He would be the 4th or 5th best lock in Aotearoa AT BEST. But none of the other Wallaby locks are really stamping their name in stone here.
That depends on who you ask, has he played better in France then anywhere else? Yes, but that still does not make him the best lock. You also got to take into account that pretty much every game he plays in a side where the pack as a whole dominate. They also play 3 other lineout jumpers to compensate for having Skelton at lock who does not jump.
 

Bullrush

Geoff Shaw (53)
Genia and Cooper are thick as thieves…

I’m not saying it’s not the right call but Genia probably doing his buddy a favour who’s clearly on the outer.
I wouldn't disagree but I also think there is merit in what he is saying. I don't think White compliments QC (Quade Cooper)'s style of play very well.

But I also think that Nic White is one of the more overrated players. It's a shame Genia didn't play longer....
 

KiwiM

Arch Winning (36)
It will be an especiallly fast game under the roof in Dunedin. That may factor into selections.
 

dusk

Vay Wilson (31)
I'd actually swap Petia and Kellaway, i think Kellaway offers more in defense at 13 than Petia, and Petia will provide a more electric attack at full-back than Kellaway.
 
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