Rugby Championship 2025 : South Africa v Australia Round 2

[Heavyd]

It’s probably Kellaway tbh

He’s not up to it.

 

[rugbyAU]

Kellaway most likely to 15

 

[Major Tom]

He’s not up to it.

Who’s your pick?
It’s either him, max or JAS. Kellaway does a job that would keep the others settled in the positions. Otherwise we gotta shuffle the backline around

 

[Uh huh]

They'll pick Kellaway, and I don't love it but I don't hate it either.

Jorgensen is going to be a fantastic fullback on his way to becoming a world class flyhalf, but Joe will want to keep disruption to a minimum.

 

[North Liberty]

Yolo max now @ 15 while the stakes are low

 

[Heavyd]

Who’s your pick?
It’s either him, max or JAS. Kellaway does a job that would keep the others settled in the positions. Otherwise we gotta shuffle the backline around

Sualli to fullback

 

[Crashy]

jeez these injuries are starting to bite. Any news on how long Pietsche is out for?

 

[TSR]

Big issue with nobody screaming to be included.

Three of fhe number 8s this year have been Gleeson, Wilson & Valetini. Charlie Cale will also be back from injury at some point & De Crespigny & Samu play 8.

You might need to turn up the hearing aid

 

[Ignoto]

Wright has done his ACL.
Who moves to 15?

Tom left the pitch by himself and the Wallabies social just say ACL injury so hopefully with that in mind it isn't a season ender.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I wouldn’t mind JAS to fullback, but then we also have to fill outside centre, which to be fair we do have a couple of options. I think Joe wants to keep building that centre combo though.

The thing about Wright being out is now we don’t have that explosive line breaking fullback that he’s turned into and it changes the shape of our attack a bit.

 

[TSR]

I’m actually getting a lot of comfort about how well we are handling injury disruption to date.

Obviously don’t want any more but guys like Hooper, Toole, Pietsch, O’Connor, Tupou’s reprieve and even the latest coming of Nic White have all been caused by injury and, whilst they haven’t been seamless, mostly they’ve all been positive.

 

[drewprint]

Someone mentioned it earlier in the thread but a few plays before he went off, someone reefed at Wrights leg really awkwardly when he was prone at a ruck. I’d be very, very interested if there was a link there.

 

[Major Tom]

I’m actually getting a lot of comfort about how well we are handling injury disruption to date.

Obviously don’t want any more but guys like Hooper, Toole, Pietsch, O’Connor, Tupou’s reprieve and even the latest coming of Nic White have all been caused by injury and, whilst they haven’t been seamless, mostly they’ve all been positive.

Wright injury will test us though. It’s probably the position with the least depth.

 

[TSR]

I dunno. Depends a bit on where both Potter & Donaldson are at with injury.

Kellaway, Jorgenson, Sua’ali’i & Donaldson can all play 15.

Toole, Daugunu & Potter cover wing and Flook has played plenty of wing. Flook, Stewart and Paisami all cover the centres if Sua’ali’i had to push back to 15.

I don’t want to keep losing guys but whatever Schmidt is doing at present guys seem to be coming in prepared.

 

[North Liberty]

Sualli to fullback

What’s his kicking game like ?

 

[TSR]

If you start with Skelton that leaves our lineout with Frost, Wilson and Valetini as jumpers. Not ideal. Balance looks pretty good when Hooper starts at 6. It's such a toss of the coin between Bobby and Wilson. Bringing Bobby off the bench may be a good way of managing his workload.

Bobby, Wilson & McReight start.

As pointed out already by others Wilson was used as 2nd jumper over Hooper last game so I think that’s a pretty clear indication that is the way Schmidt was thinking.

Hooper has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and if Schmidt goes with Hooper, Valetini & McReight then I don’t have any complaints with that but I think Valetini, McReight & Wilson is the right choice at the moment.

 

[The Red Baron]

1. Too close for comfort.
2. Scmhidt is a damn good coach. Hell.
3. Wallabies can only get better. Still some personnel gaps (depth) but hopefully the next two years will unearth a few options.
4. The Boks age is showing and there is a definite sudden lack of self-belief.
5. All the talk of this incredible depth the boks have is being horribly shown up. It is all talk with little real proof. Wriignt names down in spreadsheets proves nothing.
6. Bold observation: I think JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) has been the real point of difference. Last week and this one. More than people think.
7. Most of all. Rassie is now left with a litany of questions. Game plan? Starting 15? Who can make 2027 and who cannot? When do I make the hard selection call? What do I do as the next cabs off the rank in key positions are injured, and I have some holes that I don't know who will fill them.

No doubt he has answers but there are some tough calls, and he is in a corner bc some new guys who would have had 2 or 3 tests this year have been injured, or the loss at Ellis Park stopped them from being tried in Cape Town.

Eden Park looms large. Very feckin black and ugly large.

And the ABs are coming into that game off a loss.

 

[molman]

1. Too close for comfort.
2. Scmhidt is a damn good coach. Hell.
3. Wallabies can only get better. Still some personnel gaps (depth) but hopefully the next two years will unearth a few options.
4. The Boks age is showing and there is a definite sudden lack of self-belief.
5. All the talk of this incredible depth the boks have is being horribly shown up. It is all talk with little real proof. Wriignt names down in spreadsheets proves nothing.
6. Bold observation: I think JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) has been the real point of difference. Last week and this one. More than people think.
7. Most of all. Rassie is now left with a litany of questions. Game plan? Starting 15? Who can make 2027 and who cannot? When do I make the hard selection call? What do I do as the next cabs off the rank in key positions are injured, and I have some holes that I don't know who will fill them.

No doubt he has answers but there are some tough calls, and he is in a corner bc some new guys who would have had 2 or 3 tests this year have been injured, or the loss at Ellis Park stopped them from being tried in Cape Town.

Eden Park looms large. Very feckin black and ugly large.

Whilst I was watching the AB v Arg game as player after player went off with a Yellow card, I started to reflect on how good our discipline has become. I have to attribute that to the coaches and Scmhidt specifically, who I feel have the players at the right balance of emotional intent, whilst a clear focus on executing the fundamentals consistently.

For the longest time we were racking up cards and penalties every game, which I always suspected was in part players pushing things or lacking faith in the system. The detail just seems so much better of late.

 

[Filipo Daugunu]

I doubt Schmidt will move JAS to fullback. He is clearly trying to build the Ikitau-JAS centre combination. Not sure Kellaway possesses the ball-playing ability to cover fullback at international level.

 

[Joe Blow]

Tom left the pitch by himself and the Wallabies social just say ACL injury so hopefully with that in mind it isn't a season ender.

Did you see the tackle on him by Van Strat just before? Held and twisted his leg as he moved away and Wright was pinned down by two other Boks. That as where it happened.