2025 Bledisloe Cup Series

[waiopehu oldboy]

AB naming at 5:30pm NZDT.

Clarke is reportedly upbeat about his injury but I can see where Razor, having locked away the Bled & extremely unlikely to head of 'boks for TRC, might give him some extra recovery time. So for me it's either 11. Rieko 14. Carter or 11. Carter 14. Reece.

Only 2 x 5/8 options taken so 10. DMac 23. Love seems a given. Wouldn't be surprised to see 12. Jordie 13. AL-B 22. Tupaea.

9s pick themselves as, again, they've only taken two. Gotta hope noone does anything dumb or unlucky at captains run or during warmups.

ScoBar supposedly fit but as with Clarke why not give him the extra recovery time? In which case Holland & PatT start with Vaa’i on the bench covering 6 as well as lock.

Williams for DeGroot up front & apparently Norris has had some back pain so maybe Mafileo takes the bench spot?

Can't see a reason to change the loosies personnel-wise but it must be tempting to start Lakai at 7 in which case 6. Sititi 8. & (c) ASav.

 

[Tomthumb]

And the conversation has gone full circle for the third month in a row.
Riveting stuff.

Feel free to bring a new subject to the table

 

[zer0]

Clarke is reportedly upbeat about his injury but I can see where Razor, having locked away the Bled & extremely unlikely to head of 'boks for TRC, might give him some extra recovery time. So for me it's either 11. Rieko 14. Carter or 11. Carter 14. Reece.

Only 2 x 5/8 options taken so 10. DMac 23. Love seems a given. Wouldn't be surprised to see 12. Jordie 13. AL-B 22. Tupaea.

Literally the most disgusting, reprehensible, misbegotten, god-less act in human history since some maniac threw pineapple on a pizza.

I'd sooner name Rieko at 13.5 and just play with 14 guys on the field.

 

[LeCheese]

Simple!

 

[Dctarget]

Doesn't quite make sense. Only path to victory comes from Wallabies winning with 50+ but we know that's not the case. Just have to win with a BP and Boks get no points.

 

[rugbyAU]

 

[rugbyAU]

Lomax, De Groot, Barrett and Clarke all ruled out

Wallabies team announced at 3.30pm

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Wobs by 17

 

[Yoda]

You can keep repeating this falsehood in every match thread, but Donaldson has had plenty of opportunities, including test matches such as the two starts last year he was poor in, and several years playing in the same competition and being a regular test squad member to adjudicate and compare his abilities to his competition.

Righto Slim.. "such as the TWO starts last year he was poor in".... I think the point is that Noah has had 30 starts and was poor in plenty and average in the rest. 30!

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I wrote you but you still ain't callin

 

[Heavyd]

TAB has Wallabies at $2.60 for Perth win. At home with Valetini and Skelton back it looks like a good punt to me.

I got $8 Wallabies 8-14 winning margin.

 

[rugbyAU]

 

[Ignoto]

What happened to BPA, Bell and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)? I thought the latter two had good games last week?

 

[Slim 293]

Bell not being there is the only really big surprise, but going to have to wait for the Schmidt presser to find out why as they never include the reason in the press release, but until then I'm going it's injury related...

 

[Strewthcobber]

If the Bled was live, suspect we would see a few changes on the bench, but otherwise looks a strong team given who's available.

Bell just having a rest? Minutes haven't been high, but he's played 25 games in 12 months

 

[rugbyAU]

If the Bled was live, suspect we would see a few changes on the bench, but otherwise looks a strong team given who's available.

Bell just having a rest? Minutes haven't been high, but he's played 25 games in 12 months

SMH reporting he's been dropped

 

[PhilClinton]

Edmed starting. Awesome.

 

[Slim 293]

SMH reporting he's been dropped

They're going on as much information as we have...

Bell, who came off the bench at Eden Park, has not been named in the match day 23.

 

[TSR]

Yeah - what Slim said.

Bell not picked a surprise, but otherwise a solid team. Being able to bring Valetini back via the bench is a pretty big kudos to how well Hooper & Wilson have been going. As to the omission of Salakai-Loto is a big tick to both Frost & Williams.

Let’s hope we can get our defence & discipline right early on and not give you a big lead.

 

[rugbyAU]

They're going on as much information as we have...

"Jake Gordon and Tane Edmed will start in the halves for the Wallabies on Saturday against the All Blacks, while coach Joe Schmidt has recalled Will Skelton and dropped Angus Bell for the second Bledisloe Cup fixture in Perth."