Aus vs NZ - 1st Test Sydney 17Aug2013

[Zander]

9. Genia
10. To'omua
11. Cummins
12. Lealiifano
13. Ashley-Cooper
14. Folau
15. JOC (James O'Connor)

21. White
22. Cooper
23. Kuridrani

That's what I'm expecting to see. Prefer to see Tomane in there ahead of Cummins but they're too close and White did him no favours leaving him out of the starting 15 in the finals. Speight will lockdown that spot in EOYT anyway.

Yes.

 

[Braveheart81]

My stab at the team:

Slipper
Moore
Kepu
Horwill
Simmons
Fardy
Gill
Mowen
Genia
To'omua
JOC (James O'Connor)
Leali'ifano
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Folau
Mogg

Sio, Alexander, Fainga'a, Hooper, MMM, White, Cooper, Kuridrani

 

[Zander]

Cummins will be there, who else is going to hit up on 1st phase?

 

[RoffsChoice]

I'll take a stab too
Sio, Moore, Alexander, Simmons, Horwill, Mowen, Gill, McCalman, Genia, To'omua, JOC (James O'Connor), Lilo, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Folau, Mogg
Fainga'a, Kepu, Slipper, Fardy, Hooper, White, Cooper, Cummins

 

[Zander]

Surely with no Higginbotham and Palu, Hooper must be a starter?

 

[Richo]

agree but probably overall he was the best 15 in Aussie and I think always played there. the other possibles, say QC (Quade Cooper), JOC (James O'Connor) and Izzy only made cameos in that position.

Folau played most of the season at 15 for the Tahs. It was only a game or two plus the Lions series that he played on the wing. For the Tahs, he was actually more effective at 15, IMO.

 

[Muttonbird]

Cooper will start.

That's not happening now.

I saw a question somewhere asking if there was going to be the same bellyaching at McKenzie for not picking Cooper as there was for Deans?

Not during the honeymoon period I suspect.

 

[the sabanator]

Does anybody know when the team is announced? Link is being awfully coy and IIRC I read somewhere that practices are closed to the press. I'm not sure about the credibility of all these Fox Sports 'stories'.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Team announcement is most likely Friday.
Remember that the coach often talks to outsiders regarding selection - press could have gotten it from slip of tongue, email or overheard phone call, anything.
That said, doubt the press when they say it's 100%

 

[cyclopath]

Does anybody know when the team is announced? Link is being awfully coy and IIRC I read somewhere that practices are closed to the press. I'm not sure about the credibility of all these Fox Sports 'stories'.

Tomorrow, I believe.

 

[No4918]

That's not happening now.

I saw a question somewhere asking if there was going to be the same bellyaching at McKenzie for not picking Cooper as there was for Deans?

Not during the honeymoon period I suspect.

Far from certain.

As for the bellyaching i think the majority of that was to do with JOC (James O'Connor). It would have been far less an issue of To'omua was picked. The other thing that got people offside was the inconsistency's in Deans reasoning for the non-selection.

 

[Scotty]

That's not happening now.

I saw a question somewhere asking if there was going to be the same bellyaching at McKenzie for not picking Cooper as there was for Deans?

Not during the honeymoon period I suspect.

If Deans had picked a form player in his correct position (To'omua) instead of a player coming back from injury and out of position (JOC (James O'Connor)) then I expect that the backlash to Deans would have been a lot less!

But you are correct - Link is in the honeymoon period.

 

[Scotty]

My guess at the side:

Slipper
Moore
Alexander
Simmons
Horwill
Mowen
Gill
McCalman

Genia
To'omua
JOC (James O'Connor)
Lilo
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
Tomane
Folau

 

[Pfitzy]

Am I right in thinking that McKenzie only has to name a squad? He doesn't actually have to list starting positions.

Therefore if he names 24 he could potentially put Cooper, To'omua, and Foley in there and keep everyone guessing

Of course if we get thrashed it'll be called out as a dick move, but at least it'll be funny

 

[Scotty]

24?

 

[Pfitzy]

See it happen a lot - extra man named "due to injury concerns" then cut as close to before the game as required.

 

[the sabanator]

Predicting whether Quade or To'omua will start is doing my head in. Link being the ultimate pragmatist would seem to pick To'omua (my head's option), or would he succumb to familiarity and pick QC (Quade Cooper) (what my heart wants to see). The fact that Fox Sports seems to be certain that To'omua will start throws another spanner into the works since I try to never believe anything written on there.

Can definitely see Link picking Simmons who he seems to have a great deal of faith in, not so certain about Gill - think Hooper may continue to start and deservedly so. Looking forward to JOC (James O'Connor) finally returning to the outside backs where he's effective and exciting.

 

[Epi]

agree but probably overall he was the best 15 in Aussie and I think always played there. the other possibles, say QC (Quade Cooper), JOC (James O'Connor) and Izzy only made cameos in that position.

Anyway if he gets the gig hopefully he has a beauty. - love the big kick and his preparedness to return the ball at speed into contact - my only concerns is tackling and ability to keep cool under pressure. We'll see

Izzy played fullback in every super rugby game he played.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Zander]

No, one game against the Brumbies in Canberra he was on the wing. Volavola started at fullback. Didn't go so well.

 

[Groucho]

I'm so excited by this game. Go Wallabies!