Australia A - Back on the Cards

[KevinO]

I think this may be my 5th attempt?

Hooker - Pollard, Mafi, Kaitu'u
LHP - Eloff, Hoopert,
THP - HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Robertson, Holz
Lock - Smith, Hanigan, Blyth, Hooper
Backrow - Uru, McReight, Harris, Anstee, Swinton (is he fit?)
Scrumhalf - Fines, Lonergan, Tuttle
Flyhalf - Gordon, Donaldson, Edmed
Inside Centre - Foketi, Kuenzle
Outside Centre - Hodge
Wings - Daugunu, Nawaqanitawase, Muirhed
Fullback - Campbell

Breakdown is:

RED - 8 (including Mafi for now)
WAR - 9
BRU - 4
REB - 4
FOR - 5

Which, when added to the Wallabies, makes:

RED - 15
WAR - 15
BRU - 19
REB - 8
FOR - 5

OS - 3

Pretty good guessing, but Brad Wilkin has to be in the backrows surely after the season his had.

If it's about bringing young guys through id bring Canhan and Ripley

 

[qwerty51]

Probably more importantly but how do we think we go? I think Fiji will kill us with their physicality and home conditions. We lack size and specifically carriers. We could come last.

 

[SouthernX]

Probably more importantly but how do we think we go? I think Fiji will kill us with their physicality and home conditions. We lack size and specifically carriers. We could come last.

think we will run them off the park in the final 20 minutes of a game. Tier A teams usually have elite fitness & discipline - the pacific nations… not so much.

 

[Lightblue]

Intentions of the team are still unclear.

Is the goal to win the Pacific Championship? Or to get young players into international setups and working towards a goal of playing for the Wallabies. They are slightly different in what we want to achieve, if the goal is to win the tournament, we need to field a strong team regardless of age or future involvement with the Wallabies.

I think it is more for development reasons though.

Until we know that, people are going to be blowing up about selections either way, i.e. he's too young for a run or he's too old

I think you are right in that it will be a development squad.
So, I suppose all squad members to get adequate game time over the 3 matches and not just get 5 minutes off the bench as a so called ‘finisher’.
Winning the goal, not necessarily the priority?

 

[Braveheart81]

I'd say Reece Hodge might be the only very experienced Wallaby in the squad/team. Outside of To'omua though there's probably not really anyone else in that category that I have missing out.

Ultimately I think anyone who is a chance of playing for the Wallabies between now and the RWC will get to play here. I can't see us not selecting players who are reasonably close to the top squad in favour of giving a bolter a run in the A team.

 

[Wilson]

Pretty good guessing, but Brad Wilkin has to be in the backrows surely after the season his had.

If it's about bringing young guys through id bring Canhan and Ripley

I like Canham, but I can't see an argument for him ahead of any of the locks/backrows listed there - they're all relatively young but have shown significantly more then him so far.

If Ripley was a year older he would be a smokey for 13, but realistically he (and anyone else in his cohort) is going to be better served being with the 20s at the Oceania Championship then on the edge of the Australia A squad. Otherwise you'd be pulling Kalani Thomas in ahead of Tuttle as well.

 

[Derpus]

Probably more importantly but how do we think we go? I think Fiji will kill us with their physicality and home conditions. We lack size and specifically carriers. We could come last.

I would be surprised if we didn't lose to Fiji and Tonga.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think we'll beat Samoa and Tonga at least. Fiji will probably be too strong.

Tonga should have a really good backline but they are also coming from a long way back. I'm not sure bringing together a bunch of aging stars at fairly short notice will suddenly gel into a strong international team.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think this may be my 5th attempt?

Hooker - Pollard, Mafi, Kaitu'u
LHP - Eloff, Hoopert,
THP - HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Robertson, Holz
Lock - Smith, Hanigan, Blyth, Hooper
Backrow - Uru, McReight, Harris, Anstee, Swinton (is he fit?)
Scrumhalf - Fines, Lonergan, Tuttle
Flyhalf - Gordon, Donaldson, Edmed
Inside Centre - Foketi, Kuenzle
Outside Centre - Hodge
Wings - Daugunu, Nawaqanitawase, Muirhed
Fullback - Campbell

Breakdown is:

RED - 8 (including Mafi for now)
WAR - 9
BRU - 4
REB - 4
FOR - 5

Which, when added to the Wallabies, makes:

RED - 15
WAR - 15
BRU - 19
REB - 8
FOR - 5

OS - 3

No room for Gamble, or is he not eligible? Would have to be in the running for SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) Rookie of the year.

Has it been determined that Uru is eligible?

 

[Braveheart81]

No room for Gamble, or is he not eligible?

I don't think anyone thinks he is eligible.

If he is he should be picked.

 

[Wilson]

No room for Gamble, or is he not eligible? Would have to be in the running for SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) Rookie of the year.

Has it been determined that Uru is eligible?

By all accounts yes and given he has previously been included in camps I think they'd be entirely on top of it.

As far as I can tell Uru will definitely eligible by late June, may even already be eligible. See:

Just furthering Reg's point, Uru has been eligible since the end of June 2020 (arrived in Melbourne around the last week of June 2017). This means he was eligible throughout the later half of 2020 and all of 2021. At worst he has a 6 month period at the start of this year where his eligibility lapses, but there are no wallabies tests in that period - the first of the year is scheduled for the 2nd of July.

It's also possible his eligibility is restored earlier - he was in Melbourne for ~3 months at the start of 2017 for a training camp before coming over permanently. Depending on how long he returned to Fiji for there is an argument that his qualifying period started then, rather than in June. That would only be relevant if there was a test to be played before the first England game though.

 

[Tazzmania]

I am glad to hear Steward being touted as being in the squad, and hope that is indicative that the squad will be the development pathway for young players with potential to be future Wallabies rather than a place to keep those closer to the end than the begining warmed up for possible inclusion in the main squad should the need arise.

 

[Derpus]

I am glad to hear Steward being touted as being in the squad, and hope that is indicative that the squad will be the development pathway for young players with potential to be future Wallabies rather than a place to keep those closer to the end than the begining warmed up for possible inclusion in the main squad should the need arise.

While I think its a great opportunity for Stewart I would be surprised to see him in the Wallabies unless he really improves.

Hes not even in the Reds best 15 IMO.

 

[Brumby Runner]

By all accounts yes and given he has previously been included in camps I think they'd be entirely on top of it.

Thanks Wilson. The whole deal about eligibility is pretty murky aint it? I thought, eg, that with the intervention of Covid, the three year period was extended but only if the player in question actually was selected and played in a six month period. Otherwise the eligibility period stood at 5 years. Even so, it looks like Uru meets that requirement if he came here in 2017 and didn't break his residency like Henry Speight did.

 

[Braveheart81]

The residency requirement is five years. The three year period was originally going to end on 31 December 2020 but was then extended to 31 December 2021 due to COVID. That has now finished and if a player didn't get selected by 31 December 2021 they are then subject to the 5 year residency requirement.

So anyone qualifying through the residency requirement now needs to have been resident since before 1 July 2017 to be eligible to play in July 2022.

 

[dru]

While I think its a great opportunity for Stewart I would be surprised to see him in the Wallabies unless he really improves.

Hes not even in the Reds best 15 IMO.

Stewart 15?

 

[dru]

What effect does Australia A have on Australia's International ranking - if any at all?

 

[Derpus]

Stewart 15?

XV

 

[new recruit_ brisbane]

What effect does Australia A have on Australia's International ranking - if any at all?

huh?

 

[Braveheart81]

What effect does Australia A have on Australia's International ranking - if any at all?

None. It's not test rugby.