Australia Vs. England, Twickenham, 2nd November 2013

[Braveheart81]

You are dropping Mowen for the same reason you are questioning Hooper. It is neither their fault. The fat boys are not delivering and hence they both struggle to make an impact.Gill would have done no better last week and dropping Mowen for Dennis is just not going to help you guys in any way.

It's like shuffling the deckchairs when all you actually need to do is repair the La-Z-Boy.

 

[BDA]

You are dropping Mowen for the same reason you are questioning Hooper. It is neither their fault. The fat boys are not delivering and hence they both struggle to make an impact.Gill would have done no better last week and dropping Mowen for Dennis is just not going to help you guys in any way.

sorry. that was an honest typo. I'm not a Dennis fan.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Here's the England squad:

Forwards: D Attwood (Bath Rugby), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), A Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), T Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), M Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), J Launchbury (London Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), J Marler (Harlequins) B Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), G Parling (Leicester Tigers), C Robshaw (Harlequins), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), D Wilson (Bath Rugby), T Wood (Northampton Saints), T Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

Backs: C Ashton (Saracens), M Brown (Harlequins), F Burns (Gloucester Rugby), L Burrell (Northampton Saints), D Care (Harlequins), L Dickson (Northampton Saints), K Eastmond (Bath Rugby), O Farrell (Saracens), T Flood (Leicester Tigers), B Foden (Northampton Saints), A Goode (Saracens), H Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), J Tomkins (Saracens), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), C Wade (London Wasps) M Yarde (London Irish), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

 

[JSRF10]

England have yet to decide on their captain for this series, if its Chris Robshaw again he'll line up at openside flanker and the Wallabies have a chance to create havoc at the breakdown as Robshaw is just short of an international class player. If Tom Wood is the captain a more natural openside in Kvesic might get the jersey and he may cause more problems for the Wobs.

I can't see that English backline causing too many problems in attack but they'll be a decent defensive outfit. Andy Farrell is a very good defensive coach and the English side rarely get hammered under his watch.

If the Australians can keep their discipline and can secure their own set piece ball they should take this game by at least a score.

 

[kiap]

When are the Aussies flying out?

Hopefully they are not cutting too many more corners. Need at least a week there to settle in, I reckon.

 

[The Incredible Plan]

Interesting to see how the home nations crowds react to Horwill after the citing incident on the lions tour. He was public enemy number one for a while there.

 

[Brumby Jack]

When are the Aussies flying out?

Hopefully they are not cutting too many more corners. Need at least a week there to settle in, I reckon.

Either Friday or Saturday.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Hoping for the same backline against England, with Fardy coming back into the forwards.

 

[BDA]

Will Tomane be fit? he looked like a real weapon against the Argies.

 

[kiap]

Will Tomane be fit? he looked like a real weapon against the Argies.

Reported snippets:

​

Winger Joe Tomane (hamstring) and inside centre Christian Lealiifano (ankle) will undergo medical checks this week.​

​

Forward Scott Fardy (eye) has reportedly recovered and Chris Feauai-Sautia (hamstring) was training again on Friday.​

​

Lock Rob Simmons flew home on Sunday with a brace on his left knee because of a ligament tweak so a two-week break until Twickenham is timely.​

 

[Gnostic]

The English will be looking at the Wallabies lack of contest at the ruck and the weakness of the scrum. I expect a slow grinding game from them and the occasional move very wide very quickly to outflank that narrow Wallabies wing defence which has seen them leak tries like never before. Simple is best for them and it could well succeed, especially if the scrum doesn't improve vastly, Corbisero or no Corbisero.

 

[Mark Sads]

Yeah, I did forget France. So two games since 2005 where we have struggled in Europe. I have had the pleasure of attending Aus Vs Eng games at Twickers over the last few years. The week before, the Pommie media climb into us about the scrum. By the 4th or 5th scrum the English crowd have stop jeering the Aussie scrum as it has more then held it's own. I expect the same will happen over the next fe weeks.

 

[ChargerWA]

My turn.

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper
4. Simmons
5. Timani
6. Fardy
7. Gill
8. Mowen (c)
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Cummins (he bashes poms, remember what he did to Sharples last year)
12. To'omua
13. Kurindrani
14. Folau (one on one defence isn't good enough, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is a try saving demon)
15. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)


16. TPN
17. Alexander
18. Kepu
19. Horwill
20. Hooper
21. White
22. Lealiifano
23. Tomane

I'd give Horwill a week on the bench to find something, send him on for Timani at the 50 minute mark and he would play like a man possessed, Big Kev of old.

Gill needs a run, the bloke is too good to be languishing and Hooper is unfortunately too small to make the required impact without some Palu/Elsom sized wrecking balls doing the grunt work. But it hurts to drop him, as he is the hardest worker every week. Bring him on with 25 to go and he can run amok.

Backs don't touch except AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Folau swap. Folau gives up one on one defence to easily. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) can tackle two players in to touch at once. With Ashton skulking around the sideline that's important, can't let the bastard score.

 

[gel]

Unless one of the wunderkind returns from injury, I really don't think we should be stuffing around with the team much, if at all.

The scrum, whilst still pants, is definitely improving from what it was. Surely the last thing we need is to just start again. Similarly wth many other aspects of play throughout the team.

By all means protect guys from injury by resting them if needed, or a gentle break to recharge the mind and spirit, but to screw around with it just because a couple of guys have an off night is a bit silly.

Stick with them and make the Pococks, Higgenbothams and Palus work their way back into the team.

 

[Brumby Runner]

What about Lealifano to fullback and Folau pushing out to wing ahead of Betham?

I think that would work pretty well.

I can't see Horwill being dropped. I suspect his hamstring problems are still niggling so just needs to try get it right and fire up again.

I think I'm right in saying that Christian played fullback for Waikato in the ITM. Could work.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Unless one of the wunderkind returns from injury, I really don't think we should be stuffing around with the team much, if at all.

The scrum, whilst still pants, is definitely improving from what it was. Surely the last thing we need is to just start again. Similarly wth many other aspects of play throughout the team.

By all means protect guys from injury by resting them if needed, or a gentle break to recharge the mind and spirit, but to screw around with it just because a couple of guys have an off night is a bit silly.

Stick with them and make the Pococks, Higgenbothams and Palus work their way back into the team.

I was going to like this post until I reached the last sentence. Poey and Higgers should be reinstated as soon as they prove their fitness.

 

[RoffsChoice]

I think I'm right in saying that Christian played fullback for Waikato in the ITM. Could work.

If I'm not mistaken, Lealiifano was at 15 when the 2011 Brumbies beat the Reds at Suncorp. Surely doing well in a position, against the best team at the time, while being the worst team at the time, is good enough

 

[gel]

I was going to like this post until I reached the last sentence. Poey and Higgers should be reinstated as soon as they prove their fitness.

Fair call... It was a big statement, I admit

 

[Bowside]

We were horrible at the ruck on saturday night. Inaccurate, slow and the body position was far too high.

The All Blacks have adopted a tactic of the tackler wrestling with the tackled player on the ground without actually contesting for the ball. It's a good one and helped them to slow us down quite a lot. Stuff like this rarely gets pinged as well.

We should be doing it. Not next season but next game.

 

[Bullrush]

I think I'm right in saying that Christian played fullback for Waikato in the ITM. Could work.

Yep....I'm pretty sure he did too.