Bledisloe #2 - AUS v NZL, Eden Park, Auckland, August 15th

[emuarse]

I'd be somewhat surprised if he does this.

He's looking to get a big impact out of his bench and at this point they're delivering. I don't think Cheika will be overly keen to keep switching his bench and starting players based on them having good impact.

If Phipps and Foley again struggle then I think we're likely to see something change but I'll be surprised if Phipps misses out after one bad game.

Foley should not be on the field - end of story. There are better fly halves available. If he'd been playing a good game last weekend, he wouldn't have been hooked when he was.

 

[Braveheart81]

Foley should not be on the field - end of story. There are better fly halves available. If he'd been playing a good game last weekend, he wouldn't have been hooked when he was.

Of course he had a terrible game.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cooper starts this weekend but I also wouldn't be surprised if Foley gets another crack.

I'd be more surprised if he went with an entirely new combo of To'omua and Giteau.

I still think both Foley and Cooper will go to the RWC as Cheika's 10 options and Foley is probably favourite to start.

 

[Viking]

Of course he had a terrible game.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cooper starts this weekend but I also wouldn't be surprised if Foley gets another crack.

I'd be more surprised if he went with an entirely new combo of To'omua and Giteau.

I still think both Foley and Cooper will go to the RWC as Cheika's 10 options and Foley is probably favourite to start.

Perception is crazy. My thoughts are the complete opposite.

I think its very likely Cheika will go 10. To'omua 12. Gits - the form players.
Small chance Cooper and/or Foley will be given another shot.

Goal kicking is also a factor - probably don't want to drop Gits for that reason too.

 

[Brumby Runner]

If one or both of Foley and Cooper don't start soon to turn their form around, then we have next to no chance at the RWC with either of them playing 10. The RC so far has illustrated that both are terribly out of form. They both stand way too deep in attack, and Bernard Foley's tackling statistics are just woeful. Neither attacks the line or has had much success setting up supports.

Why we would want to restrict ourselves to considering only these two options for that most important spot at 10 when neither is producing any sort of controlled game that is contributing to a favourable outcome, is simply beyond me.

 

[Pfitzy]

Kicking from hand - To'omua, Mitchell, Giteau should cover it. White comes on late to support our lead, and finish things with some long-range penalties.

I wouldn't count Carter out just yet. He had a bad night but you dismiss a bloke like that at your peril.

 

[emuarse]

BH, if you look at other sides 5/8's such as Cruden, Carter (until recently), Cruden, etc in the other international teams, they have an element of unpredictability. With respect, neither Foley nor To'omua seem to have this ability which is essential for a good attacking back line.
I believe Giteau and Cooper actually both offer more in this regard.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I still don't see Giteau a "form" player.

He was error prone but made meters against the Boks.

He was safe against NZ but offered very little in attack. Ran 3 times for 2 meters and passed 19 times.

He has not made a single try or line break assist in either game. He has 1 clean break and 2 defenders beaten in total.

Have the Wallabies won because of him? Or in spite of him. Now statistics are not everything. But if you aren't making meters and you aren't setting up tries or line breaks, what are you doing?

His defense though has been even more reliable than expected.

 

[Braveheart81]

Perception is crazy. My thoughts are the complete opposite.

I think its very likely Cheika will go 10. To'omua 12. Gits - the form players.
Small chance Cooper and/or Foley will be given another shot.

Goal kicking is also a factor - probably don't want to drop Gits for that reason too.

If one or both of Foley and Cooper don't start soon to turn their form around, then we have next to no chance at the RWC with either of them playing 10. The RC so far has illustrated that both are terribly out of form. They both stand way too deep in attack, and Bernard Foley's tackling statistics are just woeful. Neither attacks the line or has had much success setting up supports.

Why we would want to restrict ourselves to considering only these two options for that most important spot at 10 when neither is producing any sort of controlled game that is contributing to a favourable outcome, is simply beyond me.

This is the last game before Cheika picks his RWC squad. I don't think he has time to make many changes to his team structure which moving To'omua to 10 would do. I think he will be betting that his options at 12 are working very well already and he can get the two 10s into form.

Things might be quite different if we had another three or four games to come to these conclusions but we don't.

 

[Viking]

This is the last game before Cheika picks his RWC squad. I don't think he has time to make many changes to his team structure which moving To'omua to 10 would do. I think he will be betting that his options at 12 are working very well already and he can get the two 10s into form.

Things might be quite different if we had another three or four games to come to these conclusions but we don't.

I don't think it does anything to team structures starting To'omua and Gits because they've already played that way for 30mins+ and it worked well. It's almost a proven combination (almost).

If you want answers into your RWC squad then you would start Cooper. If Foley starts and the result is the same (he has a shocker) its still a huge call to drop him before RWC since Cooper has had no game time or any quality performances behind him.

I actually think starting Cooper is the best option. He will either be up to it or not and it will ultimately decide if he in in the starting XV or dropped entirely.

You could probably drag an underperforming Foley along because he can still be a better utility bench option, you can't really do that with Cooper.

 

[Braveheart81]

If there was a plan to start To'omua at 10, I think Cheika would have opted to have another 12 on the bench which would have meant Leali'ifano was retained rather than released to play in Japan.

I doubt he'll start To'omua at 10 and have Foley or Cooper on the bench as the replacement 10 as it would mean moving To'omua to 12 if Giteau comes off.

Obviously I could be wrong but my prediction is that Giteau and To'omua keep their current roles.

It will be interesting to see what Cheika does but I think he'll be looking at very close to the same team with an expectation that the players who performed poorly will improve.

 

[Viking]

I certainly wouldn't be putting any money on selections. Well not on the halves he rest of the team is very much set.

Although I'm not sure why Foley would deserve another shot, lots are arguing that he shouldn't be dropped for one bad game - but that argument works for Cooper too - he only had one poor game which was probably better then Foley's shocker.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yeah I would nearly take the starting XV to the bank, other than one wing and five eighth.

 

[No4918]

I will be surprised if Foley doesn't start this week.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

please God choose Quade Cooper at 10 for Eden Park oh sweet baby jesus lets make this happen

I'm disappointed you didn't select Liaki Moli as a bolter at lock to add a combination of starch, jailbreak and most importantly, good material for you to work with on the forum next week.

if NZ lose this one then next week I will be running up and down the forum stark raving naked screaming my f***ing brains out, the sky is falling,, its all over, doom, gloom, pestilence, starch overdose in the bathtub, 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse = Hansen, Fox, Foster and other guy, etc etc and so on

Moli as a bolter eh.

I've heard worse.






Havent really.

Just being polite there.

Cruden

i still reckon Cruden is a sneaky to make it to the RWC. According to my hi-stalk twitter app he recently traveled to Thailand and was in Sydney for the test as a fan.

Hopefully in Thailand he got some ancient mystical snakes nuts ballsack potion and rubbed it all over his crook bit.

 

[Groucho]

McCaw slides up all the fucking time so he can interfere with the opposition flanker and slow his run at the ball carrier. He should be penalised - right there in that shot - for not being properly bound to his second rower.

According to the laws, he only has to be bound to the scrum, no?

 

[Tip]

Pimp my Side.

Tomane has gotta start on the wing.

As long as Sio starts at prop.

They have the sweetest bro-shake going round and the prospect of that coming out on the field after Joe smokes it down the sideline is already giving me a hard-on.

(Starts at 1:15)

 

[Viking]

Tomane has gotta start on the wing.

As long as Sio starts at prop.

They have the sweetest bro-shake going round and the prospect of that coming out on the field after Joe smokes it down the sideline is already giving me a hard-on.

A few times last weekend AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) had to race off his wing to shut down an overlap, I don't think Tomane can do this - he does this thing where he holds off tackling a player and runs backwards marking both until help comes. Ben Smith, Savea and NMS will calve him to shreds.

 

[Sully]

According to the laws, he only has to be bound to the scrum, no?

No. Not allowed to slide up.

 

[Strewthcobber]

No. Not allowed to slide up.

Letter of the law says he has to start the scrum bound to a lock, and then stay bound to "the scrum" until the ball is out doesn't it?

Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk

 

[Pfitzy]

According to the laws, he only has to be bound to the scrum, no?

Backrow MUST be bound to second row - and that includes to arm to the shoulder.