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

[Train Without a Station]

To'omua at 12 is also critical I think.

 

[TOCC]

One name - Pocock.

I don't think there was a Wallaby turn-over until the 2nd half. Pocock came on and bagged one.

There is just no way any Wallaby team should be starting without him if he's fit - it's that simple.He is a game changer and the guy in your forward pack who no other Test team really wants to see.

I really don't see how you can be serious about winning the Bledisloe while benching him. If you want balance in your pack and your back row, blah blah blah - you start with Pocock first and make it balance around him.

It's not even the turnovers which he generates that impresses me the most, it's the way he also protects the Wallabies ball at their own rucks, when you have blokes like Palu, Skelton and Horwill who are all slow to the ruck you need someone like Pocock there to secure your own ball, and Hooper just doesn't play that style of game.


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[cyclopath]

Agree. I was one of the firstvguys on here who touted Pocock and Hooper playing together because they just have such different games even though they bith usually wear 7.
Pocock is your Michael Jordan and Hooper is your Scottie Pippen. Jordan made Pippen a better player and having Jordan on the court opened up opportunities for Pippen to exploit.

I seriously think that Cheika wasn't 100% committed to winning the Bledisloe and is banking everything on the RWC.

Couple of other Wallabies I'll mention:

Palu. I don't know how many times I've said it here but he just isn't the guy to play when you're up against NZ or SA. I'd like to see McCalman given more of a shot.

QC (Quade Cooper). He's been given the hardest games this TRC/Bledisloe. Foley would have been no better last nite I reckon. But someone has seriously stolen QC (Quade Cooper)'s confidence and he needs to put out an APB to get it back. I think he is the best 10 you have - but why the fuck he got the Boks and the ABs @Eden Park after being shown up the week before - poor bastard.

Genia. He is actually your best 9 as well. If only he played like it. I feel like him and QC (Quade Cooper) need to be told 'You have nothing to lose boys. Go and play your hearts out but have some fun. Enjoy just playing rugby again!' Forget about if you'll get picked next week or what contract you'll have next year. Just go and play some footy for the sheer enjoyment if it.

I think we've seen the best that you can expect from White and Phipps and it's a distant 3rd to Genia at his best and daylight.

Folau. The guy is a beast. How can you get him the ball
more often?

Imagine this backline actually firing:

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

Forwards:
Sio
Moore
Slipper
Simmons
Fardy
Pocock
Hooper
MacCalman

Bench:
Kepu
TPN
Holmes
Skelton
Vaea
Beale
Foley
Phipps

They key is getting Pocock and Hooper on at the same time, Genia and QC (Quade Cooper) back to somewhere around 2010-2011.

2 looseheads to start? Not sure I'd go that way. Nor Fardy at lock.
We can only imagine that backline firing, because I can't see it on 2015 form for some. All in peak form, sure.

 

[KOB1987]

why'd you have to telll me that - I didnt even notice

I had to have a look at that - AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) slipped when changing direction to chase Coles, but knew he was no hope so he gave up and was only jogging. Kepu on the other hand kept chasing as hard as he could. I'll give Kepu the points for trying but my money's still on AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in a foot race,

 

[Quick Hands]

I'll bet you the wingers werent beaten by a hooker

I said I was a back, not a winger

 

[Quick Hands]

And QH and IS hardly relevant. Isn't this how people used to look in games back in your playing days?View attachment 6787

Glad you picked a photo of a winning Wallaby team v All Blacks.

 

[Bullrush]

2 looseheads to start? Not sure I'd go that way. Nor Fardy at lock.
We can only imagine that backline firing, because I can't see it on 2015 form for some. All in peak form, sure.

I thought Slipper was pretty good both sides? Ah well - Kepu to start then.

Does Horwill or Skelton really offer that much more than Fardy does at lock? I think he's tougher than both of those blokes and is definitely works harder than Skelton.

Most posters here seem to think that Foley hasn't really grabbed the 10 to own and would anyone here take the best Test you've seen Foley play over the best Test you've seen QC (Quade Cooper) play? QC (Quade Cooper) was given the toughest assignments so far and apart from the head high shot/s - he hasn't been any worse than Foley has he? Maybe even better?

Genia is a gamble for sure but Phipps and White just don't seem up to it. It wasn't that long ago some people were saying Genia was the best 9 in the world (not me BTW but some people thought so) - does anyone think that your 2 preferred starters right now will EVER be called that?

The rest of the backline is not that controversial apart from JOC (James O'Connor) but he is a guy who makes shit happen from next to nothing. You won't get that from AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) as much as I think he's a pretty good player.

 

[cyclopath]

I thought Slipper was pretty good both sides? Ah well - Kepu to start then.

Does Horwill or Skelton really offer that much more than Fardy does at lock? I think he's tougher than both of those blokes and is definitely works harder than Skelton.

Most posters here seem to think that Foley hasn't really grabbed the 10 to own and would anyone here take the best Test you've seen Foley play over the best Test you've seen QC (Quade Cooper) play? QC (Quade Cooper) was given the toughest assignments so far and apart from the head high shot/s - he hasn't been any worse than Foley has he? Maybe even better?

Genia is a gamble for sure but Phipps and White just don't seem up to it. It wasn't that long ago some people were saying Genia was the best 9 in the world (not me BTW but some people thought so) - does anyone think that your 2 preferred starters right now will EVER be called that?

The rest of the backline is not that controversial apart from JOC (James O'Connor) but he is a guy who makes shit happen from next to nothing. You won't get that from AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) as much as I think he's a pretty good player.

Fardy has not shown that he is an international lock from set-piece (esp scrum) POV, nobody doubts his toughness or workrate, I agree. He is our best 6 by some margin. We cannot afford to sacrifice set-piece work in the RWC. Especially the scrum.
I know what you're getting at with the backline, but 3 of those named have shown limited / poor form in 2015, so I just can't see them being a panacea.

 

[Train Without a Station]

BR I will say as a Queenslander who has watched Genia play something like 28 super rugby matches over the past 2 years, there's been very little indication of him re-capturing his best. Cooper has at least shown glimpses so may improve with more rugby due to missing so much time.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Fardy is our best blindside and should play there. If he were to move to lock, then who would play 6?

Genia of the 2011 vintage is without question our best option, but he's nowhere near the player he once was. At 10, I think QC (Quade Cooper) has the most upside, but only with a hard, straight running 12 along side him. To'omua is that man for mine.

 

[KOB1987]

Although it was a disappointing way to finish the international season, there have been plenty of good things come out of the 4 games as a whole. In fact, take out that disastrous 7 minutes last night and there is a lot to be optimistic about heading in to the RWC.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Although it was a disappointing way to finish the international season, there have been plenty of good things come out of the 4 games as a whole. In fact, take out that disastrous 7 minutes last night and there is a lot to be optimistic about heading in to the RWC.

I agree. We're certainly a much better team than we were this time last year. Many squad positions are nailed down and there will be little controversy about who gets selected I think and that's a good thing. My main worry at the moment is how pedestrian our attack has looked at times. We're playing far too deep and not hitting the gain line hard enough. We also need to find an answer to the rush defences that teams like Wales will run against us, because they've got some big imposing bodies in that backline. We need more running options outside that 10 channel, where our five eighth can have a bloke hit a hole with a short or flat ball. I want to see guys like Folau and TK carving defences up at pace.

 

[tragic]

Cant believe some are suggesting trying a new no 10/ midfield combination in the world cup. The time for experimentation is over people.
Cheiks has decided Foley or Cooper is his no. 10. No-one else had a starting run at 10 and barring injury the world cup is not the time to try a new combination. The bed has been made and its time to sleep in it.
I'm not sure either 10 is the best in Australia but all this talk of a new 10 at zero hour is utter rubbish
If To'omua plays better at 10 against Fiji and Uruguay than Cooper did against the ABs at Eden park does that means he's the answer?
Time to pick Foley or Cooper and give them Uruguay, Fiji, England and Wales to get settled.

 

[Bullrush]

Fardy is our best blindside and should play there. If he were to move to lock, then who would play 6?

Genia of the 2011 vintage is without question our best option, but he's nowhere near the player he once was. At 10, I think QC (Quade Cooper) has the most upside, but only with a hard, straight running 12 along side him. To'omua is that man for mine.

I'd go Pocock to 6, Hooper to 7 and McCalman to 8 but I don't remember any Tests with Fardy at lock and Cyclopath reckons set-piece was shit so I guess that's not good.

And I didn't get to watch any Blues games this year let alone and Reds ones so again, I'll have to take everyone else's word re: Genia.

But I'd still have QC (Quade Cooper) at 10, To'omua 12 and JOC (James O'Connor) at wing. If you can take guys from that 2nd Tier Comp where Giteau and Mitchell are playing, I would take JOC (James O'Connor) and have some faith in MC to get him firing at wing. Give him the ball, a little bit of space and the confidence that he'll be just fine.

 

[Lorenzo]

Genia is a gamble for sure but Phipps and White just don't seem up to it. It wasn't that long ago some people were saying Genia was the best 9 in the world (not me BTW but some people thought so) - does anyone think that your 2 preferred starters right now will EVER be called that?

It was quite a while ago, actually, like 3 or more years ago.

Whether or not Phipps or White will ever crowned best in world by dudes on the internet is largely irrelevant compared to how the 3 of them can perform now.

 

[Gnostic]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Cooper both got shown up by their boots - both losing footing at key times. Both seemed to have standard moulded soles, not longer sprigs. A common Wallaby shortfall. Inexcusable at this level to have inadequate footwear in greasy conditions.

You'd think Beale would have said to them, 'He fellas don't wear that moulded shit, made me look like a dick that time against the Lions and @Redshappy still hasn't forgiven me.'

 

[Bullrush]

It was quite a while ago, actually, like 3 or more years ago.

Whether or not Phipps or White will ever crowned best in world by dudes on the internet is largely irrelevant compared to how the 3 of them can perform *now*

Errrr - yes, it was only the 'dudes on the internet' who considered him to be the best. No name 'dudes' like Justin Marshall - what the fuck would he know about Test rugby?

So last week Phipps was apparently piss-poor and White was hardly a huge improvement from what I watched anyway.

Would Genia have been worse than these 2 the last 2 weeks?

 

[Lorenzo]

Errrr - yes, it was only the 'dudes on the internet' who considered him to be the best. No name 'dudes' like Justin Marshall - what the fuck would he know about Test rugby?

So last week Phipps was apparently piss-poor and White was hardly a huge improvement from what I watched anyway.

Would Genia have been worse than these 2 the last 2 weeks?

Phil Kearns is also a former test player and I wouldn't pay him in shop-a-dockets for actual analysis. In any event, and even accepting that JM is the man to listen to, it was a fucking age ago. Hell, Berrick Barnes has been a first choice 10 for us in the time since Genia was any good.

Probably he would have, yes. You'd know this if you'd actually watched him play more than once a year.

What was so wrong with White's game last night, anyway?

 

[Ruggo]

Yeah, but the word out of the Wallaby camp was that Douglas was brought in for Simmons' absence (i.e. maybe the coaching staff see him as more like for like than others??). I think that was KOB's point.

Without going to the usual player x vs player y argument, I think it's a shame we didn't get to see Arnold get a shot. Maybe there is an injury concern or he didn't put in on the training paddock during camp or something but I am curious as to what he would offer.

 

[Gnostic]

Without going to the usual player x vs player y argument, I think it's a shame we didn't get to see Arnold get a shot. Maybe there is an injury concern or he didn't put in on the training paddock during camp or something but I am curious as to what he would offer.

and I am still wondering what Jones did wrong after being probably the best lock in Oz in the S15 on stats. Some things I doubt we'll ever know the answer to.