Hypotheticals - 2013 Wallaby Positions

[It is what it is]

Fair deuce, I was going to come back and say "Whoops, not JOC (James O'Connor). I meant Higginbotham" but I'll admit when I'm wrong. That said, I'd still have JOC (James O'Connor) at 12 regardless of how much of an individual player he is (which I think is a crock, yeah he likes his hair and his brand but shit the kid can play).

Yes JOC (James O'Connor) can play but I still see his creativity at this time limited to making opportunities for himself.
He is still young and learning (hopefully), and the ability to make plays for others needs to come.
For this reason I see him on the wing at Test level for now, and learning play making at 10 or at a stretch 12 at Super level.

 

[Braveheart81]

If I could have my ideal side, fully fit and firing, this time next year (give some players more development time) it would be..

You know the best bit about that team? Only potentially two Waratahs starting, more Reds and Brumbies.

That's fine with me. This time next year I'll be happy to complain that not enough players are being selected from the number one Australian Super Rugby side.

 

[tigerland12]

That's fine with me. This time next year I'll be happy to complain that not enough players are being selected from the number one Australian Super Rugby side.

I honestly wasn't having a dig with that post, I picked what I thought would be our strongest team, then it occured that it is primarily Reds and Brumbies, which is for good reason.

 

[Richo]

I honestly wasn't having a dig with that post, I picked what I thought would be our strongest team, then it occured that it is primarily Reds and Brumbies, which is for good reason.

I just wanna see the best Wallabies side possible. Who cares what province they come from?

I like your team a lot, btw. Roughly what I'd like to see, although if Lealifano has a season like this one next year he could displace Barnes or even Quade.

 

[undercoverkiwi]

I think my first ever post on GAGR was questioning Pat McCabe, trying to figure out why he's seen as such an important player and not just a lump that interrupts your otherwise fast, agile back division. I still don't see the point of him. He's incredibly brave and a good player to set up a midfield ruck, but I think he does more harm to your backline than good.

Apologies for turning up after a long hiatus, in the week following another Bledisloe win.

 

[undercoverkiwi]

On a more constructive note, I think AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is one of the finest rugby players going around anywhere these days. He would be my 13 if I was in charge, with JOC (James O'Connor) at 12.

Wings pick themselves (Ioane and Mitchell - if he's ever fit again, he's one of the best wings in rugby).

Fullback is Beale's but he needs to learn to defend/tackle (and catch).

10 is the tough one. Maybe I'm a bitter Kiwi but I would never be comfortable with Cooper running my side, it's that bottom 85% of his game that worries me (Carlos SpencerLITE). I think Barnes is an outstanding footballer but seems to be past it, he's not what he used to be. So I dunno what I'd do.

 

[BarneySF]

I've always wondered about getting TPN into the front row so you can have Moore hooking with say Palmer being the other prop. That would be a starchy front row I would think (at least on paper - isn't it always on paper?) That could leave some space for somone like Hanson on the bench. Moving Timani to no 8, to then give room to developing the Fardys and the Nevilles (if only Sharpie could stay a bit longer to tutor). Think a Speight-Diggers wing combo sounds pretty awesome, with Tomane somehwere in the centres (although I didn't see enough of him this year - what're his hands like?). Then you let the backline core hopefully take care of itself - 10, 12, 13, 15.

Pity Will Chambers never went the whole 9 yards. Always seemed to punch below his weight. Looks to be revelling back in his old code. Would have been a handy 12 - but then he would have just been used as a hit up merchant.

 

[AlexH]

GTFO. Beale at 10, we'll do we want.

JOC (James O'Connor) can dream about playing at fly-half, inside centre or even number 8. He's proven to be mediocre in those positions at the Rebels. Stick him on the wing, he's too much of an individual player, on and off the field.

Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to?

I could not agree more.

O'Connor may have all the talent in the world but his best position will be wing until he becomes a less selfish player.

 

[Larno]

Fotu to gain a place maybe if he can stay fit?

This. Auelua and his fellow Brumby Ita Vaea never seem to get much love on here when the topic of future prospects at number 8 comes up. Are there any particular reasons why?

I know Auelua is getting on a bit and Vaea is perhaps still a bit raw, but both have a certain physicality about them that is not particularly abundant in a lot of the other current candidates for Wallaby number 8 (save for big Cliffy Palu) and surely both are worth exploring as potential options going foward?

Perhaps Vaea could benefit from heading to another Australian Super franchise to have a crack at nailing down a starting jersey?

 

[kronic]

Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to?

Only Twitter.

 

[GoldenKnight]

how about

1. Pek Cowan
2. Tatafu Polota-nau
3. James Slipper
4. Kane Douglas
5. James Horwil
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. David Pocock
8. Ben Mowen

9. Will Genia
10. Kurtley Beale
11. Joe Tomane
12. James Oçonnor
13. Chris Feauai-sautia
14. Dom Shipperley
15. Aidan Toua

16. Stephen Moore
17. Scott Sio
18. Hugh Pyle
19. Michael Hooper
20. Ben Lucas
21. Quade Cooper
22. Henry Speight

other squad members: Dan Palmer, Nathan Charles, Bruce Smith-wright, Liam Gill, Nick Frisby, Pat McCabe, Tom Kingston, digby Ioane



NEW COACHES


Head coach - Ewan Mckenzie
assistant coach - Laurie Fisher
assistant coach - Stephen larkham



plenty of brutal muscular strong fresh forwards and a huge rebuild of attack with some stylish and talented, not to mention quicker and bigger backs.

LET THE REBUILD BEGIN

 

[tigerland12]

Wait, is that team meant to be serious!?

 

[Swat]

Wow, just wow. Welcome and all but wow. I'm thinking you didn't read the actual thread and just posted who you think might be in the squad in 2013 but wow, seriously. How Digby gets relegated out of the 22 i'll never know.

 

[Richo]

Welcome, GoldenKnight.

Not sure about some of those selections... Maybe Wallabies 2015?

 

[Scotty]

I tend to agree with this from Paul Cully. We just aren't big enough at the moment. Our wonder kids are only small wonder kids (Quade is big enough, but not good enough in contact). We need to find some big and strong up and comers to give us a more physical presence.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/a...-backline-size-is-exposed-20120830-253a8.html

There is another current advantage held by New Zealand, one revealed by a look back at the last Australian team to hold the Bledisloe: the Wallabies' outside backs are shrinking.
Take a peek at the following Australian back line, from numbers 11-15, from the 16-14 victory against the All Blacks in Sydney in 2002: Stirling Mortlock, Daniel Herbert, Matthew Burke, Ben Tune and Chris Latham. Not only is there skill in that unit, but size, too. On that evening they were matched up against, from numbers 11 to 15, Caleb Ralph, Aaron Mauger, Tana Umaga, Doug Howlett and Christian Cullen. For sheer power - from Herbert and Tune's low centre-of-gravity running to Latham's natural heft - the Australians probably held an edge. They certainly didn't concede one.

I am still pinning a lot of hope on Luke Morahan to become a Latham-esque fullback (Luke is faster, but with a smaller boot). We have Tapaui with strength, leg drive and skill that is similar to Horan (Taps is probably not as quick, but looks to be a better passer). We already have Digby on one wing, and Tomane and Shipperley have a good mix of speed and strength. I'm not sure where our big 13 is going to come from though. Most of the current models look to be stop gap solutions at best.

 

[Torn Hammy]

Hypothetically.

9. Genia
10. Lealilifano
11. Ioane
12. Inman (size, speed, strength)
13. JOC (James O'Connor)
14. Mitchell
15. Beale

 

[Swat]

Guys, seriously. This isn't a thread for guessing who you think will be in what wallaby position. It's about what positions you would like to see current and potential wallabies play for their respective super teams next year. Please read the first post of a thread before posting in it.

 

[Scotty]

Ok boss. I'll try not to talk about Digby playing on the wing..... hang on a minute......

 

[Swat]

Ok boss. I'll try not to talk about Digby playing on the wing... hang on a minute..

 

[Scotty]

I like your idea of Harris at 13 though. Stick 5 kgs of weight (the Pocock kind, not the Beale kind) on him and he could become close to what we are looking for, with the added benefit of great goal kicking.