Italy v Australia, Sunday Nov 10 2013, Stadio Olimpico

[Tangawizi]

The team I'd like to see against Italy to give some of tired looking players a rest is:

Robbo Faainga Ryan

Mowen Simmons Douglas Gill

McCalman

White Foley

Tomane Lealiifano Kuridrani F'Sautia

Folau

Bench : Slipper, Kepu, TPN, Horwill, Dennis, Phipps, Cooper, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

If the Deans era taught us anything, its not to trot out 2nd string sides. And with our win/loss record abysmal since Link took over I think he'll pick the strongest available or very close to it.

 

[Zander]

Moore, Mowen, Hooper, Folau, and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) all need a rest.

 

[Tangawizi]

Moore, Mowen, Hooper, Folau, and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) all need a rest.

Pfffft! They had a rest 2 weeks ago. Could've done without the break going on last week's efforts!

 

[Zander]

They've all played in every single Test and had massive Super rugby campaigns.

 

[ChargerWA]

The team I'd like to see against Italy to give some of tired looking players a rest is:

Robbo Faainga Ryan

Mowen Simmons Douglas Gill

McCalman

White Foley

Tomane Lealiifano Kuridrani F'Sautia

Folau

Bench : Slipper, Kepu, TPN, Horwill, Dennis, Phipps, Cooper, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

Jeepers mate, we're playing Italy not Ivory Coast.

Look what happened when we ran out second stringers to Scotland.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

With how shit we are right now, no game is a gimme. We'd be a chance to lose to fucking Namibia at the minute. The worst part about it for me is that I'm starting to not give a shit, but I also put that down in part to how long the season has become. It's an absolute joke how much footy these guys play now.

 

[RoffsChoice]

We need to give players a rest but given our form this also isn't the time for a B team. Give Moore, Horwill, Hooper, Genia, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Folau a break.
Robinson, Fainga'a, Kepu, Simmons, Timani, Mowen, Gill, McCalman, White, Cooper, Cummins, To'omua, Kuridrani, Tomane, Foley
Moore, Slipper, Alexander, Douglas, Dennis, Phipps, Leallifano, CFS

 

[Groucho]

Jeepers mate, we're playing Italy not Ivory Coast.

Look what happened when we ran out second stringers to Scotland.

On current form that team is stronger than our first XV.

Although on last weekend's form, a G&GR wives and girlfriends team is probably stronger.

 

[Slim 293]

Link to the stats? We barely have any reliable base stats at all, let alone anything even resembling advanced metrics to give us a properly decent idea of performance. I don't think he's been anything special to be honest, he'd be a way down the order for a World XV. I'd say he's been good without being exceptional.

There's no better options.........

We don't have any world XV 6's or 8's.........

 

[Brumby Runner]

If the Deans era taught us anything, its not to trot out 2nd string sides. And with our win/loss record abysmal since Link took over I think he'll pick the strongest available or very close to it.

I think you'll find that my suggested side isn't far off being very close to the best available.

We all know the front row has been going shit. Robbo will in all probability strengthen it by starting, Saia is not far off Squeaky atm as Moore is looking tired, and there's almost nothing between Kepu and Ryan.

I would argue that Simmons/Douglas in the 2nd row is stronger than Timani/Horwill. Sita has no impact on a game at all so far as I can see, and Big Kev is just so far out of form it isn't funny. Better for him to come off the bench while he regains fitness and form.

At this stage would it not be better to see if Gill can have more impact at the breakdown that Michael Hooper has been showing lately?

Will Genia needs a rest and Nic White needs to be given as much time as possible on the field, but with instructions on how he is to play (ie kick) to ensure there is a viable backup later on in case of injury to Will.

We have seen how Quade has come on this year, now it's time to see what Foley has to offer. Quade on the bench in case of fuck up.

Backline is as strong as last week and gives AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) a chance to have a well earned rest.

Suggesting that making changes will weaken the team after last week's poor showing is just knee-jerk reaction. There are good reasons for each of the changes I put forward. Maybe Link won't go that far, but I really hope to see a good number of new faces in the team for Italy.

 

[Dumbledore]

There's no better options...

We don't have any world XV 6's or 8's...

Well that's fine, but it's a slightly different issue.

 

[RoffsChoice]

I'm agreeing with @Dumbledore here - while it is excellent that Fardy is doing well, he is really just doing what is expected of him. We should be expecting that whoever we play at 6 will do these things at the very least.

I'll say Fardy owns the spot when he does more than just what I expect of him.

 

[nugget]

i still reckon fardy should be playing 2nd row.

We've got way too many 2m tall lanky blokes running round on the field atm, paired up with midget hooper.

We need some nuggety @1.8m tall 100+kg breakaways who can smash into contact. eg george smith, poey, the goat etc. But who?

 

[Scotty]

With how shit we are right now, no game is a gimme. We'd be a chance to lose to fucking Namibia at the minute. The worst part about it for me is that I'm starting to not give a shit, but I also put that down in part to how long the season has become. It's an absolute joke how much footy these guys play now.

Did Quade Cooper rescue us in his debut game against the Italians?

Seems we have been shit for a while with 'no game a gimme'.

 

[Braveheart81]

Did Quade Cooper rescue us in his debut game against the Italians?

Seems we have been shit for a while with 'no game a gimme'.

Whilst we can be grateful for that try, we can all be especially grateful that the haircut is gone.

 

[scaraby]

Higgers played much tighter at 8 for the Rebels this year before his injury, and quite substantially better than any other 8 going around in Aus.

yes fair call but he doesnt seem to bring that form to test level yet. I agree he was a certainty before he got injured and it would have been great to see him take the final step but at the moment he's still the best 6 to Cliffy's 8. I hope he shuts me up next year because we need an 8 badly.

 

[en_force_er]

yes fair call but he doesnt seem to bring that form to test level yet. I agree he was a certainty before he got injured and it would have been great to see him take the final step but at the moment he's still the best 6 to Cliffy's 8. I hope he shuts me up next year because we need an 8 badly.

Higgers' scrum management at 8 is surprisingly excellent for a relatively loose player. It's why when he played with Devle at the end of the year Delve was at 6.

I think in the opinion of the Wallaby staff (and plenty of other high level coaching teams) the key difference between a 6 and an 8 is the ability to manage the ball at 8 (though Benny M could use some work here in some respects).

Look at the Brums, they have an archetypical 8 in Auela, but he packed at 6 (though he wore 8). Why? Scrum management.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Did Quade Cooper rescue us in his debut game against the Italians?

Seems we have been shit for a while with 'no game a gimme'.

That's actually not too far from the truth. I'd put us down as under achieving and/or mediocre during the last few years. Every time there seems to be some improvement, we string together some performances that bring us well and truly back to the pack. With the age and experience level of most of the current group, you'd expect to be seeing some steady improvement by now.

 

[Scotty]

Yes generally it comes down to ball skills. Look at some of the great 8's:

Totai Kefu
Zinzan Brook

They had exceptional ball handling and passing skills. Higgers and Palu aren't too bad, Mowen is pretty poor.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yes generally it comes down to ball skills. Look at some of the great 8's:

Totai Kefu
Zinzan Brook

They had exceptional ball handling and passing skills. Higgers and Palu aren't too bad, Mowen is pretty poor.

Definitely. A good eight is a ball player. Not in the inside back definition, but some one who can handle the ball, hit and bend the line at pace and offload in contact. The blokes above could do that with monotonous regularity. We've had some good eights over the years and I think it's one thing we are sorely lacking right now. I think en_force_er makes a good point about scrum control too -- it's underrated skill. I know from my own time playing at eight, it's harder than it looks.