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Gillys_ghost
Dave Cowper (27)
1. Slipper/Sio
2. Moore
3. Kepu/ Holmes
4. Simmons
5. Horwill/ Arnold
6. Hooper
7. Pocock
8. McCalman
9. Phipps
10. Cooper
11. Tomane
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. Ashley-Cooper
15. Folau
16. Polota-Nau 17. Sio/Slipper 18. Holmes/Kepu 19. Skelton 20. McMahon 21. White 22. Beale 23. Mitchell
2. Moore
3. Kepu/ Holmes
4. Simmons
5. Horwill/ Arnold
6. Hooper
7. Pocock
8. McCalman
9. Phipps
10. Cooper
11. Tomane
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. Ashley-Cooper
15. Folau
16. Polota-Nau 17. Sio/Slipper 18. Holmes/Kepu 19. Skelton 20. McMahon 21. White 22. Beale 23. Mitchell
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Ah yes - was interesting choice - as thought Smith played better than Faulkner this year
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
People can say all they want that "we have no depth at lock" but it has zero basis. Good performing locks could not make the squad for fucks sake. Bringing Douglas back is no solution.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
I blame Robbie Deans.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Gillys_ghost
Dave Cowper (27)
and probably girlfriends
What is the story of everyone dropping Fardy? One game where things werent going his way and now he is out of the 23? He had the second most ruck involvements, most line out takes of the round and if I remember correctly he also snatched one steal.
I know he did not rack up huge stats but he is more use in defence than attack and we had the posession so that explains some of his bad stats.
I know he did not rack up huge stats but he is more use in defence than attack and we had the posession so that explains some of his bad stats.
Gillys_ghost
Dave Cowper (27)
its only because Hooper and Pocock worked so bloody well together and McCalman offers more then higgers after saturdays performance.
dru
Tim Horan (67)
I'm with you. I'd say the same about Higgers. Cheika is (or did against the Boks) playing a backline heavy with playmakers. His "unpredictability". To shore up the obvious weaknesses the loose forwards had to beef the backline with muscle. We saw Hooper and Higgers in the 5m zone outside of 11 and 14 most of the match. That's not a fault in the players, there doing what the coach asked. What I am seeing, anyway.
This only works if you work the pants off the tight 5. In this case with Skelton lagging a little on occasion, Fardy makes up the fifth. And this five was playing against 8. And big Skel spends time in the centres.
Line outs worked quite well, scrums less so. And the five, including Fardy, did remarkably well given the work that this strategy places on them.
I suspect, other than changing the starting props, the only forward changes we will see will be trying to be more solid at the scrum. I suspect this means locks. We are investing in Skelton, so "lock change" would mean Simmo, I am guessing.
Back line changes are being forced by injury. Though may have been tried anyway.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Neither does Slipper and Kepu.......... Seems irrelevant.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Seriously Slim? Slipper and Kepu are both very good ball-carrying props.
ChargerWA
Mark Loane (55)
The props key role is still scrummaging. A bit of skill in the loose is the bonus.
NZ have changed the game with loose forwards. Picking guys like Read who are as valuable in the loose in attack has made them World No1 for 10 years (as of today). We need more from our loose forwards in attack if we are to compete. Fardy has had a fairly average Super season by his previous standards and isn't a locked in starter anymore.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Oh no doubt, for props............
Qwerty is just a broken record on this issue, despite the fact that we just played a test with two ball carrying backrowers starting and it didn't go well.............
Not that changing them is going to fix our forwards' attitude towards the breakdown........ particularly the greater need for our tight 5 to pick up their game.
But back to the original point - of course you can play Fardy and Pocock together......... you just need someone of Hooper's calibre (strong in contact in both attack and defence) also in that back row (and better involvement from the tight 5).
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