The Wallabies Thread

[Derpus]

Stewart looks to have potential but it’s too early. QC (Quade Cooper) has opted out of test rugby having turned up his nose at several decent offers away from QLD that would have kept him eligible.
Everything should have been done to keep To'omua in Australia as he still has a long way to go in his career and probably has his best footy ahead of him.
Foley is a good test player but he has too much and not enough pressure on him.

like paying more money than we have for him? The guy decided he wanted the money. What can you do?

Debz isn't going to cut it. Hawera will never 'be Australian' to my mind, he's just always been 'the kiwi import'.

Doubt him being a Kiwi matters. Didn't matter with Quade. Won't matter that Michael Ala'alatoa is Aussie when he gets picked for the ABs. What does matter is he's not good enough.

 

[liquor box]

QC (Quade Cooper) has opted out of test rugby having turned up his nose at several decent offers away from QLD that would have kept him eligible.

I still find this interesting, why can he not be picked (injured now anyway) while playing for a team that i registered with Australian Rugby and QRU but if he chose to play overseas he can be picked since he has over 60 caps?

Is there a list of teams that allow you to be eligible?

What if a certain stater accepts a multi million dollar deal overseas and a rival Super Rugby team offers only a million dollar contract. Is he eligible for the Wallabies despite a decent offer being made by a Super Rugby team?

BTW Joe Blow, this is not aimed at you, more at the stupid rules

 

[Derpus]

^^^^
He can. Cheik said he won't be picked unless he's playing Soup. He opted not to.

 

[fatprop]

Stewart looks to have potential but it’s too early. QC (Quade Cooper) has opted out of test rugby having turned up his nose at several decent offers away from QLD that would have kept him eligible.
Everything should have been done to keep To'omua in Australia as he still has a long way to go in his career and probably has his best footy ahead of him.
Foley is a good test player but he has too much and not enough pressure on him.

So when did To'omua become a test standard 10?

 

[KOB1987]

So when did To'omua become a test standard 10?

He's not. People who give Foley a pasting for his kicking game would have a field day with To'omua. Academic anyway, he chased the money up north.

Lealifano is the only other test quality 10 we have and he could get chosen in the squad purely for the reason several others will be chosen, experience.

 

[Zero_Cool]

He's not. People who give Foley a pasting for his kicking game would have a field day with To'omua. Academic anyway, he chased the money up north.

Lealifano is the only other test quality 10 we have and he could get chosen in the squad purely for the reason several others will be chosen, experience.

I haven't seen Lealifano actually playing at test level (as a 10 at least) yet this season.

Also, Quade played in Queensland in high school and so actually has a connection with Australia. Hawera as far as I'm aware (I could be wrong) was brought over as an adult.

 

[Derpus]

I haven't seen Lealifano actually playing at test level (as a 10 at least) yet this season.

Also, Quade played in Queensland in high school and so actually has a connection with Australia. Hawera as far as I'm aware (I could be wrong) was brought over as an adult.

Yes that ephemeral 'connection' is a key eligibility criteria.

 

[Joe Blow]

So when did To'omua become a test standard 10?

He was a much more complete 10 than Hodge and played there often for the brumbies. He was without doubt a test class 12 and could easily fill in at 10 as a back up.
Lealiifano is an adequate 10 but more of a 12 as well. It’s great that he is back playing super rugby but I doubt he will play a big part for the wallabies in the future.

 

[Up the Guts]

having the option may change the opponents play, they are less likely to "stretch the rules" on half the field rather than within 20 metres if Foley is the only option

A good point, but I expect they'd be much more likely to be careful in the final 20 minutes rather than the first 20.

 

[Rebels3]

A To'omua/Beale 10/12 would be a nice prospect. Someone that is a good defender and can take it to the line and a creative spark.

 

[Zero_Cool]

Yes that ephemeral 'connection' is a key eligibility criteria.

I do feel like it is. It would be like England Picking Brad Shields, it just 'feels' wrong... Oh wait.

But seriously, Quade was an Australian School Boy, Hawera was playing for Waikato, and Southland before 2017, do you not see that as being a point of difference?
Contrast this with a guy like Tupou you listen to him speak and while he hasn't been here for a long time he WANTS to be an Aussie Wallaby, I've never hear Hawera talk about Australia/Wallabies like that.

Plus this all assumes that Hawera is categorically better once all things are considered, than Stewart and/or Mason and I'm not entirely sure of that either. If for no other reason that Mason and Stewart are still very young and giant bundles of potential.

 

[Braveheart81]

Contrast this with a guy like Tupou you listen to him speak and while he hasn't been here for a long time he WANTS to be an Aussie Wallaby, I've never hear Hawera talk about Australia/Wallabies like that.

I certainly wouldn't have Hawera anywhere near the Wallabies squad because he isn't good enough but how often have you heard him talk?

It's not like there's a comparable amount of media and associated hype around Hawera as there has been for Tupou for a number of years.

I can't remember hearing an interview with Hawera.

 

[barbarian]

Can we talk about Pete Samu? By all accounts is set to be picked tomorrow.

I haven't watched much of the Saders this season - is he much chop, or does he look good simply because he's playing in a better side?
.

 

[Brumby Runner]

He was a much more complete 10 than Hodge and played there often for the brumbies. He was without doubt a test class 12 and could easily fill in at 10 as a back up.
Lealiifano is an adequate 10 but more of a 12 as well. It’s great that he is back playing super rugby but I doubt he will play a big part for the wallabies in the future.

MT was without doubt a test quality No 12 - just ask Billy Twelvetrees what it's like to play directly opposite him. Absolutely thrashed when the Lions played the Brumbies, and seemed to take a couple of years for him to get his mojo back for England. Having said that, Bernie Larkham always seemed to favour To'omua at 10 with Christian at 12 if I recall correctly. I have no doubt that had he taken the option of remaining in Aus instead of traveling to England to give his new wife the opportunity to play her cricket over there, he would have become a starter for the Wallabies at either 10 or 12, and he would be, and is, a far better option than either of Beale or Hodge at 10.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think Samu is really good but my worry is whether he is suited to test rugby in particular with Hooper and Pocock. He is listed as 185cm and 102kg. He is a tiny 6 at international level.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Can we talk about Pete Samu? By all accounts is set to be picked tomorrow.

I haven't watched much of the Saders this season - is he much chop, or does he look good simply because he's playing in a better side?
.

Certainly playing in a better side, but the standard of his play is every bit as good as many others in the Crusaders' side. He does not look out of place there at all.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Wasn't To'omua one more head knock away from retirement? Thought that was one of the reasons he effectively retired from internationals

 

[Derpus]

I think Samu is really good but my worry is whether he is suited to test rugby in particular with Hooper and Pocock. He is listed as 185cm and 102kg. He is a tiny 6 at international level.

And Hanigan weighs 110kg and i question whether he's ever actually cleaned out a ruck, ever.

Size is a pretty poor metric.

Having said that i haven't seen much of Samu. Can he jump n stuff?

 

[Brumby Runner]

I think Samu is really good but my worry is whether he is suited to test rugby in particular with Hooper and Pocock. He is listed as 185cm and 102kg. He is a tiny 6 at international level.

Samu currently makes up the Crusaders back three comprising Matt Todd (185cm, 105kg) and Jordan Taufua (187cm, 108kg). If he makes the Wallabies back row, it will comprise (most likely) Michael Hooper (182cm, 101kg) and David Pocock (184cm, 115kg). The Crusaders backrow is not the current ABs, but would be regarded by most as being of international quality. The Wallabies backrow with Samu in it would be heavier, though not taller, than the Crusaders. Actually, looking at the stats, the odd man out is really Michael Hooper.

I will go on record here to say that I'd like to see a backrow of Samu, Pocock, Timu for the June tests. MH on the bench to come on with around 20 minutes to go.

 

[Up the Guts]

I think Samu is really good but my worry is whether he is suited to test rugby in particular with Hooper and Pocock. He is listed as 185cm and 102kg. He is a tiny 6 at international level.

That’s smaller than McMahon who most people thought was only big enough to be a 7. Not sure how we can have a back row all under 190cm and expect to compete at lineout time.