The Wallabies Thread

[Scrubber2050]

Yep, that's one of the things that we've been missing for a long time: a line bending eight who can run all day. He's got the physical presence, skill and pace to do that at the next level if his game continues to develop like it has. He can also jump in the lineout too.

Not too much question that Pocock is the best 7 running around. He played 8, simply because there was no other standout 8 in Australia and Hooper is a very valuable player on the field. It worked well, very well.

Now that there is a standout 8 I'm sure we'll see the Fardy, Pocock and Holloway selection at some stage of the English series

 

[Slim 293]

Not too much question that Pocock is the best 7 running around. He played 8, simply because there was no other standout 8 in Australia and Hooper is a very valuable player on the field. It worked well, very well.

Now that there is a standout 8 I'm sure we'll see the Fardy, Pocock and Holloway selection at some stage of the English series

Oh Scrubber, you're not starting this again?

 

[wamberal]

Not too much question that Pocock is the best 7 running around. He played 8, simply because there was no other standout 8 in Australia and Hooper is a very valuable player on the field. It worked well, very well.

Now that there is a standout 8 I'm sure we'll see the Fardy, Pocock and Holloway selection at some stage of the English series

Holloway is not a stand-out just yet.

 

[Braveheart81]

Holloway is not a stand-out just yet.

As far as Scrubber is concerned they don't have to be particularly good to knock Hooper out of the side.

 

[Viking]

Yeah I don't think the issue was that their was no "standout 8". It was a more positive issue. Hooper and Poey were too good not to be in the starting team. Nothing has changed in that regard.

However, they aren't going to be around forever, and the fact they are both 7's doesn't provide a lot of flexibility/balance in the team. Plus Poey is gone next year, who knows when Hooper will go oversea's but its likely for all world-class players.

This is a great opportunity to bring some-one into the team and slowly integrate them into test rugby. Much like NZ do. Holloway is a great fit in this regard.

Bring him in, start him from the bench for the next year or two. Maybe give him a start on the EOYT. In 2-3 years time he could be the next Read

 

[Scrubber2050]

As far as Scrubber is concerned they don't have to be particularly good to knock Hooper out of the side.

Funny comment, particularly when you have acknowledged Pocock is the best.

Just for you and for clarity I think Hooper is an amazing footballer and a player would have to be "special" to knock him off - Pocock fits the bill

 

[Scrubber2050]

Holloway is not a stand-out just yet.

He seems to be standing out quite well I would think

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Not too much question that Pocock is the best 7 running around. He played 8, simply because there was no other standout 8 in Australia and Hooper is a very valuable player on the field. It worked well, very well.

Now that there is a standout 8 I'm sure we'll see the Fardy, Pocock and Holloway selection at some stage of the English series

I think you're right in that we'll see it at some stage, but let us not forget that the Pocock-Hooper combination was also a deliberate tactic by Cheika. He could see their complementary skill sets and that there was an opportunity to exploit them, especially against teams wouldn't match up well with their pace and one-two punch at the breakdown. I'd say that the only team that didn't have difficulty was the All Blacks. We were a better team with both of them on the field. They even won over a disapproving skeptic like myself.

 

[hammertimethere]

I can see there being more of an argument for Holloway in a world where Hooper is injured, but even so I'd prefer to include McMahon, Mcalman and Gill in that order before him

1st choice
6 Fardy
7 Hoops
8 Poey

20 Big Dog

Hooper injured
6 Fardy
7 McMahon
8 Pocock

20 Big Dog

Poey injured
6 Fardy
7 Hooper
8 Big Dog

20 Gill

 

[BDA]

If Pocock is not available, I'd happily play McMahon and Hooper together. McMahon is just too good to leave out of the team. Plus there are no other stand-out in terms of no.8 options.

It doesn't quite have the nice balance that the Pooper offers, but its still a dangerous combo. After all, the Pooper only came about because Cheika realised he needs his best players on the field, and he works things out from there.

 

[Brumby Runner]

IMO Holloway is a standout No 8 compared with all the other No 8s in this country, excluding Pocock who is a 7 playing 8 because of the skills Hooper brings to the No 7 spot. I am not sure I'd want to play Hooper and Holloway together because of their playing similarities but that does seem to work for the Tahs. I am very confident that Holloway will be (if he's not yet) a better player than McCalman, Butler, and Schatz and it is his time to be brought into the Wallabies' fold.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Oh I think Holloway will be an excellent player for the Wallabies if his development continues as it has been. He's got all the attributes, he just needs some time to mature.

 

[Alex]

He seems to be standing out quite well I would think

Standing out on the wing.

I've been very impressed with Holloway this year - arguably the best young number eight prospect in a long time. But if he wants to lock down the eight jersey at test level he needs to do more of the tough stuff or settle for being the next Higgers.

As outstanding as his attacking stats have been, he does not have Hooper's explosive running game and does not do carry anything like the same defensive workload. Would be good to get him around the squad, but a lot has to change before he take's Hopper's place in the wallabies.

 

[Slim 293]

I was very impressed with Rory Arnold again last night.............

Great skills for such a big guy too.

 

[RebelYell]

I was very impressed with Rory Arnold again last night.....

Great skills for such a big guy too.

As was I... Very good. I'd rather run Simmons & Arnold, with either Skelton or Timani on the bench, and leave out Carter, Mumm, Horwill.

Especially if we are playing a smaller backrow

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

We have a number of exciting lock prospects coming through the ranks now and all one of them has to do is push on that little bit and the gold jersey is theirs.

 

[Groucho]

Hardness in the tackle? Yes. Breakdown workrate? No. That is one area in the backrow the number 8 can be lenient on since we have either of Poey, Fardy and Hooper in the other positions. The most likely combo who be Poey as 7 and Fardy at 6 and they have naturally high breakdown work so our 8 can focus on running, linking and tackling - like Hooper does.

As Eddie Jones once famously said: you need one who mostly plays on the ball, and one who mostly plays off the ball, and one who's sometimes on and sometimes off the ball.

 

[Groucho]

Standing out on the wing.

I've been very impressed with Holloway this year - arguably the best young number eight prospect in a long time. But if he wants to lock down the eight jersey at test level he needs to do more of the tough stuff or settle for being the next Higgers.

As outstanding as his attacking stats have been, he does not have Hooper's explosive running game and does not do carry anything like the same defensive workload. Would be good to get him around the squad, but a lot has to change before he take's Hopper's place in the wallabies.

He plays where he's told. I think that ignoring the game plan to go head-down in rucks to impress keyboard warriors would seem him soon dropped!

 

[Groucho]

As was I. Very good. I'd rather run Simmons & Arnold, with either Skelton or Timani on the bench, and leave out Carter, Mumm, Horwill.

Especially if we are playing a smaller backrow

Yeah, I likewise think we should be forgetting about Carter, Mumm, Horwill. Coleman and Arnold are such exciting prospects.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

As Eddie Jones once famously said: you need one who mostly plays on the ball, and one who mostly plays off the ball, and one who's sometimes on and sometimes off the ball.

Pretty close to my thinking: a fetcher, a ball runner/support player and an enforcer.