The Wallabies Thread

[redhead]

In my opinion the experiment with Tui at 6 has failed. He is too slow and misses too many tackles. In my opinion Hanigan would be a better choice.

 

[Slim 293]

In my opinion the experiment with Tui at 6 has failed. He is too slow and misses too many tackles. In my opinion Hanigan would be a better choice.

I don't think he'd be a better choice at all...........

Higher workrate, but zero impact.

Tui was at least busting tackles and getting over the advantage line.

 

[redhead]

Well, so what was Tui impact on the scoreboard? 2 NZ tries in 2 games, few lost balls and missed tackles .. Anything else I missed?

 

[Slim 293]

Well, so what was Tui impact on the scoreboard? 2 NZ tries in 2 games, few lost balls and missed tackles .. Anything else I missed?

Was he the only player out there?

But according to the stats he missed 0 tackles......... so you did miss that.

 

[redhead]

I am not saying he was the only one. But lets look at both defensive and offensive work before making any calls. Clearly there are few others who could be tried with Pocock at the backrow.

 

[Up the Guts]

In my opinion the experiment with Tui at 6 has failed. He is too slow and misses too many tackles. In my opinion Hanigan would be a better choice.

We've spent the last three years looking for a backrower with size, tackle-busting ability, and lineout proficiency. Tui is raw and can be rash but he offers all those qualities. He's not a finished product but he's the best we've got. If he works on his body height and general fitness he will likely be a mainstay at 6 for some years to come.

 

[jimmydubs]

Why?
We play them more than anyone else every year which makes them very familiar with the way we play, which in turns seems to help them more than us. It is good to measure yourself against the best but not too often.

Because then to get the bledisloe back would need us to go 2/2 in a year instead of 2/3.

 

[Slim 293]

We've spent the last three years looking for a backrower with size, tackle-busting ability, and lineout proficiency. Tui is raw and can be rash but he offers all those qualities. He's not a finished product but he's the best we've got. If he works on his body height and general fitness he will likely be a mainstay at 6 for some years to come.

He's definitely the best option we have right now.......... until the likes of Naisarani or Valetini are available and prove to be good enough.

 

[Ignoto]

In my opinion the experiment with Tui at 6 has failed. He is too slow and misses too many tackles. In my opinion Hanigan would be a better choice.

While Tui was caught out a few times with his height, I can't remember too many forwards who were actually bending the line. I do think he needs to be pulled at the 50 minute mark or come on as a sub to ensure he's playing effectively.

Additionally, I don't think Tui works with a backrow combination of the Pooper. With Tui being a converted Lock at 6, you need another guy like Samu or Timu at 8 to help with the workload Tui doesn't bring. Hooper has been shown to still be recovering from his injury and I would have much preferred Pooey at 7 over the last two matches.

 

[Up the Guts]

He's definitely the best option we have right now.... until the likes of Naisarani or Valetini are available and prove to be good enough.

It was a shame we never got to see Pocock flanked by those two at the Brumbies this year. Valetini is the real deal from what I've seen, let's just hope his knee holds up.

 

[Brumby Runner]

It's just rearranging deck chairs on the titanic, given that team changes aren't going to fix the underlying skill/structural/player development issues in Australian Rugby, but here's the team I'd trot out against the Boks (in a vain attempt to create a smidgen of optimism):

1. Sio
2. Fainga'a
3. Tupou
4. Arnold
5. Coleman
6. Tui
7. Hooper
8. Pocok
9. Genia
10. Foley
11. Banks
12. Beale
13. Hodge
14. Folau
15. DHP

Of course, there's still Foley at 10 and Pocock and Hooper in the back row which is sure to rile the usual crowd. I just don't see anyone else better at this point in time. Arnold adds aggression we dearly need, Rodda is just too passive. I can buy arguments about starting Tupou from the bench when we're playing well but the way we've been going we have to have our most impactful 15 out on the field and he's our ace in the hole in the impact department. Think Taf has been way below where he was last year, FF (Folau Fainga'a) was sublime at the end of Super, give him a shot.

DHP played very well at fullback and, although there were some comments about no x-factor, he's as slippery on the kick return as Ben Smith and kicks well. Folau then moves to 14 in place of Koroibete. Maddocks is good at sniffing out tries and in support play but Banks' pace and agility makes him seem more likely to create a try. Oh and Banks is the best cover defender in Australia, wouldn't it have been great if he had been on the field to run down a few ABs.

I like Tupou and Arnold starting and DHP to fullback again. I don't agree with some of the other picks, but those changes are overdue.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Is it not obvious that Pocock should start at 7? By playing two sevens we are forced to play Tui, who admittedly is going well, but ultimately it is not a very balanced back row. Having Timu and Samu with Dave, and Lukhan at lock if we wanted to keep him in would be a much better pack.

Hooper off the bench would make far more sense.

But this ridiculous contract RA have given him means that he has to start despite not even being the best seven in the country.

I like Cheika, and I love his mentality. But his inability to pick the right team, or even tinker with his XV ideas is infuriating.

Don't say, he changed his props, Sio is our best loosehead and the tighthead wave is changing in Australia, Kepu needs to find some inspiration. Whether that be Ala'alatoa or Tupou both are fantastic young TH's.

 

[Brumby Runner]

We've spent the last three years looking for a backrower with size, tackle-busting ability, and lineout proficiency. Tui is raw and can be rash but he offers all those qualities. He's not a finished product but he's the best we've got. If he works on his body height and general fitness he will likely be a mainstay at 6 for some years to come.

We must persevere with Tui for the moment. As Slim points out, he made his tackles. He also made ground with ball in hand which we won't see from Hanigan. He also took his lineout catches. Retallick stripped the ball from him on, I think, his first run, but after that he tightened his hold on the ball. My only concern with him is that he is a bit slow around the ground. But he does offer quite a bit that is needed in a 6 and should only improve with experience and confidence. Dempsey next year will put pressure on the 6 spot, but I cannot agree with any notion to reinstate Hanigan.

 

[Up the Guts]

We must persevere with Tui for the moment. As Slim points out, he made his tackles. He also made ground with ball in hand which we won't see from Hanigan. He also took his lineout catches. Retallick stripped the ball from him on, I think, his first run, but after that he tightened his hold on the ball. My only concern with him is that he is a bit slow around the ground. But he does offer quite a bit that is needed in a 6 and should only improve with experience and confidence. Dempsey next year will put pressure on the 6 spot, but I cannot agree with any notion to reinstate Hanigan.

Agree with all that, I think he can improve his speed around the ground by improving his fitness.

 

[Wilson]

There's an argument to pick a different 6 to this but definitely not to drop him at the moment, I'd be dropping rodda and playing tui at lock well before dropping tui for anyone else. That said I think he should be kept at 6, he's raw but improving and he'll be much better come world cup time with a season at 6 under his belt.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Yeh Tui was strong in the tackle so prepared to keep him as offers a lot and those areas of weakness he will improve in as a 6.

 

[Up the Guts]

I like Tupou and Arnold starting and DHP to fullback again. I don't agree with some of the other picks, but those changes are overdue.

I know the "other picks" you are referring to and agree some of the players, and positions they're playing in, are not ideal but I don't see any alternatives.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I suspect UTG that you and Michael Cheika are on the same page with those other picks. The rumour is that if the Wallabies continue to lose the next couple of RC games, then it will be curtains for Cheika. Most posters have thought the Saffas would be a big challenge, but after the weekend's games, we'd also think the Pumas will be tough too. Admittedly, we have home ground advantage, so there's that in favour of the Wallabies, but you'd have to start thinking if your job is on the line then some of those other picks just might not be worth going with into the next two tests. Anyway, we'll see soon enough.

 

[wamberal]

One of the answers to our current mess is for RA to pay for (and appoint) all coaching and support staff for the Soup franchises.



We have very sparse elite playing resources, we simply have to find a way to optimise our playing strengths.


Knuckles apparently quoted in today's Rupert saying that the national coach should have more influence over the Soup coaches. He uses the example of Tui being needed as a 6 at national level, but having virtually no experience there at the Soup, and it would have been nice if Chubby could have asked Thorn to play him there. Thorn, of course, does not give a shite about what Chubby wants, he needs to do what he deems best for the Reds in the short term, not what might be best for the Wobbs.



The only way for this sort of thing to be rationalised is not through cooperation, but through a chain of command, with the national coach being able to intervene and request a player be played in a position that suits the national requirements.

 

[Derpus]

^^^^
How the hell do we implement it though? You'd have to get people agreeing to relinquish power which seems somewhat unlikely.