Wales v Australia

[Dctarget]

Just making sure, does Speight playing against the Wallabies or being in the Wallabies set up means he can't go play anywhere else?

 

[qwerty51]

Speight hasn't been what he was in Super Rugby. His last game for the Vikings was quite bad, he looked cumbersome in attack and didn't get involved and wasn't impressed by his Barbarians performance either. We all know what he's capable of but he's not ready atm, he'll get there soon and keep his spot for a long time. Good call. Tomane over Horne makes sense, Horne is probably our best winger in contact (Slade speedbump case in point) but he's also our slowest. We need more pace and Horne is very suitable for the bench given he can cover the wings and both centres.

 

[Paradox]

Speight has been the best winger in oz for the last 3 years and Horne had a very good hit out against the Barbarians. However, cheika has selected those who did the job against the ABs and that is the right thing to do. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Tomane need to make an impact or they'll be dropped for next game. It's a long tour and there's competition for a number of spots which is refreshing to see! He's flown under the radar but AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) hasn't been an attacking threat for Oz this year.

 

[Marcelo]

Is Speight injured again? Or is it only players' rotation?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Overall I'm happy with the team. We'll need to neutralise that big midfield and back row of theirs and if we do we can win this game. The key thing will be pace and accuracy in attack. Given the size of the team Gatland has picked, we'll need crisp ball out in front of our ball runners to try and get that defence back pedalling. This then brings Folau and TK into the game, where they can try and bust up the middle. That will hopefully also mean the likes of Hooper and McMahon can be trailing through, running off the hip of the ball carrier. Do that and I think we'll score enough points.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Speight will be there in time, maybe his lacklustre performance last week was an indication that he hasn't fully recovered and if that's the case then the best thing to do would be to ease him into it


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How does he ease back in when there are only test matches to come? He's not on the bench this week and is unlikely to replace any of the present team if it continues to win. I really would have taken the plunge and started him this week so that he could be getting the much needed match fitness he needs by playing 50 minutes or thereabouts before being replaced.

Unfortunately (imo), both Jones and Godwin are in the same boat, and Matt To'omua might find it hard to get another run now if Christian continues to play well. The way the tour is structured these players almost have to wait for a loss before they have another opportunity to get into the team.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

interesting selections. bit different to what everybody proposed on gagr. a very strong team given the circumstances.

Most on G&GR were not all that far off the final squad.

Wobs by 12.

 

[ChargerWA]

I don't agree with Genia before White. White was easily better last week. My patience for Genia is starting to run out. He was a long way off his best before injury and didn't show any glimpses of the form that made him worlds best 9 last week either. It's been 2 years now since we saw the good Genia IMO. He needs to find something fast or head back to Super Rugby to try and discover that form. Don't do it in our few remaining international games before the RWC year.

Would be nice to have a big bopper backrower on the bench, but certainly agree with the starting backrow. They all deserve to be there on form.

 

[qwerty51]

I've got Wales by 6 to win this one. Cheika is training them too hard (benefits later on) and his is completely overhauling the systems (again benefits later on). We should get smashed physically and turned over on attack. This should be like the Tahs of the first couple matches of 2013; the intent is there but not fully trusted and implemented right.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Crikey @Qwerty51, there was a major overhaul of how we played between the Pumas test and the Bled 3 in Brisbane. This was continued into the Barbars game.

There is a fair bit of stability in the starting 15 and the bench.

Wales are rusty and vulnerable. The Men in Gold are good.

 

[qwerty51]

Expect more Argentina performance than Bledisloe, different levels of fatigue. The Barbarians match was shambolic performance, SA or NZ would've put that team away 30+ and we badly fell off at the end.

Don't forget Fardy is missing - hugely important player in the last 2 years. He's basically been what's allowing us to play a wide game.

 

[Bairdy]

Cheika missed a trick by not bringing Jones into the 23 over Hodgson. Oh what we would do to have Palu, Higgers, or specialist blindsides Cottrell and Butler available right now.

Feeling somewhat apprehensive about Faulkner's inclusion. Although he is a technically sound scrummager, he has been playing predominantly at loosehead in Super Rugby, and tighthead in a couple of NRC games. He has never really looked dominant in Super Rugby or NRC nor has he been disgraced.

He might well pull it off against James and Jenkins, but I still lament how a specialist tighthead was overlooked.

I hope I'm wrong though and Faulkner cements himself as the premier Australian TH for the next half-decade.

 

[qwerty51]

Given how Alexander has performed lately, maybe Alexander is playing LH and Faulkner TH.

 

[Bairdy]

Millennium has a roof, so should be dry assuming they close it.

It has probably been left open for the whole week.
Wouldn't put it past the grounds staff to water the pitch for good measure

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Further to my previous comments, I'm worried about two things:

1, We're likely to give away some points while we're still in transition to the new defensive system. We got opened up a few too many times last week and Wales will be a lot sharper than the Baba's.

2, We might be a little outmatched in the tough stuff. We don't have a particularly large pack (back row especially) or possibly enough mongrel in close. A few boys are going to have to really aim up, because the Welsh are hard to stop when they get some forward momentum.

EDIT: a third thing -- on paper the Welsh set piece is better than ours too. A big job at scrum time especially.

 

[Tomikin]

And People were calling for Fardy to be dropped after the first Bled.. Wouldn't we love the big man now (Not that McMahon won't do a great job) he just adds the Breakdown bully and size we love. And he has an awesome beard.

Still, Wales suck arse, so wallabies by 10

 

[Bowside]

Given how Alexander has performed lately, maybe Alexander is playing LH and Faulkner TH.

Yeah seems strange to me as well seeing as props tend not to switch sides anymore since the 8 man bench rule.

I think Robinson getting dropped shows a selection failure in the wider squad. Both Alexander and Robinson shouldn't have toured. Link (who picked the squad) should have showed faith in Smith, PAE and Faulkner.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

And People were calling for Fardy to be dropped after the first Bled.. Wouldn't we love the big man now (Not that McMahon won't do a great job) he just adds the Breakdown bully and size we love. And he has an awesome beard.

Still, Wales suck arse, so wallabies by 10

Yep, a big loss for this tour. His opponents clearly fear the beard too.

 

[Tomikin]

Yeah seems strange to me as well seeing as props tend not to switch sides anymore since the 8 man bench rule.

I think Robinson getting dropped shows a selection failure in the wider squad. Both Alexander and Robinson shouldn't have toured. Link (who picked the squad) should have showed faith in Smith, PAE and Faulkner.

The only player to have come close to Kepu and Alexander in Australia at THP moved to England.

Smith is a LHP, who either way Alexander got the better of, PAE can't even get in front of Weeks, and Faulkner was behind Longbottom and Cowen all year. Give me a break, dont you think if we had better THP we would pick them. Alexander did Australia a service switching sides, because of the rest of the rubbish around. His had an neck injury, he isn't playing well but no one's really screaming out to be his replacement. And if his not being used at THP , I bet his better then most the rest at LHP.

 

[Joe Blow]

Hodgo to drop out of the 23 with Horwill and Skelton both capable at 6. McMahon to cover 7, but as we all know Hoops will play 80 unless we are streets ahead with 10 to go.
Hope Higgers is back next week to give the back row balance. Having said that it's exciting to see McMahon get his first cap. Move him to 8 at 60 minutes and slide one of the big blokes into 6.

Wallabies by 10.