KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
The time we beat the Lions and the time we lost against them when Beale slipped over were both pretty good games, although he shouldnt have been at 10!
Wallabies 2021
- Thread starter KOB1987
- Start date
isn’t it more about what he’s done this year at 10 for the Reds? He was the form flyhalf of Super Rugby AU. I think that’s what most people are basing his selection on.
PhilClinton
Geoff Shaw (53)
I have a feeling the long term Wallabies 10 will be playing on Stan Sport this afternoon at 3pm. I am interested to see how he goes on the big stage today.
Tomikin
Simon Poidevin (60)
Carter Gordan ?
Tomikin
Simon Poidevin (60)
He was the form, I would say, Lolesio was in pretty good nick too, but hey when has someone coming back from 4 months injury straight into the starting side ever turned out great.
All money bring him back on the bench put him on at half time in either 10 or 12 where we need him at the time, and if his fit and firing he gets the start the next game.. moot point now for Perth, Lolesio's fit, and as much as people are slagging him online his not been the worst player on the field... maybe in a home test against the All Blacks, in a dead rubber he might .. just might have an easier time of it... For better or worse this season we have hung our hat on him at 10, pushing him aside for anyone but probably a returning JOC (James O'Connor) isn't worth it, as its great experience for the young man.
Derpus
George Gregan (70)
He set up one of the two tries we scored and was generally solid. At test level against NZ in NZ that's good.If ‘pretty good’ means he didn’t make many mistakes then yeah, he was pretty good.
I think that’s the game Ardie made the game-saving turnover in the last minutes when the Wallabies were on the AB line…
Froggy
John Solomon (38)
JOC (James O'Connor) was clearly the best Aus 10 in Super rugby this year, Lolesio next. However, IMO Lolesio, for all his potential, has established test rugby v a side as good as the AB's is a year or two early for him. Hodge had a test at 10 and was pretty solid, and while he is certainly no long-term fix, I would play him until JOC (James O'Connor) is fit. Then JOC (James O'Connor) holds the job until one of the young blokes (most likely Lolesio) is ready to step up[.
Brumby Runner
David Wilson (68)
Discarding young, inexperienced but promising players after a couple of harsh learning experiences against the All Blacks has its problems. Remember how Matt To'omua was shunted after he had a couple of shockers in his early test match career against the ABs? That effectively put him on the outer for Wallaby selection for some time. Time and experience showed that he was a proper test standard player, probably better at 12 than at 10, but both he and the Wallabies were deprived of some of his best years.
As others have pointed out, Lolesio was not the worst of the backline performers at Eden Park and he and the Wallabies deserve to keep him in the fold playing off the bench preferably to a better No 10 like JOC (James O'Connor), or starting while JOC (James O'Connor) isn't available.
As others have pointed out, Lolesio was not the worst of the backline performers at Eden Park and he and the Wallabies deserve to keep him in the fold playing off the bench preferably to a better No 10 like JOC (James O'Connor), or starting while JOC (James O'Connor) isn't available.
RebelYell
Arch Winning (36)
I have a lot of respect for Pup as a player and a leader, but is it also possible that he was 'shunted' because he was found not to be an international standard 10? He's certainly better at 12 than at flyhalf.
Brumby Runner
David Wilson (68)
I don't subscribe to two of your earliest tests being against the ABs in their period of undisputed leadership in world rugby as being indicative of a player's real capabilities.
Cancelled Account
Desmond Connor (43)
Yeah, I don’t know about JOC (James O'Connor) being the form flyhalf. At least Lolesio was around during SRTT. If we use the Crusades as the benchmark, Lolesio clearly the front runner. Lolesio isn’t going to get better from the bench, and we need him gaining the experience because JOC (James O'Connor)’s injuries are a big concern. Hodge might be the safe option now, but he’s really not a quality first playmaker.
formerflanker
Ken Catchpole (46)
I'm a huge Hodge fan, but if he is selected at 10 the world will immediately know we are going to play 10-man rugby.
I'd argue that early on in a players career they do get better being on the bench. Bring them on at the back end of the game and play against a tiring team. NZ are the masters of this, by the time a player is in a starting role they have 20-30 test caps and are part of the furniture, I understand they are in a completely different position than we are currently.
I don't think that's the case. It will be less attacking certainly but our biggest issue in the last two tests has been that we fling it wide regardless of whether there is an opportunity of not.
We need better decision making there. I fully accept that this just hasn't been Lolesio. Both 12s have also been guilty of this and certainly it seems like To'omua will stay there with Paisami out for this test.
Derpus
George Gregan (70)
I fucking hope not. As if you wouldn't just throw Kerevi in. Even if he literally never passes it he will be a huge upgrade on To'omua.
I'd like us to pick the 10 with the best kicking game. In the past guys like Lynagh and Larkham have been able to play field position and then attack deep in the opposition half. We need to be smarter in our general play kicking and develop a defence that frustrates the opposition.
Ignoto
John Thornett (49)
Given how terrible the backs have been, I don't see this as a bad thing, just yet.
Considering Kerevi will be picked at 12 and Marika loves a pick'n'go, why shouldn't we adopt a hard and straight game plan from a running perspective?
Cheika made us play an expansive game too soon and we constantly had turn over ball that would lead to points put against us. We saw in the last two games + a couple of the french games this game plan still reared its head.
As the saying goes "You've got to earn the right to go wide". We seem to think we can go wide from the gun....
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eastman
Arch Winning (36)
I'm sure the coaches are reiterating the 'earn the right to go wide' line ad-nauseam but they are probably also spouting the 'play what's in front of you' line too.
This type of play comes with an element of risk and relies on good decision- making and skill execution; I think it's the poor decision- making and execution that is failing rather than the game plan itself.
Ignoto
John Thornett (49)
I'd pay that, but if To'omua played what was in front of him, he would have known that he had numbers and a simple catch, draw and pass would have resulted in isolating Sevu and possibly a line break.
OR, if he was playing what was in front of him, he'd have known how quick Sevu is and how many intercepts he's done in previous matches and that perhaps a cut out ball shouldn't be used on the fastest guy on the paddock.