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Wallabies 2021

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
I'd give Swinton a week off to cool down and practice lowering his height, also an excuse to get Sean McMahon in the team.
Promote Samu to starting with McMahon on the bench or simply drop McMahon straight into the XV if Rennie trusts him.

Keep Quade at 10, don't change good things. Start Hodge at 15. with JO'C on the bench to ease him back in. Keep the rest of the team the same.
 

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
Did you have the same opinion of Matt Burke?
Burke was a 15, born and bred. He had all the skills, including kicking out of hand and for goal. Nobody was talking about making him into a 15, he was one. One of the very best. Would he have excelled in today's game? Given the obsession with the use of the high ball, maybe not.
 

KOB1987

Rod McCall (65)
Burke was a 15, born and bred. He had all the skills, including kicking out of hand and for goal. Nobody was talking about making him into a 15, he was one. One of the very best. Would he have excelled in today's game? Given the obsession with the use of the high ball, maybe not.
Yeah i know all that. Some of Folau’s freaky things aside, I’ll challenge you to find a clip of a fullback doing something gamebreaking in the modern international game that you think Burke couldn’t do because of his height.
 

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
Yeah i know all that. Some of Folau’s freaky things aside, I’ll challenge you to find a clip of a fullback doing something gamebreaking in the modern international game that you think Burke couldn’t do because of his height.
If you "know all that" there is not much point in talking about it. But one final point. Burke was a full back. Kellaway is not.
 

Rugbynutter39

Michael Lynagh (62)
He’s even shorter (same height as the shorties Burke, Beale JOC (James O'Connor) and Campese) so rule a line through him straight away

its funny because in 50 years I have never, ever heard the height of the fullback being used as a selection criteria. I appreciate that if you are going to compete in the air being a midget is less than ideal, but looking at the names listed above there is zero evidence that one needs to be 6’2 or taller to make it as a fullback. Even Banks who has a multitude of other flaws hasn’t been subjected to this criteria, he’s the same height as Kellaway BTW.
Damian McKenzie played quite a bit at full back for the ABs - didn’t realise he was so tall…
 

KOB1987

Rod McCall (65)
If you "know all that" there is not much point in talking about it. But one final point. Burke was a full back. Kellaway is not.
Huh? You dont think I’m capable of recognising Burke’s natural talents, or knowing his background? Or is that all a privilege reserved for you only?

One final point. Kellaway played all of his schoolboy rugby at fullback. He’s been shuffled around since, but he is one, au naturale.
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
Let’s get him using it. Petaia wants to play there.
Do we actually know that? I know I made that comment earlier in the year which I explained was based on a rumour I’d heard on holidays. I subsequently asked if anyone closed the the source could verify, but no-one came forward. I’ve subsequently heard numerous times on here that Petaia doesn’t like 13 and wants to play 15, but I’ve never heard anything official. Do you know this to definitely be true or are we just speculating.

No probs if it’s the later - but personally I still think 13 looks like his best long term spot.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
Do we actually know that? I know I made that comment earlier in the year which I explained was based on a rumour I’d heard on holidays. I subsequently asked if anyone closed the the source could verify, but no-one came forward. I’ve subsequently heard numerous times on here that Petaia doesn’t like 13 and wants to play 15, but I’ve never heard anything official. Do you know this to definitely be true or are we just speculating.

No probs if it’s the later - but personally I still think 13 looks like his best long term spot.
From a purely Wallabies point of view (and Reds), he should try 15. He's not our best or 2nd best 13 at the moment, not our best wingers, but could easily be our best 15.
12. Kerevi 13. Ikitau/Paisami 11/14. Koroibete/Kellaway 15. Petaia starts to look like no weak links.
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
My question is just whether we know for sure that’s what he wants to do. Because, as far as I know, there statement that he doesn’t want to play 13 started from a post I made and was based on something I was told by a guy who has a mate (not Petaia) in the Reds squad. I’ve never seen anyone else state that Petaia said that or any other formal announcement. I just want to know if it is definitely true.

But with regards to what is best - do we know that he’ll be good at 15? How do we know he’ll be a better 15 then he is at 13? There is definitely no evidence he’ll be great there right now.

Personally I think he will still end up our best 13.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
And to be fair, Petaia is only a few good games away from been the best 13,14,15… he no doubt has the talent and physical requirements. It’s always been fitness and confidence that has held him back.

When you consider that Ikitau is young, but Petaia is still a year and half younger, it puts it into perspective a bit.
 

Joe Blow

Peter Sullivan (51)
Petaia is another big body. He is fast, strong and has as much natural ability as anyone else in the squad. This would be a good week to give him and JOC (James O'Connor) time at 15, unless of course Hodge is locked in. He was not great in the air against the Boks but he made a couple of telling plays. He also has a great boot. Nice to have options.
 

Teh Other Dave

Alan Cameron (40)
On a side note isn’t it nice to be debating the key back positions without the age old interject - “why are we talking about backs when we’re losing the collisions/backs don’t win matches” yada yada yada.
The piggies, particularly with a few key returns to come, are looking pretty solid right now.

More broadly, I think there are some happy selection headaches across the paddock. Amazing what can happen when stringing two good tests together.
 

Teh Other Dave

Alan Cameron (40)
Petaia is another big body. He is fast, strong and has as much natural ability as anyone else in the squad. This would be a good week to give him and JOC (James O'Connor) time at 15, unless of course Hodge is locked in. He was not great in the air against the Boks but he made a couple of telling plays. He also has a great boot. Nice to have options.
During yesterday's game I had it in my head that we had the wood on SA and that Hodge had a ton of time and space. But he didn't. His high ball errors were in heavy traffic on the end of quality kicking. Yes that's the lot of the modern fullback, but I thought SA used the kick quite well in the midfield.
 

Jimmyjam

Darby Loudon (17)
I'd be very surprised if Banks plays another test. IMO Kellaway, Hodge, JP and even JOC (James O'Connor) will all go past him. Not a bad player, just never really grabbed the 17 wallaby opportunities he had. Time to move on.
 

eastman

Arch Winning (36)
I'd be very surprised if Banks plays another test. IMO Kellaway, Hodge, JP and even JOC (James O'Connor) will all go past him. Not a bad player, just never really grabbed the 17 wallaby opportunities he had. Time to move on.
Banks is the incumbent and obviously coaching team's preferred fullback -he will definitely play more test football. He also has been the best performing fullback in Super Rugby for a number of years and likely to continue, which will make him very hard to leave out of future test squads.

It's obvious that he''s not an elite international fullback and perhaps Kellaway and JP will overtake him but they'll need to show consistent form and actually get picked there during Super Rugby. JOC (James O'Connor) might be an immediate stop-gap but he'll play 10 for the Reds and Hodge has done nothing but regress over the last three years.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
French newspapers reporting that Australia are trying to repatriate Latu, Rory Arnold and Skelton. Can't get beyond the headline, so not sure what they mean by that. Unless Australia has found a gold mine under their bed, I assume it's just for National duties.

Also that Racing 92 are looking for a replacement for Beale.
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
French newspapers reporting that Australia are trying to repatriate Latu, Rory Arnold and Skelton. Can't get beyond the headline, so not sure what they mean by that. Unless Australia has found a gold mine under their bed, I assume it's just for National duties.

Also that Racing 92 are looking for a replacement for Beale.
Skelton just signed a four year deal so I assume you are right.
Rennie probably wants a squiz on the EOYT.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Banks is the incumbent and obviously coaching team's preferred fullback -he will definitely play more test football. He also has been the best performing fullback in Super Rugby for a number of years and likely to continue, which will make him very hard to leave out of future test squads.

It's obvious that he''s not an elite international fullback and perhaps Kellaway and JP will overtake him but they'll need to show consistent form and actually get picked there during Super Rugby. JOC (James O'Connor) might be an immediate stop-gap but he'll play 10 for the Reds and Hodge has done nothing but regress over the last three years.
I don't think JOC (James O'Connor) is the answer at 15 anymore, he is a steady 10, who like Cooper has learned to pull his head in and drag his team around while not doing too much stupid

Banks again did some nice things and is our least crap option
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Banks is an interesting one. There have been various comparisons with Chris Latham since he started at the Brumbies with his strong counter attack and big boot.

What people forget about Latho is how long it took him to establish himself as the Wallaby 15, and not just because of Matt Burke.

Latho debuted in 1998 (as a 23 year old) after Burkie injured his shoulder scoring that key try v NZL in Sydney, but not before Joe Roff got a couple of games at 15 first. Watch those early games and there was plenty of flakiness (although he was a try scorer from the beginning - perhaps easier when you are running of Larkham, Horan etc)

He started most of 2000 there as Burke came back from injury, but even when he was back Latho started at 15 and Burke on the wing. But he struggled to make the jersey his for while. Benched v the Lions after a shocker in game 1 in 2001, in 2002 the jersey was shared between Rogers, Latho, Burke and even Mortlock. Then again in 2003 he never made it is own with Rogers ending up the first choice for the RWC.

It was really 2004 (after Roff retired) that Latho finally claimed the jersey and started to play for the Wallabies how we remember him - a world class attacking fullback with a dependable boot. He was 29 that year got his 50th cap at the end of the season.

Banks is now 27 with 19 caps (Latho was 26 when he got his 19th cap). Who knows what he will develop into given time and patience.
 
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