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Wallabies - a changing of the guard

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Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
So one thing is almost certain. There will be a new Wallabies coach in the very near future. Almost certainly before our next test in a month or so time.

Now I don't want to discuss the potential coaches in this thread but rather what a new coach might mean for the Wallabies players. There will be a ton of discussion regarding White or Link in every other thread.

Will any careers be ended, whose will start? Who will go from the inner circle to the outer and vice versa?

Firstly, I think the most obvious one is that James O'Connor won't be playing 10 anytime soon for the Wallabies. Whether he can force his way into another position is a whole separate argument. My guess is that he will struggle to do better than the bench this year unless there are injuries.

Ben Alexander - his career might have taken the biggest hit on Saturday night. It's hard to see any new coach keeping him as the starting 3. If you started Kepu at 3 and kept Slipper as a THP, it's foreseeable that Sio could be the backup LHP and Alexander could be outside the matchday 23 straight away.

Wycliff Palu - I don't think he deserves to lose his spot but the public perception of him has never been overly positive. I expect that when we see the internal Wallabies voting for the Lions series (the John Eales Medal), he'll score reasonably well in all three tests however many people think he did nothing. There is the potential that a new coach could decide he is no longer first choice. This decision could be delayed until Higginbotham is fit though.

Quade Cooper seems the most likely to benefit straight away. Link has certainly played his cards and has to pick Cooper at 10 if he becomes coach. White could do the same but we could also see To'omua parachuted straight into the Wallaby 10 jersey.

Liam Gill could potentially move ahead of Michael Hooper depending on coaching preference.

Aside from that I don't really see any dramatic personnel changes.
 

Swat

Chilla Wilson (44)
RIP Pat McCabe's wallaby career.

Edit: It'll also be interesting to see how the new coach rates Rob Horne in the centres.
 

Richo

John Thornett (49)
Good topic.

I read things much the same way, although I feel Douglas may be dropped, and deservingly so. Simmons or even Pyle might be preferred.

The Gill-Hooper debate needs to be had too. I'm a huge Hooper fan, but I'd like to see the Wallabies put more focus into bossing the breakdown and controlling our own ball. Gill is better at this, so I'd be looking to start Gill and move Hooper to the bench. It's not about Hooper having done anything wrong, just a question of strategy and focus.
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Got to say seeing the end of the Dingo era has me feeling excited about the future of the Wallabies again. Not sure if that is fair on Deans but it can only be good for the code if others are feeling the same way. Whether that extends to the general sports fan is hard to say, let's hope so.
 

lewisr

Bill McLean (32)
Still prefer Gill over Hoops as the starting 7. Hoops will, as always, come on as a power sub at the 60 minute mark and rip into any team we are playing with his crazy eyes and insane work rate. Gilly is really showing that he is big game material and can work the breakdown effectively. However, this means that Gill should be the victim when pocock returns. Poey to 7 and Hooper on the bench.

Gill is only 20 for God's sake. He has plenty of time and I just hope that we don't screw up his career and let him go oversees. After pocock, he is the next big pilferer in World Rugby of the Richie McCaw mould. Skipper of the wallabies for the 2019 world cup.

I think White will go with Quade early on in his tenure and shift to To'omua over time, possibly shifting Quade to 15. He seems to rate his skill set extremely highly and has gone on record as stating he should be in the squad simply due to the attacking finesse and 38 test experience he brings to the table.

Funnily enough, Palu had a great game on Saturday. I thought he finally showed what he can do when he runs hard onto the ball and starts wrecking people with his mass. If he continues to do this, he will change public perception. But in the long run maybe Jake Schatz will be getting a shot.

Expect CFS and Kyle Adonis Godwin to make appearances under the Ewen and White. Both extremely exciting prospect and can you imagine them running of Quade Cooper Passes up from 15? With To'omua popping in perfect tactical kicks and a cool head when we need to calm things down? And Lilo at 12 for the combinations and goal kicking!

Good times ahead!!
 

Scoey

Tony Shaw (54)
Either one of Matt To'omua or Quade Cooper will be the next Wallaby flyhalf and that will divide supporters...

Team To'omua right here... ;)

This is an interesting point. I would love to see To'omua have a crack at the Wallaby 10 jersey and I'm no longer confident that QC (Quade Cooper) is a test 10. That being said, To'omua is maybe a bit green still? Maybe not.
The one thing I would love is for the Wallabies to develop multiple players in key positions. Why can't we have both? ;-) Instead of running our best player for 80 mins in every game (ala Genia etc) manage them so that the next best gets opportunity and develop true contests for positions.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Either one of Matt To'omua or Quade Cooper will be the next Wallaby flyhalf and that will divide supporters...

Team To'omua right here... ;)


Yeah, I think To'omua is showing the all round attributes of a test 10.

But in a perfect world, next season Cooper, To'omua, Foley, Beale & O'Conner will all be starting 10s for their respective S15 sides; and let the best unit win!
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Either one of Matt To'omua or Quade Cooper will be the next Wallaby flyhalf and that will divide supporters...

Team To'omua right here... ;)


There is little doubt they will be the top 2. Are you sure White would go with To'omua though after his article discussing the merits of the Genia/Cooper combination?

In the backs Beale will struggle for a place & JOC (James O'Connor) will need to cement a position. I really hope it is in the centres at Super Rugby level but wing looks to be his best and maybe even only option for the Wallabies. If you aren't concerned about size he could be very good at 13 outside Lilo when AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) leaves.
 

lewisr

Bill McLean (32)
Why can't we have both? ;-)

Por que no Los Dos?

Would love to see Quade get a few shots under a new coach for the Wobs. We have only ever seen him play under Deans so would be nice to have White or Ewen calling the shots. I am not trying to start a shit fight here, not blaming Deans or anything, but sometimes a new coach can do wonders for a player and he may become the best 10 we have, or the worst. If he collapses there as well, then clearly he is not a test 10.
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Still prefer Gill over Hoops as the starting 7. Hoops will, as always, come on as a power sub at the 60 minute mark and rip into any team we are playing with his crazy eyes and insane work rate. Gilly is really showing that he is big game material and can work the breakdown effectively. However, this means that Gill should be the victim when pocock returns. Poey to 7 and Hooper on the bench.

I think White will go with Quade early on in his tenure and shift to To'omua over time, possibly shifting Quade to 15. He seems to rate his skill set extremely highly and has gone on record as stating he should be in the squad simply due to the attacking finesse and 38 test experience he brings to the table.


Agree with both these points. If you have Folau and JOC (James O'Connor) on the wing Cooper could be a very good option at 15.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
The only backline positions that I think will remain settled at this point are:

9. Genia
12. Lealiifano
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

I think Folau is almost a certainty to be picked somewhere when fit (and assuming he remains in rugby of course). Aside from that I think all the other positions will be up in the air at this point.

Whilst Godwin must be a contender at 12, I'd be surprised if any coach doesn't want to try and make Lilo and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) a permanent combination in the midfield.
 
T

Train Without a Station

Guest
But in the long run maybe Jake Schatz will be getting a shot.

As an ardent Reds supporter I disgree heavily. I see Shatz as a good Super Rugby player but as an 8, the fact his best quality is his hard work, not his impact, probably will hold him back at test level. I can see him being the Dave Dennis level of (in)effectiveness. I don't see him in the class of Higgers or Mowen.
 

wobbly

Fred Wood (13)
There's been some comment around about Mogg's cameo and how he should now be the starting full back. It wasn't the break he made that highlighted his potential, it was his kicking game. We struggled to get out of our quarter, particularly from deep kick offs, often resulting in Lions line-out ball 35-40 metres out. It's where a lot of their points resulted, either penalties or when we didn't find touch, the late tries.

Mogg's general play kicks we're the only ones by the Wallabies in the entire series that found deep open space. His first penalty touch finder had 15-20 metres on any of Beale's pathetic efforts, including one on the opposite side of the field minutes later. Sure he failed to find touch towards the desperate end, but FFS who can't see the value of a FB with a big accurate boot (incl. long range penalties), with an electric turn of pace. OK not the finished article in defence and ball retention, but at least worth working with.

I'm fed up with us having the likes of Beale, O'Connor, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at the back with their limited kicking games. You don't see our main rivals getting themselves in deep shit regularly by having weak kickers at the back.
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
There is little doubt they will be the top 2. Are you sure White would go with To'omua though after his article discussing the merits of the Genia/Cooper combination?

In the backs Beale will struggle for a place & JOC (James O'Connor) will need to cement a position. I really hope it is in the centres at Super Rugby level but wing looks to be his best and maybe even only option for the Wallabies. If you aren't concerned about size he could be very good at 13 outside Lilo when AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) leaves.

White may well play Cooper, in fact I don't think his coaching style is as negative as some of his detractors say and he would go with a gameplan that suits the players at his disposal....... but I also think White is also very media savvy and there's a lot of Quade fans out there.......... ;)

Anyways, enough about the coaches........
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
There's been some comment around about Mogg's cameo and how he should now be the starting full back. It wasn't the break he made that highlighted his potential..........

Just on that break he made though........

He was positioned so far back from Beale when he made his run that I didn't think he was going to support him.......... but he was actually priming himself to burst onto a possible offload and when it came..... wow........

If it hadn't have been for Parling's ankle tap I think he could've run all the way to the try line........
 

wobbly

Fred Wood (13)
What I don't want to see....

Scott Sio following the Ben Alexander path to accommodate his star rising....

Let him compete with Robinson for that 1 jersey....

Ditto. I want to see the best players in their position selected. Christ on a bike, anyone watching the first two tests or many of the last 20-30 Wallaby tests would have foreseen the train wreck that was approaching having Alexander at TH. just need the right opposition pack and an obliging ref.
 
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