Wallabies v England November 1

[TSR]

Joe Schmidt appears to have burnt a lot of the good will he created. But he has an opportunity to win it back again pretty quickly if he can repeat the win from last year.

The injury to Robertson won’t be an issue if Tupou & Ala'alatoa are good to go but the injuries to the locks hurts with Skelton & Hooper not available for the game (no official word has been put on Salakai-Loto to my knowledge, but I assume it is unlikely he’ll play).

My thoughts on the team they’ll pick -
1. Bell
2. Pollard
3. Ala'alatoa
4. Frost
5. Williams
6. Valetini
7. McReight
8. Wilson
9. Gordon
10. Edmed
11. Pietsch
12. Paisami
13. Sua’ali’i
14. Jorgenson
15. Kellaway
16. Faessler
17. Ross
18. Tupou
19. Swain
20. Tizzano
21. Lonergan
22. Gordon
23. Daugunu

 

[Filipo Daugunu]

Will they call in an extra loosehead after Tom Robertson was decapitated? Not sure if he failed his HIA or not? Options are Kailea, Ieli, or maybe even an emergency call to Slipper.

 

[TSR]

They possibly have to. Maybe if Robertson is only out for a week they’ll run the gauntlet, but I have my doubts on that approach. None of Nonggorr, Tupou or Ala'alatoa have ever played loosehead that I recall, so they probably want another prop raining with them in case Bell or Ross were to cop an injury during the week. It would be pretty tough chuckling one of them into LHP v England of the situation arose.

I don’t know if it would give them an opportunity to have Sio on stand by, but I assume not given it’s outside the international window.