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 training 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.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Allan was a LHP when he joined the Brumbies but switched over to the tight head side I think when the Smith brothers departed. But that was a long time ago now and I doubt he'd find it an easy change these days.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Darcy Swain called up to cover the locks. Neither confirmed out yet but both being medically monitored. (Surely Canham at least is out)

 

[Rugby Head]

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.

Think Kailea is the option. Could also look to get Scott Sio

 

[Wilson]

Think Kailea is the option. Could also look to get Scott Sio

Issue for Sio is that the England test is still outside of the window, so he won't be available. Makes it a bit different to previous years when I think we've played the extra tests either side of the window, rather than both beforehand this time.

 

[Red Runner]

Issue for Sio is that the England test is still outside of the window, so he won't be available. Makes it a bit different to previous years when I think we've played the extra tests either side of the window, rather than both beforehand this time.

so I assume no English internationals will be available for them either? Should be easy us playing what I assume will end up being their schoolboys team?

 

[Heavyd]

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

Swain to start with Williams on the bench for me.

 

[Wilson]

so I assume no English internationals will be available for them either? Should be easy us playing what I assume will end up being their schoolboys team?

No, England have an agreement with the prem teams to release their players whenever England play, as we do with super sides. I think the prem also has regulation preventing the release of non-England qualified players outside of windows too, so it might not be something we can even directly negotiate with a friendly side like Exeter.

 

[Strewthcobber]

so I assume no English internationals will be available for them either? Should be easy us playing what I assume will end up being their schoolboys team?

England have negotiated release of their players. I guess Australia hasn't

 

[rugbyAU]

The fact that this weekend is outside the window is a joke, the autumn nations series starts this week and six Tier 1 sides are playing

 

[Wilson]

England have negotiated release of their players. I guess Australia hasn't

I'm not sure if the regulation is still what it was ~10 years ago, but it's likely that it's not even something we have much capacity to negotiate on with the English clubs. Clubs have previously copped large fans for releasing non-England qualified players outside of a test window:

George North: Northampton fined £60,000 for Wales appearance

Northampton Saints are fined £60,000 for allowing George North to play for Wales outside the autumn international window.

www.bbc.com

Theoretically we could offer to cover any fine, but given it was £60k in 2013, the cost now could be as much as a low to mid tier Wallaby salary, and that's before you get to what the club would want.

 

[rugbyAU]

1 - Bell
2 - Pollard
3 - AA
4 - Swain
5 - Williams
6 - Valetini
7 - McReight
8 - Wilson
9 - Gordon
10 - Edmed
11 - Pietsch
12 - Paisami
13 - JAS
14 - Jorgensen
15 - Kellaway

16 - Faessler
17 - Ross
18 - Tupou
19 - Frost
20 - Tizzano
21 - Lonergan
22 - Gordon
23 - Daungunu

 

[Red Runner]

England have negotiated release of their players. I guess Australia hasn't

yes I didn't really think the England players would not be available for the England game.

 

[Rugby Head]

1 - Bell
2 - Pollard
3 - AA
4 - Swain
5 - Williams
6 - Valetini
7 - McReight
8 - Wilson
9 - Gordon
10 - Edmed
11 - Pietsch
12 - Paisami
13 - JAS
14 - Jorgensen
15 - Kellaway

16 - Faessler
17 - Ross
18 - Tupou
19 - Frost
20 - Tizzano
21 - Lonergan
22 - Gordon
23 - Daungunu

Pretty bang on. Would be swapping Swain with Frost, I think he will get 10-15 mins at most off the bench. Hasn't been with the team at all this year, don't think he has been apart of a Wallabies squad.

 

[rugbyAU]

Pretty bang on. Would be swapping Swain with Frost, I think he will get 10-15 mins at most off the bench. Hasn't been with the team at all this year, don't think he has been apart of a Wallabies squad.

was before Fiji, but just because of his partnership with WIlliams

 

[Jets]

No Prem games until the end of November, you'd think it would make sense to release players but this is rugby.

 

[Brumby Runner]

For those who are tipping Tupou to come from the bench, are we sure he can deliver up to (say) 60 minutes if Ala'alatoa suffers an early injury? I would still prefer TT to start and bring Allan on when needed or for the second half.

 

[TSR]

For those who are tipping Tupou to come from the bench, are we sure he can deliver up to (say) 60 minutes if Ala'alatoa suffers an early injury? I would still prefer TT to start and bring Allan on when needed or for the second half.

If that happens Ala'alatoa comes back on. Teams are allowed to bring their props back on to maintain contested scrums.

Having said that, I don’t really mind either way.