Wallabies v Italy - 9 November

[pissedoffihavetoregister]

great to see samu get a gig.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

No bench locks is interesting, but Hooper can move into the second row when required. Playing Samu and Bobby V off the bench suggests we're going to run hard at these blokes and try to beat them with ball movement and quick recycling.

 

[BDA]

Hate to say it bit a bit of a "everyone gets a run" to this side. Would much prefer tizano over samu

 

[Sword of Justice]

I’m generally in favour of the ‘can’t be picked first week back into the squad rule’ as the logic seems to make innate sense and we’ve been guilty of parachuting for years.

However, Ikitau would be pretty damn good right now.

 

[Yoda]

Hmmmmm…

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union

Didn't read it but great minds think alike!

 

[TSR]

I’m generally in favour of the ‘can’t be picked first week back into the squad rule’ as the logic seems to make innate sense and we’ve been guilty of parachuting for years.

However, Ikitau would be pretty damn good right now.

Isn’t Ikitau out because his wife is due?

 

[Dctarget]

Italian team is class. Looks like they’ve escaped with minimal injuries so far. Their backline is as good as ours and way more cohesive. Our forwards really really need to dominate.

 

[MarkJ]

So who is kicking for goal - C Gordon or Sua'ali'i?

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Hard to say. No idea how much JAS has been doing at training but no in game stuff and Gordon Kicked at 66% in Q Cup which is fairly average.

If I'm Italy I push the boundaries at the ruck. Wallabies are likely to miss a shot.

Don't hate the side. I would have preferred a heavier partner with Frost. I think we all saw that helps free him up. Now we run two guys who physically don't intimidate.

 

[Filipo Daugunu]

I don’t understand the lack of goalkicking options in the starting xv. Aside from the experience argument, how can you have Jake Gordon a non-goalkicker along with Carter Gordon who is a non-goalkicker? This will be a very tight test match, and a lot of points will be left out there if CG is kicking. I hope JAS will be kicking. Then you leave Lonergan a goal-kicker and Edmed a goal-kicker on the bench to come on at the same time? Aside from that, I hope that CG can unlock the backline much better and will be attempting to put our two attacking weapons (JAS, Toole) in space to score.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Particularly significant for mental/psychological fatigue as well, when much of their notional rest time is spent in transit or away from home.

100%

These guys ramp up in Jan to try and perform for their Super Rugby sides and for the Brums and Reds players got into the Finals so had the push to try and win the whole thing. Then selected into a Lions series which they are told is once in a lifetime stuff. After that they get sent to SA, brought back to Aus and Townsville for the Argies and then we pump them up again for a Bledisloe rightly so but that goes from NZ > Perth and now over to Japan and Europe which post Lions I don't think would hold the same feeling this year.

They've been revving high for long time now. I hope it doesn't catch up through next years Super Rugby season.

 

[dru]

Hate to say it bit a bit of a "everyone gets a run" to this side. Would much prefer tizano over samu

No. There are some names that we won't expect against France and Italy (and didn't play England) but "everyone get's a run" was the Japan test. This is nothing like that.

Have to agree on the risk of no bench lock - it's one of the hardest worked positions on the field with big bodies that tire. Flipside is a bench to provide plenty of forward dynamics to close the game. Interesting coin-toss this.

I feel for Jorgo, left holding the open wing with a planned nil wide ball movement and a green 10. Which makes for a quiet game. Now replaced. Perhaps back for the big games?

Carter at 10 is the Hail Mary. We would be complaining if he wasn't there but it does shriek of problems. It's your chance, Carter, blow the doors off. (Presuming that Schmidt is permitting any ball movement whatsoever.)

I'm happy to see Faessler starting.

God it's painful being a Wallabies supporter.