Wallabies v Scotland, Murrayfield, Sun 30th Oct, 3.30am AEDT

[Dctarget]

not me - it's my preferred locking combo to be honest.

Really? I'm a big fan of Frost but think that he's still a year or two off from developing his body into a unit. Neville's games of late have left me wanting, including his Australia A.

Given our availabilities they are who I'd choose but not over the moon.

 

[qwerty51]

Qwerty, how strange, how the hell does that make sense?

The 3rd place playoff match occured on 1 November 2019.

 

[whitefalcon]

not me - it's my preferred locking combo to be honest.

Agreed.

Neville was great before injury and Frost keeps getting better and better - he looks to be in form to peak for next year

 

[Highlander35]

It's a very beatable Scotland, even putting aside the domestic nature of the squad. Cummings out is the icing on the cake, but Johnson injured pushing Sione to 12, Jones injured and Thomson only just coming back meaning Ollie is rushed into starting at fullback, Darge and to a lesser extent Gordo being injured meaning Watson has not been put under pressure despite an underwhelming start to the season. And of course the utter failure of the SRU to properly develop Rae and McCallum means that the 36 year old Nel (as fabulous as he remains is still the only experienced backup to Zander.

Amusing how life, weather and a single additional injury just dampens the mood when I was optimistic about a squad I was 90ish% right about is named less than a week later.

 

[Members Section]

not me - it's my preferred locking combo to be honest.

Its the best of what we have to pick from atm, I remember when ppl were questioning Philip's selection now everyone fully fit I cant see how he would miss out

 

[dru]

It's a very beatable Scotland, even putting aside the domestic nature of the squad. Cummings out is the icing on the cake, but Johnson injured pushing Sione to 12, Jones injured and Thomson only just coming back meaning Ollie is rushed into starting at fullback, Darge and to a lesser extent Gordo being injured meaning Watson has not been put under pressure despite an underwhelming start to the season. And of course the utter failure of the SRU to properly develop Rae and McCallum means that the 36 year old Nel (as fabulous as he remains is still the only experienced backup to Zander.

Amusing how life, weather and a single additional injury just dampens the mood when I was optimistic about a squad I was 90ish% right about is named less than a week later.

The problem is that the Wallaby 23 may prove very beatable too, depending on what version turns up.

 

[Slim 293]

I'm pretty sure we're due for a win this week, but will lose the following... as is tradition.

 

[stillmissit]

I don't have faith in our starting locks at all. Think we'll get bullied around the park.

DC, could well happen if we don't step up. The foundations of the game are to prove you can stand up to your opposite number and better them. That involves a fair amount of controlled aggression and we haven't seen much of that. I am hopeful we have reached the bottom and the guys will fight to stay out of the sub-10 position in WR (World Rugby) and prove that they deserve to wear the Wallaby jersey.

 

[Tah Man]

Massive opportunity for the Wallabies with none of the Scottish players based in England or France available for selection.

Absolutely zero excuses to not win this one. Let's hope the TMO isn't overly involved like last year

 

[fatprop]

So we have another 9,10, 12 combo that has rarely, if ever, played together?

 

[Tazzmania]

Dempsey to debut for Scotland off the bench

 

[Tomikin]

So we have another 9,10, 12 combo that has rarely, if ever, played together?

I dont think them knowing each other has helped, maybe not knowing each other might help..

 

[swingpass]

Let's hope the TMO isn't overly involved like last year

they are bound to be. They are auditioning for the big dance in 12 months time. the more pernickety and pointless the better, ultra ultra slow mo from dozens of angles looking at accidental collisions that might have involved some part of the head for a nano second - cant wait

 

[emuarse]

I get they “can” play there in a pinch but banks has been at best ordinary on the wing, Campbell never tested at this level and really is a specialist 15. Noah hasn’t played 12 since age competition for Oz 20s, Kellaway can play 13 but again then no “real” wing cover if he moves there. It’s like shuffling the deck chairs on the titanic. A 5/3 bench should surely offer more than really 3 specialists.

Tate McDermott has had to play on the wing in the latter stages of games for the Reds owing to injuries.

 

[qwerty51]

I'm pretty sure we're due for a win this week, but will lose the following... as is tradition.

I mean next week is literally the toughest Test possible.

 

[dru]

Neville was great before injury and Frost keeps getting better and better - he looks to be in form to peak for next year

I get that these two are pretty much the last two standing but I don't share your enthusiasm. As far as I am aware, neither is a line out caller? I realise we have pulled in Holloway for this. It remains odd though if there is no recognised caller in the starting locks.

Our line outs have been mixed at best. Much less than that if we are brutally honest. Locking performance in the scrum seems adequate though we will want to see this in Europe. Around the park our performance in attack up the guts in the heavy stuff - a role usually a lock primary expectation - has been wanting.

These two locks may be the best available but have been part and parcel of our general locking performance. I'm actually expecting to see Skelton enter the fray now and see how we adapt in the line out. I imagine Skelton lifting Hooper at the back as an additional jumping option to Holloway + which one of our locks survive as Skelton joins the starting 15. And Hanigan is a logical starting option at lock if neither of these blokes demonstrates excellence jumping in the line out. Both Frost and Neville should be thinking that they need to be stepping up.

 

[qwerty51]

It doesn't seem that weird. Swain and Phillip were the callers. Arnold probably too.

 

[dru]

It doesn't seem that weird. Swain and Phillip were the callers. Arnold probably too.

Eh? Neither are starting. If we had Phillip with say, Neville, I wouldn't have made the comment.

 

[Slim 293]

Neville was the lineout caller for the Rebels, and I'm certain he's performed that role at the Brumbies at times...

 

[qwerty51]

Eh? Neither are starting. If we had Phillip with say, Neville, I wouldn't have made the comment.

Well you made the comment "It remains odd though if there is no recognised caller in the starting locks."

I was just saying it doesn't seem that odd since we've lost 2 (3) of our main callers. You can't expect every single lock to be a caller, it's actually quite tough and given all 3 (with Swain) came from the 1 franchise it wasn't needed.

If Holloway goes down we're really fucked. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Hanigan next week if he goes well off the bench.
It could be 4. Skelton 5. Hanigan 6. Holloway 19. Frost/Neville