Dave Beat
Paul McLean (56)
i know cool just having fun we that many good 7s
Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC
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BDA
Peter Johnson (47)
last night was a good example of why it is much easier to put your hand up for selection when your team is playing well. Genia and JOC (James O'Connor) both looked like a million bucks because they got good attacking ball.
Also, surely people can no longer deny that Greg Holmes is Australia's best scrummaging THP this season and should be on the bench against South Africa in July
Liam Gill is also demanding selection. Unfortunately unless there's injuries, it wont be at 7. I see no reason he couldn't play 6 though.
Also, surely people can no longer deny that Greg Holmes is Australia's best scrummaging THP this season and should be on the bench against South Africa in July
Liam Gill is also demanding selection. Unfortunately unless there's injuries, it wont be at 7. I see no reason he couldn't play 6 though.
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TOCC
Guest
Agree with Holmes, bring the man back into the Wallaby fold... He is good at scrummaging and a reasonably high work rate around the field
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Jagman
Trevor Allan (34)
The Wallabies need 3 locks in the middle row, plain and simple. Case in point, 2013 EOYT Fardy gets injured against England (then the Wallabies lose) and the next week McKenzie puts Simmons at blindside (really right flanker) and the scrum is fine. 2014 EOYT McMahon is blindside and the rest is unfortunate history as far as our scrum is concerned. Need as much weight and "height leverage" as we can get.
Gill is an awesome player but it's 7 or 20 jersey or nothing for him, not 6.
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Joe Blow
Peter Sullivan (51)
Higgers did not fall to pieces. It just was not their night. He was right there
Agree Gill was again mammoth. I would pick him at 6 ahead of McMahon but am skeptical of having all 3 of him, Hooper and Pocock in the squad.
Reid and Fainga'a were outstanding the previous week and he schooled both of them and McMahon.
No4918
John Hipwell (52)
He was certainly right there when the niggle was on. He just can't help himself and it does his game and team no favours.
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TOCC
Guest
He has played much more test rugby at 6 then he has at 7....
I'm not saying that's justification to pick him as a 6, just an interesting statistic..
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T
TOCC
Guest
Gill, Hooper and Pocock simply aren't 6's.. Neither were Waugh, Smith or Croft..
They could play well as individuals but the forward pack is about selecting balance and two open sides don't provide the correct balance.
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They could play well as individuals but the forward pack is about selecting balance and two open sides don't provide the correct balance.
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Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
But I will also say it depends how you want to play and also the dynamic of you 8 and second row. You can still achieve the balance if you have the right players in the other positions. Trouble is I can't see how that can be achieved with the players available in Australia.
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
As great as Holmes was last night and for most of this year I'd still have him behind PAE. PAE has been pretty dominant with a 7 playing as a 6 as his flanker, and two players widely regarded as 6s in the second row. Last night the Rebels scrum was dusted but it should be noted that Leafa and Smith were both injured when that supremacy was achieved.
That said IMO I would take Holmes as fifth prop.
LHs - Slipper, Sio
THs - Kepu, PAE and Holmes.
Both Holmes and Kepu have extensive experience as a LH.
That said IMO I would take Holmes as fifth prop.
LHs - Slipper, Sio
THs - Kepu, PAE and Holmes.
Both Holmes and Kepu have extensive experience as a LH.
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
You mean PAE has been better than Greg Holmes who in his first scrum of 2015, won a tight head and penalty try after the reds scrum was slightly outmuscled before he came on. The same Greg Holmes that also lead the Reds scrum to a 7 mean tight head against the Hurricanes last week? And the same PAE who Slipper got the better of last time they played?
Righto mate.
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TOCC
Guest
Yes you're right it definitely does depend, other countries might be able to achieve the right balance with two open sides, but I don't think Australia has the cattle in the tight five or at number 8 to do that..
BDA
Peter Johnson (47)
I agree with this. I'm not saying I would pick Gill at 6, nor that Cheika would pick him there. If you've read some of my early posts you'll see that i believe the wallabies are best served with having a Lock style 6, and generally looking to put out a big heavy pack if possible. my point was only that Gill is not getting picked at 7 in the world cup as long as Hooper and Pocock are fit. If he wants to have any chance of selection (albeit very slim) its at 6. There's a lot of people talking up the selection of McMahon at 6 (again, not me, but others). If McMahon is in the selection frame as a back-up no.6 then Gill should also be competing for that spot. He's played at 6 for the wallabies more than McMahon has and is probably a better line-out jumper than McMahon.
Personally I would have Jones and Fardy as my no.6s for the WC.
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
I'm glad you agree.
BDA
Peter Johnson (47)
I think PAE is definitely one of our better THP this season and should be in the selection frame, but he's not been as consistent as Holmes this season. Of the 5 or 6 games Holmes has played this season, he's got the better of his opposing LH in each game, He's forced a few penalties in most of those games, and I honestly cant remember him being penalized in the scrum since his return. PAE has been penalised a fair bit. I gather he's still getting out smarted now and then by some of the more experienced props. That's a bit concerning heading to a world cup
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TOCC
Guest
Greg Holmes debut'd for the Wallabies 10years ago, he was initially selected as a loosehead prop with 10 of his 13 caps coming at loosehead and the remaining 3 coming from the bench. His last wallaby cap was in 2007 at the RWC, it will be 8 years between wallaby caps if Greg Holmes is selected again.
From 2005-2011 he was preferred as a loosehead at the Reds, yet in 2011 he was called up by Ewen McKenzie to replace the injured James Slipper as starting tighthead prop in the Super Rugby GF. From 2012 he shifted to primarily tighthead prop and has remained as the preferred starting tighthead prop ever since.
Greg was interviewed in 2012 and asked about his Wallaby chances:
From 2005-2011 he was preferred as a loosehead at the Reds, yet in 2011 he was called up by Ewen McKenzie to replace the injured James Slipper as starting tighthead prop in the Super Rugby GF. From 2012 he shifted to primarily tighthead prop and has remained as the preferred starting tighthead prop ever since.
Greg was interviewed in 2012 and asked about his Wallaby chances:
Highlander35
Andrew Slack (58)
I'm now of the opinion Slipper, Sio, Kepu and Holmes are the best candidates for canary jerseys. The 5th prop is completely open though.
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