Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[dru]

Rankings mean little, England is still Australia's biggest threat in the pool stages.. Australia should beat Wales and Fiji, but beating England is still 50/50.. England's strengths are Australia's weaknesses.


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I would agree with this if the same attitude had been taken by the punters on the downswing compared to now on the upswing. TOCC not yourself perhaps, but the negativity as we hit 5 was ruthless. It is no less relevant now than it was then.

 

[qwerty51]

I would agree with this if the same attitude had been taken by the punters on the downswing compared to now on the upswing. TOCC not yourself perhaps, but the negativity as we hit 5 was ruthless. It is no less relevant now than it was then.

People making anything out of the whole EOYT was a joke. It was a write off from the start and imo we actually did very well on it.

 

[BDA]

We were shit on the EOYT. Lets not try to sugar coat it. Agree you can really blame cheika too much for that.

Our results this year speak for themselves though. To his credit, Cheika has turned things around impressively

 

[qwerty51]

You just had unrealistic expectations. He was appointed coach less than a week before the squad left to the UK. He didn't even pick the squad. On top of that he didn't have Moore, TPN, Sio, Fardy, Pocock, Palu at his disposal. He had to work miracles. We got a win against Wales in his first Test. They later went on to beat a settled SA side that had beaten the ABs that year. We went within a score of France and Ireland and had winnable positions. Only lost to England because of the scrum which I put down to fatigue on Slipper and Kepu. Very good tour from him with the circumstances and listening to the comments after and before this Test season it put the marker down for any success this year.

 

[Marcelo]

You just had unrealistic expectations. He was appointed coach less than a week before the squad left to the UK. He didn't even pick the squad. On top of that he didn't have Moore, TPN, Sio, Fardy, Pocock, Palu at his disposal. He had to work miracles. We got a win against Wales in his first Test. They later went on to beat a settled SA side that had beaten the ABs that year. We went within a score of France and Ireland and had winnable positions. Only lost to England because of the scrum which I put down to fatigue on Slipper and Kepu. Very good tour from him with the circumstances and listening to the comments after and before this Test season it put the marker down for any success this year.

I had not thought of that. At the end the spring tour wasn't so bad

 

[Scrubber2050]

You just had unrealistic expectations. He was appointed coach less than a week before the squad left to the UK. He didn't even pick the squad. On top of that he didn't have Moore, TPN, Sio, Fardy, Pocock, Palu at his disposal. He had to work miracles. We got a win against Wales in his first Test. They later went on to beat a settled SA side that had beaten the ABs that year. We went within a score of France and Ireland and had winnable positions. Only lost to England because of the scrum which I put down to fatigue on Slipper and Kepu. Very good tour from him with the circumstances and listening to the comments after and before this Test season it put the marker down for any success this year.

My recollection was that we lost the England game - or the game totally changed when Genia fucked up another box kick, on our own line - was charged down and the Poms got a 7 pointer.

 

[Braveheart81]

My recollection was that we lost the England game - or the game totally changed when Genia fucked up another box kick, on our own line - was charged down and the Poms got a 7 pointer.

That was the 2013 EOYT wasn't it?

 

[Braveheart81]

thought Lilo was very good against Samoa. should have made the squad

I thought he was quite good but his goal kicking let him down. That said, Samoa weren't good at all. Scotland will be really liking their chances of beating Samoa and progressing to the quarter finals at the RWC.

I think Leali'ifano is unlucky in the sense that his form would probably have been good enough to make the RWC squad most tournaments. I don't think he was unlucky to be left out this time around given who we had available.

It was very difficult to slot him in ahead of anyone out of Cooper, Foley, Giteau and To'omua. Realistically those were the people he was competing with.

 

[Aussie D]

That was the 2013 EOYT wasn't it?

I'm not sure about the Genia box kick but I still cannot fathom how badly the match officials stuffed up practically handing the game to England. Firstly you had the Pom fullback catching the penalty kick for touch with both feet on or over the sideline - 5 metres out from their tryline. In the ensuing play they received a penalty, got the ball up our end and managed to score a try or penalty kick from memory. We were then behind the 8-ball and a short time later the fastest man in rugby Owen Farrell sauntered through a gaping hole to put the ball down under the posts. The referee and TMO believed there was "not enough" obstruction to penalise England, despite the fact that the hole was created by the Welsh hooker effectively blocking his Wallaby counterpart who could only make a despairing dive at the afforementioned fastest man in rugby. Wallaby heads were down and there was no way back from that.

 

[Tomikin]

I think he's as free to be as unconventional as he needs to be to give us a chance of winning, if our goal is to win, which I think it is.

If (as Fatprop suggests) we have a 10% chance of winning by playing conservatively (and that's generous, if you calculate the knockout odds realistically) but playing unconventionally increases that to 20%, while also increasing our odds of crashing out in the pool stage to 60%, do we take it?

Yes we do! Of course we do. It's the world cup. Death or glory. We should aim to win it.

There'll be carnage on the Internet if we crash out in the pool stage by taking risks against England and Wales, but so be it. No one is going to accept, with hindsight, that the risk was acceptable, if it fails. That's not how hindsight works.

But: there'll also be carnage on the Internet if we finish second. Probably the same carnage. There'll be an angry thread on here demanding his replacement. The Roar will explode. Cheika's only chance of public acceptance is to win.

And that's game theory.

You say we don't have the Talent to play conventional, but that's a lie, Jake White did it for the Brumbies and we where 15 mintues from winning S15, he won a world cup by playing the numbers... We don't like it but it gets results.. And lets be serious I dont think any other coach plays the numbers like Jake does... He plays down to the last percent of every game, and he won a world cup doing that and could again...

We can win the World cup a number of ways, we just have to believe in the style we try and win it in, and if that's balls to the wall running then so be it..

 

[Tomikin]

I thought he was quite good but his goal kicking let him down. That said, Samoa weren't good at all. Scotland will be really liking their chances of beating Samoa and progressing to the quarter finals at the RWC.

I think Leali'ifano is unlucky in the sense that his form would probably have been good enough to make the RWC squad most tournaments. I don't think he was unlucky to be left out this time around given who we had available.

It was very difficult to slot him in ahead of anyone out of Cooper, Foley, Giteau and To'omua. Realistically those were the people he was competing with.

I guess he got hurt by the international rule, He should have had a chance before Cooper as well. He played all season and showed good form.. But you can't win a spot without a chance. Although like Cooper he should have kicked arse at training..

Im still missing 2012 Lealifiano, before that broken ankle he was what we all wished for at 10..

 

[Braveheart81]

I guess he got hurt by the international rule, He should have had a chance before Cooper as well. He played all season and showed good form.. But you can't win a spot without a chance. Although like Cooper he should have kicked arse at training..

Im still missing 2012 Lealifiano, before that broken ankle he was what we all wished for at 10..

I don't disagree with the sentiment but also don't accept that he deserved to play one of the four tests on the back of a decent 2015 season. He was still at best, the third choice at both 10 and 12.

I think Leali'ifano's chance to move ahead of one of the other contenders was to make himself an irresistible goal kicking option. He hasn't been able to do that in 2015 and I think that has let his chances down substantially.

 

[Tomikin]

I don't disagree with the sentiment but also don't accept that he deserved to play one of the four tests on the back of a decent 2015 season. He was still at best, the third choice at both 10 and 12.

I think Leali'ifano's chance to move ahead of one of the other contenders was to make himself an irresistible goal kicking option. He hasn't been able to do that in 2015 and I think that has let his chances down substantially.

I tend to agree, on his 2012/13 form I read an artical by Laurie Fisher, which he basically said he gave Lealiifano a massive kick in the pants and told him he needed to take charge.. and that year he was the man and dominated.. before and after then he has had Gits or To'omua to run the show for him. Maybe he just needs the believe.

I do think though, if you played exceptionally well all season (which he did), he play awesome in his last test (against the All Blacks I believe). he deserved to have his shot, its not like Cooper did anything all year, To'omua's knocked himself out.. Foley been meh.. and Gits come back from overseas..

I think from what Ive seen he deserved his shot (goal kicking or not).. He obviously didn't train like he deserved it or he would have got it..

Never know Stephen Donald kicked a world cup goal, we could have worse people coming in as 10 when injuries strike

Most of this is just me feeling for the bloke..

 

[Train Without a Station]

Christian has paid the price for being good enough to be around the team for a while, but not quite good enough yet to cement a spot.

Good enough for many astute observers to consider him up to test rugby, but having never tied down a spot, does not have the fact he is an unknown and could excel going for him.

Unlucky to not go, especially with Beale likely to be reserve outside back and back up fullback more so than 12. 5 options between 10/12 would not have been ridiculous, but is a luxury.

 

[Groucho]

You say we don't have the Talent to play conventional, but that's a lie, Jake White did it for the Brumbies and we where 15 mintues from winning S15, he won a world cup by playing the numbers. We don't like it but it gets results.. And lets be serious I dont think any other coach plays the numbers like Jake does. He plays down to the last percent of every game, and he won a world cup doing that and could again.

We can win the World cup a number of ways, we just have to believe in the style we try and win it in, and if that's balls to the wall running then so be it..

It's not a lie, but I know what you mean. I just disagree.

It's more than just talent. It's systems, and depth, and experience playing that particular brand of rugby.

We probably do have the cattle. They just have to spend a world cup cycle or two playing Jakeball to be good enough at Jakeball to win against nations like New Zealand and England.

Winning the World Cup takes much more commitment over a longer period of time than (unluckily) losing the Supe does.

 

[Groucho]

Christian has paid the price for being good enough to be around the team for a while, but not quite good enough yet to cement a spot.

Good enough for many astute observers to consider him up to test rugby, but having never tied down a spot, does not have the fact he is an unknown and could excel going for him.

Unlucky to not go, especially with Beale likely to be reserve outside back and back up fullback more so than 12. 5 options between 10/12 would not have been ridiculous, but is a luxury.

I'd have taken Lilo over Beale if it was just inside back backup.

 

[Scrubber2050]

That was the 2013 EOYT wasn't it?

Yep - sorry

 

[Bairdy]

How is Laurie Weeks progressing after his surgery/rehab, does anyone know?

In the event that one of our tightheads go down (touch wood they don't), I'd feel more at ease with Weeks and Faulkner as the next cabs off the rank then Alexander.

 

[TOCC]

If you're looking for another tight head prop then how about Paul Alo-Emile, i think he will be pulling on the Stade jersey next weekend against Toulon.

 

[qwerty51]

Stade would be pissed but yeah I agree just so we can lock him in too.