I thought AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Hooper, Beale Foley, Phipps and Palu were all superb last night. Horne must have just about earned himself a starting wing spot in the first Bledisloe as well.
Wallaby Watch 2014
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ChargerWA
Mark Loane (55)
9. Phipps
10. Foley
11. Horne
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Folau
Link will start with White at 9, but I expect the rest to be right. Horne's transformation to winger has come at just the right time and if he holds form, when Speight comes eligible I expect Kuridrani will be dropped and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) will go to 13.
10. Foley
11. Horne
12. To'omua
13. Kuridrani
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Folau
Link will start with White at 9, but I expect the rest to be right. Horne's transformation to winger has come at just the right time and if he holds form, when Speight comes eligible I expect Kuridrani will be dropped and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) will go to 13.
Understand the euphoria of the Waratah victory but the performance of the incumbents over their last matches on which they should be judged is hardly a basis for change.
It appears that you are happy with To'omua and Kurandrani but despite White having standout performances against both the Force and chiefs and a very good performance against the Tahs in a losing side we are looking for change.
Phipps has performed well especially in defence but so has White. There stats from the semi show Phipps making 7 missing none with White making 9 missing none.
IMO White still has a better overall game in getting to breakdown, quick strong clearance and better kicking game.
Both are playing well but before we go calling for changes in a side which has just had a clean sweep of a test series can we review the performance of the incumbents to provide a benchmark. With 5 mins to go in the semi against the brumbies it was 16 - 8 and White, To'omua and Kurandrani had all played well.
I agree that the same players are likely to retain their spots in the starting side from the French series. The bench players like Phipps and Beale will be really close to a spot in the starting side if there are any slip ups by the players ahead of them.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
I think this is the strongest 9-13 we can field:
9. White
10. To'omua
12. Beale
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
It won't happen though, it means Horne & McCabe are on the wings..or maybe Tevita..if it were v Argentina you'd probably do it and chuck Betham on just for the experience..but it's the AB's!!
it's a good problem to have!
9. White
10. To'omua
12. Beale
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
It won't happen though, it means Horne & McCabe are on the wings..or maybe Tevita..if it were v Argentina you'd probably do it and chuck Betham on just for the experience..but it's the AB's!!
it's a good problem to have!
T
TOCC
Guest
I don't think the weekends results will have too much influence over Wallaby selections, White is still better suited to test rugby and whilst Beale is pushing hard to a start, i think its more likely he will still be on the bench.
Ben Robinson had a good game with high involvement, which is exactly what Link likes from his props, so maybe he has pushed himself back up the pecking order but apart from that i don't think there will be many changes from the French series.
Ben Robinson had a good game with high involvement, which is exactly what Link likes from his props, so maybe he has pushed himself back up the pecking order but apart from that i don't think there will be many changes from the French series.
Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
- With To'omua I am very happy. With Kuridrani I am relatively satisfied at his spot in the 23, but the suggestion that he is remotely close to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is absolute madness.
- White was clearly outplayed in the semi-final. The first try was his error. He was not good in the first half, slightly better in the second. But its also a question of what gameplan we will play. If Link wants to revert to Jakeball, then White's your man, and Link sometimes likes to play Jakeball. If he wants to play an Australian game then he will pick Phipps because he clears the ball the fastest from the deck and gets to rucks quickest.
- The only KPI White is stronger is a better kicking game. He is slower round the field and clearing the ruck than Phipps. He does have a more accurate pass but he doesn't put pace on the game like Phipps.
- Did the Brumbies lose the game in the last five minutes? They were behind all game and were soundly beaten by the end. White was bad, To'omua excellent and Kuridrani OK.
One difference between Link and Cheik (there are others) is that Link likes to play all styles from time to time. Cheik sets the style that he wants the team to play and makes the other team react to it.
I am resigned to getting 9. White, 10. Foley, 11. Tomane, 12. To'omua, 13. Kuridrani, 14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), 15. Folau with Beale on the bench because sometimes its harder to get out of a Link team than to get in. That team will match Link's desire for gameplan adaptability but it won't be the best we could do if we were to play the style the Tahs have played this year.
Bairdy
Peter Fenwicke (45)
White will start because he has the overall game suited to test match rugby despite your preconceptions. You single him out as the heart of Jakeball - a blight on rugby - but don't acknowledge his part in the Chiefs 1/4 final or the Force rout preceding the Tahs game.
Fact is, his kicking game is better, and the difference in Phipps' and White's running and passing game is marginal at best. We have to exit our half in test rugby someway other than running it so it will be no surprise if White starts.
Fact is, his kicking game is better, and the difference in Phipps' and White's running and passing game is marginal at best. We have to exit our half in test rugby someway other than running it so it will be no surprise if White starts.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
That Kiwi bloke at the Tahs did a very good job with Foley
emuarse
Desmond Connor (43)
You mean Richie McCaw when he went in at the side of the maul/ruck at the Tahs that allowed Foley to reach hero status from slotting a 45 metre penalty
I always new Richie was up for it. Not a very nice rider on your CV - 'Oh, and lost the Super 15 final for the Crusaders against the Waratahs'.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
I actually meant the kicking coach (Andrew M) but you raise a very valid alternative point of view. Well done
You mean Richie McCaw when he went in at the side of the maul/ruck at the Tahs that allowed Foley to reach hero status from slotting a 45 metre penalty
I always new Richie was up for it. Not a very nice rider on your CV - 'Oh, and lost the Super 15 final for the Crusaders against the Waratahs'.
The memory is a little hazy, and I am sure that a Reds Supporter will know for sure, but wasn't one of the defining moments of the Reds 2011 Victory a Sir Richie GOAT defensive miss read on Genia, which allowed him to scoot in untouched for the match winner?
BDA
Peter Johnson (47)
The loss of TPN undoubtedly hurts our chances of winning the Bledisloe but on the plus side we should otherwise have a close to full strength forward pack. Hooker is not an area where the All Blacks are particularly strong anyway and whoever we put in will have a strong pine-out to throw to. TPN does seem to add a bit of power to the scrums tho, so we might be affected there. I suspect Link will play Hansen and Charles and give them each about 40 minutes to maximise their impact. Hooker aside we should have a pretty strong pack this year with solid front row stocks and with Fardy, Carter, Palu and Hooper all in great form.
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
HJ, wasn't it a Richie penalty in 2011 that handed us (The Reds) the win?
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