Aussie Pro Rugby
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I don't rate Hooper as a captain. I realise there aren't an abundance of choices.
Hooper named new Wallabies captain
Michael Hooper is the new Wallabies captain, replacing the retiring Stephen Moore.
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@KiwiMurph A lot of Wallabies supporters don't. Basically anyone not from NSW...
Spiro Zavos thinks 12 tests into his career, Adam Coleman should be encumbered with the captaincy.
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Spiro Zavos is a moron.
I think it's really hard to judge captaincy potential from the sidelines/couch. Plenty of bloody great players out there who just aren't suited to captaincy (George Smith springs to mind). You just can't tell who has the respect of the playing group, who is decisive in the key moments, who communicates well on field etc etc etc.
I've been pretty impressed with Hooper's leadership this year, and I think he deserves a shot. But as I said it's hard to judge from the outside.
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I think you can form a pretty decent picture of a captain as a spectator. How does the team react when the game is there to be won? Does the team change tactics on the field? How does the captain communicate with the ref? What options does the captain take on the field (e.g. shot at goal vs going for try)? When interviewed what does the captain talk about?
Of course this doesn't all fall to the captain alone, the coaching staff and leadership group for starters are heavily involved, but I didn't need to be in the group to understand that Ali Williams was a terrible captain.
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@barbarian said in Aussie Rugby in general:
I've been pretty impressed with Hooper's leadership this year, and I think he deserves a shot. But as I said it's hard to judge from the outside.
The way he gets stuck into his team behind the posts is good.
The fact that he has to do it so often is bad.
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Cheika makes final call on Bledisloe Cup squad
Wallabies squad for Bledisloe Cup
OUT: Jermaine Ainsley, Sam Carter, Pek Cowan, Sef Faagase, Richard Hardwick, Campbell Magnay, Taniela Tupou
INJURED: Kyle Godwin (knee), Karmichael Hunt (ankle), Tolu Latu (neck), Eto Nabuli (knee), James Slipper (achilles), Lukhan Tui (knee), Sefa Naivalu (ankle), Jake Gordon (ankle)
Forwards
Allan Alaalatoa, 12 Tests, Brumbies
Rory Arnold, 12 Tests, Brumbies
Adam Coleman, 12 Tests, Western Force
Jack Dempsey, 1 Test, NSW Waratahs
Kane Douglas, 31 Tests, Queensland Reds
Tetera Faulkner, 2 Tests, Western Force
Ned Hanigan, 3 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Michael Hooper (c), 68 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Sekope Kepu, 80 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Adam Korczyk*, Queensland Reds
Sean McMahon, 15 Tests, Melbourne Rebels
Stephen Moore, 120 Tests, Queensland Reds
Tatafu Polota-Nau, 71 Tests, Western Force
Tom Robertson, 9 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Izack Rodda*, Queensland Reds
Rob Simmons, 71 Tests, Queensland Reds
Scott Sio, 32 Tests, Brumbies
Lopeti Timani, 7 Tests, Melbourne Rebels
Jordan Uelese*, Melbourne RebelsBacks
Kurtley Beale, 60 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Israel Folau, 55 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Bernard Foley (vc), 45 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Will Genia (vc), 78 Tests
Dane Haylett-Petty, 17 Tests, Western Force
Reece Hodge, 13 Tests, Melbourne Rebels
Samu Kerevi, 8 Tests, Queensland Reds
Marika Koroibete*, Melbourne Rebels
Tevita Kuridrani, 47 Tests, Brumbies
Billy Meakes*, Western Force
Izaia Perese*, Queensland Reds
Nick Phipps, 52 Tests, NSW Waratahs
Joe Powell, 2 Tests, Brumbies
Curtis Rona*, Western Force
Henry Speight, 12 Tests, Brumbies -
@Stargazer said in Aussie Rugby in general:
Cheika makes final call on Bledisloe Cup squad
Wallabies squad for Bledisloe Cup
OUT: Jermaine Ainsley, Sam Carter, Pek Cowan, Sef Faagase, Richard Hardwick, Campbell Magnay, Taniela Tupou
The Tongan Thor out, that's interesting.
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@Higgins said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@Stargazer said in Aussie Rugby in general:
Cheika makes final call on Bledisloe Cup squad
Wallabies squad for Bledisloe Cup
OUT: Jermaine Ainsley, Sam Carter, Pek Cowan, Sef Faagase, Richard Hardwick, Campbell Magnay, Taniela Tupou
The Tongan Thor out, that's interesting.
Would be more surprising if his nickname was 'The Australian Thor'
Oh hang on isn't Thor Australian anyway?
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@Crucial said in Aussie Rugby in general:
So a squad of 34.
Who will be the first 10 to miss out on the team naming?We'll know in 48-72 hours.
Tongan Thor isn't ready for Test footy. A few good bumping runs, and a reduced cake intake, probably hasn't got his scrummaging to the level required, at least in the eyes of Ledesma.
Not sure why Simmons is still there. I understood why 2 years ago, watching the difference between our scrum with him both in and out of it, but now? Nup.
Both Beale and Kerevi are carrying injuries so not sure how much good they'll be. I'd suggest a team looks something like this:
1 Sio
2 Moore
3 Alaalatoa
4 Arnold
5 Coleman
6 Dempsey - while Hanigan might be a better size and weight, Dempsey is attack dog
7 Hooper (capt)
8 Timani
9 Genia
10 Foley
11 Speight
12 Beale
13 Kuridrani
14 Koroibete
15 Folau16 TPN
17 Robertson
18 Kepu
19 Douglas
20 McMahon
21 Powell
22 Kerevi
23 HodgeSo not much really changes there. Maybe Hanigan at 20 instead of McMahon, but I suspect with the pack we could pick, it'll be a case of being abrasive and rapid - McMahon is that guy.
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@Higgins said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@Stargazer said in Aussie Rugby in general:
Cheika makes final call on Bledisloe Cup squad
Wallabies squad for Bledisloe Cup
OUT: Jermaine Ainsley, Sam Carter, Pek Cowan, Sef Faagase, Richard Hardwick, Campbell Magnay, Taniela Tupou
The Tongan Thor out, that's interesting.
An article through the week said he wasn't eligible for the Wallabies until the EOYT?
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@KiwiMurph said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@NTA I think theyll start DHP instead of Koroibete - in the June series DHP started and Koro didnt get any game time.
DHP was a bit quiet this season from all accounts.
Not like its going to make any difference.
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@Unite said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@Higgins said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@Stargazer said in Aussie Rugby in general:
Cheika makes final call on Bledisloe Cup squad
Wallabies squad for Bledisloe Cup
OUT: Jermaine Ainsley, Sam Carter, Pek Cowan, Sef Faagase, Richard Hardwick, Campbell Magnay, Taniela Tupou
The Tongan Thor out, that's interesting.
An article through the week said he wasn't eligible for the Wallabies until the EOYT?
You are right as I think there is a three year standdown from the time boys that are not NZ permanent residents finish secondary school. As the Thor was still playing for Sacred Heart in Auckland in the 2014 season that would make the three year period sometime in late 2017 (depending on when he bailed from school and moved to Aussie). It looks like the ARFU must have a similar requirement to be met.
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Finished the season with 2 wins. So we're wooden spooners in First and Third Grade, but only second last in Second Grade.
Played 22 out of a scheduled 42 games
6 Yellow Cards
1 Red CardGet our $2000 bond back from Suburban Rugby, imposed after the brawl last year that ended our season.
I went to the pub, ate food, drank scotch & dry, and finally fucking relaxed.
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@NTA said in Aussie Rugby in general:
Finished the season with 2 wins. So we're wooden spooners in First and Third Grade, but only second last in Second Grade.
Played 22 out of a scheduled 42 games
6 Yellow Cards
1 Red CardGet our $2000 bond back from Suburban Rugby, imposed after the brawl last year that ended our season.
I went to the pub, ate food, drank scotch & dry, and finally fucking relaxed.
Leeeegend
After all that hopefilly you remember why rugby is awesome ...
???
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@booboo I'd be lying if I said that playing a few games this year was awful. Even when I fronted up for First Grade three times, or played two games back to back at THP, it was still the kind of exhilaration you don't often get* as a 40/41 yo fat bastard who is too unfit to play rugby. Made it to 83 caps for the club this year (52 starts).
One guy nearly my age played 19 of the 22 games we contested this year.
Being Club President though... fuck that's a tough gig when you've got a very limited volunteer pool, and playing numbers are going down the shitter, and you're being assaulted on all sides by soccer, Council, and random gibbering idiots writing into the local paper calling for the old head coach back.
Little victories is all you have. Of the eight clubs in our Division, the same four qualified for finals of all three grades next season, so we're not alone right now.
One benefit: I get to go to the Division 1 finals day, which apparently is a glorious pissup and seafood spectacular.
*Nocturnal activities with Mrs TA notwithstanding.
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http://www.aon.com.au/australia/australian-rugby-union/womens-university-rugby-sevens.jsp
This new women's rugby 7s tournament has started today in Tasmania. Eight universities, with National Sevens Players bolstering the ranks.
Macquarie Uni (NSW)
Griffith Uni (QLD)
Bond Uni (QLD)
Uni of Queensland
Uni of New England (NSW)
Uni of Tasmania
Uni of Canberra
Uni of Adelaide
